northanger abbey- 第31部分

not　mean　the　next。　　Circumstances　change；　opinions　alter。〃







　　　　　〃But　my　opinion　of　your　brother　never　did　alter；



it　was　always　the　same。　　You　are　describing　what　never　happened。〃







　　　　　〃My　dearest　Catherine；〃　continued　the　other　without



at　all　listening　to　her；　〃I　would　not　for　all　the　world



be　the　means　of　hurrying　you　into　an　engagement　before　you



knew　what　you　were　about。　　I　do　not　think　anything　would



justify　me　in　wishing　you　to　sacrifice　all　your　happiness



merely　to　oblige　my　brother；　because　he　is　my　brother；



and　who　perhaps　after　all；　you　know；　might　be　just　as　happy



without　you；　for　people　seldom　know　what　they　would　be　at；



young　men　especially；　they　are　so　amazingly　changeable



and　inconstant。　　What　I　say　is；　why　should　a　brother's



happiness　be　dearer　to　me　than　a　friend's？　You　know　I



carry　my　notions　of　friendship　pretty　high。　　But；　above



all　things；　my　dear　Catherine；　do　not　be　in　a　hurry。　



Take　my　word　for　it；　that　if　you　are　in　too　great　a　hurry；



you　will　certainly　live　to　repent　it。　　Tilney　says　there



is　nothing　people　are　so　often　deceived　in　as　the　state



of　their　own　affections；　and　I　believe　he　is　very　right。　



Ah！　Here　he　comes；　never　mind；　he　will　not　see　us；



I　am　sure。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　looking　up；　perceived　Captain　Tilney；



and　Isabella；　earnestly　fixing　her　eye　on　him　as　she　spoke；



soon　caught　his　notice。　　He　approached　immediately；



and　took　the　seat　to　which　her　movements　invited　him。　



His　first　address　made　Catherine　start。　　Though　spoken　low；



she　could　distinguish；　〃What！　Always　to　be　watched；　in　person



or　by　proxy！〃







　　　　　〃Psha；　nonsense！〃　was　Isabella's　answer　in　the



same　half　whisper。　　〃Why　do　you　put　such　things　into



my　head？　If　I　could　believe　itmy　spirit；　you　know；



is　pretty　independent。〃







　　　　　〃I　wish　your　heart　were　independent。　　That　would



be　enough　for　me。〃







　　　　　〃My　heart；　indeed！　What　can　you　have　to　do　with



hearts？　You　men　have　none　of　you　any　hearts。〃







　　　　　〃If　we　have　not　hearts；　we　have　eyes；　and　they　give



us　torment　enough。〃







　　　　　〃Do　they？　I　am　sorry　for　it；　I　am　sorry　they　find



anything　so　disagreeable　in　me。　　I　will　look　another　way。　



I　hope　this　pleases　you〃　（turning　her　back　on　him）；



〃I　hope　your　eyes　are　not　tormented　now。〃







　　　　　〃Never　more　so；　for　the　edge　of　a　blooming　cheek



is　still　in　viewat　once　too　much　and　too　little。〃







　　　　　Catherine　heard　all　this；　and　quite　out　of　countenance；



could　listen　no　longer。　　Amazed　that　Isabella　could　endure　it；



and　jealous　for　her　brother；　she　rose　up；　and　saying　she



should　join　Mrs。　Allen；　proposed　their　walking。　　But　for　this



Isabella　showed　no　inclination。　　She　was　so　amazingly　tired；



and　it　was　so　odious　to　parade　about　the　pump…room；



and　if　she　moved　from　her　seat　she　should　miss　her　sisters；



she　was　expecting　her　sisters　every　moment；　so　that　her　dearest



Catherine　must　excuse　her；　and　must　sit　quietly　down　again。　



But　Catherine　could　be　stubborn　too；　and　Mrs。　Allen　just



then　coming　up　to　propose　their　returning　home；　she　joined



her　and　walked　out　of　the　pump…room；　leaving　Isabella



still　sitting　with　Captain　Tilney。　　With　much　uneasiness



did　she　thus　leave　them。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　Captain



Tilney　was　falling　in　love　with　Isabella；　and　Isabella



unconsciously　encouraging　him；　unconsciously　it　must　be；



for　Isabella's　attachment　to　James　was　as　certain　and



well　acknowledged　as　her　engagement。　　To　doubt　her　truth



or　good　intentions　was　impossible；　and　yet；　during　the



whole　of　their　conversation　her　manner　had　been　odd。　



She　wished　Isabella　had　talked　more　like　her　usual　self；



and　not　so　much　about　money；　and　had　not　looked　so　well



pleased　at　the　sight　of　Captain　Tilney。　　How　strange



that　she　should　not　perceive　his　admiration！　Catherine



longed　to　give　her　a　hint　of　it；　to　put　her　on　her　guard；



and　prevent　all　the　pain　which　her　too　lively　behaviour



might　otherwise　create　both　for　him　and　her　brother。　







　　　　　The　compliment　of　John　Thorpe's　affection　did　not　make



amends　for　this　thoughtlessness　in　his　sister。　　She　was　almost



as　far　from　believing　as　from　wishing　it　to　be　sincere；



for　she　had　not　forgotten　that　he　could　mistake；　and　his



assertion　of　the　offer　and　of　her　encouragement　convinced



her　that　his　mistakes　could　sometimes　be　very　egregious。　



In　vanity；　therefore；　she　gained　but　little；　her　chief



profit　was　in　wonder。　　That　he　should　think　it　worth



his　while　to　fancy　himself　in　love　with　her　was　a　matter



of　lively　astonishment。　　Isabella　talked　of　his　attentions；



she　had　never　been　sensible　of　any；　but　Isabella　had　said



many　things　which　she　hoped　had　been　spoken　in　haste；



and　would　never　be　said　again；　and　upon　this　she　was　glad



to　rest　altogether　for　present　ease　and　comfort。　















CHAPTER　19











　　　　　A　few　days　passed　away；　and　Catherine；　though　not



allowing　herself　to　suspect　her　friend；　could　not　help



watching　her　closely。　　The　result　of　her　observations



was　not　agreeable。　　Isabella　seemed　an　altered　creature。　



When　she　saw　her；　indeed；　surrounded　only　by　their



immediate　friends　in　Edgar's　Buildings　or　Pulteney　Street；



her　change　of　manners　was　so　trifling　that；　had　it



gone　no　farther；　it　might　have　passed　unnoticed。　



A　something　of　languid　indifference；　or　of　that　boasted



absence　of　mind　which　Catherine　had　never　heard　of　before；



would　occasionally　come　across　her；　but　had　nothing



worse　appeared；　that　might　only　have　spread　a　new　grace



and　inspired　a　warmer　interest。　　But　when　Catherine　saw



her　in　public；　admitting　Captain　Tilney's　attentions



as　readily　as　they　were　offered；　and　allowing　him　almost



an　equal　share　with　James　in　her　notice　and　smiles；



the　alteration　became　too　positive　to　be　passed　over。　



What　could　be　meant　by　such　unsteady　conduct；　what　her



friend　could　be　at；　was　beyond　her　comprehension。　



Isabella　could　not　be　aware　of　the　pain　she　was　inflicting；



but　it　was　a　degree　of　wilful　thoughtlessness　which



Catherine　could　not　but　resent。　　James　was　the　sufferer。　



She　saw　him　grave　and　uneasy；　and　however　careless



of　his　present　comfort　the　woman　might　be　who　had



given　him　her　heart；　to　her　it　was　always　an　object。　



For　poor　Captain　Tilney　too　she　was　greatly　concerned。　



Though　his　looks　did　not　please　her；　his　name　was　a　passport



to　her　goodwill；　and　she　thought　with　sincere　compassion



of　his　approaching　disappointment；　for；　in　spite　of　what



she　had　believed　herself　to　overbear　in　the　pump…room；



his　behaviour　was　so　incompatible　with　a　knowledge　of



Isabella's　engagement　that　she　could　not；　upon　reflection；



imagine　him　aware　of　it。　　He　might　be　jealous　of　her



brother　as　a　rival；　but　if　more　bad　seemed　implied；



the　fault　must　have　been　in　her　misapprehension。　



She　wished；　by　a　gentle　remonstrance；　to　remind　Isabella　of



her　situation；　and　make　her　aware　of　this　double　unkindness；



but　for　remonstrance；　either　opportunity　or　comprehension



was　always　against　her。　　If　able　to　suggest　a　hint；



Isabella　could　never　understand　it。　　In　this　distress；



the　intended　departure　of　the　Tilney　family　became　her



chief　consolation；　their　journey　into　Gloucestershire



was　to　take　place　within　a　few　days；　and　Captain　Tilney's



removal　would　at　least　restore　peace　to　every　heart　but



his　own。　　But　Captain　Tilney　had　at　present　no　intention



of　removing；　he　was　not　to　be　of　the　party　to　Northanger；



he　was　to　continue　at　Bath。　　When　Catherine　knew　this；



her　resolution　was　directly　made。　　She　spoke　to　Henry　Tilney



on　the　subject；　regretting　his　brother's　evident　partiality



for　Miss　Thorpe；　and　entreating　him　to　make　known　her



prior　engagement。　







　　　　　〃My　brother　does　know　it；〃　was　Henry's　answer。　







　　　　　〃Does　he？　Then　why　does　he　stay　here？〃







　　　　　He　made　no　reply；　and　was　beginning　to　talk



of　something　else；　but　she　eagerly　continued；　〃Why　do



not　you　persuade　him　to　go　away？　The　longer　he　stays；



the　worse　it　will　be　for　him　at　last。　　Pray　advise



him　for　his　own　sake；　and　for　everybody's　sake；



to　leave　Bath　directly。　　Absence　will　in　time　make



him　comfortable　again；　but　he　can　have　no　hope　here；



and　it　is　only　staying　to　be　miserable。〃　Henry　smiled



and　said；　〃I　am　sure　my　brother　would　not　wish　to　do　that。〃







　　　　　〃Then　you　will　persuade　him　to　go　away？〃







　　　　　〃Persuasion　is　not　at　com