northanger abbey-第16章

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the　sleeves　were　entirely　my　own　thought。　　Do　you　know；



I　get　so　immoderately　sick　of　Bath；　your　brother　and　I



were　agreeing　this　morning　that；　though　it　is　vastly



well　to　be　here　for　a　few　weeks；　we　would　not　live



here　for　millions。　　We　soon　found　out　that　our　tastes



were　exactly　alike　in　preferring　the　country　to　every



other　place；　really；　our　opinions　were　so　exactly　the　same；



it　was　quite　ridiculous！　There　was　not　a　single　point　in



which　we　differed；　I　would　not　have　had　you　by　for　the　world；



you　are　such　a　sly　thing；　I　am　sure　you　would　have　made



some　droll　remark　or　other　about　it。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed　I　should　not。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　yes　you　would　indeed；　I　know　you　better　than　you



know　yourself。　　You　would　have　told　us　that　we　seemed



born　for　each　other；　or　some　nonsense　of　that　kind；



which　would　have　distressed　me　beyond　conception；



my　cheeks　would　have　been　as　red　as　your　roses；　I　would



not　have　had　you　by　for　the　world。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　you　do　me　injustice；　I　would　not　have　made



so　improper　a　remark　upon　any　account；　and　besides；



I　am　sure　it　would　never　have　entered　my　head。〃







　　　　　Isabella　smiled　incredulously　and　talked　the　rest



of　the　evening　to　James。　







　　　　　Catherine's　resolution　of　endeavouring　to　meet　Miss



Tilney　again　continued　in　full　force　the　next　morning；



and　till　the　usual　moment　of　going　to　the　pump…room；　she



felt　some　alarm　from　the　dread　of　a　second　prevention。　



But　nothing　of　that　kind　occurred；　no　visitors　appeared



to　delay　them；　and　they　all　three　set　off　in　good　time



for　the　pump…room；　where　the　ordinary　course　of　events



and　conversation　took　place；　Mr。　Allen；　after　drinking



his　glass　of　water；　joined　some　gentlemen　to　talk　over



the　politics　of　the　day　and　compare　the　accounts　of



their　newspapers；　and　the　ladies　walked　about　together；



noticing　every　new　face；　and　almost　every　new　bonnet



in　the　room。　　The　female　part　of　the　Thorpe　family；



attended　by　James　Morland；　appeared　among　the　crowd　in　less



than　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　Catherine　immediately　took



her　usual　place　by　the　side　of　her　friend。　　James；　who　was



now　in　constant　attendance；　maintained　a　similar　position；



and　separating　themselves　from　the　rest　of　their　party；



they　walked　in　that　manner　for　some　time；　till　Catherine



began　to　doubt　the　happiness　of　a　situation　which；



confining　her　entirely　to　her　friend　and　brother；



gave　her　very　little　share　in　the　notice　of　either。　



They　were　always　engaged　in　some　sentimental　discussion



or　lively　dispute；　but　their　sentiment　was　conveyed



in　such　whispering　voices；　and　their　vivacity　attended



with　so　much　laughter；　that　though　Catherine's　supporting



opinion　was　not　unfrequently　called　for　by　one　or　the　other；



she　was　never　able　to　give　any；　from　not　having　heard　a　word



of　the　subject。　　At　length　however　she　was　empowered　to



disengage　herself　from　her　friend；　by　the　avowed　necessity



of　speaking　to　Miss　Tilney；　whom　she　most　joyfully　saw



just　entering　the　room　with　Mrs。　Hughes；　and　whom　she



instantly　joined；　with　a　firmer　determination　to　be　acquainted；



than　she　might　have　had　courage　to　command；　had　she



not　been　urged　by　the　disappointment　of　the　day　before。　



Miss　Tilney　met　her　with　great　civility；　returned　her



advances　with　equal　goodwill；　and　they　continued　talking



together　as　long　as　both　parties　remained　in　the　room；



and　though　in　all　probability　not　an　observation　was　made；



nor　an　expression　used　by　either　which　had　not　been　made



and　used　some　thousands　of　times　before；　under　that　roof；



in　every　Bath　season；　yet　the　merit　of　their　being　spoken



with　simplicity　and　truth；　and　without　personal　conceit；



might　be　something　uncommon。　







　　　　　〃How　well　your　brother　dances！〃　was　an　artless　exclamation



of　Catherine's　towards　the　close　of　their　conversation；



which　at　once　surprised　and　amused　her　companion。　







　　　　　〃Henry！〃　she　replied　with　a　smile。　　〃Yes；　he　does



dance　very　well。〃







　　　　　〃He　must　have　thought　it　very　odd　to　hear　me　say　I



was　engaged　the　other　evening；　when　he　saw　me　sitting　down。　



But　I　really　had　been　engaged　the　whole　day　to　Mr。　Thorpe。〃



Miss　Tilney　could　only　bow。　　〃You　cannot　think；〃



added　Catherine　after　a　moment's　silence；　〃how　surprised　I



was　to　see　him　again。　　I　felt　so　sure　of　his　being　quite



gone　away。〃







　　　　　〃When　Henry　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　before；



he　was　in　Bath　but　for　a　couple　of　days。　　He　came　only



to　engage　lodgings　for　us。〃







　　　　　〃That　never　occurred　to　me；　and　of　course；



not　seeing　him　anywhere；　I　thought　he　must　be　gone。　



Was　not　the　young　lady　he　danced　with　on　Monday　a　Miss　Smith？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　an　acquaintance　of　Mrs。　Hughes。〃







　　　　　〃I　dare　say　she　was　very　glad　to　dance。　　Do　you



think　her　pretty？〃　〃Not　very。〃







　　　　　〃He　never　comes　to　the　pump…room；　I　suppose？〃



〃Yes；　sometimes；　but　he　has　rid　out　this　morning　with



my　father。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Hughes　now　joined　them；　and　asked　Miss　Tilney



if　she　was　ready　to　go。　　〃I　hope　I　shall　have　the



pleasure　of　seeing　you　again　soon；〃　said　Catherine。　



〃Shall　you　be　at　the　cotillion　ball　tomorrow？〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　we　Yes；　I　think　we　certainly　shall。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　glad　of　it；　for　we　shall　all　be　there。〃



This　civility　was　duly　returned；　and　they　partedon



Miss　Tilney's　side　with　some　knowledge　of　her　new



acquaintance's　feelings；　and　on　Catherine's；　without



the　smallest　consciousness　of　having　explained　them。　







　　　　　She　went　home　very　happy。　　The　morning　had　answered



all　her　hopes；　and　the　evening　of　the　following　day



was　now　the　object　of　expectation；　the　future　good。　



What　gown　and　what　head…dress　she　should　wear　on　the



occasion　became　her　chief　concern。　　She　cannot　be　justified



in　it。　　Dress　is　at　all　times　a　frivolous　distinction；



and　excessive　solicitude　about　it　often　destroys　its　own　aim。　



Catherine　knew　all　this　very　well；　her　great　aunt　had　read



her　a　lecture　on　the　subject　only　the　Christmas　before；



and　yet　she　lay　awake　ten　minutes　on　Wednesday　night



debating　between　her　spotted　and　her　tamboured　muslin；



and　nothing　but　the　shortness　of　the　time　prevented　her



buying　a　new　one　for　the　evening。　　This　would　have　been



an　error　in　judgment；　great　though　not　uncommon；　from　which



one　of　the　other　sex　rather　than　her　own；　a　brother　rather



than　a　great　aunt；　might　have　warned　her；　for　man　only　can



be　aware　of　the　insensibility　of　man　towards　a　new　gown。　



It　would　be　mortifying　to　the　feelings　of　many　ladies；



could　they　be　made　to　understand　how　little　the　heart　of



man　is　affected　by　what　is　costly　or　new　in　their　attire；



how　little　it　is　biased　by　the　texture　of　their　muslin；



and　how　unsusceptible　of　peculiar　tenderness　towards



the　spotted；　the　sprigged；　the　mull；　or　the　jackonet。　



Woman　is　fine　for　her　own　satisfaction　alone。　　No　man　will



admire　her　the　more；　no　woman　will　like　her　the　better



for　it。　　Neatness　and　fashion　are　enough　for　the　former；



and　a　something　of　shabbiness　or　impropriety　will　be　most



endearing　to　the　latter。　　But　not　one　of　these　grave



reflections　troubled　the　tranquillity　of　Catherine。　







　　　　　She　entered　the　rooms　on　Thursday　evening　with　feelings



very　different　from　what　had　attended　her　thither　the



Monday　before。　　She　had　then　been　exulting　in　her　engagement



to　Thorpe；　and　was　now　chiefly　anxious　to　avoid　his　sight；



lest　he　should　engage　her　again；　for　though　she　could　not；