northanger abbey- 第38部分

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



Perhaps　it　may　seem　odd；　that　with　only　two　younger　children；



I　should　think　any　profession　necessary　for　him；



and　certainly　there　are　moments　when　we　could　all　wish　him



disengaged　from　every　tie　of　business。　　But　though　I　may



not　exactly　make　converts　of　you　young　ladies；　I　am　sure



your　father；　Miss　Morland；　would　agree　with　me　in　thinking



it　expedient　to　give　every　young　man　some　employment。　



The　money　is　nothing；　it　is　not　an　object；　but　employment



is　the　thing。　　Even　Frederick；　my　eldest　son；　you　see；



who　will　perhaps　inherit　as　considerable　a　landed　property



as　any　private　man　in　the　county；　has　his　profession。〃







　　　　　The　imposing　effect　of　this　last　argument　was



equal　to　his　wishes。　　The　silence　of　the　lady　proved



it　to　be　unanswerable。　







　　　　　Something　had　been　said　the　evening　before　of　her



being　shown　over　the　house；　and　he　now　offered　himself



as　her　conductor；　and　though　Catherine　had　hoped　to　explore



it　accompanied　only　by　his　daughter；　it　was　a　proposal



of　too　much　happiness　in　itself；　under　any　circumstances；



not　to　be　gladly　accepted；　for　she　had　been　already



eighteen　hours　in　the　abbey；　and　had　seen　only　a　few　of



its　rooms。　　The　netting…box；　just　leisurely　drawn　forth；



was　closed　with　joyful　haste；　and　she　was　ready　to



attend　him　in　a　moment。　　〃And　when　they　had　gone　over



the　house；　he　promised　himself　moreover　the　pleasure



of　accompanying　her　into　the　shrubberies　and　garden。〃



She　curtsied　her　acquiescence。　　〃But　perhaps　it　might　be



more　agreeable　to　her　to　make　those　her　first　object。　



The　weather　was　at　present　favourable；　and　at　this　time



of　year　the　uncertainty　was　very　great　of　its　continuing　so。　



Which　would　she　prefer？　He　was　equally　at　her　service。　



Which　did　his　daughter　think　would　most　accord　with　her



fair　friend's　wishes？　But　he　thought　he　could　discern。　



Yes；　he　certainly　read　in　Miss　Morland's　eyes　a　judicious



desire　of　making　use　of　the　present　smiling　weather。　



But　when　did　she　judge　amiss？　The　abbey　would　be　always



safe　and　dry。　　He　yielded　implicitly；　and　would　fetch



his　hat　and　attend　them　in　a　moment。〃　He　left　the　room；



and　Catherine；　with　a　disappointed；　anxious　face；



began　to　speak　of　her　unwillingness　that　he　should　be



taking　them　out　of　doors　against　his　own　inclination；



under　a　mistaken　idea　of　pleasing　her；　but　she　was　stopped



by　Miss　Tilney's　saying；　with　a　little　confusion；　〃I　believe



it　will　be　wisest　to　take　the　morning　while　it　is　so　fine；



and　do　not　be　uneasy　on　my　father's　account；　he　always　walks



out　at　this　time　of　day。〃







　　　　　Catherine　did　not　exactly　know　how　this　was



to　be　understood。　　Why　was　Miss　Tilney　embarrassed？



Could　there　be　any　unwillingness　on　the　general's　side



to　show　her　over　the　abbey？　The　proposal　was　his　own。　



And　was　not　it　odd　that　he　should　always　take　his　walk



so　early？　Neither　her　father　nor　Mr。　Allen　did　so。　



It　was　certainly　very　provoking。　　She　was　all　impatience





to　see　the　house；　and　had　scarcely　any　curiosity　about



the　grounds。　　If　Henry　had　been　with　them　indeed！　But　now



she　should　not　know　what　was　picturesque　when　she　saw　it。　



Such　were　her　thoughts；　but　she　kept　them　to　herself；



and　put　on　her　bonnet　in　patient　discontent。　







　　　　　She　was　struck；　however；　beyond　her　expectation；



by　the　grandeur　of　the　abbey；　as　she　saw　it　for　the　first　time



from　the　lawn。　　The　whole　building　enclosed　a　large　court；



and　two　sides　of　the　quadrangle；　rich　in　Gothic　ornaments；



stood　forward　for　admiration。　　The　remainder　was　shut



off　by　knolls　of　old　trees；　or　luxuriant　plantations；



and　the　steep　woody　hills　rising　behind；　to　give　it　shelter；



were　beautiful　even　in　the　leafless　month　of　March。　



Catherine　had　seen　nothing　to　compare　with　it；　and　her



feelings　of　delight　were　so　strong；　that　without　waiting



for　any　better　authority；　she　boldly　burst　forth　in　wonder



and　praise。　　The　general　listened　with　assenting　gratitude；



and　it　seemed　as　if　his　own　estimation　of　Northanger　had



waited　unfixed　till　that　hour。　







　　　　　The　kitchen…garden　was　to　be　next　admired；　and　he



led　the　way　to　it　across　a　small　portion　of　the　park。　







　　　　　The　number　of　acres　contained　in　this　garden　was



such　as　Catherine　could　not　listen　to　without　dismay；



being　more　than　double　the　extent　of　all　Mr。　Allen's；



as　well　her　father's；　including　church…yard　and　orchard。　



The　walls　seemed　countless　in　number；　endless　in　length；



a　village　of　hot…houses　seemed　to　arise　among　them；



and　a　whole　parish　to　be　at　work　within　the　enclosure。　



The　general　was　flattered　by　her　looks　of　surprise；



which　told　him　almost　as　plainly；　as　he　soon　forced　her



to　tell　him　in　words；　that　she　had　never　seen　any　gardens



at　all　equal　to　them　before；　and　he　then　modestly　owned　that；



〃without　any　ambition　of　that　sort　himselfwithout　any



solicitude　about　ithe　did　believe　them　to　be　unrivalled



in　the　kingdom。　　If　he　had　a　hobby…horse；　it　was　that。　



He　loved　a　garden。　　Though　careless　enough　in　most



matters　of　eating；　he　loved　good　fruitor　if　he　did　not；



his　friends　and　children　did。　　There　were　great　vexations；



however；　attending　such　a　garden　as　his。　　The　utmost



care　could　not　always　secure　the　most　valuable　fruits。　



The　pinery　had　yielded　only　one　hundred　in　the　last　year。　



Mr。　Allen；　he　supposed；　must　feel　these　inconveniences　as　well



as　himself。〃







　　　　　〃No；　not　at　all。　　Mr。　Allen　did　not　care　about



the　garden；　and　never　went　into　it。〃







　　　　　With　a　triumphant　smile　of　self…satisfaction；



the　general　wished　he　could　do　the　same；　for　he　never



entered　his；　without　being　vexed　in　some　way　or　other；



by　its　falling　short　of　his　plan。　







　　　　　〃How　were　Mr。　Allen's　succession…houses　worked？〃



describing　the　nature　of　his　own　as　they　entered　them。　







　　　　　〃Mr。　Allen　had　only　one　small　hot…house；　which



Mrs。　Allen　had　the　use　of　for　her　plants　in　winter；



and　there　was　a　fire　in　it　now　and　then。〃







　　　　　〃He　is　a　happy　man！〃　said　the　general；　with　a　look



of　very　happy　contempt。　







　　　　　Having　taken　her　into　every　division；　and　led　her



under　every　wall；　till　she　was　heartily　weary　of　seeing



and　wondering；　he　suffered　the　girls　at　last　to　seize



the　advantage　of　an　outer　door；　and　then　expressing　his



wish　to　examine　the　effect　of　some　recent　alterations



about　the　tea…house；　proposed　it　as　no　unpleasant



extension　of　their　walk；　if　Miss　Morland　were　not　tired。　



〃But　where　are　you　going；　Eleanor？　Why　do　you　choose



that　cold；　damp　path　to　it？　Miss　Morland　will　get　wet。　



Our　best　way　is　across　the　park。〃







　　　　　〃This　is　so　favourite　a　walk　of　mine；〃　said　Miss　Tilney；



〃that　I　always　think　it　the　best　and　nearest　way。　



But　perhaps　it　may　be　damp。〃







　　　　　It　was　a　narrow　winding　path　through　a　thick　grove　of　old



Scotch　firs；　and　Catherine；　struck　by　its　gloomy　aspect；



and　eager　to　enter　it；　could　not；　even　by　the　general's



disapprobation；　be　kept　from　stepping　forward。　　He　perceived



her　inclination；　and　having　again　urged　the　plea　of　health



in　vain；　was　too　polite　to　make　further　opposition。　



He　excused　himself；　however；　from　attending　them：　〃The



rays　of　the　sun　were　not　too　cheerful　for　him；　and　he



would　meet　them　by　another　course。〃　He　turned　away；



and　Catherine　was　shocked　to　find　how　much　her　spirits



were　relieved　by　the　separation。　　The　shock；　however；



being　less　real　than　the　relief；　offered　it　no　injury；



and　she　began　to　talk　with　easy　gaiety　of　the　delightful



melancholy　which　such　a　grove　inspired。　







　　　　　〃I　am　particularly　fond　of　this　spot；〃　said　her　companion；



with　a　sigh。　　〃It　was　my　mother's　favourite　walk。〃







　　　　　Catherine　had　never　heard　Mrs。　Tilney　mentioned　in



the　family　before；　and　the　interest　excited　by　this　tender



remembrance　showed　itself　directly　in　her　altered　countenance；



and　in　the　attentive　pause　with　which　she　waited　for　something　more。　







　　　　　〃I　used　to　walk　here　so　often　with　her！〃　added　Eleanor；



〃though　I　never　loved　it　then；　as　I　have　loved　it　since。　



At　that　time　indeed　I　used　to　wonder　at　her　choice。　



But　her　memory　endears　it　now。〃







　　　　　〃And　ought　it　not；〃　reflected　Catherine；　〃to　endear



it　to　her　husband？　Yet　the　general　would　not　enter　it。〃



Miss　Tilney　continuing　silent；　she　ventured　to　say；



〃Her　death　must　have　been