northanger abbey- 第37部分

before　the　tempest　subsided　or　she　unknowingly　fell



fast　asleep。　















CHAPTER　22











　　　　　The　housemaid's　folding　back　her　window…shutters



at　eight　o'clock　the　next　day　was　the　sound　which



first　roused　Catherine；　and　she　opened　her　eyes；



wondering　that　they　could　ever　have　been　closed；



on　objects　of　cheerfulness；　her　fire　was　already　burning；



and　a　bright　morning　had　succeeded　the　tempest　of　the　night。　



Instantaneously；　with　the　consciousness　of　existence；



returned　her　recollection　of　the　manuscript；　and　springing



from　the　bed　in　the　very　moment　of　the　maid's　going　away；



she　eagerly　collected　every　scattered　sheet　which　had



burst　from　the　roll　on　its　falling　to　the　ground；　and　flew



back　to　enjoy　the　luxury　of　their　perusal　on　her　pillow。　



She　now　plainly　saw　that　she　must　not　expect　a　manuscript



of　equal　length　with　the　generality　of　what　she　had



shuddered　over　in　books；　for　the　roll；　seeming　to　consist



entirely　of　small　disjointed　sheets；　was　altogether　but



of　trifling　size；　and　much　less　than　she　had　supposed



it　to　be　at　first。　







　　　　　Her　greedy　eye　glanced　rapidly　over　a　page。　



She　started　at　its　import。　　Could　it　be　possible；　or　did



not　her　senses　play　her　false？　An　inventory　of　linen；



in　coarse　and　modern　characters；　seemed　all　that　was　before



her！　If　the　evidence　of　sight　might　be　trusted；　she　held



a　washing…bill　in　her　hand。　　She　seized　another　sheet；



and　saw　the　same　articles　with　little　variation；



a　third；　a　fourth；　and　a　fifth　presented　nothing　new。　



Shirts；　stockings；　cravats；　and　waistcoats　faced



her　in　each。　　Two　others；　penned　by　the　same　hand；



marked　an　expenditure　scarcely　more　interesting；



in　letters；　hair…powder；　shoe…string；　and　breeches…ball。



And　the　larger　sheet；　which　had　enclosed　the　rest；



seemed　by　its　first　cramp　line；　〃To　poultice　chestnut



mare〃a　farrier's　bill！　Such　was　the　collection　of　papers



（left　perhaps；　as　she　could　then　suppose；　by　the　negligence



of　a　servant　in　the　place　whence　she　had　taken　them）



which　had　filled　her　with　expectation　and　alarm；　and　robbed



her　of　half　her　night's　rest！　She　felt　humbled　to　the　dust。　



Could　not　the　adventure　of　the　chest　have　taught　her



wisdom？　A　corner　of　it；　catching　her　eye　as　she　lay；



seemed　to　rise　up　in　judgment　against　her。　　Nothing　could



now　be　clearer　than　the　absurdity　of　her　recent　fancies。　



To　suppose　that　a　manuscript　of　many　generations　back



could　have　remained　undiscovered　in　a　room　such　as　that；



so　modern；　so　habitable！Or　that　she　should　be　the　first



to　possess　the　skill　of　unlocking　a　cabinet；　the　key



of　which　was　open　to　all！







　　　　　How　could　she　have　so　imposed　on　herself？　Heaven



forbid　that　Henry　Tilney　should　ever　know　her　folly！　And



it　was　in　a　great　measure　his　own　doing；　for　had　not　the



cabinet　appeared　so　exactly　to　agree　with　his　description



of　her　adventures；　she　should　never　have　felt　the　smallest



curiosity　about　it。　　This　was　the　only　comfort　that　occurred。　



Impatient　to　get　rid　of　those　hateful　evidences　of　her　folly；



those　detestable　papers　then　scattered　over　the　bed；



she　rose　directly；　and　folding　them　up　as　nearly　as　possible



in　the　same　shape　as　before；　returned　them　to　the　same



spot　within　the　cabinet；　with　a　very　hearty　wish　that　no



untoward　accident　might　ever　bring　them　forward　again；



to　disgrace　her　even　with　herself。　







　　　　　Why　the　locks　should　have　been　so　difficult



to　open；　however；　was　still　something　remarkable；



for　she　could　now　manage　them　with　perfect　ease。　　In　this



there　was　surely　something　mysterious；　and　she　indulged



in　the　flattering　suggestion　for　half　a　minute；　till　the



possibility　of　the　door's　having　been　at　first　unlocked；



and　of　being　herself　its　fastener；　darted　into　her　head；



and　cost　her　another　blush。　







　　　　　She　got　away　as　soon　as　she　could　from　a　room　in



which　her　conduct　produced　such　unpleasant　reflections；



and　found　her　way　with　all　speed　to　the　breakfast…parlour；



as　it　had　been　pointed　out　to　her　by　Miss　Tilney　the



evening　before。　　Henry　was　alone　in　it；　and　his　immediate



hope　of　her　having　been　undisturbed　by　the　tempest；



with　an　arch　reference　to　the　character　of　the　building



they　inhabited；　was　rather　distressing。　　For　the　world



would　she　not　have　her　weakness　suspected；　and　yet；



unequal　to　an　absolute　falsehood；　was　constrained　to



acknowledge　that　the　wind　had　kept　her　awake　a　little。　



〃But　we　have　a　charming　morning　after　it；〃　she　added；



desiring　to　get　rid　of　the　subject；　〃and　storms



and　sleeplessness　are　nothing　when　they　are　over。　



What　beautiful　hyacinths！　I　have　just　learnt　to　love



a　hyacinth。〃







　　　　　〃And　how　might　you　learn？　By　accident　or　argument？〃







　　　　　〃Your　sister　taught　me；　I　cannot　tell　how。　　Mrs。　Allen



used　to　take　pains；　year　after　year；　to　make　me　like　them；



but　I　never　could；　till　I　saw　them　the　other　day　in



Milsom　Street；　I　am　naturally　indifferent　about　flowers。〃







　　　　　〃But　now　you　love　a　hyacinth。　　So　much　the　better。　



You　have　gained　a　new　source　of　enjoyment；　and　it　is



well　to　have　as　many　holds　upon　happiness　as　possible。　



Besides；　a　taste　for　flowers　is　always　desirable　in　your　sex；



as　a　means　of　getting　you　out　of　doors；　and　tempting　you



to　more　frequent　exercise　than　you　would　otherwise　take。　



And　though　the　love　of　a　hyacinth　may　be　rather　domestic；



who　can　tell；　the　sentiment　once　raised；　but　you　may　in　time



come　to　love　a　rose？〃







　　　　　〃But　I　do　not　want　any　such　pursuit　to　get　me　out



of　doors。　　The　pleasure　of　walking　and　breathing　fresh



air　is　enough　for　me；　and　in　fine　weather　I　am　out　more



than　half　my　time。　　Mamma　says　I　am　never　within。〃







　　　　　〃At　any　rate；　however；　I　am　pleased　that　you　have



learnt　to　love　a　hyacinth。　　The　mere　habit　of　learning



to　love　is　the　thing；　and　a　teachableness　of　disposition



in　a　young　lady　is　a　great　blessing。　　Has　my　sister



a　pleasant　mode　of　instruction？〃







　　　　　Catherine　was　saved　the　embarrassment　of　attempting



an　answer　by　the　entrance　of　the　general；　whose　smiling



compliments　announced　a　happy　state　of　mind；　but　whose



gentle　hint　of　sympathetic　early　rising　did　not　advance



her　composure。　







　　　　　The　elegance　of　the　breakfast　set　forced　itself



on　Catherine's　notice　when　they　were　seated　at　table；



and；　lucidly；　it　had　been　the　general's　choice。　　He　was



enchanted　by　her　approbation　of　his　taste；　confessed　it



to　be　neat　and　simple；　thought　it　right　to　encourage



the　manufacture　of　his　country；　and　for　his　part；　to　his



uncritical　palate；　the　tea　was　as　well　flavoured　from　the



clay　of　Staffordshire；　as　from　that　of　Dresden　or　Save。　



But　this　was　quite　an　old　set；　purchased　two　years　ago。　



The　manufacture　was　much　improved　since　that　time；



he　had　seen　some　beautiful　specimens　when　last　in　town；



and　had　he　not　been　perfectly　without　vanity　of



that　kind；　might　have　been　tempted　to　order　a　new　set。　



He　trusted；　however；　that　an　opportunity　might　ere



long　occur　of　selecting　onethough　not　for　himself。　



Catherine　was　probably　the　only　one　of　the　party　who　did



not　understand　him。　







　　　　　Shortly　after　breakfast　Henry　left　them　for　Woodston；



where　business　required　and　would　keep　him　two　or　three　days。　



They　all　attended　in　the　hall　to　see　him　mount　his　horse；



and　immediately　on　re…entering　the　breakfast…room；　Catherine



walked　to　a　window　in　the　hope　of　catching　another　glimpse



of　his　figure。　　〃This　is　a　somewhat　heavy　call　upon　your



brother's　fortitude；〃　observed　the　general　to　Eleanor。　



〃Woodston　will　make　but　a　sombre　appearance　today。〃







　　　　　〃Is　it　a　pretty　place？〃　asked　Catherine。　







　　　　　〃What　say　you；　Eleanor？　Speak　your　opinion；



for　ladies　can　best　tell　the　taste　of　ladies　in　regard



to　places　as　well　as　men。　　I　think　it　would　be　acknowledged



by　the　most　impartial　eye　to　have　many　recommendations。　



The　house　stands　among　fine　meadows　facing　the　south…east；



with　an　excellent　kitchen…garden　in　the　same　aspect；



the　walls　surrounding　which　I　built　and　stocked　myself



about　ten　years　ago；　for　the　benefit　of　my　son。　　It　is



a　family　living；　Miss　Morland；　and　the　property　in　the



place　being　chiefly　my　own；　you　may　believe　I　take　care



that　it　shall　not　be　a　bad　one。　　Did　Henry's　income　depend



solely　on　this　living；　he　would　not　be　ill…provided　for。　



Perhaps　it　may　seem　odd；　that