northanger abbey-第12章

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and　from　the　whole　she　deduced　this　useful　lesson；



that　to　go　previously　engaged　to　a　ball　does　not　necessarily



increase　either　the　dignity　or　enjoyment　of　a　young　lady。　



From　such　a　moralizing　strain　as　this；　she　was　suddenly



roused　by　a　touch　on　the　shoulder；　and　turning　round；



perceived　Mrs。　Hughes　directly　behind　her；　attended　by　Miss



Tilney　and　a　gentleman。　　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Miss　Morland；〃



said　she；　〃for　this　libertybut　I　cannot　anyhow　get　to



Miss　Thorpe；　and　Mrs。　Thorpe　said　she　was　sure　you　would



not　have　the　least　objection　to　letting　in　this　young　lady



by　you。〃　Mrs。　Hughes　could　not　have　applied　to　any　creature



in　the　room　more　happy　to　oblige　her　than　Catherine。　



The　young　ladies　were　introduced　to　each　other；　Miss　Tilney



expressing　a　proper　sense　of　such　goodness；　Miss　Morland



with　the　real　delicacy　of　a　generous　mind　making　light



of　the　obligation；　and　Mrs。　Hughes；　satisfied　with　having



so　respectably　settled　her　young　charge；　returned　to



her　party。　







　　　　　Miss　Tilney　had　a　good　figure；　a　pretty　face；



and　a　very　agreeable　countenance；　and　her　air；　though　it



had　not　all　the　decided　pretension；　the　resolute



stylishness　of　Miss　Thorpe's；　had　more　real　elegance。　



Her　manners　showed　good　sense　and　good　breeding；



they　were　neither　shy　nor　affectedly　open；　and　she



seemed　capable　of　being　young；　attractive；　and　at　a　ball



without　wanting　to　fix　the　attention　of　every　man



near　her；　and　without　exaggerated　feelings　of　ecstatic



delight　or　inconceivable　vexation　on　every　little



trifling　occurrence。　　Catherine；　interested　at　once



by　her　appearance　and　her　relationship　to　Mr。　Tilney；



was　desirous　of　being　acquainted　with　her；　and　readily



talked　therefore　whenever　she　could　think　of　anything



to　say；　and　had　courage　and　leisure　for　saying　it。　



But　the　hindrance　thrown　in　the　way　of　a　very　speedy　intimacy；



by　the　frequent　want　of　one　or　more　of　these　requisites；



prevented　their　doing　more　than　going　through　the　first



rudiments　of　an　acquaintance；　by　informing　themselves　how　well



the　other　liked　Bath；　how　much　she　admired　its　buildings



and　surrounding　country；　whether　she　drew；　or　played；



or　sang；　and　whether　she　was　fond　of　riding　on　horseback。　







　　　　　The　two　dances　were　scarcely　concluded　before　Catherine



found　her　arm　gently　seized　by　her　faithful　Isabella；



who　in　great　spirits　exclaimed；　〃At　last　I　have　got　you。　



My　dearest　creature；　I　have　been　looking　for　you　this　hour。　



What　could　induce　you　to　come　into　this　set；　when　you



knew　I　was　in　the　other？　I　have　been　quite　wretched



without　you。〃







　　　　　〃My　dear　Isabella；　how　was　it　possible　for　me　to　get



at　you？　I　could　not　even　see　where　you　were。〃







　　　　　〃So　I　told　your　brother　all　the　timebut　he　would



not　believe　me。　　Do　go　and　see　for　her；　Mr。　Morland；



said　Ibut　all　in　vainhe　would　not　stir　an　inch。　



Was　not　it　so；　Mr。　Morland？　But　you　men　are　all　so



immoderately　lazy！　I　have　been　scolding　him　to　such



a　degree；　my　dear　Catherine；　you　would　be　quite　amazed。　



You　know　I　never　stand　upon　ceremony　with　such　people。〃







　　　　　〃Look　at　that　young　lady　with　the　white　beads　round



her　head；〃　whispered　Catherine；　detaching　her　friend



from　James。　　〃It　is　Mr。　Tilney's　sister。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Heavens！　You　don't　say　so！　Let　me　look　at　her



this　moment。　　What　a　delightful　girl！　I　never　saw　anything



half　so　beautiful！　But　where　is　her　all…conquering　brother？　Is



he　in　the　room？　Point　him　out　to　me　this　instant；　if　he　is。　



I　die　to　see　him。　　Mr。　Morland；　you　are　not　to　listen。　



We　are　not　talking　about　you。〃







　　　　　〃But　what　is　all　this　whispering　about？　What　is　going　on？〃







　　　　　〃There　now；　I　knew　how　it　would　be。　　You　men　have



such　restless　curiosity！　Talk　of　the　curiosity　of　women；



indeed！　'Tis　nothing。　　But　be　satisfied；　for　you　are　not



to　know　anything　at　all　of　the　matter。〃







　　　　　〃And　is　that　likely　to　satisfy　me；　do　you　think？〃







　　　　　〃Well；　I　declare　I　never　knew　anything　like　you。　



What　can　it　signify　to　you；　what　we　are　talking　of。　



Perhaps　we　are　talking　about　you；　therefore　I　would　advise



you　not　to　listen；　or　you　may　happen　to　hear　something　not



very　agreeable。〃







　　　　　In　this　commonplace　chatter；　which　lasted　some　time；



the　original　subject　seemed　entirely　forgotten；　and　though



Catherine　was　very　well　pleased　to　have　it　dropped　for　a　while；



she　could　not　avoid　a　little　suspicion　at　the　total　suspension



of　all　Isabella's　impatient　desire　to　see　Mr。　Tilney。　



When　the　orchestra　struck　up　a　fresh　dance；　James　would



have　led　his　fair　partner　away；　but　she　resisted。　



〃I　tell　you；　Mr。　Morland；〃　she　cried；　〃I　would　not　do　such



a　thing　for　all　the　world。　　How　can　you　be　so　teasing；



only　conceive；　my　dear　Catherine；　what　your　brother　wants



me　to　do。　　He　wants　me　to　dance　with　him　again；　though　I



tell　him　that　it　is　a　most　improper　thing；　and　entirely



against　the　rules。　　It　would　make　us　the　talk　of　the　place；



if　we　were　not　to　change　partners。〃







　　　　　〃Upon　my　honour；〃　said　James；　〃in　these　public　assemblies；



it　is　as　often　done　as　not。〃







　　　　　〃Nonsense；　how　can　you　say　so？　But　when　you　men



have　a　point　to　carry；　you　never　stick　at　anything。　



My　sweet　Catherine；　do　support　me；　persuade　your　brother



how　impossible　it　is。　　Tell　him　that　it　would　quite　shock



you　to　see　me　do　such　a　thing；　now　would　not　it？〃







　　　　　〃No；　not　at　all；　but　if　you　think　it　wrong；



you　had　much　better　change。〃







　　　　　〃There；〃　cried　Isabella；　〃you　hear　what　your　sister　says；



and　yet　you　will　not　mind　her。　　Well；　remember　that　it



is　not　my　fault；　if　we　set　all　the　old　ladies　in　Bath



in　a　bustle。　　Come　along；　my　dearest　Catherine；



for　heaven's　sake；　and　stand　by　me。〃　And　off　they　went；



to　regain　their　former　place。　　John　Thorpe；　in　the　meanwhile；



had　walked　away；　and　Catherine；　ever　willing　to　give



Mr。　Tilney　an　opportunity　of　repeating　the　agreeable



request　which　had　already　flattered　her　once；　made　her



way　to　Mrs。　Allen　and　Mrs。　Thorpe　as　fast　as　she　could；



in　the　hope　of　finding　him　still　with　thema　hope　which；



when　it　proved　to　be　fruitless；　she　felt　to　have　been



highly　unreasonable。　　〃Well；　my　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Thorpe；



impatient　for　praise　of　her　son；　〃I　hope　you　have　had



an　agreeable　partner。〃







　　　　　〃Very　agreeable；　madam。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　glad　of　it。　　John　has　charming　spirits；



has　not　he？〃







　　　　　〃Did　you　meet　Mr。　Tilney；　my　dear？〃　said　Mrs。　Allen。　







　　　　　〃No；　where　is　he？〃







　　　　　〃He　was　with　us　just　now；　and　said　he　was　so　tired



of　lounging　about；　that　he　was　resolved　to　go　and　dance；



so　I　thought　perhaps　he　would　ask　you；　if　he　met　with　you。〃







　　　　　〃Where　can　he　be？〃　said　Catherine；　looking　round；



but　she　had　not　looked　round　long　before　she　saw　him



leading　a　young　lady　to　the　dance。　







　　　　　〃Ah！　He　has　got　a　partner；　I　wish　he　had　asked　you；〃



said　Mrs。　Allen；　and　after　a　short　silence；　she　added；



〃he　is　a　very　agreeable　young　man。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　he　is；　Mrs。　Allen；〃　said　Mrs。　Thorpe；



smiling　complacently；　〃I　must　say　it；　though　I　am　his　mother；



that　there　is　not　a　more　agreeable　young　man　in　the　world。〃







　　　　　This　inapplicable　answer　might　have　been　too　much



for　the　comprehension　of　many；　but　it　did　not　puzzle



Mrs。　Allen；　for　after　only　a　moment's　consideration；



she　said；　in　a　whisper　to　Catherine；　〃I　dare　say　she



thought　I　was　speaking　of　her　so