northanger abbey-第8章

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I　believe：　and　how　do　you　like　the　rest　of　the　family？〃







　　　　　〃Very；　very　much　indeed：　Isabella　particularly。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　very　glad　to　hear　you　say　so；　she　is　just　the



kind　of　young　woman　I　could　wish　to　see　you　attached　to；



she　has　so　much　good　sense；　and　is　so　thoroughly



unaffected　and　amiable；　I　always　wanted　you　to　know　her；



and　she　seems　very　fond　of　you。　　She　said　the　highest



things　in　your　praise　that　could　possibly　be；　and　the



praise　of　such　a　girl　as　Miss　Thorpe　even　you；　Catherine；〃



taking　her　hand　with　affection；　〃may　be　proud　of。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　I　am；〃　she　replied；　〃I　love　her　exceedingly；



and　am　delighted　to　find　that　you　like　her　too。　



You　hardly　mentioned　anything　of　her　when　you　wrote　to　me



after　your　visit　there。〃







　　　　　〃Because　I　thought　I　should　soon　see　you　myself。　



I　hope　you　will　be　a　great　deal　together　while　you　are



in　Bath。　　She　is　a　most　amiable　girl；　such　a　superior



understanding！　How　fond　all　the　family　are　of　her；



she　is　evidently　the　general　favourite；　and　how　much　she



must　be　admired　in　such　a　place　as　thisis　not　she？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　much　indeed；　I　fancy；　Mr。　Allen　thinks



her　the　prettiest　girl　in　Bath。〃







　　　　　〃I　dare　say　he　does；　and　I　do　not　know　any　man



who　is　a　better　judge　of　beauty　than　Mr。　Allen。　　I　need



not　ask　you　whether　you　are　happy　here；　my　dear　Catherine；



with　such　a　companion　and　friend　as　Isabella　Thorpe；　it　would



be　impossible　for　you　to　be　otherwise；　and　the　Allens；



I　am　sure；　are　very　kind　to　you？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　kind；　I　never　was　so　happy　before；



and　now　you　are　come　it　will　be　more　delightful　than　ever；



how　good　it　is　of　you　to　come　so　far　on　purpose　to　see　me。〃







　　　　　James　accepted　this　tribute　of　gratitude；



and　qualified　his　conscience　for　accepting　it　too；



by　saying　with　perfect　sincerity；　〃Indeed；　Catherine；



I　love　you　dearly。〃







　　　　　Inquiries　and　communications　concerning　brothers



and　sisters；　the　situation　of　some；　the　growth　of　the　rest；



and　other　family　matters　now　passed　between　them；　and　continued；



with　only　one　small　digression　on　James's　part；　in　praise



of　Miss　Thorpe；　till　they　reached　Pulteney　Street；　where　he



was　welcomed　with　great　kindness　by　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen；



invited　by　the　former　to　dine　with　them；　and　summoned　by



the　latter　to　guess　the　price　and　weigh　the　merits　of　a　new



muff　and　tippet。　　A　pre…engagement　in　Edgar's　Buildings



prevented　his　accepting　the　invitation　of　one　friend；



and　obliged　him　to　hurry　away　as　soon　as　he　had　satisfied



the　demands　of　the　other。　　The　time　of　the　two　parties



uniting　in　the　Octagon　Room　being　correctly　adjusted；



Catherine　was　then　left　to　the　luxury　of　a　raised；　restless；



and　frightened　imagination　over　the　pages　of　Udolpho；



lost　from　all　worldly　concerns　of　dressing　and　dinner；



incapable　of　soothing　Mrs。　Allen's　fears　on　the　delay　of　an



expected　dressmaker；　and　having　only　one　minute　in　sixty



to　bestow　even　on　the　reflection　of　her　own　felicity；



in　being　already　engaged　for　the　evening。　















CHAPTER　8











　　　　　In　spite　of　Udolpho　and　the　dressmaker；　however；



the　party　from　Pulteney　Street　reached　the　Upper　Rooms



in　very　good　time。　　The　Thorpes　and　James　Morland



were　there　only　two　minutes　before　them；　and　Isabella



having　gone　through　the　usual　ceremonial　of　meeting



her　friend　with　the　most　smiling　and　affectionate　haste；



of　admiring　the　set　of　her　gown；　and　envying　the　curl



of　her　hair；　they　followed　their　chaperones；　arm　in　arm；



into　the　ballroom；　whispering　to　each　other　whenever



a　thought　occurred；　and　supplying　the　place　of　many



ideas　by　a　squeeze　of　the　hand　or　a　smile　of　affection。　







　　　　　The　dancing　began　within　a　few　minutes　after　they



were　seated；　and　James；　who　had　been　engaged　quite　as　long



as　his　sister；　was　very　importunate　with　Isabella　to　stand　up；



but　John　was　gone　into　the　card…room　to　speak　to　a　friend；



and　nothing；　she　declared；　should　induce　her　to　join



the　set　before　her　dear　Catherine　could　join　it　too。　



〃I　assure　you；〃　said　she；　〃I　would　not　stand　up　without



your　dear　sister　for　all　the　world；　for　if　I　did　we



should　certainly　be　separated　the　whole　evening。〃



Catherine　accepted　this　kindness　with　gratitude；



and　they　continued　as　they　were　for　three　minutes　longer；



when　Isabella；　who　had　been　talking　to　James　on　the　other



side　of　her；　turned　again　to　his　sister　and　whispered；



〃My　dear　creature；　I　am　afraid　I　must　leave　you；



your　brother　is　so　amazingly　impatient　to　begin；　I　know



you　will　not　mind　my　going　away；　and　I　dare　say　John　will



be　back　in　a　moment；　and　then　you　may　easily　find　me　out。〃



Catherine；　though　a　little　disappointed；　had　too　much　good



nature　to　make　any　opposition；　and　the　others　rising　up；



Isabella　had　only　time　to　press　her　friend's　hand　and　say；



〃Good…bye；　my　dear　love；〃　before　they　hurried　off。　



The　younger　Miss　Thorpes　being　also　dancing；　Catherine　was



left　to　the　mercy　of　Mrs。　Thorpe　and　Mrs。　Allen；



between　whom　she　now　remained。　　She　could　not　help　being



vexed　at　the　non…appearance　of　Mr。　Thorpe；　for　she　not



only　longed　to　be　dancing；　but　was　likewise　aware　that；



as　the　real　dignity　of　her　situation　could　not　be　known；



she　was　sharing　with　the　scores　of　other　young　ladies　still



sitting　down　all　the　discredit　of　wanting　a　partner。　



To　be　disgraced　in　the　eye　of　the　world；　to　wear　the



appearance　of　infamy　while　her　heart　is　all　purity；



her　actions　all　innocence；　and　the　misconduct　of　another



the　true　source　of　her　debasement；　is　one　of　those



circumstances　which　peculiarly　belong　to　the　heroine's　life；



and　her　fortitude　under　it　what　particularly　dignifies



her　character。　　Catherine　had　fortitude　too；　she　suffered；



but　no　murmur　passed　her　lips。　







　　　　　From　this　state　of　humiliation；　she　was　roused；



at　the　end　of　ten　minutes；　to　a　pleasanter　feeling；



by　seeing；　not　Mr。　Thorpe；　but　Mr。　Tilney；　within　three



yards　of　the　place　where　they　sat；　he　seemed　to　be



moving　that　way；　but　be　did　not　see　her；　and　therefore



the　smile　and　the　blush；　which　his　sudden　reappearance



raised　in　Catherine；　passed　away　without　sullying　her



heroic　importance。　　He　looked　as　handsome　and　as　lively



as　ever；　and　was　talking　with　interest　to　a　fashionable



and　pleasing…looking　young　woman；　who　leant　on　his　arm；



and　whom　Catherine　immediately　guessed　to　be　his　sister；



thus　unthinkingly　throwing　away　a　fair　opportunity　of



considering　him　lost　to　her　forever；　by　being　married　already。　



But　guided　only　by　what　was　simple　and　probable；



it　had　never　entered　her　head　that　Mr。　Tilney　could



be　married；　he　had　not　behaved；　he　had　not　talked；



like　the　married　men　to　whom　she　had　been　used；　he　had



never　mentioned　a　wife；　and　he　had　acknowledged　a　sister。　



From　these　circumstances　sprang　the　instant　conclusion



of　his　sister's　now　being　by　his　side；　and　therefore；



instead　of　turning　of　a　deathlike　paleness　and　falling



in　a　fit　on　Mrs。　Allen's　bosom；　Catherine　sat　erect；



in　the　perfect　use　of　her　senses；　and　with　cheeks　only　a



little　redder　than　usual。　







　　　　　Mr。　Tilney　and　his　companion；　who　continued；



though　slowly；　to　approach；　were　immediately　preceded



by　a　lady；　an　acquaintance　of　Mrs。　Thorpe；　and　this　lady



stopping　to　speak　to　her；　they；　as　belonging　to　her；



stopped　likewise；　and　Catherine；　catching　Mr。　Tilney's　eye；



instantly　received　from　him　the　smiling　tribute



of　recognition。　　She　returned　it　with　pleasure；



and　then　advancing　still　nearer；　he　spoke　both　to　her



and　Mrs。　Allen；　by　whom　he　was　very　civilly　acknowledged。　



〃I　am　very　happy　to　see　you　again；　sir；　indeed；　I　was



afraid　you　had　left　Bath。〃　He　thanked　her　for　her　fears；



and　said　that　he　had　quitted　it　for　a　week；　on　the　very



morning　after　his　having　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　her。　







　　　　　〃Well；　sir；　and　I　dare　say　you　are　not　sorry　to　be



back　again；　for　it　is　just　the　place　for　young　people



and　indeed　for　everybody　else　too。　　I　tell　Mr。　Allen；



when　he　talks　of　being　sick　of　it；　that　I　am　sure　he



should　not　complain；　for　it　is　so　very　agreeable　a　place；



that　it　is　much　better　to　be　here　than　at　home　at　this



dull　time　of　year。　　I　tell　him　he　is　quite　in　luck



to　be　sent　here　for　his　health。〃







　　　　　〃And　I　hope；　madam；　that　Mr。　Allen　will　be　obliged



to　like　the　place；　from　finding　it　of　service　to　him。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　sir。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　he　will。　



A　neighbour　of　ours；　Dr。　Skinner；　was　here　for　his　health



last　winter；　and　came　away　quite　stout。〃







　　　　　〃That　circumstance　must　give　great　encouragement。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sirand　Dr。　Skinner　and　his　family　were　here



three　months；　so　I　tell　Mr。　Allen　he　must　not　be　in　a　hurry



to　get　away。〃







　　　　　Here　they　were　interrupted　by　a　request　from　Mrs。　Thorpe



to　Mrs。　Allen；　that　she　would　move　a　little　to　accommodate



Mrs。　Hughes　and　Miss　Tilney　with　seats；　as　they　had



agreed　to　join　their　party。　　This　was　accordingly　done；



Mr。　Tilney　still　continuing　standing　before　them；



and　after　a　few　minutes'　consideration；　he　asked　Catherine



to　dance　with　him。　　This　compliment；　delightful　as　it　was；



produced　severe　mortification　to　the　lady；　and　in　giving



her　denial；　she　expressed　her　sorrow　on　the　occasion



so　very　much　as　if　she　really　felt　it　that　had　Thorpe；



who　joined　her　just　afterwards；　been　half　a　minute　earlier；



he　might　have　thought　her　sufferings　rather　too　acute。　



The　very　easy　manner　in　which　he　then　told　her　that　he



had　kept　her　waiting　did　not　by　any　means　reconcile　her



more　to　her　lot；　nor　did　the　particulars　which　he　entered



into　while　they　were　standing　up；　of　the　horses　and　dogs



of　the　friend　whom　he　had　just　left；　and　of　a　proposed



exchange　of　terriers　between　them；　interest　her　so　much



as　to　prevent　her　looking　very　often　towards　that　part　of　the



room　where　she　had　left　Mr。　Tilney。　　Of　her　dear　Isabella；



to　whom　she　particularly　longed　to　point　out　that　gentleman；



she　could　see　nothing。　　They　were　in　different　sets。　



She　was　separated　from　all　her　party；　and　away　from　all



her　acquaintance；　one　mortification　succeeded　another；



and　from　the　whole　she　deduced　this　useful　lesson；



that　to　go　previously　engaged　to　a　ball