northanger abbey- 第45部分

Who　found　no　woman　good　enough　to　be　loved！〃







　　　　　〃That　is　the　most　unpromising　circumstance；



the　strongest　presumption　against　him。　　When　I　think



of　his　past　declarations；　I　give　him　up。　　Moreover；　I　have



too　good　an　opinion　of　Miss　Thorpe's　prudence　to　suppose



that　she　would　part　with　one　gentleman　before　the　other



was　secured。　　It　is　all　over　with　Frederick　indeed！　He　is



a　deceased　mandefunct　in　understanding。　　Prepare　for　your



sister…in…law；　Eleanor；　and　such　a　sister…in…law　as　you　must



delight　in！　Open；　candid；　artless；　guileless；　with　affections



strong　but　simple；　forming　no　pretensions；　and　knowing　no　disguise。〃







　　　　　〃Such　a　sister…in…law；　Henry；　I　should　delight　in；〃



said　Eleanor　with　a　smile。　







　　　　　〃But　perhaps；〃　observed　Catherine；　〃though　she　has



behaved　so　ill　by　our　family；　she　may　behave　better



by　yours。　　Now　she　has　really　got　the　man　she　likes；



she　may　be　constant。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　I　am　afraid　she　will；〃　replied　Henry；



〃I　am　afraid　she　will　be　very　constant；　unless　a　baronet



should　come　in　her　way；　that　is　Frederick's　only　chance。　



I　will　get　the　Bath　paper；　and　look　over　the　arrivals。〃







　　　　　〃You　think　it　is　all　for　ambition；　then？　And；



upon　my　word；　there　are　some　things　that　seem　very　like　it。　



I　cannot　forget　that；　when　she　first　knew　what　my　father



would　do　for　them；　she　seemed　quite　disappointed　that　it



was　not　more。　　I　never　was　so　deceived　in　anyone's　character



in　my　life　before。〃







　　　　　〃Among　all　the　great　variety　that　you　have　known



and　studied。〃







　　　　　〃My　own　disappointment　and　loss　in　her　is　very　great；



but；　as　for　poor　James；　I　suppose　he　will　hardly　ever



recover　it。〃







　　　　　〃Your　brother　is　certainly　very　much　to　be　pitied



at　present；　but　we　must　not；　in　our　concern　for



his　sufferings；　undervalue　yours。　　You　feel；　I　suppose；



that　in　losing　Isabella；　you　lose　half　yourself：　you　feel



a　void　in　your　heart　which　nothing　else　can　occupy。　



Society　is　becoming　irksome；　and　as　for　the　amusements



in　which　you　were　wont　to　share　at　Bath；　the　very　idea



of　them　without　her　is　abhorrent。　　You　would　not；



for　instance；　now　go　to　a　ball　for　the　world。　　You　feel



that　you　have　no　longer　any　friend　to　whom　you　can　speak



with　unreserve；　on　whose　regard　you　can　place　dependence；



or　whose　counsel；　in　any　difficulty；　you　could　rely　on。　



You　feel　all　this？〃







　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Catherine；　after　a　few　moments'　reflection；



〃I　do　notought　I？　To　say　the　truth；　though　I　am　hurt



and　grieved；　that　I　cannot　still　love　her；　that　I　am



never　to　hear　from　her；　perhaps　never　to　see　her　again；



I　do　not　feel　so　very；　very　much　afflicted　as　one　would　have　thought。〃







　　　　　〃You　feel；　as　you　always　do；　what　is　most　to　the　credit



of　human　nature。　　Such　feelings　ought　to　be　investigated；



that　they　may　know　themselves。〃











　　　　　Catherine；　by　some　chance　or　other；　found　her　spirits



so　very　much　relieved　by　this　conversation　that　she　could



not　regret　her　being　led　on；　though　so　unaccountably；



to　mention　the　circumstance　which　had　produced　it。　















CHAPTER　26











　　　　　From　this　time；　the　subject　was　frequently　canvassed



by　the　three　young　people；　and　Catherine　found；



with　some　surprise；　that　her　two　young　friends　were



perfectly　agreed　in　considering　Isabella's　want



of　consequence　and　fortune　as　likely　to　throw　great



difficulties　in　the　way　of　her　marrying　their　brother。　



Their　persuasion　that　the　general　would；　upon　this



ground　alone；　independent　of　the　objection　that　might



be　raised　against　her　character；　oppose　the　connection；



turned　her　feelings　moreover　with　some　alarm　towards　herself。　



She　was　as　insignificant；　and　perhaps　as　portionless；



as　Isabella；　and　if　the　heir　of　the　Tilney　property　had



not　grandeur　and　wealth　enough　in　himself；　at　what　point



of　interest　were　the　demands　of　his　younger　brother　to



rest？　The　very　painful　reflections　to　which　this　thought



led　could　only　be　dispersed　by　a　dependence　on　the　effect



of　that　particular　partiality；　which；　as　she　was　given



to　understand　by　his　words　as　well　as　his　actions；



she　had　from　the　first　been　so　fortunate　as　to　excite



in　the　general；　and　by　a　recollection　of　some　most　generous



and　disinterested　sentiments　on　the　subject　of　money；



which　she　had　more　than　once　heard　him　utter；　and　which



tempted　her　to　think　his　disposition　in　such　matters



misunderstood　by　his　children。　







　　　　　They　were　so　fully　convinced；　however；　that　their



brother　would　not　have　the　courage　to　apply　in　person



for　his　father's　consent；　and　so　repeatedly　assured　her



that　he　had　never　in　his　life　been　less　likely　to　come



to　Northanger　than　at　the　present　time；　that　she　suffered



her　mind　to　be　at　ease　as　to　the　necessity　of　any　sudden



removal　of　her　own。　　But　as　it　was　not　to　be　supposed



that　Captain　Tilney；　whenever　he　made　his　application；



would　give　his　father　any　just　idea　of　Isabella's　conduct；



it　occurred　to　her　as　highly　expedient　that　Henry　should



lay　the　whole　business　before　him　as　it　really　was；



enabling　the　general　by　that　means　to　form　a　cool



and　impartial　opinion；　and　prepare　his　objections



on　a　fairer　ground　than　inequality　of　situations。　



She　proposed　it　to　him　accordingly；　but　he　did　not



catch　at　the　measure　so　eagerly　as　she　had　expected。　



〃No；〃　said　he；　〃my　father's　hands　need　not　be　strengthened；



and　Frederick's　confession　of　folly　need　not　be　forestalled。　



He　must　tell　his　own　story。〃







　　　　　〃But　he　will　tell　only　half　of　it。〃







　　　　　〃A　quarter　would　be　enough。〃







　　　　　A　day　or　two　passed　away　and　brought　no　tidings



of　Captain　Tilney。　　His　brother　and　sister　knew　not　what



to　think。　　Sometimes　it　appeared　to　them　as　if　his　silence



would　be　the　natural　result　of　the　suspected　engagement；



and　at　others　that　it　was　wholly　incompatible　with　it。　



The　general；　meanwhile；　though　offended　every　morning　by



Frederick's　remissness　in　writing；　was　free　from　any　real



anxiety　about　him；　and　had　no　more　pressing　solicitude



than　that　of　making　Miss　Morland's　time　at　Northanger



pass　pleasantly。　　He　often　expressed　his　uneasiness　on



this　head；　feared　the　sameness　of　every　day's　society



and　employments　would　disgust　her　with　the　place；



wished　the　Lady　Frasers　had　been　in　the　country；



talked　every　now　and　then　of　having　a　large　party



to　dinner；　and　once　or　twice　began　even　to　calculate



the　number　of　young　dancing　people　in　the　neighbourhood。　



But　then　it　was　such　a　dead　time　of　year；　no　wild…fowl；



no　game；　and　the　Lady　Frasers　were　not　in　the　country。　



And　it　all　ended；　at　last；　in　his　telling　Henry　one　morning



that　when　he　next　went　to　Woodston；　they　would　take　him



by　surprise　there　some　day　or　other；　and　eat　their　mutton



with　him。　　Henry　was　greatly　honoured　and　very　happy；



and　Catherine　was　quite　delighted　with　the　scheme。　



〃And　when　do　you　think；　sir；　I　may　look　forward　to　this



pleasure？　I　must　be　at　Woodston　on　Monday　to　attend　the



parish　meeting；　and　shall　probably　be　obliged　to　stay　two



or　three　days。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　well；　we　will　take　our　chance　some　one



of　those　days。　　There　is　no　need　to　fix。　　You　are　not



to　put　yourself　at　all　out　of　your　way。　　Whatever　you



may　happen　to　have　in　the　house　will　be　enough。　



I　think　I　can　answer　for　the　young　ladies　making　allowance



for　a　bachelor's　table。　　Let　me　see；　Monday　will　be



a　busy　day　with　you；　we　will　not　come　on　Monday；



and　Tuesday　will　be　a　busy　one　with　me。　　I　expect　my



surveyor　from　Brockham　with　his　report　in　the　morning；



and　afterwards　I　cannot　in　decency　fail　attending　the　club。　



I　really　could　not　face　my　acquaintance　if　I　stayed



away　now；　for；　as　I　am　known　to　be　in　the　country；



it　would　be　taken　exceedingly　amiss；　and　it　is　a　rule



with　me；　Miss　Morland；　never　to　give　offence　to　any　of



my　neighbours；　if　a　small　sacrifice　of　time　and　attention



can　prevent　it。　　They　are　a　set　of　very　worthy　men。　



They　have　half　a　buck　from　Northanger　twice　a　year；



and　I　dine　with　them　whenever　I　can。　　Tuesday；　therefore；



we　may　say　is　out　of　the　question。　　But　on　Wednesday；



I　think；　Henry；　you　may　expect　us；　and　we　shall　be　with



you　early；　that　we　may　have　time　to　look　about　us。　



Two　hours　and　three　quarters　will　carry　us　to　Woodston；



I　suppose；　we　shall　be　in　the　carriage　by　ten；　so；　about　a



quart