northanger abbey- 第9部分

faith！　Morland　must　take　care　of　you。〃







　　　　　This　brought　on　a　dialogue　of　civilities　between



the　other　two；　but　Catherine　heard　neither　the　particulars



nor　the　result。　　Her　companion's　discourse　now　sunk　from



its　hitherto　animated　pitch　to　nothing　more　than　a　short



decisive　sentence　of　praise　or　condemnation　on　the　face



of　every　woman　they　met；　and　Catherine；　after　listening



and　agreeing　as　long　as　she　could；　with　all　the　civility



and　deference　of　the　youthful　female　mind；　fearful　of



hazarding　an　opinion　of　its　own　in　opposition　to　that　of　a



self…assured　man；　especially　where　the　beauty　of　her　own



sex　is　concerned；　ventured　at　length　to　vary　the　subject



by　a　question　which　had　been　long　uppermost　in　her　thoughts；



it　was；　〃Have　you　ever　read　Udolpho；　Mr。　Thorpe？〃







　　　　　〃Udolpho！　Oh；　Lord！　Not　I；　I　never　read　novels；



I　have　something　else　to　do。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　humbled　and　ashamed；　was　going　to　apologize



for　her　question；　but　he　prevented　her　by　saying；



〃Novels　are　all　so　full　of　nonsense　and　stuff；　there　has



not　been　a　tolerably　decent　one　come　out　since　Tom　Jones；



except　The　Monk；　I　read　that　t'other　day；　but　as　for　all



the　others；　they　are　the　stupidest　things　in　creation。〃







　　　　　〃I　think　you　must　like　Udolpho；　if　you　were　to　read　it；



it　is　so　very　interesting。〃







　　　　　〃Not　I；　faith！　No；　if　I　read　any；　it　shall



be　Mrs。　Radcliffe's；　her　novels　are　amusing　enough；



they　are　worth　reading；　some　fun　and　nature　in　them。〃







　　　　　〃Udolpho　was　written　by　Mrs。　Radcliffe；〃　said　Catherine；



with　some　hesitation；　from　the　fear　of　mortifying　him。　







　　　　　〃No　sure；　was　it？　Aye；　I　remember；　so　it　was；



I　was　thinking　of　that　other　stupid　book；　written　by



that　woman　they　make　such　a　fuss　about；　she　who　married



the　French　emigrant。〃







　　　　　〃I　suppose　you　mean　Camilla？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　that's　the　book；　such　unnatural　stuff！　An　old



man　playing　at　see…saw；　I　took　up　the　first　volume　once



and　looked　it　over；　but　I　soon　found　it　would　not　do；



indeed　I　guessed　what　sort　of　stuff　it　must　be　before　I



saw　it：　as　soon　as　I　heard　she　had　married　an　emigrant；



I　was　sure　I　should　never　be　able　to　get　through　it。〃







　　　　　〃I　have　never　read　it。〃







　　　　　〃You　had　no　loss；　I　assure　you；　it　is　the　horridest



nonsense　you　can　imagine；　there　is　nothing　in　the　world　in　it



but　an　old　man's　playing　at　see…saw　and　learning　Latin；



upon　my　soul　there　is　not。〃







　　　　　This　critique；　the　justness　of　which　was　unfortunately



lost　on　poor　Catherine；　brought　them　to　the　door



of　Mrs。　Thorpe's　lodgings；　and　the　feelings　of　the



discerning　and　unprejudiced　reader　of　Camilla　gave　way



to　the　feelings　of　the　dutiful　and　affectionate　son；



as　they　met　Mrs。　Thorpe；　who　had　descried　them　from　above；



in　the　passage。　　〃Ah；　Mother！　How　do　you　do？〃　said　he；



giving　her　a　hearty　shake　of　the　hand。　　〃Where　did　you　get



that　quiz　of　a　hat？　It　makes　you　look　like　an　old　witch。　



Here　is　Morland　and　I　come　to　stay　a　few　days　with　you；



so　you　must　look　out　for　a　couple　of　good　beds



somewhere　near。〃　And　this　address　seemed　to　satisfy　all



the　fondest　wishes　of　the　mother's　heart；　for　she　received



him　with　the　most　delighted　and　exulting　affection。　



On　his　two　younger　sisters　he　then　bestowed　an　equal　portion



of　his　fraternal　tenderness；　for　he　asked　each　of　them



how　they　did；　and　observed　that　they　both　looked　very　ugly。　







　　　　　These　manners　did　not　please　Catherine；



but　he　was　James's　friend　and　Isabella's　brother；



and　her　judgment　was　further　bought　off　by　Isabella's



assuring　her；　when　they　withdrew　to　see　the　new　hat；



that　John　thought　her　the　most　charming　girl　in　the　world；



and　by　John's　engaging　her　before　they　parted　to　dance



with　him　that　evening。　　Had　she　been　older　or　vainer；



such　attacks　might　have　done　little；　but；　where　youth



and　diffidence　are　united；　it　requires　uncommon　steadiness



of　reason　to　resist　the　attraction　of　being　called　the　most



charming　girl　in　the　world；　and　of　being　so　very　early



engaged　as　a　partner；　and　the　consequence　was　that；



when　the　two　Morlands；　after　sitting　an　hour　with　the　Thorpes；



set　off　to　walk　together　to　Mr。　Allen's；　and　James；



as　the　door　was　closed　on　them；　said；　〃Well；　Catherine；



how　do　you　like　my　friend　Thorpe？〃　instead　of　answering；



as　she　probably　would　have　done；　had　there　been　no　friendship



and　no　flattery　in　the　case；　〃I　do　not　like　him　at　all；〃



she　directly　replied；　〃I　like　him　very　much；　he　seems



very　agreeable。〃







　　　　　〃He　is　as　good…natured　a　fellow　as　ever　lived；



a　little　of　a　rattle；　but　that　will　recommend　him　to　your　sex；



I　believe：　and　how　do　you　like　the　rest　of　the　family？〃







　　　　　〃Very；　very　much　indeed：　Isabella　particularly。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　very　glad　to　hear　you　say　so；　she　is　just　the



kind　of　young　woman　I　could　wish　to　see　you　attached　to；



she　has　so　much　good　sense；　and　is　so　thoroughly



unaffected　and　amiable；　I　always　wanted　you　to　know　her；



and　she　seems　very　fond　of　you。　　She　said　the　highest



things　in　your　praise　that　could　possibly　be；　and　the



praise　of　such　a　girl　as　Miss　Thorpe　even　you；　Catherine；〃



taking　her　hand　with　affection；　〃may　be　proud　of。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　I　am；〃　she　replied；　〃I　love　her　exceedingly；



and　am　delighted　to　find　that　you　like　her　too。　



You　hardly　mentioned　anything　of　her　when　you　wrote　to　me



after　your　visit　there。〃







　　　　　〃Because　I　thought　I　should　soon　see　you　myself。　



I　hope　you　will　be　a　great　deal　together　while　you　are



in　Bath。　　She　is　a　most　amiable　girl；　such　a　superior



understanding！　How　fond　all　the　family　are　of　her；



she　is　evidently　the　general　favourite；　and　how　much　she



must　be　admired　in　such　a　place　as　thisis　not　she？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　much　indeed；　I　fancy；　Mr。　Allen　thinks



her　the　prettiest　girl　in　Bath。〃







　　　　　〃I　dare　say　he　does；　and　I　do　not　know　any　man



who　is　a　better　judge　of　beauty　than　Mr。　Allen。　　I　need



not　ask　you　whether　you　are　happy　here；　my　dear　Catherine；



with　such　a　companion　and　friend　as　Isabella　Thorpe；　it　would



be　impossible　for　you　to　be　otherwise；　and　the　Allens；



I　am　sure；　are　very　kind　to　you？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　kind；　I　never　was　so　happy　before；



and　now　you　are　come　it　will　be　more　delightful　than　ever；



how　good　it　is　of　you　to　come　so　far　on　purpose　to　see　me。〃







　　　　　James　accepted　this　tribute　of　gratitude；



and　qualified　his　conscience　for　accepting　it　too；



by　saying　with　perfect　sincerity；　〃Indeed；　Catherine；



I　love　you　dearly。〃







　　　　　Inquiries　and　communications　concerning　brothers



and　sisters；　the　situation　of　some；　the　growth　of　the　rest；



and　other　family　matters　now　passed　between　them；　and　continued；



with　only　one　small　digression　on　James's　part；　in　praise



of　Miss　Thorpe；　till　they　reached　Pulteney　Street；　where　he



was　welcomed　with　great　kindness　by　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen；



invited　by　the　former　to　dine　with　them；　and　summoned　by



the　latter　to　guess　the　price　and　weigh　the　merits　of　a　new



muff　and　tippet。　　A　pre…engagement　in　Edgar's　Buildings



prevented　his　accepting　the　invitation　of　one　friend；



and　obliged　him　to　hurry　away　as　soon　as　he　had　satisfied



the　demands　of　the　other。　　The　time　of　the　two　parties



uniting　in　the　Octagon　Room　being　correctly　adjusted；



Catherine　was　then　left　to　the　luxury　of　a　raised；　restless；



and　frightened　imagination　over　the　pages　of　Udolpho；



lost　from　all　worldly　concerns　of　dressing　and　dinner；



incapable　of　soothing　Mrs。　Allen's　fears　on　the　delay　of　an



expected　dressmaker；　and　having　only　one　minute　in　sixty



to　bestow　even　on　the　reflection　of　her　own　felicity；



in　being　already　engaged　for　the　evening。　















CHAPTER　8











　　　　　In　spite　of　Udolpho　and　the　dressmaker；　however；



the　party　from　Pulteney　Street　reached　the　Upper　Rooms



in　very　good　time。　　The　Thorpes　and　James　Morland



were　there　only　two　minutes　before　them；　and　Isabella



having　gone　through　the　usual　ceremonial　of　meeting



her　friend　with　the　most　smiling　and　affectionate　haste；



of　admiring　the　set　of　her　gown；　and　envying　the　curl



of　her　hair；　they　followed　their　chaperones；　arm　in　arm；



into　the　ballroom；　whispering　to　each　other　whenever



a　thought　occurred；　and　supplying　the　place　of　many



ideas　by　a　squeeze　of　the　hand　or　a　smile　of　affection。　







　　　　　The　dan