northanger abbey- 第24部分

waste　lands；　crown　lands　and　government；　he　shortly



found　himself　arrived　at　politics；　and　from　politics；



it　was　an　easy　step　to　silence。　　The　general　pause



which　succeeded　his　short　disquisition　on　the　state　of



the　nation　was　put　an　end　to　by　Catherine；　who；　in　rather



a　solemn　tone　of　voice；　uttered　these　words；　〃I　have



heard　that　something　very　shocking　indeed　will　soon



come　out　in　London。〃







　　　　　Miss　Tilney；　to　whom　this　was　chiefly　addressed；



was　startled；　and　hastily　replied；　〃Indeed！　And　of



what　nature？〃　〃That　I　do　not　know；　nor　who　is　the　author。　



I　have　only　heard　that　it　is　to　be　more　horrible　than



anything　we　have　met　with　yet。〃







　　　　　〃Good　heaven！　Where　could　you　hear　of　such　a　thing？〃







　　　　　〃A　particular　friend　of　mine　had　an　account　of　it　in　a



letter　from　London　yesterday。　　It　is　to　be　uncommonly　dreadful。　



I　shall　expect　murder　and　everything　of　the　kind。〃







　　　　　〃You　speak　with　astonishing　composure！　But　I　hope



your　friend's　accounts　have　been　exaggerated；　and　if　such　a



design　is　known　beforehand；　proper　measures　will　undoubtedly



be　taken　by　government　to　prevent　its　coming　to　effect。〃







　　　　　〃Government；〃　said　Henry；　endeavouring　not　to　smile；



〃neither　desires　nor　dares　to　interfere　in　such　matters。　



There　must　be　murder；　and　government　cares　not　how　much。〃







　　　　　The　ladies　stared。　　He　laughed；　and　added；



〃Come；　shall　I　make　you　understand　each　other；　or　leave



you　to　puzzle　out　an　explanation　as　you　can？　NoI　will



be　noble。　　I　will　prove　myself　a　man；　no　less　by　the



generosity　of　my　soul　than　the　clearness　of　my　head。　



I　have　no　patience　with　such　of　my　sex　as　disdain　to　let



themselves　sometimes　down　to　the　comprehension　of　yours。　



Perhaps　the　abilities　of　women　are　neither　sound　nor



acuteneither　vigorous　nor　keen。　　Perhaps　they　may



want　observation；　discernment；　judgment；　fire；　genius；　and　wit。〃







　　　　　〃Miss　Morland；　do　not　mind　what　he　says；　but　have



the　goodness　to　satisfy　me　as　to　this　dreadful　riot。〃







　　　　　〃Riot！　What　riot？〃







　　　　　〃My　dear　Eleanor；　the　riot　is　only　in　your　own　brain。　



The　confusion　there　is　scandalous。　　Miss　Morland　has　been



talking　of　nothing　more　dreadful　than　a　new　publication



which　is　shortly　to　come　out；　in　three　duodecimo　volumes；



two　hundred　and　seventy…six　pages　in　each；　with　a　frontispiece



to　the　first；　of　two　tombstones　and　a　lanterndo　you



understand？　And　you；　Miss　Morlandmy　stupid　sister　has



mistaken　all　your　clearest　expressions。　　You　talked



of　expected　horrors　in　Londonand　instead　of　instantly



conceiving；　as　any　rational　creature　would　have　done；



that　such　words　could　relate　only　to　a　circulating　library；



she　immediately　pictured　to　herself　a　mob　of　three　thousand



men　assembling　in　St。　George's　Fields；　the　Bank　attacked；



the　Tower　threatened；　the　streets　of　London　flowing



with　blood；　a　detachment　of　the　Twelfth　Light　Dragoons　（the



hopes　of　the　nation）　called　up　from　Northampton　to　quell



the　insurgents；　and　the　gallant　Captain　Frederick　Tilney；



in　the　moment　of　charging　at　the　head　of　his　troop；



knocked　off　his　horse　by　a　brickbat　from　an　upper　window。　



Forgive　her　stupidity。　　The　fears　of　the　sister　have　added



to　the　weakness　of　the　woman；　but　she　is　by　no　means



a　simpleton　in　general。〃







　　　　　Catherine　looked　grave。　　〃And　now；　Henry；〃　said　Miss　Tilney；



〃that　you　have　made　us　understand　each　other；　you　may



as　well　make　Miss　Morland　understand　yourselfunless　you



mean　to　have　her　think　you　intolerably　rude　to　your　sister；



and　a　great　brute　in　your　opinion　of　women　in　general。　



Miss　Morland　is　not　used　to　your　odd　ways。〃







　　　　　〃I　shall　be　most　happy　to　make　her　better　acquainted



with　them。〃







　　　　　〃No　doubt；　but　that　is　no　explanation　of　the　present。〃







　　　　　〃What　am　I　to　do？〃







　　　　　〃You　know　what　you　ought　to　do。　　Clear　your　character　handsomely



before　her。　　Tell　her　that　you　think　very　highly　of　the　understanding　of　women。〃







　　　　　〃Miss　Morland；　I　think　very　highly　of　the　understanding



of　all　the　women　in　the　worldespecially　of　thosewhoever



they　may　bewith　whom　I　happen　to　be　in　company。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　not　enough。　　Be　more　serious。〃







　　　　　〃Miss　Morland；　no　one　can　think　more　highly　of



the　understanding　of　women　than　I　do。　　In　my　opinion；



nature　has　given　them　so　much　that　they　never　find　it



necessary　to　use　more　than　half。〃







　　　　　〃We　shall　get　nothing　more　serious　from　him　now；



Miss　Morland。　　He　is　not　in　a　sober　mood。　　But　I　do　assure



you　that　he　must　be　entirely　misunderstood；　if　he　can



ever　appear　to　say　an　unjust　thing　of　any　woman　at　all；



or　an　unkind　one　of　me。〃







　　　　　It　was　no　effort　to　Catherine　to　believe　that　Henry　Tilney



could　never　be　wrong。　　His　manner　might　sometimes　surprise；



but　his　meaning　must　always　be　just：　and　what　she　did



not　understand；　she　was　almost　as　ready　to　admire；



as　what　she　did。　　The　whole　walk　was　delightful；　and　though



it　ended　too　soon；　its　conclusion　was　delightful　too；



her　friends　attended　her　into　the　house；　and　Miss　Tilney；



before　they　parted；　addressing　herself　with　respectful　form；



as　much　to　Mrs。　Allen　as　to　Catherine；　petitioned　for



the　pleasure　of　her　company　to　dinner　on　the　day　after



the　next。　　No　difficulty　was　made　on　Mrs。　Allen's　side；



and　the　only　difficulty　on　Catherine's　was　in　concealing



the　excess　of　her　pleasure。　







　　　　　The　morning　had　passed　away　so　charmingly　as　to　banish



all　her　friendship　and　natural　affection；　for　no　thought



of　Isabella　or　James　had　crossed　her　during　their　walk。　



When　the　Tilneys　were　gone；　she　became　amiable　again；



but　she　was　amiable　for　some　time　to　little　effect；



Mrs。　Allen　had　no　intelligence　to　give　that　could　relieve



her　anxiety；　she　had　heard　nothing　of　any　of　them。　



Towards　the　end　of　the　morning；　however；　Catherine；



having　occasion　for　some　indispensable　yard　of　ribbon



which　must　be　bought　without　a　moment's　delay；　walked　out



into　the　town；　and　in　Bond　Street　overtook　the　second



Miss　Thorpe　as　she　was　loitering　towards　Edgar's



Buildings　between　two　of　the　sweetest　girls　in　the　world；



who　had　been　her　dear　friends　all　the　morning。　　From　her；



she　soon　learned　that　the　party　to　Clifton　had　taken　place。　



〃They　set　off　at　eight　this　morning；〃　said　Miss　Anne；



〃and　I　am　sure　I　do　not　envy　them　their　drive。　　I　think



you　and　I　are　very　well　off　to　be　out　of　the　scrape。　



it　must　be　the　dullest　thing　in　the　world；　for　there　is　not



a　soul　at　Clifton　at　this　time　of　year。　　Belle　went　with



your　brother；　and　John　drove　Maria。〃







　　　　　Catherine　spoke　the　pleasure　she　really　felt



on　hearing　this　part　of　the　arrangement。　







　　　　　〃Oh！　yes；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃Maria　is　gone。　



She　was　quite　wild　to　go。　　She　thought　it　would　be



something　very　fine。　　I　cannot　say　I　admire　her　taste；



and　for　my　part；　I　was　determined　from　the　first　not　to　go；



if　they　pressed　me　ever　so　much。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　a　little　doubtful　of　this；　could　not



help　answering；　〃I　wish　you　could　have　gone　too。　



It　is　a　pity　you　could　not　all　go。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　but　it　is　quite　a　matter　of　indifference



to　me。　　Indeed；　I　would　not　have　gone　on　any　account。　



I　was　saying　so　to　Emily　and　Sophia　when　you　overtook　us。　







　　　　　Catherine　was　still　unconvinced；　but　glad　that　Anne



should　have　the　friendship　of　an　Emily　and　a　Sophia　to



console　her；　she　bade　her　adieu　without　much　uneasiness；



and　returned　home；　pleased　that　the　party　had　not　been



prevented　by　her　refusing　to　join　it；　and　very　heartily



wishing　that　it　might　be　too　pleasant　to　allow　either



James　or　Isabella　to　resent　her　resistance　any　longer。　















CHAPTER　15











　　　　　Early　the　next　day；　a　note　from　Isabella；



speaking　peace　and　tenderness　in　every　line；　and　entreating



the　immediate　presence　of　her　friend　on　a　matter　of　the



utmost　importance；　hastened　Catherine；　in　the　happiest



state　of　confidence　and　curiosity；　to　Edgar's　Buildings。　



The　two　youngest　Miss　Thorpes　were　by　themselves　in



the　parlour；　and；　on　Anne's　quitting　it　to　call　her　sister；



Catherine　took　the　opportunity　of　asking　the　other



for　some　particulars　of　their　yesterday's　party。　



Maria　desired　no　greater　pleasure　than　to　speak　of　it；



and　Catherine　immediately　learnt　that　it　had　been　altogether



the　most　delightf