northanger abbey-第17章

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



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



dared　not　expect　that　Mr。　Tilney　should　ask　her　a　third



time　to　dance；　her　wishes；　hopes；　and　plans　all　centred



in　nothing　less。　　Every　young　lady　may　feel　for　my



heroine　in　this　critical　moment；　for　every　young　lady



has　at　some　time　or　other　known　the　same　agitation。　



All　have　been；　or　at　least　all　have　believed　themselves　to　be；



in　danger　from　the　pursuit　of　someone　whom　they　wished



to　avoid；　and　all　have　been　anxious　for　the　attentions



of　someone　whom　they　wished　to　please。　　As　soon　as　they



were　joined　by　the　Thorpes；　Catherine's　agony　began；



she　fidgeted　about　if　John　Thorpe　came　towards　her；



hid　herself　as　much　as　possible　from　his　view；



and　when　he　spoke　to　her　pretended　not　to　hear　him。　



The　cotillions　were　over；　the　country…dancing　beginning；



and　she　saw　nothing　of　the　Tilneys。　







　　　　　〃Do　not　be　frightened；　my　dear　Catherine；〃



whispered　Isabella；　〃but　I　am　really　going　to　dance　with　your



brother　again。　　I　declare　positively　it　is　quite　shocking。　



I　tell　him　he　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　himself；　but　you



and　John　must　keep　us　in　countenance。　　Make　haste；



my　dear　creature；　and　come　to　us。　　John　is　just　walked　off；



but　he　will　be　back　in　a　moment。〃







　　　　　Catherine　had　neither　time　nor　inclination　to　answer。　



The　others　walked　away；　John　Thorpe　was　still　in　view；



and　she　gave　herself　up　for　lost。　　That　she　might



not　appear；　however；　to　observe　or　expect　him；　she　kept



her　eyes　intently　fixed　on　her　fan；　and　a　self…condemnation



for　her　folly；　in　supposing　that　among　such　a　crowd　they



should　even　meet　with　the　Tilneys　in　any　reasonable　time；



had　just　passed　through　her　mind；　when　she　suddenly



found　herself　addressed　and　again　solicited　to　dance；



by　Mr。　Tilney　himself。　　With　what　sparkling　eyes　and　ready



motion　she　granted　his　request；　and　with　how　pleasing



a　flutter　of　heart　she　went　with　him　to　the　set；



may　be　easily　imagined。　　To　escape；　and；　as　she　believed；



so　narrowly　escape　John　Thorpe；　and　to　be　asked；



so　immediately　on　his　joining　her；　asked　by　Mr。　Tilney；



as　if　he　had　sought　her　on　purpose！it　did　not　appear



to　her　that　life　could　supply　any　greater　felicity。　







　　　　　Scarcely　had　they　worked　themselves　into　the　quiet



possession　of　a　place；　however；　when　her　attention



was　claimed　by　John　Thorpe；　who　stood　behind　her。　



〃Heyday；　Miss　Morland！〃　said　he。　　〃What　is　the　meaning



of　this？　I　thought　you　and　I　were　to　dance　together。〃







　　　　　〃I　wonder　you　should　think　so；　for　you　never　asked　me。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　a　good　one；　by　Jove！　I　asked　you　as　soon



as　I　came　into　the　room；　and　I　was　just　going　to　ask



you　again；　but　when　I　turned　round；　you　were　gone！　This



is　a　cursed　shabby　trick！　I　only　came　for　the　sake　of



dancing　with　you；　and　I　firmly　believe　you　were　engaged



to　me　ever　since　Monday。　　Yes；　I　remember；　I　asked　you



while　you　were　waiting　in　the　lobby　for　your　cloak。　



And　here　have　I　been　telling　all　my　acquaintance　that　I



was　going　to　dance　with　the　prettiest　girl　in　the　room；



and　when　they　see　you　standing　up　with　somebody　else；



they　will　quiz　me　famously。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　no；　they　will　never　think　of　me；　after　such



a　description　as　that。〃







　　　　　〃By　heavens；　if　they　do　not；　I　will　kick　them　out



of　the　room　for　blockheads。　　What　chap　have　you　there？〃



Catherine　satisfied　his　curiosity。　　〃Tilney；〃　he　repeated。　



〃HumI　do　not　know　him。　　A　good　figure　of　a　man；　well　put



together。　　Does　he　want　a　horse？　Here　is　a　friend　of　mine；



Sam　Fletcher；　has　got　one　to　sell　that　would　suit　anybody。　



A　famous　clever　animal　for　the　roadonly　forty　guineas。　



I　had　fifty　minds　to　buy　it　myself；　for　it　is　one　of　my



maxims　always　to　buy　a　good　horse　when　I　meet　with　one；



but　it　would　not　answer　my　purpose；　it　would　not　do　for



the　field。　　I　would　give　any　money　for　a　real　good　hunter。　



I　have　three　now；　the　best　that　ever　were　backed。　



I　would　not　take　eight　hundred　guineas　for　them。　



Fletcher　and　I　mean　to　get　a　house　in　Leicestershire；



against　the　next　season。　　It　is　so　d　uncomfortable；



living　at　an　inn。〃







　　　　　This　was　the　last　sentence　by　which　he　could　weary



Catherine's　attention；　for　he　was　just　then　borne　off　by　the



resistless　pressure　of　a　long　string　of　passing　ladies。　



Her　partner　now　drew　near；　and　said；　〃That　gentleman　would



have　put　me　out　of　patience；　had　he　stayed　with　you　half



a　minute　longer。　　He　has　no　business　to　withdraw　the　attention



of　my　partner　from　me。　　We　have　entered　into　a　contract



of　mutual　agreeableness　for　the　space　of　an　evening；



and　all　our　agreeableness　belongs　solely　to　each　other



for　that　time。　　Nobody　can　fasten　themselves　on　the　notice



of　one；　without　injuring　the　rights　of　the　other。　



I　consider　a　country…dance　as　an　emblem　of　marriage。　



Fidelity　and　complaisance　are　the　principal　duties　of　both；



and　those　men　who　do　not　choose　to　dance　or　marry　themselves；



have　no　business　with　the　partners　or　wives　of　their　neighbours。〃







　　　　　〃But　they　are　such　very　different　things！〃







　　　　　〃That　you　think　they　cannot　be　compared　together。〃







　　　　　〃To　be　sure　not。　　People　that　marry　can　never　part；



but　must　go　and　keep　house　together。　　People　that　dance



only　stand　opposite　each　other　in　a　long　room　for　half



an　hour。〃







　　　　　〃And　such　is　your　definition　of　matrimony　and　dancing。　



Taken　in　that　light　certainly；　their　resemblance　is



not　striking；　but　I　think　I　could　place　them　in　such　a　view。　



You　will　allow；　that　in　both；　man　has　the　advantage



of　choice；　woman　only　the　power　of　refusal；　that　in　both；



it　is　an　engagement　between　man　and　woman；　formed　for



the　advantage　of　each；　and　that　when　once　entered　into；



they　belong　exclusively　to　each　other　till　the　moment



of　its　dissolution；　that　it　is　their　duty；　each　to



endeavour　to　give　the　other　no　cause　for　wishing　that　he



or　she　had　bestowed　themselves　elsewhere；　and　their　best



interest　to　keep　their　own　imaginations　from　wandering



towards　the　perfections　of　their　neighbours；　or　fancying



that　they　should　have　been　better　off　with　anyone　else。　



You　will　allow　all　this？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　to　be　sure；　as　you　state　it；　all　this　sounds



very　well；　but　still　they　are　so　very　different。　



I　cannot　look　upon　them　at　all　in　the　same　light；



nor　think　the　same　duties　belong　to　them。〃







　　　　　〃In　one　respect；　there　certainly　is　a　difference。　



In　marriage；　the　man　is　supposed　to　provide　for　the　support



of　the　woman；　the　woman　to　make　the　home　agreeable　to　the　man；



he　is　to　purvey；　and　she　is　to　smile。　　But　in　dancing；



their　duties　are　exactly　changed；　the　agreeableness；



the　compliance　are　expected　from　him；　while　she　furnishes



the　fan　and　the　lavender　water。　　That；　I　suppose；　was　the



difference　of　duties　which　struck　you；　as　rendering　the



conditions　incapable　of　comparison。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　I　never　thought　of　that。〃







　　　　　〃Then　I　am　quite　at　a　loss。　　One　thing；　however；　I　must



observe。　　This　disposition　on　your　side　is　rather　alarming。　



You　totally　disallow　any　similarity　in　the　obligations；



and　may　I　not　thence　infer　that　your　notions　of　the　duties



of　the　dancing　state　are　not　so　strict　as　your　partner



might　wish？　Have　I　not　reason　to　fear　that　if　the　gentleman



who　spoke　to　you　just　now　were　to　return；　or　if　any　other



gentleman　were　to　address　you；　there　would　be　nothing



to