northanger abbey- 第5部分

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



after　parading　the　room　till　they　were　tired；　〃and　how



pleasant　it　would　be　if　we　had　any　acquaintance　here。〃







　　　　　This　sentiment　had　been　uttered　so　often　in　vain



that　Mrs。　Allen　had　no　particular　reason　to　hope　it　would



be　followed　with　more　advantage　now；　but　we　are　told



to　〃despair　of　nothing　we　would　attain；〃　as　〃unwearied



diligence　our　point　would　gain〃；　and　the　unwearied　diligence



with　which　she　had　every　day　wished　for　the　same　thing



was　at　length　to　have　its　just　reward；　for　hardly　had　she



been　seated　ten　minutes　before　a　lady　of　about　her　own　age；



who　was　sitting　by　her；　and　had　been　looking　at　her　attentively



for　several　minutes；　addressed　her　with　great　complaisance



in　these　words：　〃I　think；　madam；　I　cannot　be　mistaken；



it　is　a　long　time　since　I　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you；



but　is　not　your　name　Allen？〃　This　question　answered；　as　it



readily　was；　the　stranger　pronounced　hers　to　be　Thorpe；



and　Mrs。　Allen　immediately　recognized　the　features



of　a　former　schoolfellow　and　intimate；　whom　she　had　seen



only　once　since　their　respective　marriages；　and　that　many



years　ago。　　Their　joy　on　this　meeting　was　very　great；



as　well　it　might；　since　they　had　been　contented　to　know



nothing　of　each　other　for　the　last　fifteen　years。　



Compliments　on　good　looks　now　passed；　and；　after　observing



how　time　had　slipped　away　since　they　were　last　together；



how　little　they　had　thought　of　meeting　in　Bath；　and　what



a　pleasure　it　was　to　see　an　old　friend；　they　proceeded



to　make　inquiries　and　give　intelligence　as　to　their



families；　sisters；　and　cousins；　talking　both　together；



far　more　ready　to　give　than　to　receive　information；



and　each　hearing　very　little　of　what　the　other　said。　



Mrs。　Thorpe；　however；　had　one　great　advantage　as　a　talker；



over　Mrs。　Allen；　in　a　family　of　children；　and　when　she



expatiated　on　the　talents　of　her　sons；　and　the　beauty　of



her　daughters；　when　she　related　their　different　situations



and　viewsthat　John　was　at　Oxford；　Edward　at　Merchant



Taylors'；　and　William　at　seaand　all　of　them　more　beloved



and　respected　in　their　different　station　than　any　other



three　beings　ever　were；　Mrs。　Allen　had　no　similar　information



to　give；　no　similar　triumphs　to　press　on　the　unwilling



and　unbelieving　ear　of　her　friend；　and　was　forced　to　sit



and　appear　to　listen　to　all　these　maternal　effusions；



consoling　herself；　however；　with　the　discovery；　which　her



keen　eye　soon　made；　that　the　lace　on　Mrs。　Thorpe's



pelisse　was　not　half　so　handsome　as　that　on　her　own。　







　　　　　〃Here　come　my　dear　girls；〃　cried　Mrs。　Thorpe；



pointing　at　three　smart…looking　females　who；　arm　in　arm；



were　then　moving　towards　her。　　〃My　dear　Mrs。　Allen；



I　long　to　introduce　them；　they　will　be　so　delighted　to　see



you：　the　tallest　is　Isabella；　my　eldest；　is　not　she　a　fine



young　woman？　The　others　are　very　much　admired　too；　but　I



believe　Isabella　is　the　handsomest。〃







　　　　　The　Miss　Thorpes　were　introduced；　and　Miss　Morland；



who　had　been　for　a　short　time　forgotten；　was　introduced　likewise。　



The　name　seemed　to　strike　them　all；　and；　after　speaking



to　her　with　great　civility；　the　eldest　young　lady　observed



aloud　to　the　rest；　〃How　excessively　like　her　brother　Miss　Morland　is！〃







　　　　　〃The　very　picture　of　him　indeed！〃　cried　the　motherand



〃I　should　have　known　her　anywhere　for　his　sister！〃



was　repeated　by　them　all；　two　or　three　times　over。　



For　a　moment　Catherine　was　surprised；　but　Mrs。　Thorpe



and　her　daughters　had　scarcely　begun　the　history　of　their



acquaintance　with　Mr。　James　Morland；　before　she　remembered



that　her　eldest　brother　had　lately　formed　an　intimacy



with　a　young　man　of　his　own　college；　of　the　name　of　Thorpe；



and　that　he　had　spent　the　last　week　of　the　Christmas



vacation　with　his　family；　near　London。　







　　　　　The　whole　being　explained；　many　obliging　things　were



said　by　the　Miss　Thorpes　of　their　wish　of　being　better



acquainted　with　her；　of　being　considered　as　already　friends；



through　the　friendship　of　their　brothers；　etc。；　which



Catherine　heard　with　pleasure；　and　answered　with　all　the



pretty　expressions　she　could　command；　and；　as　the　first



proof　of　amity；　she　was　soon　invited　to　accept　an　arm



of　the　eldest　Miss　Thorpe；　and　take　a　turn　with　her　about



the　room。　　Catherine　was　delighted　with　this　extension



of　her　Bath　acquaintance；　and　almost　forgot　Mr。　Tilney



while　she　talked　to　Miss　Thorpe。　　Friendship　is　certainly



the　finest　balm　for　the　pangs　of　disappointed　love。　







　　　　　Their　conversation　turned　upon　those　subjects；



of　which　the　free　discussion　has　generally　much　to　do



in　perfecting　a　sudden　intimacy　between　two　young



ladies：　such　as　dress；　balls；　flirtations；　and　quizzes。　



Miss　Thorpe；　however；　being　four　years　older　than



Miss　Morland；　and　at　least　four　years　better　informed；



had　a　very　decided　advantage　in　discussing　such　points；



she　could　compare　the　balls　of　Bath　with　those　of　Tunbridge；



its　fashions　with　the　fashions　of　London；　could　rectify



the　opinions　of　her　new　friend　in　many　articles　of



tasteful　attire；　could　discover　a　flirtation　between



any　gentleman　and　lady　who　only　smiled　on　each　other；



and　point　out　a　quiz　through　the　thickness　of　a　crowd。　



These　powers　received　due　admiration　from　Catherine；



to　whom　they　were　entirely　new；　and　the　respect　which　they



naturally　inspired　might　have　been　too　great　for　familiarity；



had　not　the　easy　gaiety　of　Miss　Thorpe's　manners；



and　her　frequent　expressions　of　delight　on　this



acquaintance　with　her；　softened　down　every　feeling　of　awe；



and　left　nothing　but　tender　affection。　　Their　increasing



attachment　was　not　to　be　satisfied　with　half　a　dozen



turns　in　the　pump…room；　but　required；　when　they　all



quitted　it　together；　that　Miss　Thorpe　should　accompany



Miss　Morland　to　the　very　door　of　Mr。　Allen's　house；



and　that　they　should　there　part　with　a　most　affectionate



and　lengthened　shake　of　hands；　after　learning；　to　their



mutual　relief；　that　they　should　see　each　other　across　the



theatre　at　night；　and　say　their　prayers　in　the　same　chapel



the　next　morning。　　Catherine　then　ran　directly　upstairs；



and　watched　Miss　Thorpe's　progress　down　the　street　from



the　drawing…room　window；　admired　the　graceful　spirit



of　her　walk；　the　fashionable　air　of　her　figure　and　dress；



and　felt　grateful；　as　well　she　might；　for　the　chance



which　had　procured　her　such　a　friend。　







　　　　　Mrs。　Thorpe　was　a　widow；　and　not　a　very　rich　one；



she　was　a　good…humoured；　well…meaning　woman；　and　a



very　indulgent　mother。　　Her　eldest　daughter　had　great



personal　beauty；　and　the　younger　ones；　by　pretending



to　be　as　handsome　as　their　sister；　imitating　her　air；



and　dressing　in　the　same　style；　did　very　well。　







　　　　　This　brief　account　of　the　family　is　intended　to



supersede　the　necessity　of　a　long　and　minute　detail　from



Mrs。　Thorpe　herself；　of　her　past　adventures　and　sufferings；



which　might　otherwise　be　expected　to　occupy　the　three　or　four



following　chapters；　in　which　the　worthlessness　of　lords



and　attornies　might　be　set　forth；　and　conversations；



which　had　passed　twenty　years　before；　be　minutely　repeated。　















CHAPTER　5











　　　　　Catherine　was　not　so　much　engaged　at　the　theatre



that　evening；　in　returning　the　nods　and　smiles　of　Miss　Thorpe；



though　they　certainly　claimed　much　of　her　leisure；



as　to　forget　to　look　with　an　inquiring　eye　for　Mr。　Tilney



in　every　box　which　her　eye　could　reach；　but　she　looked



in　vain。　　Mr。　Tilney　was　no　fonder　of　the　play　than　the



pump…room。　She　hoped　to　be　more　fortunate　the　next　day；



and　when　her　wishes　for　fine　weather　were　answered　by　seeing



a　beautiful　morning；　she　hardly　felt　a　doubt　of　it；　for　a



fine　Sunday　in　Bath　empties　every　house　of　its　inhabitants；



and　all　the　world　appears　on　such　an　occasion　to　walk



about　and　tell　their　acquaintance　what　a　charming　day　it　is。　







　　　　　As　soon　as　divine　service　was　over；　the　Thorpes



and　Allens　eagerly　joined　each　other；　and　after　staying



long　enough　in　the　pump…room　to　discover　that　the　crowd



was　insupportable；　and　that　there　was　not　a　genteel



face　to　be　seen；　which　everybody　discovers　every　Sunday



throughout　the　season；　they　hastened　away　to　the　Crescent；



to　breathe　the　fresh　air　of　better　company。　　Here　Catherine



and　Isabella；　arm　in　arm；　again　tasted　the　sweets　of



friendship　in　an　unreserved　conversat