northanger abbey- 第4部分

never　here　before；　madam？〃







　　　　　〃Never；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed！　Have　you　yet　honoured　the　Upper　Rooms？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　was　there　last　Monday。〃







　　　　　〃Have　you　been　to　the　theatre？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　was　at　the　play　on　Tuesday。〃







　　　　　〃To　the　concert？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　on　Wednesday。〃







　　　　　〃And　are　you　altogether　pleased　with　Bath？〃







　　　　　〃YesI　like　it　very　well。〃







　　　　　〃Now　I　must　give　one　smirk；　and　then　we　may　be



rational　again。〃　Catherine　turned　away　her　head；



not　knowing　whether　she　might　venture　to　laugh。　



〃I　see　what　you　think　of　me；〃　said　he　gravely〃I



shall　make　but　a　poor　figure　in　your　journal　tomorrow。〃







　　　　　〃My　journal！〃　〃Yes；　I　know　exactly　what　you　will



say：　Friday；　went　to　the　Lower　Rooms；　wore　my　sprigged



muslin　robe　with　blue　trimmingsplain　black　shoesappeared



to　much　advantage；　but　was　strangely　harassed　by　a　queer；



half…witted　man；　who　would　make　me　dance　with　him；



and　distressed　me　by　his　nonsense。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　I　shall　say　no　such　thing。〃







　　　　　〃Shall　I　tell　you　what　you　ought　to　say？〃







　　　　　〃If　you　please。〃







　　　　　〃I　danced　with　a　very　agreeable　young　man；



introduced　by　Mr。　King；　had　a　great　deal　of　conversation



with　himseems　a　most　extraordinary　geniushope　I　may



know　more　of　him。　　That；　madam；　is　what　I　wish　you　to　say。〃







　　　　　〃But；　perhaps；　I　keep　no　journal。〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　you　are　not　sitting　in　this　room；　and　I　am



not　sitting　by　you。　　These　are　points　in　which　a　doubt　is



equally　possible。　　Not　keep　a　journal！　How　are　your　absent



cousins　to　understand　the　tenour　of　your　life　in　Bath



without　one？　How　are　the　civilities　and　compliments　of



every　day　to　be　related　as　they　ought　to　be；　unless　noted



down　every　evening　in　a　journal？　How　are　your　various



dresses　to　be　remembered；　and　the　particular　state　of



your　complexion；　and　curl　of　your　hair　to　be　described



in　all　their　diversities；　without　having　constant　recourse



to　a　journal？　My　dear　madam；　I　am　not　so　ignorant　of



young　ladies'　ways　as　you　wish　to　believe　me；　it　is　this



delightful　habit　of　journaling　which　largely　contributes



to　form　the　easy　style　of　writing　for　which　ladies　are



so　generally　celebrated。　　Everybody　allows　that　the　talent



of　writing　agreeable　letters　is　peculiarly　female。　



Nature　may　have　done　something；　but　I　am　sure　it　must



be　essentially　assisted　by　the　practice　of　keeping　a　journal。〃







　　　　　〃I　have　sometimes　thought；〃　said　Catherine；　doubtingly；



〃whether　ladies　do　write　so　much　better　letters　than　gentlemen！



That　isI　should　not　think　the　superiority　was　always　on　our　side。〃







　　　　　〃As　far　as　I　have　had　opportunity　of　judging；



it　appears　to　me　that　the　usual　style　of　letter…writing



among　women　is　faultless；　except　in　three　particulars。〃







　　　　　〃And　what　are　they？〃







　　　　　〃A　general　deficiency　of　subject；　a　total　inattention



to　stops；　and　a　very　frequent　ignorance　of　grammar。〃







　　　　　〃Upon　my　word！　I　need　not　have　been　afraid　of　disclaiming



the　compliment。　　You　do　not　think　too　highly　of　us　in　that　way。〃







　　　　　〃I　should　no　more　lay　it　down　as　a　general　rule　that



women　write　better　letters　than　men；　than　that　they　sing



better　duets；　or　draw　better　landscapes。　　In　every　power；



of　which　taste　is　the　foundation；　excellence　is　pretty



fairly　divided　between　the　sexes。〃







　　　　　They　were　interrupted　by　Mrs。　Allen：　〃My　dear　Catherine；〃



said　she；　〃do　take　this　pin　out　of　my　sleeve；　I　am　afraid　it



has　torn　a　hole　already；　I　shall　be　quite　sorry　if　it　has；



for　this　is　a　favourite　gown；　though　it　cost　but　nine



shillings　a　yard。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　exactly　what　I　should　have　guessed



it；　madam；〃　said　Mr。　Tilney；　looking　at　the　muslin。　







　　　　　〃Do　you　understand　muslins；　sir？〃







　　　　　〃Particularly　well；　I　always　buy　my　own　cravats；



and　am　allowed　to　be　an　excellent　judge；　and　my



sister　has　often　trusted　me　in　the　choice　of　a　gown。　



I　bought　one　for　her　the　other　day；　and　it　was　pronounced



to　be　a　prodigious　bargain　by　every　lady　who　saw　it。　



I　gave　but　five　shillings　a　yard　for　it；　and　a　true



Indian　muslin。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Allen　was　quite　struck　by　his　genius。　　〃Men　commonly



take　so　little　notice　of　those　things；〃　said　she；　〃I　can



never　get　Mr。　Allen　to　know　one　of　my　gowns　from　another。　



You　must　be　a　great　comfort　to　your　sister；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃I　hope　I　am；　madam。〃







　　　　　〃And　pray；　sir；　what　do　you　think　of　Miss　Morland's　gown？〃







　　　　　〃It　is　very　pretty；　madam；〃　said　he；　gravely　examining　it；



〃but　I　do　not　think　it　will　wash　well；　I　am　afraid　it　will　fray。〃







　　　　　〃How　can　you；〃　said　Catherine；　laughing；　〃be　so〃



She　had　almost　said　〃strange。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　quite　of　your　opinion；　sir；〃　replied　Mrs。　Allen；



〃and　so　I　told　Miss　Morland　when　she　bought　it。〃







　　　　　〃But　then　you　know；　madam；　muslin　always　turns



to　some　account　or　other；　Miss　Morland　will　get　enough



out　of　it　for　a　handkerchief；　or　a　cap；　or　a　cloak。　



Muslin　can　never　be　said　to　be　wasted。　　I　have　heard　my



sister　say　so　forty　times；　when　she　has　been　extravagant



in　buying　more　than　she　wanted；　or　careless　in　cutting　it



to　pieces。〃







　　　　　〃Bath　is　a　charming　place；　sir；　there　are　so　many



good　shops　here。　　We　are　sadly　off　in　the　country；



not　but　what　we　have　very　good　shops　in　Salisbury；



but　it　is　so　far　to　goeight　miles　is　a　long　way；



Mr。　Allen　says　it　is　nine；　measured　nine；　but　I　am　sure　it



cannot　be　more　than　eight；　and　it　is　such　a　fagI　come



back　tired　to　death。　　Now；　here　one　can　step　out　of　doors



and　get　a　thing　in　five　minutes。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Tilney　was　polite　enough　to　seem　interested



in　what　she　said；　and　she　kept　him　on　the　subject　of



muslins　till　the　dancing　recommenced。　　Catherine　feared；



as　she　listened　to　their　discourse；　that　he　indulged



himself　a　little　too　much　with　the　foibles　of　others。　



〃What　are　you　thinking　of　so　earnestly？〃　said　he；



as　they　walked　back　to　the　ballroom；　〃not　of　your　partner；



I　hope；　for；　by　that　shake　of　the　head；　your　meditations



are　not　satisfactory。〃







　　　　　Catherine　coloured；　and　said；　〃I　was　not　thinking



of　anything。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　artful　and　deep；　to　be　sure；　but　I　had



rather　be　told　at　once　that　you　will　not　tell　me。〃







　　　　　〃Well　then；　I　will　not。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　for　now　we　shall　soon　be　acquainted；



as　I　am　authorized　to　tease　you　on　this　subject　whenever



we　meet；　and　nothing　in　the　world　advances　intimacy



so　much。〃







　　　　　They　danced　again；　and；　when　the　assembly　closed；



parted；　on　the　lady's　side　at　least；　with　a　strong



inclination　for　continuing　the　acquaintance。　　Whether　she



thought　of　him　so　much；　while　she　drank　her　warm　wine



and　water；　and　prepared　herself　for　bed；　as　to　dream　of　him



when　there；　cannot　be　ascertained；　but　I　hope　it　was　no



more　than　in　a　slight　slumber；　or　a　morning　doze　at　most；



for　if　it　be　true；　as　a　celebrated　writer　has　maintained；



that　no　young　lady　can　be　justified　in　falling　in　love



before　the　gentleman's　love　is　declared；*　it　must　be　very



improper　that　a　young　lady　should　dream　of　a　gentleman



before　the　gentleman　is　first　known　to　have　dreamt　of　her。　



How　proper　Mr。　Tilney　might　be　as　a　dreamer　or　a　lover



had　not　yet　perhaps　entered　Mr。　Allen's　head；　but　that　he



was　not　objectionable　as　a　common　acquaintance　for　his



young　charge　he　was　on　inquiry　satisfied；　for　he　had　early



in　the　evening　taken　pains　to　know　who　her　partner　was；



and　had　been　assured　of　Mr。　Tilney's　being　a　clergyman；



and　of　a　very　respectable　family　in　Gloucestershire。　















CHAPTER　4











　　　　　With　more　than　usual　eagerness　did　Catherine　hasten



to　the　pump…room　the　next　day；　secure　within　herself



of　seeing　Mr。　Tilney　there　before　the　morning　were　over；



and　ready　to　meet　him　with　a　smile；　but　no　smile　was



demandedMr。　Tilney　did　not　appear。　　Every　creature　in　Bath；



except　himself；　was　to　be　seen　in　the　room　at　different



periods　of　the　fashionable　hours；　crowds　of　people　were



every　moment　passing　in　and　out；　up　the　steps　and　down；



people　whom　nobody　cared　about；　and　nobody　wanted　to　see；



and　he　only　was　absent。　　〃What　a　delightful　place　Bath　is；〃



said　Mrs。　Allen　as　they　sat　down　near　the　great　clock；



after