northanger abbey- 第27部分

in　existence。　　Good　day。　　We　shall　be　very　glad　to　see



you　at　Fullerton；　whenever　it　is　convenient。〃　And　away



she　went。　　It　was　not　in　the　power　of　all　his　gallantry



to　detain　her　longer。　　With　such　news　to　communicate；



and　such　a　visit　to　prepare　for；　her　departure　was　not



to　be　delayed　by　anything　in　his　nature　to　urge；　and　she



hurried　away；　leaving　him　to　the　undivided　consciousness



of　his　own　happy　address；　and　her　explicit　encouragement。　







　　　　　The　agitation　which　she　had　herself　experienced



on　first　learning　her　brother's　engagement　made　her



expect　to　raise　no　inconsiderable　emotion　in　Mr。　and



Mrs。　Allen；　by　the　communication　of　the　wonderful　event。　



How　great　was　her　disappointment！　The　important　affair；



which　many　words　of　preparation　ushered　in；　had　been



foreseen　by　them　both　ever　since　her　brother's　arrival；



and　all　that　they　felt　on　the　occasion　was　comprehended



in　a　wish　for　the　young　people's　happiness；　with　a　remark；



on　the　gentleman's　side；　in　favour　of　Isabella's　beauty；



and　on　the　lady's；　of　her　great　good　luck。　　It　was　to



Catherine　the　most　surprising　insensibility。　　The　disclosure；



however；　of　the　great　secret　of　James's　going　to　Fullerton



the　day　before；　did　raise　some　emotion　in　Mrs。　Allen。　



She　could　not　listen　to　that　with　perfect　calmness；



but　repeatedly　regretted　the　necessity　of　its　concealment；



wished　she　could　have　known　his　intention；　wished　she　could



have　seen　him　before　he　went；　as　she　should　certainly　have



troubled　him　with　her　best　regards　to　his　father　and　mother；



and　her　kind　compliments　to　all　the　Skinners。　















CHAPTER　16











　　　　　Catherine's　expectations　of　pleasure　from　her　visit



in　Milsom　Street　were　so　very　high　that　disappointment



was　inevitable；　and　accordingly；　though　she　was　most



politely　received　by　General　Tilney；　and　kindly　welcomed



by　his　daughter；　though　Henry　was　at　home；　and　no　one　else



of　the　party；　she　found；　on　her　return；　without　spending



many　hours　in　the　examination　of　her　feelings；　that　she



had　gone　to　her　appointment　preparing　for　happiness　which　it



had　not　afforded。　　Instead　of　finding　herself　improved



in　acquaintance　with　Miss　Tilney；　from　the　intercourse　of



the　day；　she　seemed　hardly　so　intimate　with　her　as　before；



instead　of　seeing　Henry　Tilney　to　greater　advantage



than　ever；　in　the　ease　of　a　family　party；　he　had　never　said



so　little；　nor　been　so　little　agreeable；　and；　in　spite



of　their　father's　great　civilities　to　herin　spite



of　his　thanks；　invitations；　and　complimentsit　had　been



a　release　to　get　away　from　him。　　It　puzzled　her　to　account



for　all　this。　　It　could　not　be　General　Tilney's　fault。　



That　he　was　perfectly　agreeable　and　good…natured；　and



altogether　a　very　charming　man；　did　not　admit　of　a　doubt；



for　he　was　tall　and　handsome；　and　Henry's　father。　



He　could　not　be　accountable　for　his　children's　want



of　spirits；　or　for　her　want　of　enjoyment　in　his　company。　



The　former　she　hoped　at　last　might　have　been　accidental；



and　the　latter　she　could　only　attribute　to　her　own　stupidity。　



Isabella；　on　hearing　the　particulars　of　the　visit；



gave　a　different　explanation：　〃It　was　all　pride；　pride；



insufferable　haughtiness　and　pride！　She　had　long　suspected



the　family　to　be　very　high；　and　this　made　it　certain。　



Such　insolence　of　behaviour　as　Miss　Tilney's　she　had



never　heard　of　in　her　life！　Not　to　do　the　honours　of　her



house　with　common　good　breeding！　To　behave　to　her　guest



with　such　superciliousness！　Hardly　even　to　speak　to　her！〃







　　　　　〃But　it　was　not　so　bad　as　that；　Isabella；　there　was



no　superciliousness；　she　was　very　civil。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Don't　defend　her！　And　then　the　brother；　he；



who　had　appeared　so　attached　to　you！　Good　heavens！　Well；



some　people's　feelings　are　incomprehensible。　　And　so　he



hardly　looked　once　at　you　the　whole　day？〃







　　　　　〃I　do　not　say　so；　but　he　did　not　seem　in　good　spirits。〃







　　　　　〃How　contemptible！　Of　all　things　in　the　world　inconstancy



is　my　aversion。　　Let　me　entreat　you　never　to　think



of　him　again；　my　dear　Catherine；　indeed　he　is　unworthy　of　you。〃







　　　　　〃Unworthy！　I　do　not　suppose　he　ever　thinks　of　me。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　〃That　is　exactly　what　I　say；　he　never　thinks



of　you。　　Such　fickleness！　Oh！　How　different　to　your



brother　and　to　mine！　I　really　believe　John　has　the　most



constant　heart。〃







　　　　　〃But　as　for　General　Tilney；　I　assure　you　it　would



be　impossible　for　anybody　to　behave　to　me　with　greater



civility　and　attention；　it　seemed　to　be　his　only　care



to　entertain　and　make　me　happy。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　I　know　no　harm　of　him；　I　do　not　suspect　him



of　pride。　　I　believe　he　is　a　very　gentleman…like　man。　



John　thinks　very　well　of　him；　and　John's　judgment〃







　　　　　〃Well；　I　shall　see　how　they　behave　to　me　this　evening；



we　shall　meet　them　at　the　rooms。〃







　　　　　〃And　must　I　go？〃







　　　　　〃Do　not　you　intend　it？　I　thought　it　was　all　settled。〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　since　you　make　such　a　point　of　it；　I　can　refuse



you　nothing。　　But　do　not　insist　upon　my　being　very　agreeable；



for　my　heart；　you　know；　will　be　some　forty　miles　off。　



And　as　for　dancing；　do　not　mention　it；　I　beg；　that　is



quite　out　of　the　question。　　Charles　Hodges　will　plague　me



to　death；　I　dare　say；　but　I　shall　cut　him　very　short。　



Ten　to　one　but　he　guesses　the　reason；　and　that　is　exactly



what　I　want　to　avoid；　so　I　shall　insist　on　his　keeping　his



conjecture　to　himself。〃







　　　　　Isabella's　opinion　of　the　Tilneys　did　not　influence



her　friend；　she　was　sure　there　had　been　no　insolence



in　the　manners　either　of　brother　or　sister；　and　she



did　not　credit　there　being　any　pride　in　their　hearts。　



The　evening　rewarded　her　confidence；　she　was　met　by　one　with



the　same　kindness；　and　by　the　other　with　the　same　attention；



as　heretofore：　Miss　Tilney　took　pains　to　be　near　her；



and　Henry　asked　her　to　dance。　







　　　　　Having　heard　the　day　before　in　Milsom　Street



that　their　elder　brother；　Captain　Tilney；　was　expected



almost　every　hour；　she　was　at　no　loss　for　the　name　of　a



very　fashionable…looking；　handsome　young　man；　whom　she



had　never　seen　before；　and　who　now　evidently　belonged



to　their　party。　　She　looked　at　him　with　great　admiration；



and　even　supposed　it　possible　that　some　people　might　think



him　handsomer　than　his　brother；　though；　in　her　eyes；



his　air　was　more　assuming；　and　his　countenance



less　prepossessing。　　His　taste　and　manners　were　beyond



a　doubt　decidedly　inferior；　for；　within　her　hearing；　he　not



only　protested　against　every　thought　of　dancing　himself；



but　even　laughed　openly　at　Henry　for　finding　it　possible。　



From　the　latter　circumstance　it　may　be　presumed　that；



whatever　might　be　our　heroine's　opinion　of　him；



his　admiration　of　her　was　not　of　a　very　dangerous　kind；



not　likely　to　produce　animosities　between　the　brothers；



nor　persecutions　to　the　lady。　　He　cannot　be　the　instigator



of　the　three　villains　in　horsemen's　greatcoats；　by　whom



she　will　hereafter　be　forced　into　a　traveling…chaise



and　four；　which　will　drive　off　with　incredible　speed。　



Catherine；　meanwhile；　undisturbed　by　presentiments



of　such　an　evil；　or　of　any　evil　at　all；　except　that　of



having　but　a　short　set　to　dance　down；　enjoyed　her　usual



happiness　with　Henry　Tilney；　listening　with　sparkling　eyes



to　everything　he　said；　and；　in　finding　him　irresistible；



becoming　so　herself。　







　　　　　At　the　end　of　the　first　dance；　Captain　Tilney　came



towards　them　again；　and；　much　to　Catherine's　dissatisfaction；



pulled　his　brother　away。　　They　retired　whispering　together；



and；　though　her　delicate　sensibility　did　not　take　immediate　alarm；



and　lay　it　down　as　fact；　that　Captain　Tilney　must　have



heard　some　malevolent　misrepresentation　of　her；　which　he



now　hastened　to　communicate　to　his　brother；　in　the　hope



of　separating　them　forever；　she　could　not　have　her　partner



conveyed　from　her　sight　without　very　uneasy　sensations。　



Her　suspense　was　of　full　five　minutes'　duration；　and　she



was　beginning　to　think　it　a　very　long　quarter　of　an　hour；



when　they　both　returned；　and　an　explanation　was　given；



by　Henry's　requesting　to　know　if　she　thought　her　friend；



Miss　Thorpe；　would　have　any　objection　to　dancing；



as　his　brother　would　be　most　happy　to　be　introduced



to　her。　　Catherine；　without　hesitation；　replied　that　she



was　very　sure　Miss　Thorpe　did　not　mean　to　dance　at　all。　



The　cruel　reply　was　passed　o