northanger abbey- 第20部分

left　one　of　the　happiest　creatures　in　the　world。　







　　　　　While　talking　to　each　other；　she　had　observed　with



some　surprise　that　John　Thorpe；　who　was　never　in　the　same



part　of　the　house　for　ten　minutes　together；　was　engaged



in　conversation　with　General　Tilney；　and　she　felt　something



more　than　surprise　when　she　thought　she　could　perceive



herself　the　object　of　their　attention　and　discourse。　



What　could　they　have　to　say　of　her？　She　feared　General



Tilney　did　not　like　her　appearance：　she　found　it　was



implied　in　his　preventing　her　admittance　to　his　daughter；



rather　than　postpone　his　own　walk　a　few　minutes。　　〃How　came



Mr。　Thorpe　to　know　your　father？〃　was　her　anxious　inquiry；



as　she　pointed　them　out　to　her　companion。　　He　knew　nothing



about　it；　but　his　father；　like　every　military　man；



had　a　very　large　acquaintance。　







　　　　　When　the　entertainment　was　over；　Thorpe　came　to　assist



them　in　getting　out。　　Catherine　was　the　immediate　object



of　his　gallantry；　and；　while　they　waited　in　the　lobby



for　a　chair；　he　prevented　the　inquiry　which　had　travelled



from　her　heart　almost　to　the　tip　of　her　tongue；　by　asking；



in　a　consequential　manner；　whether　she　had　seen　him



talking　with　General　Tilney：　〃He　is　a　fine　old　fellow；



upon　my　soul！　Stout；　activelooks　as　young　as　his　son。　



I　have　a　great　regard　for　him；　I　assure　you：　a　gentleman…like；



good　sort　of　fellow　as　ever　lived。〃







　　　　　〃But　how　came　you　to　know　him？〃







　　　　　〃Know　him！　There　are　few　people　much　about　town　that　I



do　not　know。　　I　have　met　him　forever　at　the　Bedford；



and　I　knew　his　face　again　today　the　moment　he　came　into



the　billiard…room。　One　of　the　best　players　we　have；



by　the　by；　and　we　had　a　little　touch　together；　though　I



was　almost　afraid　of　him　at　first：　the　odds　were　five



to　four　against　me；　and；　if　I　had　not　made　one　of　the



cleanest　strokes　that　perhaps　ever　was　made　in　this



worldI　took　his　ball　exactlybut　I　could　not　make　you



understand　it　without　a　table；　however；　I　did　beat　him。　



A　very　fine　fellow；　as　rich　as　a　Jew。　　I　should　like



to　dine　with　him；　I　dare　say　he　gives　famous　dinners。　



But　what　do　you　think　we　have　been　talking　of？　You。　



Yes；　by　heavens！　And　the　general　thinks　you　the　finest



girl　in　Bath。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Nonsense！　How　can　you　say　so？〃







　　　　　〃And　what　do　you　think　I　said？〃lowering　his



voice〃well　done；　general；　said　I；　I　am　quite　of　your　mind。〃







　　　　　Here　Catherine；　who　was　much　less　gratified　by　his



admiration　than　by　General　Tilney's；　was　not　sorry　to　be



called　away　by　Mr。　Allen。　　Thorpe；　however；　would　see　her　to



her　chair；　and；　till　she　entered　it；　continued　the　same　kind



of　delicate　flattery；　in　spite　of　her　entreating　him　to　have　done。　







　　　　　That　General　Tilney；　instead　of　disliking；



should　admire　her；　was　very　delightful；　and　she　joyfully



thought　that　there　was　not　one　of　the　family　whom　she　need



now　fear　to　meet。　　The　evening　had　done　more；　much　more；



for　her　than　could　have　been　expected。　















CHAPTER　13











　　　　　Monday；　Tuesday；　Wednesday；　Thursday；　Friday；　and　Saturday



have　now　passed　in　review　before　the　reader；　the　events　of



each　day；　its　hopes　and　fears；　mortifications　and　pleasures；



have　been　separately　stated；　and　the　pangs　of　Sunday



only　now　remain　to　be　described；　and　close　the　week。　



The　Clifton　scheme　had　been　deferred；　not　relinquished；



and　on　the　afternoon's　crescent　of　this　day；　it　was



brought　forward　again。　　In　a　private　consultation　between



Isabella　and　James；　the　former　of　whom　had　particularly



set　her　heart　upon　going；　and　the　latter　no　less　anxiously



placed　his　upon　pleasing　her；　it　was　agreed　that；



provided　the　weather　were　fair；　the　party　should　take



place　on　the　following　morning；　and　they　were　to　set



off　very　early；　in　order　to　be　at　home　in　good　time。　



The　affair　thus　determined；　and　Thorpe's　approbation　secured；



Catherine　only　remained　to　be　apprised　of　it。　　She　had



left　them　for　a　few　minutes　to　speak　to　Miss　Tilney。　



In　that　interval　the　plan　was　completed；　and　as　soon　as　she



came　again；　her　agreement　was　demanded；　but　instead　of　the　gay



acquiescence　expected　by　Isabella；　Catherine　looked　grave；



was　very　sorry；　but　could　not　go。　　The　engagement　which



ought　to　have　kept　her　from　joining　in　the　former　attempt



would　make　it　impossible　for　her　to　accompany　them　now。　



She　had　that　moment　settled　with　Miss　Tilney　to　take



their　proposed　walk　tomorrow；　it　was　quite　determined；



and　she　would　not；　upon　any　account；　retract。　　But　that



she　must　and　should　retract　was　instantly　the　eager　cry



of　both　the　Thorpes；　they　must　go　to　Clifton　tomorrow；



they　would　not　go　without　her；　it　would　be　nothing



to　put　off　a　mere　walk　for　one　day　longer；　and　they



would　not　hear　of　a　refusal。　　Catherine　was　distressed；



but　not　subdued。　　〃Do　not　urge　me；　Isabella。　　I　am　engaged



to　Miss　Tilney。　　I　cannot　go。〃　This　availed　nothing。　



The　same　arguments　assailed　her　again；　she　must　go；



she　should　go；　and　they　would　not　hear　of　a　refusal。　



〃It　would　be　so　easy　to　tell　Miss　Tilney　that　you　had　just



been　reminded　of　a　prior　engagement；　and　must　only　beg　to



put　off　the　walk　till　Tuesday。〃







　　　　　〃No；　it　would　not　be　easy。　　I　could　not　do　it。　



There　has　been　no　prior　engagement。〃　But　Isabella　became



only　more　and　more　urgent；　calling　on　her　in　the　most



affectionate　manner；　addressing　her　by　the　most　endearing　names。　



She　was　sure　her　dearest；　sweetest　Catherine　would　not



seriously　refuse　such　a　trifling　request　to　a　friend



who　loved　her　so　dearly。　　She　knew　her　beloved　Catherine



to　have　so　feeling　a　heart；　so　sweet　a　temper；　to　be　so



easily　persuaded　by　those　she　loved。　　But　all　in　vain；



Catherine　felt　herself　to　be　in　the　right；　and　though



pained　by　such　tender；　such　flattering　supplication；



could　not　allow　it　to　influence　her。　　Isabella　then



tried　another　method。　　She　reproached　her　with　having



more　affection　for　Miss　Tilney；　though　she　had　known　her



so　little　a　while；　than　for　her　best　and　oldest　friends；



with　being　grown　cold　and　indifferent；　in　short；



towards　herself。　　〃I　cannot　help　being　jealous；　Catherine；



when　I　see　myself　slighted　for　strangers；　I；　who　love



you　so　excessively！　When　once　my　affections　are　placed；



it　is　not　in　the　power　of　anything　to　change　them。　



But　I　believe　my　feelings　are　stronger　than　anybody's；



I　am　sure　they　are　too　strong　for　my　own　peace；　and　to　see



myself　supplanted　in　your　friendship　by　strangers　does　cut



me　to　the　quick；　I　own。　　These　Tilneys　seem　to　swallow　up



everything　else。〃







　　　　　Catherine　thought　this　reproach　equally　strange



and　unkind。　　Was　it　the　part　of　a　friend　thus　to　expose　her



feelings　to　the　notice　of　others？　Isabella　appeared　to　her



ungenerous　and　selfish；　regardless　of　everything　but　her



own　gratification。　　These　painful　ideas　crossed　her　mind；



though　she　said　nothing。　　Isabella；　in　the　meanwhile；



had　applied　her　handkerchief　to　her　eyes；　and　Morland；



miserable　at　such　a　sight；　could　not　help　saying；



〃Nay；　Catherine。　　I　think　you　cannot　stand　out　any　longer　now。　



The　sacrifice　is　not　much；　and　to　oblige　such　a　friendI



shall　think　you　quite　unkind；　if　you　still　refuse。〃







　　　　　This　was　the　first　time　of　her　brother's　openly



siding　against　her；　and　anxious　to　avoid　his　displeasure；



she　proposed　a　compromise。　　If　they　would　only　put　off



their　scheme　till　Tuesday；　which　they　might　easily　do；



as　it　depended　only　on　themselves；　she　could　go　with　them；



and　everybody　might　then　be　satisfied。　　But　〃No；　no；



no！〃　was　the　immediate　answer；　〃that　could　not　be；



for　Thorpe　did　not　know　that　he　might　not　go　to　town



on　Tuesday。〃　Catherine　was　sorry；　but　could　do　no　more；



and　a　short　silence　ensued；　which　was　broken　by　Isabella；



who　in　a　voice　of　cold　resentment　said；　〃Very　well；



then　there　is　an　end　of　the　party。　　If　Catherine



does　not　go；　I　cannot。　　I　cannot　be　the　only　woman。　



I　would　not；　upon　any　account　in　the　world；　do　so　improper



a　thing。〃







　　　　　〃Catherine；　you　must　go；〃　said　James。　







　　　　　〃But　why　cannot　Mr。　Thorpe　drive　one　of　his　other



sisters？　I　dare　say　either　of　them　would　like　to　go。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　ye；〃　cried　Thorpe；　〃but　I　did　not　come　to　Bath



to　drive　my　sisters　about；　and　look　like　a　fool。　　No；　if　you



do　not　go；　d　me　if　I　do。　　I　only　go　for　the　sake　of　driving　you。〃