northanger abbey- 第53部分

without　a　hint；　but　when　a　third　night's　rest　had　neither



restored　her　cheerfulness；　improved　her　in　useful　activity；



nor　given　her　a　greater　inclination　for　needlework；



she　could　no　longer　refrain　from　the　gentle　reproof　of；



〃My　dear　Catherine；　I　am　afraid　you　are　growing　quite



a　fine　lady。　　I　do　not　know　when　poor　Richard's　cravats



would　be　done；　if　he　had　no　friend　but　you。　　Your　head　runs



too　much　upon　Bath；　but　there　is　a　time　for　everythinga



time　for　balls　and　plays；　and　a　time　for　work。　



You　have　had　a　long　run　of　amusement；　and　now　you　must



try　to　be　useful。〃







　　　　　Catherine　took　up　her　work　directly；　saying；　in　a



dejected　voice；　that　〃her　head　did　not　run　upon　Bathmuch。〃







　　　　　〃Then　you　are　fretting　about　General　Tilney；



and　that　is　very　simple　of　you；　for　ten　to　one　whether　you



ever　see　him　again。　　You　should　never　fret　about　trifles。〃



After　a　short　silence〃I　hope；　my　Catherine；　you　are



not　getting　out　of　humour　with　home　because　it　is　not



so　grand　as　Northanger。　　That　would　be　turning　your　visit



into　an　evil　indeed。　　Wherever　you　are　you　should　always



be　contented；　but　especially　at　home；　because　there　you



must　spend　the　most　of　your　time。　　I　did　not　quite　like；



at　breakfast；　to　hear　you　talk　so　much　about　the　French



bread　at　Northanger。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　do　not　care　about　the　bread。　



it　is　all　the　same　to　me　what　I　eat。〃







　　　　　〃There　is　a　very　clever　essay　in　one　of　the　books



upstairs　upon　much　such　a　subject；　about　young　girls　that



have　been　spoilt　for　home　by　great　acquaintanceThe　Mirror；



I　think。　　I　will　look　it　out　for　you　some　day　or　other；



because　I　am　sure　it　will　do　you　good。〃







　　　　　Catherine　said　no　more；　and；　with　an　endeavour　to　do　right；



applied　to　her　work；　but；　after　a　few　minutes；　sunk　again；



without　knowing　it　herself；　into　languor　and　listlessness；



moving　herself　in　her　chair；　from　the　irritation



of　weariness；　much　oftener　than　she　moved　her　needle。　



Mrs。　Morland　watched　the　progress　of　this　relapse；



and　seeing；　in　her　daughter's　absent　and　dissatisfied　look；



the　full　proof　of　that　repining　spirit　to　which　she



had　now　begun　to　attribute　her　want　of　cheerfulness；



hastily　left　the　room　to　fetch　the　book　in　question；



anxious　to　lose　no　time　in　attacking　so　dreadful　a　malady。　



It　was　some　time　before　she　could　find　what　she　looked　for；



and　other　family　matters　occurring　to　detain　her；



a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　elapsed　ere　she　returned



downstairs　with　the　volume　from　which　so　much　was　hoped。　



Her　avocations　above　having　shut　out　all　noise　but　what　she



created　herself；　she　knew　not　that　a　visitor　had　arrived



within　the　last　few　minutes；　till；　on　entering　the　room；



the　first　object　she　beheld　was　a　young　man　whom　she



had　never　seen　before。　　With　a　look　of　much　respect；



he　immediately　rose；　and　being　introduced　to　her　by　her



conscious　daughter　as　〃Mr。　Henry　Tilney；〃　with　the



embarrassment　of　real　sensibility　began　to　apologize



for　his　appearance　there；　acknowledging　that　after



what　had　passed　he　had　little　right　to　expect　a　welcome



at　Fullerton；　and　stating　his　impatience　to　be　assured



of　Miss　Morland's　having　reached　her　home　in　safety；



as　the　cause　of　his　intrusion。　　He　did　not　address　himself



to　an　uncandid　judge　or　a　resentful　heart。　　Far　from



comprehending　him　or　his　sister　in　their　father's　misconduct；



Mrs。　Morland　had　been　always　kindly　disposed　towards　each；



and　instantly；　pleased　by　his　appearance；　received　him



with　the　simple　professions　of　unaffected　benevolence；



thanking　him　for　such　an　attention　to　her　daughter；



assuring　him　that　the　friends　of　her　children　were　always



welcome　there；　and　entreating　him　to　say　not　another　word　of



the　past。　







　　　　　He　was　not　ill…inclined　to　obey　this　request；　for；



though　his　heart　was　greatly　relieved　by　such　unlooked…for



mildness；　it　was　not　just　at　that　moment　in　his　power



to　say　anything　to　the　purpose。　　Returning　in　silence



to　his　seat；　therefore；　he　remained　for　some　minutes　most



civilly　answering　all　Mrs。　Morland's　common　remarks　about



the　weather　and　roads。　　Catherine　meanwhilethe　anxious；



agitated；　happy；　feverish　Catherinesaid　not　a　word；



but　her　glowing　cheek　and　brightened　eye　made　her　mother



trust　that　this　good…natured　visit　would　at　least　set



her　heart　at　ease　for　a　time；　and　gladly　therefore



did　she　lay　aside　the　first　volume　of　The　Mirror　for　a　future　hour。　







　　　　　Desirous　of　Mr。　Morland's　assistance；　as　well　in



giving　encouragement；　as　in　finding　conversation　for



her　guest；　whose　embarrassment　on　his　father's　account　she



earnestly　pitied；　Mrs。　Morland　had　very　early　dispatched



one　of　the　children　to　summon　him；　but　Mr。　Morland　was　from



homeand　being　thus　without　any　support；　at　the　end　of　a



quarter　of　an　hour　she　had　nothing　to　say。　　After　a　couple



of　minutes'　unbroken　silence；　Henry；　turning　to　Catherine



for　the　first　time　since　her　mother's　entrance；　asked　her；



with　sudden　alacrity；　if　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　were　now　at



Fullerton？　And　on　developing；　from　amidst　all　her　perplexity



of　words　in　reply；　the　meaning；　which　one　short　syllable



would　have　given；　immediately　expressed　his　intention



of　paying　his　respects　to　them；　and；　with　a　rising　colour；



asked　her　if　she　would　have　the　goodness　to　show　him



the　way。　　〃You　may　see　the　house　from　this　window；　sir；〃



was　information　on　Sarah's　side；　which　produced　only　a　bow



of　acknowledgment　from　the　gentleman；　and　a　silencing　nod



from　her　mother；　for　Mrs。　Morland；　thinking　it　probable；



as　a　secondary　consideration　in　his　wish　of　waiting　on　their



worthy　neighbours；　that　he　might　have　some　explanation



to　give　of　his　father's　behaviour；　which　it　must　be



more　pleasant　for　him　to　communicate　only　to　Catherine；



would　not　on　any　account　prevent　her　accompanying　him。　



They　began　their　walk；　and　Mrs。　Morland　was　not　entirely



mistaken　in　his　object　in　wishing　it。　　Some　explanation



on　his　father's　account　he　had　to　give；　but　his　first



purpose　was　to　explain　himself；　and　before　they　reached



Mr。　Allen's　grounds　he　had　done　it　so　well　that　Catherine



did　not　think　it　could　ever　be　repeated　too　often。　



She　was　assured　of　his　affection；　and　that　heart　in　return



was　solicited；　which；　perhaps；　they　pretty　equally　knew



was　already　entirely　his　own；　for；　though　Henry　was　now



sincerely　attached　to　her；　though　he　felt　and　delighted



in　all　the　excellencies　of　her　character　and　truly　loved



her　society；　I　must　confess　that　his　affection　originated



in　nothing　better　than　gratitude；　or；　in　other　words；



that　a　persuasion　of　her　partiality　for　him　had　been　the



only　cause　of　giving　her　a　serious　thought。　　It　is　a　new



circumstance　in　romance；　I　acknowledge；　and　dreadfully



derogatory　of　an　heroine's　dignity；　but　if　it　be　as　new



in　common　life；　the　credit　of　a　wild　imagination　will



at　least　be　all　my　own。　







　　　　　A　very　short　visit　to　Mrs。　Allen；　in　which　Henry　talked



at　random；　without　sense　or　connection；　and　Catherine；



rapt　in　the　contemplation　of　her　own　unutterable　happiness；



scarcely　opened　her　lips；　dismissed　them　to　the　ecstasies



of　another　tete…a…tete；　and　before　it　was　suffered　to　close；



she　was　enabled　to　judge　how　far　he　was　sanctioned



by　parental　authority　in　his　present　application。　



On　his　return　from　Woodston；　two　days　before；　he　had



been　met　near　the　abbey　by　his　impatient　father；



hastily　informed　in　angry　terms　of　Miss　Morland's　departure；



and　ordered　to　think　of　her　no　more。　







　　　　　Such　was　the　permission　upon　which　he　had　now　offered



her　his　hand。　　The　affrighted　Catherine；　amidst　all　the



terrors　of　expectation；　as　she　listened　to　this　account；



could　not　but　rejoice　in　the　kind　caution　with　which　Henry



had　saved　her　from　the　necessity　of　a　conscientious　rejection；



by　engaging　her　faith　before　he　mentioned　the　subject；



and　as　he　proceeded　to　give　the　particulars；　and　explain



the　motives　of　his　father's　conduct；　her　feelings　soon



hardened　into　even　a　triumphant　delight。　　The　general　had



had　nothing　to　accuse　her　of；　nothing　to　lay　to　her　charge；



but　her　being　the　involuntary；　unconscious　object



of　a　deception　which　his　pride　could　not　pardon；



and　which　a　better　pride　would　have　been　ashamed　to　own。　



She　was　guilty　only　of　being　less　rich　than　he　had　supposed



her　to　be。　　Under　a　mistaken　persuasion　of　her　possessions



and　claims；　he　had　courted　he