northanger abbey- 第55部分

more　natural　than　Catherine's　being　beloved；　they　soon



learnt　to　consider　it　with　only　the　happy　agitation　of



gratified　pride；　and；　as　far　as　they　alone　were　concerned；



had　not　a　single　objection　to　start。　　His　pleasing



manners　and　good　sense　were　self…evident　recommendations；



and　having　never　heard　evil　of　him；　it　was　not　their　way



to　suppose　any　evil　could　be　told。　　Goodwill　supplying　the



place　of　experience；　his　character　needed　no　attestation。　



〃Catherine　would　make　a　sad；　heedless　young　housekeeper



to　be　sure；〃　was　her　mother's　foreboding　remark；　but　quick



was　the　consolation　of　there　being　nothing　like　practice。　







　　　　　There　was　but　one　obstacle；　in　short；　to　be　mentioned；



but　till　that　one　was　removed；　it　must　be　impossible　for



them　to　sanction　the　engagement。　　Their　tempers　were　mild；



but　their　principles　were　steady；　and　while　his　parent



so　expressly　forbade　the　connection；　they　could　not　allow



themselves　to　encourage　it。　　That　the　general　should



come　forward　to　solicit　the　alliance；　or　that　he　should



even　very　heartily　approve　it；　they　were　not　refined



enough　to　make　any　parading　stipulation；　but　the　decent



appearance　of　consent　must　be　yielded；　and　that　once



obtainedand　their　own　hearts　made　them　trust　that　it



could　not　be　very　long　deniedtheir　willing　approbation



was　instantly　to　follow。　　His　consent　was　all　that　they



wished　for。　　They　were　no　more　inclined　than　entitled



to　demand　his　money。　　Of　a　very　considerable　fortune；



his　son　was；　by　marriage　settlements；　eventually　secure；



his　present　income　was　an　income　of　independence　and　comfort；



and　under　every　pecuniary　view；　it　was　a　match　beyond



the　claims　of　their　daughter。　







　　　　　The　young　people　could　not　be　surprised　at　a　decision



like　this。　　They　felt　and　they　deploredbut　they　could



not　resent　it；　and　they　parted；　endeavouring　to　hope



that　such　a　change　in　the　general；　as　each　believed



almost　impossible；　might　speedily　take　place；　to　unite



them　again　in　the　fullness　of　privileged　affection。　



Henry　returned　to　what　was　now　his　only　home；　to　watch



over　his　young　plantations；　and　extend　his　improvements



for　her　sake；　to　whose　share　in　them　he　looked



anxiously　forward；　and　Catherine　remained　at　Fullerton



to　cry。　　Whether　the　torments　of　absence　were　softened



by　a　clandestine　correspondence；　let　us　not　inquire。　



Mr。　and　Mrs。　Morland　never　didthey　had　been　too　kind



to　exact　any　promise；　and　whenever　Catherine　received



a　letter；　as；　at　that　time；　happened　pretty　often；



they　always　looked　another　way。　







　　　　　The　anxiety；　which　in　this　state　of　their　attachment



must　be　the　portion　of　Henry　and　Catherine；　and　of　all



who　loved　either；　as　to　its　final　event；　can　hardly　extend；



I　fear；　to　the　bosom　of　my　readers；　who　will　see



in　the　tell…tale　compression　of　the　pages　before　them；



that　we　are　all　hastening　together　to　perfect　felicity。　



The　means　by　which　their　early　marriage　was　effected　can



be　the　only　doubt：　what　probable　circumstance　could　work



upon　a　temper　like　the　general's？　The　circumstance　which



chiefly　availed　was　the　marriage　of　his　daughter　with　a　man



of　fortune　and　consequence；　which　took　place　in　the　course



of　the　summeran　accession　of　dignity　that　threw　him



into　a　fit　of　good　humour；　from　which　he　did　not　recover



till　after　Eleanor　had　obtained　his　forgiveness　of　Henry；



and　his　permission　for　him　〃to　be　a　fool　if　he　liked　it！〃







　　　　　The　marriage　of　Eleanor　Tilney；　her　removal　from



all　the　evils　of　such　a　home　as　Northanger　had　been



made　by　Henry's　banishment；　to　the　home　of　her　choice



and　the　man　of　her　choice；　is　an　event　which　I　expect



to　give　general　satisfaction　among　all　her　acquaintance。　



My　own　joy　on　the　occasion　is　very　sincere。　　I　know　no　one



more　entitled；　by　unpretending　merit；　or　better　prepared



by　habitual　suffering；　to　receive　and　enjoy　felicity。　



Her　partiality　for　this　gentleman　was　not　of　recent　origin；



and　he　had　been　long　withheld　only　by　inferiority　of



situation　from　addressing　her。　　His　unexpected　accession



to　title　and　fortune　had　removed　all　his　difficulties；



and　never　had　the　general　loved　his　daughter　so　well



in　all　her　hours　of　companionship；　utility；　and　patient



endurance　as　when　he　first　hailed　her　〃Your　Ladyship！〃



Her　husband　was　really　deserving　of　her；　independent　of



his　peerage；　his　wealth；　and　his　attachment；　being　to



a　precision　the　most　charming　young　man　in　the　world。　



Any　further　definition　of　his　merits　must　be　unnecessary；



the　most　charming　young　man　in　the　world　is　instantly



before　the　imagination　of　us　all。　　Concerning　the　one



in　question；　therefore；　I　have　only　to　addaware



that　the　rules　of　composition　forbid　the　introduction



of　a　character　not　connected　with　my　fablethat　this　was



the　very　gentleman　whose　negligent　servant　left　behind　him



that　collection　of　washing…bills；　resulting　from　a　long



visit　at　Northanger；　by　which　my　heroine　was　involved　in



one　of　her　most　alarming　adventures。　







　　　　　The　influence　of　the　viscount　and　viscountess



in　their　brother's　behalf　was　assisted　by　that　right



understanding　of　Mr。　Morland's　circumstances　which；



as　soon　as　the　general　would　allow　himself　to　be　informed；



they　were　qualified　to　give。　　It　taught　him　that　he　had　been



scarcely　more　misled　by　Thorpe's　first　boast　of　the　family



wealth　than　by　his　subsequent　malicious　overthrow　of　it；



that　in　no　sense　of　the　word　were　they　necessitous　or　poor；



and　that　Catherine　would　have　three　thousand　pounds。　



This　was　so　material　an　amendment　of　his　late　expectations



that　it　greatly　contributed　to　smooth　the　descent　of



his　pride；　and　by　no　means　without　its　effect　was　the



private　intelligence；　which　he　was　at　some　pains　to　procure；



that　the　Fullerton　estate；　being　entirely　at　the　disposal



of　its　present　proprietor；　was　consequently　open　to　every



greedy　speculation。　







　　　　　On　the　strength　of　this；　the　general；　soon　after



Eleanor's　marriage；　permitted　his　son　to　return　to　Northanger；



and　thence　made　him　the　bearer　of　his　consent；



very　courteously　worded　in　a　page　full　of　empty　professions



to　Mr。　Morland。　　The　event　which　it　authorized　soon



followed：　Henry　and　Catherine　were　married；　the　bells　rang；



and　everybody　smiled；　and；　as　this　took　place　within



a　twelvemonth　from　the　first　day　of　their　meeting；



it　will　not　appear；　after　all　the　dreadful　delays　occasioned



by　the　general's　cruelty；　that　they　were　essentially　hurt



by　it。　　To　begin　perfect　happiness　at　the　respective



ages　of　twenty…six　and　eighteen　is　to　do　pretty　well；



and　professing　myself　moreover　convinced　that　the　general's



unjust　interference；　so　far　from　being　really　injurious



to　their　felicity；　was　perhaps　rather　conducive　to　it；



by　improving　their　knowledge　of　each　other；　and　adding



strength　to　their　attachment；　I　leave　it　to　be　settled；



by　whomsoever　it　may　concern；　whether　the　tendency　of



this　work　be　altogether　to　recommend　parental　tyranny；



or　reward　filial　disobedience。　















　　　　　*Vide　a　letter　from　Mr。　Richardson；　No。　97；　Vol。　　II；　Rambler。　











A　NOTE　ON　THE　TEXT







Northanger　Abbey　was　written　in　1797…98　under　a　different　title。　



The　manuscript　was　revised　around　1803　and　sold　to　a



London　publisher；　Crosbie　&　Co。；　who　sold　it　back　in　1816。　



The　Signet　Classic　text　is　based　on　the　first　edition；



published　by　John　Murray；　London；　in　1818the　year



following　Miss　Austen's　death。　　Spelling　and　punctuation



have　been　largely　brought　into　conformity　with　modern



British　usage。　　























End