northanger abbey-第13章

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



thought　I　was　speaking　of　her　son。〃







　　　　　Catherine　was　disappointed　and　vexed。　　She　seemed



to　have　missed　by　so　little　the　very　object　she　had



had　in　view；　and　this　persuasion　did　not　incline　her



to　a　very　gracious　reply；　when　John　Thorpe　came　up



to　her　soon　afterwards　and　said；　〃Well；　Miss　Morland；



I　suppose　you　and　I　are　to　stand　up　and　jig　it　together　again。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　no；　I　am　much　obliged　to　you；　our　two　dances



are　over；　and；　besides；　I　am　tired；　and　do　not　mean



to　dance　any　more。〃







　　　　　〃Do　not　you？　Then　let　us　walk　about　and　quiz　people。　



Come　along　with　me；　and　I　will　show　you　the　four　greatest



quizzers　in　the　room；　my　two　younger　sisters　and　their　partners。　



I　have　been　laughing　at　them　this　half　hour。〃







　　　　　Again　Catherine　excused　herself；　and　at　last　he　walked



off　to　quiz　his　sisters　by　himself。　　The　rest　of　the　evening



she　found　very　dull；　Mr。　Tilney　was　drawn　away　from　their



party　at　tea；　to　attend　that　of　his　partner；　Miss　Tilney；



though　belonging　to　it；　did　not　sit　near　her；　and　James



and　Isabella　were　so　much　engaged　in　conversing　together



that　the　latter　had　no　leisure　to　bestow　more　on　her　friend



than　one　smile；　one　squeeze；　and　one　〃dearest　Catherine。〃















CHAPTER　9











　　　　　The　progress　of　Catherine's　unhappiness　from　the



events　of　the　evening　was　as　follows。　　It　appeared　first



in　a　general　dissatisfaction　with　everybody　about　her；



while　she　remained　in　the　rooms；　which　speedily　brought



on　considerable　weariness　and　a　violent　desire　to　go　home。　



This；　on　arriving　in　Pulteney　Street；　took　the　direction



of　extraordinary　hunger；　and　when　that　was　appeased；



changed　into　an　earnest　longing　to　be　in　bed；　such　was



the　extreme　point　of　her　distress；　for　when　there



she　immediately　fell　into　a　sound　sleep　which　lasted



nine　hours；　and　from　which　she　awoke　perfectly　revived；



in　excellent　spirits；　with　fresh　hopes　and　fresh　schemes。　



The　first　wish　of　her　heart　was　to　improve　her　acquaintance



with　Miss　Tilney；　and　almost　her　first　resolution；



to　seek　her　for　that　purpose；　in　the　pump…room　at　noon。　



In　the　pump…room；　one　so　newly　arrived　in　Bath　must



be　met　with；　and　that　building　she　had　already　found



so　favourable　for　the　discovery　of　female　excellence；



and　the　completion　of　female　intimacy；　so　admirably　adapted



for　secret　discourses　and　unlimited　confidence；　that　she



was　most　reasonably　encouraged　to　expect　another　friend　from



within　its　walls。　　Her　plan　for　the　morning　thus　settled；



she　sat　quietly　down　to　her　book　after　breakfast；



resolving　to　remain　in　the　same　place　and　the　same　employment



till　the　clock　struck　one；　and　from　habitude　very　little



incommoded　by　the　remarks　and　ejaculations　of　Mrs。　Allen；



whose　vacancy　of　mind　and　incapacity　for　thinking　were　such；



that　as　she　never　talked　a　great　deal；　so　she　could　never　be



entirely　silent；　and；　therefore；　while　she　sat　at　her　work；



if　she　lost　her　needle　or　broke　her　thread；　if　she　heard



a　carriage　in　the　street；　or　saw　a　speck　upon　her　gown；



she　must　observe　it　aloud；　whether　there　were　anyone　at



leisure　to　answer　her　or　not。　　At　about　half　past　twelve；



a　remarkably　loud　rap　drew　her　in　haste　to　the　window；



and　scarcely　had　she　time　to　inform　Catherine　of　there



being　two　open　carriages　at　the　door；　in　the　first　only



a　servant；　her　brother　driving　Miss　Thorpe　in　the　second；



before　John　Thorpe　came　running　upstairs；　calling　out；



〃Well；　Miss　Morland；　here　I　am。　　Have　you　been　waiting



long？　We　could　not　come　before；　the　old　devil　of　a



coachmaker　was　such　an　eternity　finding　out　a　thing



fit　to　be　got　into；　and　now　it　is　ten　thousand　to　one



but　they　break　down　before　we　are　out　of　the　street。　



How　do　you　do；　Mrs。　Allen？　A　famous　bag　last　night；



was　not　it？　Come；　Miss　Morland；　be　quick；　for　the　others



are　in　a　confounded　hurry　to　be　off。　　They　want　to　get　their



tumble　over。〃







　　　　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　Catherine。　　〃Where　are　you



all　going　to？〃　〃Going　to？　Why；　you　have　not　forgot　our



engagement！　Did　not　we　agree　together　to　take　a　drive　this



morning？　What　a　head　you　have！　We　are　going　up　Claverton　Down。〃







　　　　　〃Something　was　said　about　it；　I　remember；〃



said　Catherine；　looking　at　Mrs。　Allen　for　her　opinion；



〃but　really　I　did　not　expect　you。〃







　　　　　〃Not　expect　me！　That's　a　good　one！　And　what　a　dust



you　would　have　made；　if　I　had　not　come。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　silent　appeal　to　her　friend；　meanwhile；



was　entirely　thrown　away；　for　Mrs。　Allen；　not　being　at　all



in　the　habit　of　conveying　any　expression　herself　by　a　look；



was　not　aware　of　its　being　ever　intended　by　anybody　else；



and　Catherine；　whose　desire　of　seeing　Miss　Tilney　again　could



at　that　moment　bear　a　short　delay　in　favour　of　a　drive；



and　who　thought　there　could　be　no　impropriety　in　her　going



with　Mr。　Thorpe；　as　Isabella　was　going　at　the　same　time



with　James；　was　therefore　obliged　to　speak　plainer。　



〃Well；　ma'am；　what　do　you　say　to　it？　Can　you　spare　me



for　an　hour　or　two？　Shall　I　go？〃







　　　　　〃Do　just　as　you　please；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mrs。　Allen；



with　the　most　placid　indifference。　　Catherine　took



the　advice；　and　ran　off　to　get　ready。　　In　a　very　few　minutes



she　reappeared；　having　scarcely　allowed　the　two　others　time



enough　to　get　through　a　few　short　sentences　in　her　praise；



after　Thorpe　had　procured　Mrs。　Allen's　admiration　of　his　gig；



and　then　receiving　her　friend's　parting　good　wishes；



they　both　hurried　downstairs。　　〃My　dearest　creature；〃



cried　Isabella；　to　whom　the　duty　of　friendship　immediately



called　her　before　she　could　get　into　the　carriage；



〃you　have　been　at　least　three　hours　getting　ready。　



I　was　afraid　you　were　ill。　　What　a　delightful　ball　we



had　last　night。　　I　have　a　thousand　things　to　say　to　you；



but　make　haste　and　get　in；　for　I　long　to　be　off。〃







　　　　　Catherine　followed　her　orders　and　turned　away；



but　not　too　soon　to　hear　her　friend　exclaim　aloud　to　James；



〃What　a　sweet　girl　she　is！　I　quite　dote　on　her。〃







　　　　　〃You　will　not　be　frightened；　Miss　Morland；〃　said　Thorpe；



as　he　handed　her　in；　〃if　my　horse　should　dance　about



a　little　at　first　setting　off。　　He　will；　most　likely；



give　a　plunge　or　two；　and　perhaps　take　the　rest　for　a　minute；



but　he　will　soon　know　his　master。　　He　is　full　of　spirits；



playful　as　can　be；　but　there　is　no　vice　in　him。〃







　　　　　Catherine　did　not　think　the　portrait　a　very　inviting　one；



but　it　was　too　late　to　retreat；　and　she　was　too　young　to　own



herself　frightened；　so；　resigning　herself　to　her　fate；



and　trusting　to　the　animal's　boasted　knowledge　of　its　owner；



she　sat　peaceably　down；　and　saw　Thorpe　sit　down　by　her。　



Everything　being　then　arranged；　the　servant　who　stood　at　the



horse's　head　was　bid　in　an　important　voice　〃to　let　him　go；〃



and　off　they　went　in　the　quietest　manner　imaginable；



without　a　plunge　or　a　caper；　or　anything　like　one。　



Catherine；　delighted　at　so　happy　an　escape；　spoke　her



pleasure　aloud　with　grateful　surprise；　and　her　companion



immediately　made　the　matter　perfectly　simple　by　assuring



her　that　it　was　entirely　owing　to　the　peculiarly　judicious



manner　in　which　he　had　then　held　the　reins；　and　the　singular



discernment　and　dexterity　with　which　he　had　directed



his　whip。　　Catherine；　though　she　could　not　help　wondering



that　with　such　perfect　command　of　his　horse；　he　should　think



it　necessary　to　alarm　her　with　a　relation　of　it