northanger abbey-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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



it　necessary　to　alarm　her　with　a　relation　of　its　tricks；



congratulated　herself　sincerely　on　being　under　the　care



of　so　excellent　a　coachman；　and　perceiving　that　the　animal



continued　to　go　on　in　the　same　quiet　manner；　without　showing



the　smallest　propensity　towards　any　unpleasant　vivacity；



and　（considering　its　inevitable　pace　was　ten　miles　an　hour）



by　no　means　alarmingly　fast；　gave　herself　up　to　all　the



enjoyment　of　air　and　exercise　of　the　most　invigorating　kind；



in　a　fine　mild　day　of　February；　with　the　consciousness



of　safety。　　A　silence　of　several　minutes　succeeded　their



first　short　dialogue；　it　was　broken　by　Thorpe's　saying



very　abruptly；　〃Old　Allen　is　as　rich　as　a　Jewis　not　he？〃



Catherine　did　not　understand　himand　he　repeated　his　question；



adding　in　explanation；　〃Old　Allen；　the　man　you　are　with。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Mr。　Allen；　you　mean。　　Yes；　I　believe；　he　is



very　rich。〃







　　　　　〃And　no　children　at　all？〃







　　　　　〃Nonot　any。〃







　　　　　〃A　famous　thing　for　his　next　heirs。　　He　is　your　godfather；



is　not　he？〃







　　　　　〃My　godfather！　No。〃







　　　　　〃But　you　are　always　very　much　with　them。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　much。〃







　　　　　〃Aye；　that　is　what　I　meant。　　He　seems　a　good　kind



of　old　fellow　enough；　and　has　lived　very　well　in　his　time；



I　dare　say；　he　is　not　gouty　for　nothing。　　Does　he　drink



his　bottle　a　day　now？〃







　　　　　〃His　bottle　a　day！　No。　Why　should　you　think



of　such　a　thing？　He　is　a　very　temperate　man；　and　you



could　not　fancy　him　in　liquor　last　night？〃







　　　　　〃Lord　help　you！　You　women　are　always　thinking



of　men's　being　in　liquor。　　Why；　you　do　not　suppose



a　man　is　overset　by　a　bottle？　I　am　sure　of　thisthat



if　everybody　was　to　drink　their　bottle　a　day；　there　would



not　be　half　the　disorders　in　the　world　there　are　now。　



It　would　be　a　famous　good　thing　for　us　all。〃







　　　　　〃I　cannot　believe　it。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Lord；　it　would　be　the　saving　of　thousands。　



There　is　not　the　hundredth　part　of　the　wine　consumed



in　this　kingdom　that　there　ought　to　be。　　Our　foggy　climate



wants　help。〃







　　　　　〃And　yet　I　have　heard　that　there　is　a　great　deal



of　wine　drunk　in　Oxford。〃







　　　　　〃Oxford！　There　is　no　drinking　at　Oxford　now；



I　assure　you。　　Nobody　drinks　there。　　You　would　hardly　meet



with　a　man　who　goes　beyond　his　four　pints　at　the　utmost。　



Now；　for　instance；　it　was　reckoned　a　remarkable　thing；



at　the　last　party　in　my　rooms；　that　upon　an　average　we



cleared　about　five　pints　a　head。　　It　was　looked　upon



as　something　out　of　the　common　way。　　Mine　is　famous



good　stuff；　to　be　sure。　　You　would　not　often　meet　with



anything　like　it　in　Oxfordand　that　may　account　for　it。　



But　this　will　just　give　you　a　notion　of　the　general　rate



of　drinking　there。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　it　does　give　a　notion；〃　said　Catherine　warmly；



〃and　that　is；　that　you　all　drink　a　great　deal　more　wine



than　I　thought　you　did。　　However；　I　am　sure　James　does



not　drink　so　much。〃







　　　　　This　declaration　brought　on　a　loud　and　overpowering　reply；



of　which　no　part　was　very　distinct；　except　the　frequent



exclamations；　amounting　almost　to　oaths；　which　adorned　it；



and　Catherine　was　left；　when　it　ended；　with　rather　a　strengthened



belief　of　there　being　a　great　deal　of　wine　drunk　in　Oxford；



and　the　same　happy　conviction　of　her　brother's　comparative　sobriety。　







　　　　　Thorpe's　ideas　then　all　reverted　to　the　merits



of　his　own　equipage；　and　she　was　called　on　to　admire



the　spirit　and　freedom　with　which　his　horse　moved　along；



and　the　ease　which　his　paces；　as　well　as　the　excellence



of　the　springs；　gave　the　motion　of　the　carriage。　



She　followed　him　in　all　his　admiration　as　well　as　she　could。　



To　go　before　or　beyond　him　was　impossible。　　His　knowledge



and　her　ignorance　of　the　subject；　his　rapidity　of　expression；



and　her　diffidence　of　herself　put　that　out　of　her　power；



she　could　strike　out　nothing　new　in　commendation；



but　she　readily　echoed　whatever　he　chose　to　assert；



and　it　was　finally　settled　between　them　without　any



difficulty　that　his　equipage　was　altogether　the　most



complete　of　its　kind　in　England；　his　carriage　the　neatest；



his　horse　the　best　goer；　and　himself　the　best　coachman。　



〃You　do　not　really　think；　Mr。　Thorpe；〃　said　Catherine；



venturing　after　some　time　to　consider　the　matter　as



entirely　decided；　and　to　offer　some　little　variation　on



the　subject；　〃that　James's　gig　will　break　down？〃







　　　　　〃Break　down！　Oh！　Lord！　Did　you　ever　see　such　a　little



tittuppy　thing　in　your　life？　There　is　not　a　sound　piece



of　iron　about　it。　　The　wheels　have　been　fairly　worn　out



these　ten　years　at　leastand　as　for　the　body！　Upon　my　soul；



you　might　shake　it　to　pieces　yourself　with　a　touch。　



It　is　the　most　devilish　little　rickety　business　I　ever



beheld！　Thank　God！　we　have　got　a　better。　　I　would　not　be



bound　to　go　two　miles　in　it　for　fifty　thousand　pounds。〃







　　　　　〃Good　heavens！〃　cried　Catherine；　quite　frightened。　



〃Then　pray　let　us　turn　back；　they　will　certainly　meet　with



an　accident　if　we　go　on。　　Do　let　us　turn　back；　Mr。　Thorpe；



stop　and　speak　to　my　brother；　and　tell　him　how　very　unsafe



it　is。〃







　　　　　〃Unsafe！　Oh；　lord！　What　is　there　in　that？　They　will



only　get　a　roll　if　it　does　break　down；　and　there　is　plenty



of　dirt；　it　will　be　excellent　falling。　　Oh；　curse　it！　The



carriage　is　safe　enough；　if　a　man　knows　how　to　drive　it；



a　thing　of　that　sort　in　good　hands　will　last　above　twenty



years　after　it　is　fairly　worn　out。　　Lord　bless　you！　I



would　undertake　for　five　pounds　to　drive　it　to　York



and　back　again；　without　losing　a　nail。〃







　　　　　Catherine　listened　with　astonishment；　she　knew



not　how　to　reconcile　two　such　very　different　accounts



of　the　same　thing；　for　she　had　not　been　brought　up



to　understand　the　propensities　of　a　rattle；　nor　to　know



to　how　many　idle　assertions　and　impudent　falsehoods　the



excess　of　vanity　will　lead。　　Her　own　family　were　plain；



matter…of…fact　people　who　seldom　aimed　at　wit　of　any　kind；



her　father；　at　the　utmost；　being　contented　with　a　pun；



and　her　mother　with　a　proverb；　they　were　not　in　the　habit



therefore　of　telling　lies　to　increase　their　importance；



or　of　asserting　at　one　moment　what　they　would　contradict



the　next。　　She　reflected　on　the　affair　for　some　time



in　much　perplexity；　and　was　more　than　once　on　the　point



of　requesting　from　Mr。　Thorpe　a　clearer　insight　into　his



real　opinion　on　the　subject；　but　she　checked　herself；



because　it　appeared　to　her　that　he　did　not　excel　in　giving



those　clearer　insights；　in　making　those　things　plain



which　he　had　before　made　ambiguous；　and；　joining　to　this；



the　consideration　that　he　would　not　really　suffer



his　sister　and　his　friend　to　be　exposed　to　a　danger



from　which　he　might　easily　preserve　them；　she　concluded



at　last　that　he　must　know　the　carriage　to　be　in　fact



perfectly　safe；　and　therefore　would　alarm　herself　no　longer。　



By　him　the　whole　matter　seemed　entirely　forgotten；



and　all　the　rest　of　his　conversation；　or　rather　talk；



began　and　ended　with　himself　and　his　own　concerns。　



He　told　her　of　horses　which　he　had　bought　for　a　trifle



and　sold　for　incredible　sums；　of　racing　matches；



in　which　his　judgment　had　infallibly　foretold　the　winner；



of　shooting　parties；　in　which　he　had　killed　more　birds



（though　without　having　one　good　shot）　than　all　his



companions　together；　and　described　to　her　some　famous



day's　sp