northanger abbey- 第29部分

me　well　enough　to　be　sure　that　a　much　smaller　income　would



satisfy　me。　　It　is　not　the　want　of　more　money　that　makes



me　just　at　present　a　little　out　of　spirits；　I　hate　money；



and　if　our　union　could　take　place　now　upon　only　fifty



pounds　a　year；　I　should　not　have　a　wish　unsatisfied。　



Ah！　my　Catherine；　you　have　found　me　out。　　There's　the　sting。　



The　long；　long；　endless　two　years　and　half　that　are　to　pass



before　your　brother　can　hold　the　living。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　yes；　my　darling　Isabella；〃　said　Mrs。　Thorpe；



〃we　perfectly　see　into　your　heart。　　You　have　no　disguise。　



We　perfectly　understand　the　present　vexation；　and　everybody



must　love　you　the　better　for　such　a　noble　honest　affection。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　uncomfortable　feelings　began　to　lessen。　



She　endeavoured　to　believe　that　the　delay　of　the　marriage



was　the　only　source　of　Isabella's　regret；　and　when　she



saw　her　at　their　next　interview　as　cheerful　and　amiable



as　ever；　endeavoured　to　forget　that　she　had　for　a　minute



thought　otherwise。　　James　soon　followed　his　letter；



and　was　received　with　the　most　gratifying　kindness。　















CHAPTER　17











　　　　　The　Allens　had　now　entered　on　the　sixth　week　of　their



stay　in　Bath；　and　whether　it　should　be　the　last　was　for



some　time　a　question；　to　which　Catherine　listened　with　a



beating　heart。　　To　have　her　acquaintance　with　the　Tilneys



end　so　soon　was　an　evil　which　nothing　could　counterbalance。　



Her　whole　happiness　seemed　at　stake；　while　the　affair　was



in　suspense；　and　everything　secured　when　it　was　determined



that　the　lodgings　should　be　taken　for　another　fortnight。　



What　this　additional　fortnight　was　to　produce　to　her



beyond　the　pleasure　of　sometimes　seeing　Henry　Tilney



made　but　a　small　part　of　Catherine's　speculation。　



Once　or　twice　indeed；　since　James's　engagement　had　taught



her　what　could　be　done；　she　had　got　so　far　as　to　indulge



in　a　secret　〃perhaps；〃　but　in　general　the　felicity　of　being



with　him　for　the　present　bounded　her　views：　the　present



was　now　comprised　in　another　three　weeks；　and　her　happiness



being　certain　for　that　period；　the　rest　of　her　life　was



at　such　a　distance　as　to　excite　but　little　interest。　



In　the　course　of　the　morning　which　saw　this　business　arranged；



she　visited　Miss　Tilney；　and　poured　forth　her　joyful　feelings。　



It　was　doomed　to　be　a　day　of　trial。　　No　sooner　had　she



expressed　her　delight　in　Mr。　Allen's　lengthened　stay



than　Miss　Tilney　told　her　of　her　father's　having　just



determined　upon　quitting　Bath　by　the　end　of　another　week。　



Here　was　a　blow！　The　past　suspense　of　the　morning　had



been　ease　and　quiet　to　the　present　disappointment。　



Catherine's　countenance　fell；　and　in　a　voice　of　most



sincere　concern　she　echoed　Miss　Tilney's　concluding　words；



〃By　the　end　of　another　week！〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　my　father　can　seldom　be　prevailed　on　to　give　the



waters　what　I　think　a　fair　trial。　　He　has　been　disappointed



of　some　friends'　arrival　whom　he　expected　to　meet　here；



and　as　he　is　now　pretty　well；　is　in　a　hurry　to　get　home。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　very　sorry　for　it；〃　said　Catherine　dejectedly；



〃if　I　had　known　this　before〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps；〃　said　Miss　Tilney　in　an　embarrassed　manner；



〃you　would　be　so　goodit　would　make　me　very　happy　if〃







　　　　　The　entrance　of　her　father　put　a　stop　to　the　civility；



which　Catherine　was　beginning　to　hope　might　introduce



a　desire　of　their　corresponding。　　After　addressing　her



with　his　usual　politeness；　he　turned　to　his　daughter



and　said；　〃Well；　Eleanor；　may　I　congratulate　you　on　being



successful　in　your　application　to　your　fair　friend？〃







　　　　　〃I　was　just　beginning　to　make　the　request；　sir；　as　you



came　in。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　proceed　by　all　means。　　I　know　how　much



your　heart　is　in　it。　　My　daughter；　Miss　Morland；〃



he　continued；　without　leaving　his　daughter　time　to　speak；



〃has　been　forming　a　very　bold　wish。　　We　leave　Bath；



as　she　has　perhaps　told　you；　on　Saturday　se'nnight。　A



letter　from　my　steward　tells　me　that　my　presence　is　wanted



at　home；　and　being　disappointed　in　my　hope　of　seeing



the　Marquis　of　Longtown　and　General　Courteney　here；



some　of　my　very　old　friends；　there　is　nothing　to　detain



me　longer　in　Bath。　　And　could　we　carry　our　selfish　point



with　you；　we　should　leave　it　without　a　single　regret。　



Can　you；　in　short；　be　prevailed　on　to　quit　this　scene



of　public　triumph　and　oblige　your　friend　Eleanor　with　your



company　in　Gloucestershire？　I　am　almost　ashamed　to　make



the　request；　though　its　presumption　would　certainly



appear　greater　to　every　creature　in　Bath　than　yourself。　



Modesty　such　as　yoursbut　not　for　the　world　would　I　pain



it　by　open　praise。　　If　you　can　be　induced　to　honour　us



with　a　visit；　you　will　make　us　happy　beyond　expression。　



'Tis　true；　we　can　offer　you　nothing　like　the　gaieties



of　this　lively　place；　we　can　tempt　you　neither　by　amusement



nor　splendour；　for　our　mode　of　living；　as　you　see；



is　plain　and　unpretending；　yet　no　endeavours　shall



be　wanting　on　our　side　to　make　Northanger　Abbey　not



wholly　disagreeable。〃







　　　　　Northanger　Abbey！　These　were　thrilling　words；　and　wound



up　Catherine's　feelings　to　the　highest　point　of　ecstasy。　



Her　grateful　and　gratified　heart　could　hardly　restrain



its　expressions　within　the　language　of　tolerable　calmness。　



To　receive　so　flattering　an　invitation！　To　have　her　company



so　warmly　solicited！　Everything　honourable　and　soothing；



every　present　enjoyment；　and　every　future　hope　was　contained



in　it；　and　her　acceptance；　with　only　the　saving　clause



of　Papa　and　Mamma's　approbation；　was　eagerly　given。　



〃I　will　write　home　directly；〃　said　she；　and　if　they　do



not　object；　as　I　dare　say　they　will　not〃







　　　　　General　Tilney　was　not　less　sanguine；　having　already



waited　on　her　excellent　friends　in　Pulteney　Street；



and　obtained　their　sanction　of　his　wishes。　　〃Since　they



can　consent　to　part　with　you；〃　said　he；　〃we　may　expect



philosophy　from　all　the　world。〃







　　　　　Miss　Tilney　was　earnest；　though　gentle；　in　her



secondary　civilities；　and　the　affair　became　in　a　few



minutes　as　nearly　settled　as　this　necessary　reference



to　Fullerton　would　allow。　







　　　　　The　circumstances　of　the　morning　had　led　Catherine's



feelings　through　the　varieties　of　suspense；　security；



and　disappointment；　but　they　were　now　safely　lodged



in　perfect　bliss；　and　with　spirits　elated　to　rapture；



with　Henry　at　her　heart；　and　Northanger　Abbey　on　her　lips；



she　hurried　home　to　write　her　letter。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Morland；



relying　on　the　discretion　of　the　friends　to　whom　they



had　already　entrusted　their　daughter；　felt　no　doubt



of　the　propriety　of　an　acquaintance　which　had　been　formed



under　their　eye；　and　sent　therefore　by　return　of　post



their　ready　consent　to　her　visit　in　Gloucestershire。　



This　indulgence；　though　not　more　than　Catherine　had



hoped　for；　completed　her　conviction　of　being　favoured



beyond　every　other　human　creature；　in　friends　and　fortune；



circumstance　and　chance。　　Everything　seemed　to　cooperate



for　her　advantage。　　By　the　kindness　of　her　first　friends；



the　Allens；　she　had　been　introduced　into　scenes　where



pleasures　of　every　kind　had　met　her。　　Her　feelings；



her　preferences；　had　each　known　the　happiness　of　a　return。　



Wherever　she　felt　attachment；　she　had　been　able　to



create　it。　　The　affection　of　Isabella　was　to　be　secured



to　her　in　a　sister。　　The　Tilneys；　they；　by　whom；



above　all；　she　desired　to　be　favourably　thought　of；



outstripped　even　her　wishes　in　the　flattering　measures



by　which　their　intimacy　was　to　be　continued。　　She　was



to　be　their　chosen　visitor；　she　was　to　be　for　weeks



under　the　same　roof　with　the　person　whose　society



she　mostly　prizedand；　in　addition　to　all　the　rest；



this　roof　was　to　be　the　roof　of　an　abbey！　Her　passion



for　ancient　edifices　was　next　in　degree　to　her　passion



for　Henry　Tilneyand　castles　and　abbeys　made　usually



the　charm　of　those　reveries　which　his　image　did　not　fill。　



To　see　and　explore　either　the　ramparts　and　keep　of　the　one；



or　the　cloisters　of　the　other；　had　been　for　many　weeks



a　darling　wish；　though　to　be　more　than　the　visitor



of　an　hour　had　seemed　too　nearly　impossible　for　desire。　



And　yet；　this　was　to　happen。　　With　all　the　chances　against



her　of　house；　hall；　place；　park；　court；　and　cottage；



Northanger　turned　up　an　abbey；　and　she　was　to　be　its　inhabitant。　



Its　long；　damp　passages；　its　narrow　cells　and　ruined　chape