northanger abbey- 第13部分

She　followed　him　in　all　his　admiration　as　well　as　she　could。　



To　go　before　or　beyond　him　was　impossible。　　His　knowledge



and　her　ignorance　of　the　subject；　his　rapidity　of　expression；



and　her　diffidence　of　herself　put　that　out　of　her　power；



she　could　strike　out　nothing　new　in　commendation；



but　she　readily　echoed　whatever　he　chose　to　assert；



and　it　was　finally　settled　between　them　without　any



difficulty　that　his　equipage　was　altogether　the　most



complete　of　its　kind　in　England；　his　carriage　the　neatest；



his　horse　the　best　goer；　and　himself　the　best　coachman。　



〃You　do　not　really　think；　Mr。　Thorpe；〃　said　Catherine；



venturing　after　some　time　to　consider　the　matter　as



entirely　decided；　and　to　offer　some　little　variation　on



the　subject；　〃that　James's　gig　will　break　down？〃







　　　　　〃Break　down！　Oh！　Lord！　Did　you　ever　see　such　a　little



tittuppy　thing　in　your　life？　There　is　not　a　sound　piece



of　iron　about　it。　　The　wheels　have　been　fairly　worn　out



these　ten　years　at　leastand　as　for　the　body！　Upon　my　soul；



you　might　shake　it　to　pieces　yourself　with　a　touch。　



It　is　the　most　devilish　little　rickety　business　I　ever



beheld！　Thank　God！　we　have　got　a　better。　　I　would　not　be



bound　to　go　two　miles　in　it　for　fifty　thousand　pounds。〃







　　　　　〃Good　heavens！〃　cried　Catherine；　quite　frightened。　



〃Then　pray　let　us　turn　back；　they　will　certainly　meet　with



an　accident　if　we　go　on。　　Do　let　us　turn　back；　Mr。　Thorpe；



stop　and　speak　to　my　brother；　and　tell　him　how　very　unsafe



it　is。〃







　　　　　〃Unsafe！　Oh；　lord！　What　is　there　in　that？　They　will



only　get　a　roll　if　it　does　break　down；　and　there　is　plenty



of　dirt；　it　will　be　excellent　falling。　　Oh；　curse　it！　The



carriage　is　safe　enough；　if　a　man　knows　how　to　drive　it；



a　thing　of　that　sort　in　good　hands　will　last　above　twenty



years　after　it　is　fairly　worn　out。　　Lord　bless　you！　I



would　undertake　for　five　pounds　to　drive　it　to　York



and　back　again；　without　losing　a　nail。〃







　　　　　Catherine　listened　with　astonishment；　she　knew



not　how　to　reconcile　two　such　very　different　accounts



of　the　same　thing；　for　she　had　not　been　brought　up



to　understand　the　propensities　of　a　rattle；　nor　to　know



to　how　many　idle　assertions　and　impudent　falsehoods　the



excess　of　vanity　will　lead。　　Her　own　family　were　plain；



matter…of…fact　people　who　seldom　aimed　at　wit　of　any　kind；



her　father；　at　the　utmost；　being　contented　with　a　pun；



and　her　mother　with　a　proverb；　they　were　not　in　the　habit



therefore　of　telling　lies　to　increase　their　importance；



or　of　asserting　at　one　moment　what　they　would　contradict



the　next。　　She　reflected　on　the　affair　for　some　time



in　much　perplexity；　and　was　more　than　once　on　the　point



of　requesting　from　Mr。　Thorpe　a　clearer　insight　into　his



real　opinion　on　the　subject；　but　she　checked　herself；



because　it　appeared　to　her　that　he　did　not　excel　in　giving



those　clearer　insights；　in　making　those　things　plain



which　he　had　before　made　ambiguous；　and；　joining　to　this；



the　consideration　that　he　would　not　really　suffer



his　sister　and　his　friend　to　be　exposed　to　a　danger



from　which　he　might　easily　preserve　them；　she　concluded



at　last　that　he　must　know　the　carriage　to　be　in　fact



perfectly　safe；　and　therefore　would　alarm　herself　no　longer。　



By　him　the　whole　matter　seemed　entirely　forgotten；



and　all　the　rest　of　his　conversation；　or　rather　talk；



began　and　ended　with　himself　and　his　own　concerns。　



He　told　her　of　horses　which　he　had　bought　for　a　trifle



and　sold　for　incredible　sums；　of　racing　matches；



in　which　his　judgment　had　infallibly　foretold　the　winner；



of　shooting　parties；　in　which　he　had　killed　more　birds



（though　without　having　one　good　shot）　than　all　his



companions　together；　and　described　to　her　some　famous



day's　sport；　with　the　fox…hounds；　in　which　his　foresight



and　skill　in　directing　the　dogs　had　repaired　the　mistakes



of　the　most　experienced　huntsman；　and　in　which　the　boldness



of　his　riding；　though　it　had　never　endangered　his　own



life　for　a　moment；　had　been　constantly　leading　others



into　difficulties；　which　he　calmly　concluded　had　broken



the　necks　of　many。　







　　　　　Little　as　Catherine　was　in　the　habit　of　judging



for　herself；　and　unfixed　as　were　her　general　notions　of　what



men　ought　to　be；　she　could　not　entirely　repress　a　doubt；



while　she　bore　with　the　effusions　of　his　endless　conceit；



of　his　being　altogether　completely　agreeable。　　It　was　a



bold　surmise；　for　he　was　Isabella's　brother；　and　she　had



been　assured　by　James　that　his　manners　would　recommend　him



to　all　her　sex；　but　in　spite　of　this；　the　extreme　weariness



of　his　company；　which　crept　over　her　before　they　had　been



out　an　hour；　and　which　continued　unceasingly　to　increase



till　they　stopped　in　Pulteney　Street　again；　induced　her；



in　some　small　degree；　to　resist　such　high　authority；



and　to　distrust　his　powers　of　giving　universal　pleasure。　







　　　　　When　they　arrived　at　Mrs。　Allen's　door；　the　astonishment



of　Isabella　was　hardly　to　be　expressed；　on　finding　that　it



was　too　late　in　the　day　for　them　to　attend　her　friend　into



the　house：　〃Past　three　o'clock！〃　It　was　inconceivable；



incredible；　impossible！　And　she　would　neither　believe　her



own　watch；　nor　her　brother's；　nor　the　servant's；　she　would



believe　no　assurance　of　it　founded　on　reason　or　reality；



till　Morland　produced　his　watch；　and　ascertained　the　fact；



to　have　doubted　a　moment　longer　then　would　have　been



equally　inconceivable；　incredible；　and　impossible；



and　she　could　only　protest；　over　and　over　again；　that　no



two　hours　and　a　half　had　ever　gone　off　so　swiftly　before；



as　Catherine　was　called　on　to　confirm；　Catherine　could　not



tell　a　falsehood　even　to　please　Isabella；　but　the　latter



was　spared　the　misery　of　her　friend's　dissenting　voice；



by　not　waiting　for　her　answer。　　Her　own　feelings　entirely



engrossed　her；　her　wretchedness　was　most　acute　on　finding



herself　obliged　to　go　directly　home。　　It　was　ages　since　she



had　had　a　moment's　conversation　with　her　dearest　Catherine；



and；　though　she　had　such　thousands　of　things　to　say　to　her；



it　appeared　as　if　they　were　never　to　be　together　again；



so；　with　sniffles　of　most　exquisite　misery；　and　the　laughing



eye　of　utter　despondency；　she　bade　her　friend　adieu　and　went　on。　







　　　　　Catherine　found　Mrs。　Allen　just　returned　from　all



the　busy　idleness　of　the　morning；　and　was　immediately



greeted　with；　〃Well；　my　dear；　here　you　are；〃　a　truth



which　she　had　no　greater　inclination　than　power　to　dispute；



〃and　I　hope　you　have　had　a　pleasant　airing？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　ma'am；　I　thank　you；　we　could　not　have　had



a　nicer　day。〃







　　　　　〃So　Mrs。　Thorpe　said；　she　was　vastly　pleased



at　your　all　going。〃







　　　　　〃You　have　seen　Mrs。　Thorpe；　then？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　went　to　the　pump…room　as　soon　as　you　were　gone；



and　there　I　met　her；　and　we　had　a　great　deal　of　talk　together。　



She　says　there　was　hardly　any　veal　to　be　got　at　market



this　morning；　it　is　so　uncommonly　scarce。〃







　　　　　〃Did　you　see　anybody　else　of　our　acquaintance？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　we　agreed　to　take　a　turn　in　the　Crescent；



and　there　we　met　Mrs。　Hughes；　and　Mr。　and　Miss　Tilney



walking　with　her。〃







　　　　　〃Did　you　indeed？　And　did　they　speak　to　you？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　we　walked　along　the　Crescent　together　for　half



an　hour。　　They　seem　very　agreeable　people。　　Miss　Tilney



was　in　a　very　pretty　spotted　muslin；　and　I　fancy；　by　what　I



can　learn；　that　she　always　dresses　very　handsomely。　



Mrs。　Hughes　talked　to　me　a　great　deal　about　the　family。〃







　　　　　〃And　what　did　she　tell　you　of　them？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　A　vast　deal　indeed；　she　hardly　talked　of　anything　else。〃







　　　　　〃Did　she　tell　you　what　part　of　Gloucestershire　they



come　from？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　she　did；　but　I　cannot　recollect　now。　　But　they



are　very　good　kind　of　people；　and　very　rich。　　Mrs。　Tilney　was



a　Miss　Drummond；　and　she　and　Mrs。　Hughes　were　schoolfellows；



and　Miss　Drummond　had　a　very　large　fortune；　and；　when　she



married；　her　father　gave　her　twenty　thousand　pounds；



and　five　hundred　to　buy　wedding…clothes。　Mrs。　Hughes



saw　all　the　clothes　after　they　came　from　the　warehouse。〃







　　　　　〃And　are　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Tilney　in　Bath？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　fancy　they　are；　but　I　am　not　quite　certain。　



Upon　recollection；　however；　I　have　a　notion　they　are　both　dead；



at　least　the　mother　is；　yes；　I　am　sure　Mrs。　Tilney　is　dead；



because　Mrs。　Hughe