northanger abbey-第2章

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　　　　　　〃Smiling　at　Grief。〃　







　　　　　So　far　her　improvement　was　sufficientand　in　many



other　points　she　came　on　exceedingly　well；　for　though　she



could　not　write　sonnets；　she　brought　herself　to　read　them；



and　though　there　seemed　no　chance　of　her　throwing　a　whole



party　into　raptures　by　a　prelude　on　the　pianoforte；



of　her　own　composition；　she　could　listen　to　other　people's



performance　with　very　little　fatigue。　　Her　greatest



deficiency　was　in　the　pencilshe　had　no　notion　of



drawingnot　enough　even　to　attempt　a　sketch　of　her



lover's　profile；　that　she　might　be　detected　in　the　design。　



There　she　fell　miserably　short　of　the　true　heroic　height。　



At　present　she　did　not　know　her　own　poverty；　for　she　had　no



lover　to　portray。　　She　had　reached　the　age　of　seventeen；



without　having　seen　one　amiable　youth　who　could　call　forth



her　sensibility；　without　having　inspired　one　real　passion；



and　without　having　excited　even　any　admiration　but　what



was　very　moderate　and　very　transient。　　This　was　strange



indeed！　But　strange　things　may　be　generally　accounted



for　if　their　cause　be　fairly　searched　out。　　There　was　not



one　lord　in　the　neighbourhood；　nonot　even　a　baronet。　



There　was　not　one　family　among　their　acquaintance　who



had　reared　and　supported　a　boy　accidentally　found　at



their　doornot　one　young　man　whose　origin　was　unknown。　



Her　father　had　no　ward；　and　the　squire　of　the　parish



no　children。　







　　　　　But　when　a　young　lady　is　to　be　a　heroine；　the　perverseness



of　forty　surrounding　families　cannot　prevent　her。　



Something　must　and　will　happen　to　throw　a　hero　in　her　way。　







　　　　　Mr。　Allen；　who　owned　the　chief　of　the　property



about　Fullerton；　the　village　in　Wiltshire　where　the



Morlands　lived；　was　ordered　to　Bath　for　the　benefit　of　a



gouty　constitutionand　his　lady；　a　good…humoured　woman；



fond　of　Miss　Morland；　and　probably　aware　that　if　adventures



will　not　befall　a　young　lady　in　her　own　village；



she　must　seek　them　abroad；　invited　her　to　go　with　them。　



Mr。　and　Mrs。　Morland　were　all　compliance；　and　Catherine



all　happiness。　















CHAPTER　2　











　　　　　In　addition　to　what　has　been　already　said　of



Catherine　Morlands　personal　and　mental　endowments；



when　about　to　be　launched　into　all　the　difficulties



and　dangers　of　a　six　weeks'　residence　in　Bath；　it　may



be　stated；　for　the　reader's　more　certain　information；



lest　the　following　pages　should　otherwise　fail　of



giving　any　idea　of　what　her　character　is　meant　to　be；



that　her　heart　was　affectionate；　her　disposition　cheerful



and　open；　without　conceit　or　affectation　of　any　kindher



manners　just　removed　from　the　awkwardness　and　shyness



of　a　girl；　her　person　pleasing；　and；　when　in　good　looks；



prettyand　her　mind　about　as　ignorant　and　uninformed



as　the　female　mind　at　seventeen　usually　is。　







　　　　　When　the　hour　of　departure　drew　near；　the　maternal



anxiety　of　Mrs。　Morland　will　be　naturally　supposed　to　be



most　severe。　　A　thousand　alarming　presentiments　of　evil



to　her　beloved　Catherine　from　this　terrific　separation



must　oppress　her　heart　with　sadness；　and　drown　her　in



tears　for　the　last　day　or　two　of　their　being　together；



and　advice　of　the　most　important　and　applicable　nature



must　of　course　flow　from　her　wise　lips　in　their　parting



conference　in　her　closet。　　Cautions　against　the　violence



of　such　noblemen　and　baronets　as　delight　in　forcing



young　ladies　away　to　some　remote　farm…house；　must；



at　such　a　moment；　relieve　the　fulness　of　her　heart。　



Who　would　not　think　so？　But　Mrs。　Morland　knew　so　little



of　lords　and　baronets；　that　she　entertained　no　notion　of



their　general　mischievousness；　and　was　wholly　unsuspicious



of　danger　to　her　daughter　from　their　machinations。　



Her　cautions　were　confined　to　the　following　points。　



〃I　beg；　Catherine；　you　will　always　wrap　yourself　up



very　warm　about　the　throat；　when　you　come　from　the　rooms



at　night；　and　I　wish　you　would　try　to　keep　some　account



of　the　money　you　spend；　I　will　give　you　this　little　book



on　purpose。　







　　　　　Sally；　or　rather　Sarah　（for　what　young　lady　of　common



gentility　will　reach　the　age　of　sixteen　without　altering



her　name　as　far　as　she　can？）；　must　from　situation　be　at　this



time　the　intimate　friend　and　confidante　of　her　sister。　



It　is　remarkable；　however；　that　she　neither　insisted　on



Catherine's　writing　by　every　post；　nor　exacted　her　promise



of　transmitting　the　character　of　every　new　acquaintance；



nor　a　detail　of　every　interesting　conversation　that　Bath



might　produce。　　Everything　indeed　relative　to　this



important　journey　was　done；　on　the　part　of　the　Morlands；



with　a　degree　of　moderation　and　composure；　which　seemed



rather　consistent　with　the　common　feelings　of　common　life；



than　with　the　refined　susceptibilities；　the　tender



emotions　which　the　first　separation　of　a　heroine



from　her　family　ought　always　to　excite。　　Her　father；



instead　of　giving　her　an　unlimited　order　on　his　banker；



or　even　putting　an　hundred　pounds　bank…bill　into　her　hands；



gave　her　only　ten　guineas；　and　promosed　her　more　when　she



wanted　it。　







　　　　　Under　these　unpromising　auspices；　the　parting



took　place；　and　the　journey　began。　　It　was　performed



with　suitable　quietness　and　uneventful　safety。　



Neither　robbers　nor　tempests　befriended　them；　nor　one　lucky



overturn　to　introduce　them　to　the　hero。　　Nothing　more



alarming　occurred　than　a　fear；　on　Mrs。　Allen's　side；



of　having　once　left　her　clogs　behind　her　at　an　inn；



and　that　fortunately　proved　to　be　groundless。　







　　　　　They　arrived　at　Bath。　　Catherine　was　all　eager



delighther　eyes　were　here；　there；　everywhere；　as　they



approached　its　fine　and　striking　environs；　and　afterwards　drove



through　those　streets　which　conducted　them　to　the　hotel。　



She　was　come　to　be　happy；　and　she　felt　happy　already。　







　　　　　They　were　soon　settled　in　comfortable　lodgings



in　Pulteney　Street。　







　　　　　It　is　now　expedient　to　give　some　description　of



Mrs。　Allen；　that　the　reader　may　be　able　to　judge　in　what



manner　her　actions　will　hereafter　tend　to　promote　the



general　distress　of　the　work；　and　how　she　will；　probably；



contribute　to　reduce　poor　Catherine　to　all　the　desperate



wretchedness　of　which　a　last　volume　is　capablewhether　by



her　imprudence；　vulgarity；　or　jealousywhether　by　intercepting



her　letters；　ruining　her　character；　or　turning　her　out　of　doors。　







　　　　　Mrs。　Allen　was　one　of　that　numerous　class　of　females；



whose　society　can　raise　no　other　emotion　than　surprise



at　there　being　any　men　in　the　world　who　could　like　them



well　enough　to　marry　them。　　She　had　neither　beauty；



genius；　accomplishment；　nor　manner。　　The　air　of　a　gentlewoman；



a　great　deal　of　quiet；　inactive　good　temper；　and　a　trifling



turn　of　mind　were　all　that　could　account　for　her　being



the　choice　of　a　sensible；　intelligent　man　like　Mr。　Allen。　



In　one　respect　she　was　admirably　fitted　to　introduce　a



young　lady　into　public；　being　as　fond　of　going　everywhere



and　seeing　everything　herself　as　any　young　lady　could　be。　



Dress　was　her　passion。　　She　had　a　most　harmless　delight



in　being　fine；　and　our　heroine's　entree　into　life　could



not　take　place　till　after　three　or　four　days　had　been



spent　in　learning　what　was　mostly　worn；　and　her　chaperone



was　provided　with　a　dress　of　the　newest　fashion。　



Catherine　too　made　some　purchases　herself；　and　when　all



these　matters　were　arranged；　the　important　evening　came



which　was　to　usher　her　into　the　Upper　Rooms。　　Her　hair



was　cut　and