northanger abbey- 第35部分

to　lose　no　time　in　particular　examination　of　anything；



as　she　greatly　dreaded　disobliging　the　general　by　any　delay。　



Her　habit　therefore　was　thrown　off　with　all　possible　haste；



and　she　was　preparing　to　unpin　the　linen　package；　which　the



chaise…seat　had　conveyed　for　her　immediate　accommodation；



when　her　eye　suddenly　fell　on　a　large　high　chest；



standing　back　in　a　deep　recess　on　one　side　of　the　fireplace。　



The　sight　of　it　made　her　start；　and；　forgetting　everything



else；　she　stood　gazing　on　it　in　motionless　wonder；



while　these　thoughts　crossed　her：







　　　　　〃This　is　strange　indeed！　I　did　not　expect　such　a　sight



as　this！　An　immense　heavy　chest！　What　can　it　hold？　Why



should　it　be　placed　here？　Pushed　back　too；　as　if　meant　to



be　out　of　sight！　I　will　look　into　itcost　me　what　it　may；



I　will　look　into　itand　directly　tooby　daylight。　



If　I　stay　till　evening　my　candle　may　go　out。〃



She　advanced　and　examined　it　closely：　it　was　of　cedar；



curiously　inlaid　with　some　darker　wood；　and　raised；



about　a　foot　from　the　ground；　on　a　carved　stand　of　the　same。　



The　lock　was　silver；　though　tarnished　from　age；　at　each



end　were　the　imperfect　remains　of　handles　also　of　silver；



broken　perhaps　prematurely　by　some　strange　violence；



and；　on　the　centre　of　the　lid；　was　a　mysterious　cipher；



in　the　same　metal。　　Catherine　bent　over　it　intently；



but　without　being　able　to　distinguish　anything　with　certainty。　



She　could　not；　in　whatever　direction　she　took　it；



believe　the　last　letter　to　be　a　T；　and　yet　that　it　should



be　anything　else　in　that　house　was　a　circumstance　to　raise



no　common　degree　of　astonishment。　　If　not　originally　theirs；



by　what　strange　events　could　it　have　fallen　into　the　Tilney



family？







　　　　　Her　fearful　curiosity　was　every　moment　growing　greater；



and　seizing；　with　trembling　hands；　the　hasp　of　the　lock；



she　resolved　at　all　hazards　to　satisfy　herself　at　least



as　to　its　contents。　　With　difficulty；　for　something　seemed



to　resist　her　efforts；　she　raised　the　lid　a　few　inches；



but　at　that　moment　a　sudden　knocking　at　the　door　of　the



room　made　her；　starting；　quit　her　hold；　and　the　lid



closed　with　alarming　violence。　　This　ill…timed　intruder



was　Miss　Tilney's　maid；　sent　by　her　mistress　to　be　of



use　to　Miss　Morland；　and　though　Catherine　immediately



dismissed　her；　it　recalled　her　to　the　sense　of　what　she



ought　to　be　doing；　and　forced　her；　in　spite　of　her　anxious



desire　to　penetrate　this　mystery；　to　proceed　in　her　dressing



without　further　delay。　　Her　progress　was　not　quick；



for　her　thoughts　and　her　eyes　were　still　bent　on　the　object



so　well　calculated　to　interest　and　alarm；　and　though



she　dared　not　waste　a　moment　upon　a　second　attempt；



she　could　not　remain　many　paces　from　the　chest。　



At　length；　however；　having　slipped　one　arm　into　her　gown；



her　toilette　seemed　so　nearly　finished　that　the　impatience



of　her　curiosity　might　safely　be　indulged。　　One　moment



surely　might　be　spared；　and；　so　desperate　should　be



the　exertion　of　her　strength；　that；　unless　secured



by　supernatural　means；　the　lid　in　one　moment　should



be　thrown　back。　　With　this　spirit　she　sprang　forward；



and　her　confidence　did　not　deceive　her。　　Her　resolute



effort　threw　back　the　lid；　and　gave　to　her　astonished　eyes



the　view　of　a　white　cotton　counterpane；　properly　folded；



reposing　at　one　end　of　the　chest　in　undisputed　possession！







　　　　　She　was　gazing　on　it　with　the　first　blush　of　surprise



when　Miss　Tilney；　anxious　for　her　friend's　being　ready；



entered　the　room；　and　to　the　rising　shame　of　having



harboured　for　some　minutes　an　absurd　expectation；　was　then



added　the　shame　of　being　caught　in　so　idle　a　search。　



〃That　is　a　curious　old　chest；　is　not　it？〃　said　Miss　Tilney；



as　Catherine　hastily　closed　it　and　turned　away　to　the　glass。　



〃It　is　impossible　to　say　how　many　generations　it　has



been　here。　　How　it　came　to　be　first　put　in　this　room　I



know　not；　but　I　have　not　had　it　moved；　because　I　thought



it　might　sometimes　be　of　use　in　holding　hats　and　bonnets。　



The　worst　of　it　is　that　its　weight　makes　it　difficult



to　open。　　In　that　corner；　however；　it　is　at　least　out　of



the　way。〃







　　　　　Catherine　had　no　leisure　for　speech；　being　at



once　blushing；　tying　her　gown；　and　forming　wise　resolutions



with　the　most　violent　dispatch。　　Miss　Tilney　gently　hinted



her　fear　of　being　late；　and　in　half　a　minute　they　ran



downstairs　together；　in　an　alarm　not　wholly　unfounded；



for　General　Tilney　was　pacing　the　drawing…room；　his　watch



in　his　hand；　and　having；　on　the　very　instant　of　their　entering；



pulled　the　bell　with　violence；　ordered　〃Dinner　to　be



on　table　directly！〃







　　　　　Catherine　trembled　at　the　emphasis　with　which　he　spoke；



and　sat　pale　and　breathless；　in　a　most　humble　mood；



concerned　for　his　children；　and　detesting　old　chests；



and　the　general；　recovering　his　politeness　as　he　looked



at　her；　spent　the　rest　of　his　time　in　scolding　his　daughter



for　so　foolishly　hurrying　her　fair　friend；　who　was　absolutely



out　of　breath　from　haste；　when　there　was　not　the　least



occasion　for　hurry　in　the　world：　but　Catherine　could　not



at　all　get　over　the　double　distress　of　having　involved



her　friend　in　a　lecture　and　been　a　great　simpleton　herself；



till　they　were　happily　seated　at　the　dinner…table；　when



the　general's　complacent　smiles；　and　a　good　appetite



of　her　own；　restored　her　to　peace。　　The　dining…parlour



was　a　noble　room；　suitable　in　its　dimensions　to　a　much



larger　drawing…room　than　the　one　in　common　use；　and　fitted



up　in　a　style　of　luxury　and　expense　which　was　almost　lost



on　the　unpractised　eye　of　Catherine；　who　saw　little　more



than　its　spaciousness　and　the　number　of　their　attendants。　



Of　the　former；　she　spoke　aloud　her　admiration；



and　the　general；　with　a　very　gracious　countenance；



acknowledged　that　it　was　by　no　means　an　ill…sized　room；



and　further　confessed　that；　though　as　careless　on　such



subjects　as　most　people；　he　did　look　upon　a　tolerably



large　eating…room　as　one　of　the　necessaries　of　life；



he　supposed；　however；　〃that　she　must　have　been　used



to　much　better…sized　apartments　at　Mr。　Allen's？〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；〃　was　Catherine's　honest　assurance；



〃Mr。　Allen's　dining…parlour　was　not　more　than　half　as　large；〃



and　she　had　never　seen　so　large　a　room　as　this　in　her　life。　



The　general's　good　humour　increased。　　Why；　as　he　had



such　rooms；　he　thought　it　would　be　simple　not　to　make



use　of　them；　but；　upon　his　honour；　he　believed　there



might　be　more　comfort　in　rooms　of　only　half　their　size。　



Mr。　Allen's　house；　he　was　sure；　must　be　exactly　of　the　true



size　for　rational　happiness。　







　　　　　The　evening　passed　without　any　further　disturbance；



and；　in　the　occasional　absence　of　General　Tilney；　with　much



positive　cheerfulness。　　It　was　only　in　his　presence　that



Catherine　felt　the　smallest　fatigue　from　her　journey；



and　even　then；　even　in　moments　of　languor　or　restraint；



a　sense　of　general　happiness　preponderated；　and　she　could



think　of　her　friends　in　Bath　without　one　wish　of　being



with　them。　







　　　　　The　night　was　stormy；　the　wind　had　been　rising　at



intervals　the　whole　afternoon；　and　by　the　time　the　party



broke　up；　it　blew　and　rained　violently。　　Catherine；　as　she



crossed　the　hall；　listened　to　the　tempest　with　sensations



of　awe；　and；　when　she　heard　it　rage　round　a　corner　of　the



ancient　building　and　close　with　sudden　fury　a　distant　door；



felt　for　the　first　time　that　she　was　really　in　an　abbey。　



Yes；　these　were　characteristic　sounds；　they　brought　to　her



recollection　a　countless　variety　of　dreadful　situations



and　horrid　scenes；　which　such　buildings　had　witnessed；



and　such　storms　ushered　in；　and　most　heartily　did



she　rejoice　in　the　happier　circumstances　attending



her　entrance　within　walls　so　solemn！　She　had　nothing



to　dread　from　midnight　assassins　or　drunken　gallants。　



Henry　had　certainly　been　only　in　jest　in　what　he　had　told



her　that　morning。　　In　a　house　so　furnished；　and　so　guarded；



she　could　have　nothing　to　explore　or　to　suffer；　and　might



go　to　her　bedroom　as　securely　as　if　it　had　been　her　own



chamber　at　Fullerton。　　Thus　wisely　fortifying　her　mind；



as　she　proceeded　upstairs；　she　was　enabled；　especially　on



perceiving　that　Miss　Tilney　slept　only　two　doors　from　her；



to　enter　her　room　with　a　tolerably　stout　heart；　and　her



spirits　were　immediately　assisted　by　the　cheerful　blaze



of　a　wood　fire。　　〃How　much　better　is　this；〃　said　she；