northanger abbey- 第7部分

not　been　to　meet　you；　I　would　not　have　come　away　from　it



for　all　the　world。〃







　　　　　〃Dear　creature！　How　much　I　am　obliged　to　you；



and　when　you　have　finished　Udolpho；　we　will　read　the



Italian　together；　and　I　have　made　out　a　list　of　ten



or　twelve　more　of　the　same　kind　for　you。〃







　　　　　〃Have　you；　indeed！　How　glad　I　am！　What　are　they　all？〃







　　　　　〃I　will　read　you　their　names　directly；　here　they　are；



in　my　pocketbook。　　Castle　of　Wolfenbach；　Clermont；



Mysterious　Warnings；　Necromancer　of　the　Black　Forest；



Midnight　Bell；　Orphan　of　the　Rhine；　and　Horrid　Mysteries。　



Those　will　last　us　some　time。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　pretty　well；　but　are　they　all　horrid；　are　you



sure　they　are　all　horrid？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　quite　sure；　for　a　particular　friend　of　mine；



a　Miss　Andrews；　a　sweet　girl；　one　of　the　sweetest　creatures



in　the　world；　has　read　every　one　of　them。　　I　wish　you



knew　Miss　Andrews；　you　would　be　delighted　with　her。　



She　is　netting　herself　the　sweetest　cloak　you　can　conceive。　



I　think　her　as　beautiful　as　an　angel；　and　I　am　so　vexed



with　the　men　for　not　admiring　her！　I　scold　them　all　amazingly



about　it。〃







　　　　　〃Scold　them！　Do　you　scold　them　for　not　admiring　her？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　that　I　do。　　There　is　nothing　I　would　not　do



for　those　who　are　really　my　friends。　　I　have　no　notion



of　loving　people　by　halves；　it　is　not　my　nature。　



My　attachments　are　always　excessively　strong。　　I　told



Captain　Hunt　at　one　of　our　assemblies　this　winter　that　if　he



was　to　tease　me　all　night；　I　would　not　dance　with　him；



unless　he　would　allow　Miss　Andrews　to　be　as　beautiful　as



an　angel。　　The　men　think　us　incapable　of　real　friendship；



you　know；　and　I　am　determined　to　show　them　the　difference。　



Now；　if　I　were　to　hear　anybody　speak　slightingly　of　you；



I　should　fire　up　in　a　moment：　but　that　is　not　at　all　likely；



for　you　are　just　the　kind　of　girl　to　be　a　great　favourite



with　the　men。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　dear！〃　cried　Catherine；　colouring。　　〃How　can



you　say　so？〃







　　　　　〃I　know　you　very　well；　you　have　so　much　animation；



which　is　exactly　what　Miss　Andrews　wants；　for　I　must



confess　there　is　something　amazingly　insipid　about　her。　



Oh！　I　must　tell　you；　that　just　after　we　parted　yesterday；



I　saw　a　young　man　looking　at　you　so　earnestlyI　am



sure　he　is　in　love　with　you。〃　Catherine　coloured；



and　disclaimed　again。　　Isabella　laughed。　　〃It　is　very　true；



upon　my　honour；　but　I　see　how　it　is；　you　are　indifferent



to　everybody's　admiration；　except　that　of　one　gentleman；



who　shall　be　nameless。　　Nay；　I　cannot　blame　you〃speaking



more　seriously〃your　feelings　are　easily　understood。　



Where　the　heart　is　really　attached；　I　know　very　well　how　little



one　can　be　pleased　with　the　attention　of　anybody　else。　



Everything　is　so　insipid；　so　uninteresting；　that　does　not



relate　to　the　beloved　object！　I　can　perfectly　comprehend



your　feelings。〃







　　　　　〃But　you　should　not　persuade　me　that　I　think　so　very



much　about　Mr。　Tilney；　for　perhaps　I　may　never　see　him　again。〃







　　　　　〃Not　see　him　again！　My　dearest　creature；　do　not　talk



of　it。　　I　am　sure　you　would　be　miserable　if　you　thought　so！〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　I　should　not。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　say



that　I　was　not　very　much　pleased　with　him；　but　while　I



have　Udolpho　to　read；　I　feel　as　if　nobody　could　make



me　miserable。　　Oh！　The　dreadful　black　veil！　My　dear　Isabella；



I　am　sure　there　must　be　Laurentina's　skeleton　behind　it。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　so　odd　to　me；　that　you　should　never　have



read　Udolpho　before；　but　I　suppose　Mrs。　Morland　objects



to　novels。〃







　　　　　〃No；　she　does　not。　　She　very　often　reads　Sir　Charles



Grandison　herself；　but　new　books　do　not　fall　in　our　way。〃







　　　　　〃Sir　Charles　Grandison！　That　is　an　amazing　horrid　book；



is　it　not？　I　remember　Miss　Andrews　could　not　get　through



the　first　volume。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　not　like　Udolpho　at　all；　but　yet　I　think　it



is　very　entertaining。〃







　　　　　〃Do　you　indeed！　You　surprise　me；　I　thought　it



had　not　been　readable。　　But；　my　dearest　Catherine；



have　you　settled　what　to　wear　on　your　head　tonight？　I　am



determined　at　all　events　to　be　dressed　exactly　like　you。　



The　men　take　notice　of　that　sometimes；　you　know。〃







　　　　　〃But　it　does　not　signify　if　they　do；〃　said　Catherine；



very　innocently。　







　　　　　〃Signify！　Oh；　heavens！　I　make　it　a　rule　never　to　mind



what　they　say。　　They　are　very　often　amazingly　impertinent



if　you　do　not　treat　them　with　spirit；　and　make　them　keep



their　distance。〃







　　　　　〃Are　they？　Well；　I　never　observed　that。　　They　always



behave　very　well　to　me。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　They　give　themselves　such　airs。　　They　are



the　most　conceited　creatures　in　the　world；　and　think



themselves　of　so　much　importance！　By　the　by；　though　I



have　thought　of　it　a　hundred　times；　I　have　always　forgot



to　ask　you　what　is　your　favourite　complexion　in　a　man。　



Do　you　like　them　best　dark　or　fair？〃







　　　　　〃I　hardly　know。　　I　never　much　thought　about　it。　



Something　between　both；　I　think。　　Brownnot　fair；



andand　not　very　dark。〃







　　　　　〃Very　well；　Catherine。　　That　is　exactly　he。　　I　have



not　forgot　your　description　of　Mr。　Tilney'a　brown　skin；



with　dark　eyes；　and　rather　dark　hair。'　Well；　my　taste



is　different。　　I　prefer　light　eyes；　and　as　to　complexiondo



you　knowI　like　a　sallow　better　than　any　other。　



You　must　not　betray　me；　if　you　should　ever　meet　with　one



of　your　acquaintance　answering　that　description。〃







　　　　　〃Betray　you！　What　do　you　mean？〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　do　not　distress　me。　　I　believe　I　have　said



too　much。　　Let　us　drop　the　subject。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　in　some　amazement；　complied；　and　after



remaining　a　few　moments　silent；　was　on　the　point　of



reverting　to　what　interested　her　at　that　time　rather　more



than　anything　else　in　the　world；　Laurentina's　skeleton；



when　her　friend　prevented　her；　by　saying；　〃For　heaven's



sake！　Let　us　move　away　from　this　end　of　the　room。　



Do　you　know；　there　are　two　odious　young　men　who　have　been



staring　at　me　this　half　hour。　　They　really　put　me　quite



out　of　countenance。　　Let　us　go　and　look　at　the　arrivals。　



They　will　hardly　follow　us　there。〃







　　　　　Away　they　walked　to　the　book；　and　while　Isabella



examined　the　names；　it　was　Catherine's　employment　to　watch



the　proceedings　of　these　alarming　young　men。　







　　　　　〃They　are　not　coming　this　way；　are　they？　I　hope　they



are　not　so　impertinent　as　to　follow　us。　　Pray　let　me　know



if　they　are　coming。　　I　am　determined　I　will　not　look　up。〃







　　　　　In　a　few　moments　Catherine；　with　unaffected　pleasure；



assured　her　that　she　need　not　be　longer　uneasy；　as　the



gentlemen　had　just　left　the　pump…room。







　　　　　〃And　which　way　are　they　gone？〃　said　Isabella；



turning　hastily　round。　　〃One　was　a　very　good…looking



young　man。〃







　　　　　〃They　went　towards　the　church…yard。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　I　am　amazingly　glad　I　have　got　rid　of　them！



And　now；　what　say　you　to　going　to　Edgar's　Buildings



with　me；　and　looking　at　my　new　hat？　You　said　you　should



like　to　see　it。〃







　　　　　Catherine　readily　agreed。　　〃Only；〃　she　added；



〃perhaps　we　may　overtake　the　two　young　men。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Never　mind　that。　　If　we　make　haste；　we　shall



pass　by　them　presently；　and　I　am　dying　to　show　you　my　hat。〃







　　　　　〃But　if　we　only　wait　a　few　minutes；　there　will　be



no　danger　of　our　seeing　them　at　all。〃







　　　　　〃I　shall　not　pay　them　any　such　compliment；　I　assure　you。　



I　have　no　notion　of　treating　men　with　such　respect。　



That　is　the　way　to　spoil　them。〃







　　　　　Catherine　had　nothing　to　oppose　against　such　reasoning；



and　therefore；　to　show　the　independence　of　Miss　Thorpe；



and　her　resolution　of　humbling　the　sex；　they　set　off



immediately　as　fast　as　they　could　walk；　in　pursuit　of　the



two　young　men。　















CHAPTER　7











　　　　　Half　a　minute　conducted　them　through　the　pump…yard



to　the　archway；　opposite　Union　Passage；　but　here　they



were　stopped。　　Everybody　acquainted　with　Bath　may　remember



the　difficulties　of　crossing　Cheap　Street　at　this　point；



it　is　indeed　a　street　of　so　impertinent　a　nature；



so　unfortunately　connected　with　the　great　London



and　Oxford　roads；　and　the　principal　inn　of　the　city；



that　a　day　never　passes　in　which　parties　of　ladies；



however　important　their　business；　whether　in　quest



of　pastry；　millinery；　or　eve