northanger abbey- 第34部分

of　the　bed；　you　will　retire　to　rest；　and　get　a　few　hours'



unquiet　slumber。　　But　on　the　second；　or　at　farthest



the　third　night　after　your　arrival；　you　will　probably



have　a　violent　storm。　　Peals　of　thunder　so　loud　as　to　seem



to　shake　the　edifice　to　its　foundation　will　roll　round



the　neighbouring　mountainsand　during　the　frightful



gusts　of　wind　which　accompany　it；　you　will　probably　think



you　discern　（for　your　lamp　is　not　extinguished）　one　part



of　the　hanging　more　violently　agitated　than　the　rest。　



Unable　of　course　to　repress　your　curiosity　in　so　favourable



a　moment　for　indulging　it；　you　will　instantly　arise；



and　throwing　your　dressing…gown　around　you；　proceed　to



examine　this　mystery。　　After　a　very　short　search；



you　will　discover　a　division　in　the　tapestry　so　artfully



constructed　as　to　defy　the　minutest　inspection；　and　on



opening　it；　a　door　will　immediately　appearwhich　door；



being　only　secured　by　massy　bars　and　a　padlock；　you　will；



after　a　few　efforts；　succeed　in　openingand；　with　your



lamp　in　your　hand；　will　pass　through　it　into　a　small



vaulted　room。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　I　should　be　too　much　frightened　to　do



any　such　thing。〃







　　　　　〃What！　Not　when　Dorothy　has　given　you　to　understand



that　there　is　a　secret　subterraneous　communication　between



your　apartment　and　the　chapel　of　St。　Anthony；　scarcely　two



miles　off？　Could　you　shrink　from　so　simple　an　adventure？



No；　no；　you　will　proceed　into　this　small　vaulted　room；



and　through　this　into　several　others；　without　perceiving



anything　very　remarkable　in　either。　　In　one　perhaps



there　may　be　a　dagger；　in　another　a　few　drops　of　blood；



and　in　a　third　the　remains　of　some　instrument　of　torture；



but　there　being　nothing　in　all　this　out　of　the　common　way；



and　your　lamp　being　nearly　exhausted；　you　will　return



towards　your　own　apartment。　　In　repassing　through　the　small



vaulted　room；　however；　your　eyes　will　be　attracted　towards



a　large；　old…fashioned　cabinet　of　ebony　and　gold；　which；



though　narrowly　examining　the　furniture　before；　you　had



passed　unnoticed。　　Impelled　by　an　irresistible　presentiment；



you　will　eagerly　advance　to　it；　unlock　its　folding　doors；



and　search　into　every　drawerbut　for　some　time　without



discovering　anything　of　importanceperhaps　nothing



but　a　considerable　hoard　of　diamonds。　　At　last；　however；



by　touching　a　secret　spring；　an　inner　compartment　will



opena　roll　of　paper　appearsyou　seize　itit　contains



many　sheets　of　manuscriptyou　hasten　with　the　precious



treasure　into　your　own　chamber；　but　scarcely　have　you　been



able　to　decipher　'Oh！　Thouwhomsoever　thou　mayst　be；



into　whose　hands　these　memoirs　of　the　wretched　Matilda



may　fall'when　your　lamp　suddenly　expires　in　the　socket；



and　leaves　you　in　total　darkness。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　No；　nodo　not　say　so。　　Well；　go　on。〃







　　　　　But　Henry　was　too　much　amused　by　the　interest　he



had　raised　to　be　able　to　carry　it　farther；　he　could



no　longer　command　solemnity　either　of　subject　or　voice；



and　was　obliged　to　entreat　her　to　use　her　own　fancy　in　the



perusal　of　Matilda's　woes。　　Catherine；　recollecting　herself；



grew　ashamed　of　her　eagerness；　and　began　earnestly　to　assure



him　that　her　attention　had　been　fixed　without　the　smallest



apprehension　of　really　meeting　with　what　he　related。　



〃Miss　Tilney；　she　was　sure；　would　never　put　her　into　such



a　chamber　as　he　had　described！　She　was　not　at　all　afraid。〃







　　　　　As　they　drew　near　the　end　of　their　journey；　her　impatience



for　a　sight　of　the　abbeyfor　some　time　suspended　by　his



conversation　on　subjects　very　differentreturned　in　full　force；



and　every　bend　in　the　road　was　expected　with　solemn　awe



to　afford　a　glimpse　of　its　massy　walls　of　grey　stone；



rising　amidst　a　grove　of　ancient　oaks；　with　the　last　beams



of　the　sun　playing　in　beautiful　splendour　on　its　high



Gothic　windows。　　But　so　low　did　the　building　stand；



that　she　found　herself　passing　through　the　great　gates



of　the　lodge　into　the　very　grounds　of　Northanger；



without　having　discerned　even　an　antique　chimney。　







　　　　　She　knew　not　that　she　had　any　right　to　be　surprised；



but　there　was　a　something　in　this　mode　of　approach



which　she　certainly　had　not　expected。　　To　pass　between



lodges　of　a　modern　appearance；　to　find　herself　with　such



ease　in　the　very　precincts　of　the　abbey；　and　driven



so　rapidly　along　a　smooth；　level　road　of　fine　gravel；



without　obstacle；　alarm；　or　solemnity　of　any　kind；



struck　her　as　odd　and　inconsistent。　　She　was　not



long　at　leisure；　however；　for　such　considerations。　



A　sudden　scud　of　rain；　driving　full　in　her　face；　made　it



impossible　for　her　to　observe　anything　further；　and　fixed



all　her　thoughts　on　the　welfare　of　her　new　straw　bonnet；



and　she　was　actually　under　the　abbey　walls；　was　springing；



with　Henry's　assistance；　from　the　carriage；　was　beneath　the



shelter　of　the　old　porch；　and　had　even　passed　on　to　the　hall；



where　her　friend　and　the　general　were　waiting　to　welcome　her；



without　feeling　one　awful　foreboding　of　future　misery



to　herself；　or　one　moment's　suspicion　of　any　past　scenes



of　horror　being　acted　within　the　solemn　edifice。　　The　breeze



had　not　seemed　to　waft　the　sighs　of　the　murdered　to　her；



it　had　wafted　nothing　worse　than　a　thick　mizzling　rain；



and　having　given　a　good　shake　to　her　habit；　she　was　ready



to　be　shown　into　the　common　drawing…room；　and　capable



of　considering　where　she　was。　







　　　　　An　abbey！　Yes；　it　was　delightful　to　be　really



in　an　abbey！　But　she　doubted；　as　she　looked　round



the　room；　whether　anything　within　her　observation　would



have　given　her　the　consciousness。　　The　furniture　was



in　all　the　profusion　and　elegance　of　modern　taste。　



The　fireplace；　where　she　had　expected　the　ample　width



and　ponderous　carving　of　former　times；　was　contracted



to　a　Rumford；　with　slabs　of　plain　though　handsome　marble；



and　ornaments　over　it　of　the　prettiest　English　china。　



The　windows；　to　which　she　looked　with　peculiar　dependence；



from　having　heard　the　general　talk　of　his　preserving　them



in　their　Gothic　form　with　reverential　care；　were　yet　less



what　her　fancy　had　portrayed。　　To　be　sure；　the　pointed



arch　was　preservedthe　form　of　them　was　Gothicthey



might　be　even　casementsbut　every　pane　was　so　large；



so　clear；　so　light！　To　an　imagination　which　had　hoped



for　the　smallest　divisions；　and　the　heaviest　stone…work；



for　painted　glass；　dirt；　and　cobwebs；　the　difference　was



very　distressing。　







　　　　　The　general；　perceiving　how　her　eye　was　employed；



began　to　talk　of　the　smallness　of　the　room　and　simplicity



of　the　furniture；　where　everything；　being　for　daily　use；



pretended　only　to　comfort；　etc。；　flattering　himself；　however；



that　there　were　some　apartments　in　the　Abbey　not　unworthy



her　noticeand　was　proceeding　to　mention　the　costly



gilding　of　one　in　particular；　when；　taking　out　his　watch；



he　stopped　short　to　pronounce　it　with　surprise　within



twenty　minutes　of　five！　This　seemed　the　word　of　separation；



and　Catherine　found　herself　hurried　away　by　Miss　Tilney



in　such　a　manner　as　convinced　her　that　the　strictest



punctuality　to　the　family　hours　would　be　expected　at　Northanger。　







　　　　　Returning　through　the　large　and　lofty　hall；



they　ascended　a　broad　staircase　of　shining　oak；　which；



after　many　flights　and　many　landing…places；　brought　them



upon　a　long；　wide　gallery。　　On　one　side　it　had　a　range



of　doors；　and　it　was　lighted　on　the　other　by　windows



which　Catherine　had　only　time　to　discover　looked



into　a　quadrangle；　before　Miss　Tilney　led　the　way



into　a　chamber；　and　scarcely　staying　to　hope　she　would



find　it　comfortable；　left　her　with　an　anxious　entreaty



that　she　would　make　as　little　alteration　as　possible



in　her　dress。　















CHAPTER　21











　　　　　A　moment's　glance　was　enough　to　satisfy　Catherine



that　her　apartment　was　very　unlike　the　one　which　Henry



had　endeavoured　to　alarm　her　by　the　description　of。　



It　was　by　no　means　unreasonably　large；　and　contained　neither



tapestry　nor　velvet。　　The　walls　were　papered；　the　floor



was　carpeted；　the　windows　were　neither　less　perfect　nor　more



dim　than　those　of　the　drawing…room　below；　the　furniture；



though　not　of　the　latest　fashion；　was　handsome　and　comfortable；



and　the　air　of　the　room　altogether　far　from　uncheerful。　



Her　heart　instantaneously　at　ease　on　this　point；　she　resolved



to　lose　no　time　in　particular　examination　of　anything；



as　she　greatly　dreaded