northanger abbey-第20章

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were　in　a　very　unsettled　state；　divided　between　regret



for　the　loss　of　one　great　pleasure；　and　the　hope　of　soon



enjoying　another；　almost　its　equal　in　degree；　however　unlike



in　kind。　　She　could　not　think　the　Tilneys　had　acted　quite



well　by　her；　in　so　readily　giving　up　their　engagement；



without　sending　her　any　message　of　excuse。　　It　was　now



but　an　hour　later　than　the　time　fixed　on　for　the　beginning



of　their　walk；　and；　in　spite　of　what　she　had　heard　of　the



prodigious　accumulation　of　dirt　in　the　course　of　that　hour；



she　could　not　from　her　own　observation　help　thinking



that　they　might　have　gone　with　very　little　inconvenience。　



To　feel　herself　slighted　by　them　was　very　painful。　



On　the　other　hand；　the　delight　of　exploring　an　edifice



like　Udolpho；　as　her　fancy　represented　Blaize　Castle　to　be；



was　such　a　counterpoise　of　good　as　might　console　her　for



almost　anything。　







　　　　　They　passed　briskly　down　Pulteney　Street；　and　through



Laura　Place；　without　the　exchange　of　many　words。　



Thorpe　talked　to　his　horse；　and　she　meditated；　by　turns；



on　broken　promises　and　broken　arches；　phaetons　and



false　hangings；　Tilneys　and　trap…doors。　As　they　entered



Argyle　Buildings；　however；　she　was　roused　by　this　address



from　her　companion；　〃Who　is　that　girl　who　looked　at　you



so　hard　as　she　went　by？〃







　　　　　〃Who？　Where？〃







　　　　　〃On　the　right…hand　pavementshe　must　be　almost



out　of　sight　now。〃　Catherine　looked　round　and　saw　Miss



Tilney　leaning　on　her　brother's　arm；　walking　slowly　down



the　street。　　She　saw　them　both　looking　back　at　her。　



〃Stop；　stop；　Mr。　Thorpe；〃　she　impatiently　cried；



〃it　is　Miss　Tilney；　it　is　indeed。　　How　could　you　tell　me



they　were　gone？　Stop；　stop；　I　will　get　out　this　moment



and　go　to　them。〃　But　to　what　purpose　did　she　speak？　Thorpe



only　lashed　his　horse　into　a　brisker　trot；　the　Tilneys；



who　had　soon　ceased　to　look　after　her；　were　in　a　moment



out　of　sight　round　the　corner　of　Laura　Place；　and　in　another



moment　she　was　herself　whisked　into　the　marketplace。　



Still；　however；　and　during　the　length　of　another　street；



she　entreated　him　to　stop。　　〃Pray；　pray　stop；　Mr。　Thorpe。　



I　cannot　go　on。　　I　will　not　go　on。　　I　must　go　back　to



Miss　Tilney。〃　But　Mr。　Thorpe　only　laughed；　smacked　his　whip；



encouraged　his　horse；　made　odd　noises；　and　drove　on；



and　Catherine；　angry　and　vexed　as　she　was；　having　no



power　of　getting　away；　was　obliged　to　give　up　the　point



and　submit。　　Her　reproaches；　however；　were　not　spared。　



〃How　could　you　deceive　me　so；　Mr。　Thorpe？　How　could　you



say　that　you　saw　them　driving　up　the　Lansdown　Road？　I



would　not　have　had　it　happen　so　for　the　world。　　They　must



think　it　so　strange；　so　rude　of　me！　To　go　by　them；　too；



without　saying　a　word！　You　do　not　know　how　vexed　I　am；



I　shall　have　no　pleasure　at　Clifton；　nor　in　anything　else。　



I　had　rather；　ten　thousand　times　rather；　get　out　now；



and　walk　back　to　them。　　How　could　you　say　you　saw　them　driving



out　in　a　phaeton？〃　Thorpe　defended　himself　very　stoutly；



declared　he　had　never　seen　two　men　so　much　alike　in　his　life；



and　would　hardly　give　up　the　point　of　its　having　been



Tilney　himself。　







　　　　　Their　drive；　even　when　this　subject　was　over；　was　not



likely　to　be　very　agreeable。　　Catherine's　complaisance



was　no　longer　what　it　had　been　in　their　former　airing。　



She　listened　reluctantly；　and　her　replies　were　short。　



Blaize　Castle　remained　her　only　comfort；　towards　that；



she　still　looked　at　intervals　with　pleasure；　though　rather



than　be　disappointed　of　the　promised　walk；　and　especially



rather　than　be　thought　ill　of　by　the　Tilneys；　she　would



willingly　have　given　up　all　the　happiness　which　its　walls



could　supplythe　happiness　of　a　progress　through　a　long



suite　of　lofty　rooms；　exhibiting　the　remains　of　magnificent



furniture；　though　now　for　many　years　desertedthe　happiness



of　being　stopped　in　their　way　along　narrow；　winding　vaults；



by　a　low；　grated　door；　or　even　of　having　their　lamp；



their　only　lamp；　extinguished　by　a　sudden　gust　of　wind；



and　of　being　left　in　total　darkness。　　In　the　meanwhile；



they　proceeded　on　their　journey　without　any　mischance；



and　were　within　view　of　the　town　of　Keynsham；　when　a　halloo



from　Morland；　who　was　behind　them；　made　his　friend　pull　up；



to　know　what　was　the　matter。　　The　others　then　came　close



enough　for　conversation；　and　Morland　said；　〃We　had



better　go　back；　Thorpe；　it　is　too　late　to　go　on　today；



your　sister　thinks　so　as　well　as　I。　We　have　been　exactly



an　hour　coming　from　Pulteney　Street；　very　little　more



than　seven　miles；　and；　I　suppose；　we　have　at　least　eight



more　to　go。　　It　will　never　do。　　We　set　out　a　great　deal



too　late。　　We　had　much　better　put　it　off　till　another　day；



and　turn　round。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　all　one　to　me；〃　replied　Thorpe　rather　angrily；



and　instantly　turning　his　horse；　they　were　on　their　way



back　to　Bath。　







　　　　　〃If　your　brother　had　not　got　such　a　d　beast　to　drive；〃



said　he　soon　afterwards；　〃we　might　have　done　it　very　well。　



My　horse　would　have　trotted　to　Clifton　within　the　hour；



if　left　to　himself；　and　I　have　almost　broke　my　arm　with



pulling　him　in　to　that　cursed　broken…winded　jade's　pace。　



Morland　is　a　fool　for　not　keeping　a　horse　and　gig　of



his　own。〃







　　　　　〃No；　he　is　not；〃　said　Catherine　warmly；　〃for　I　am



sure　he　could　not　afford　it。〃







　　　　　〃And　why　cannot　he　afford　it？〃







　　　　　〃Because　he　has　not　money　enough。〃







　　　　　〃And　whose　fault　is　that？〃







　　　　　〃Nobody's；　that　I　know　of。〃　Thorpe　then　said　something



in　the　loud；　incoherent　way　to　which　he　had　often　recourse；



about　its　being　a　d　thing　to　be　miserly；　and　that　if



people　who　rolled　in　money　could　not　afford　things；



he　did　not　know　who　could；　which　Catherine　did　not　even



endeavour　to　understand。　　Disappointed　of　what　was　to



have　been　the　consolation　for　her　first　disappointment；



she　was　less　and　less　disposed　either　to　be　agreeable



herself　or　to　find　her　companion　so；　and　they　returned



to　Pulteney　Street　without　her　speaking　twenty　words。　







　　　　　As　she　entered　the　house；　the　footman　told　her　that　a



gentleman　and　lady　had　catted　and　inquired　for　her　a　few



minutes　after　her　setting　off；　that；　when　he　told　them　she



was　gone　out　with　Mr。　Thorpe；　the　lady　had　asked　whether



any　message　had　been　left　for　her；　and　on　his　saying　no；



had　felt　for　a　card；　but　said　she　had　none　about　her；



and　went　away。　　Pondering　over　these　heart…rending　tidings；



Catherine　walked　slowly　upstairs。　　At　the　head　of　them



she　was　met　by　Mr。　Allen；　who；　on　hearing　the　reason



of　their　speedy　return；　said；　〃I　am　glad　your　brother



had　so　much　sense；　I　am　glad　you　are　come　back。　



It　was　a　strange；　wild　scheme。〃







　　　　　They　all　spent　the　evening　together　at　Thorpe's。



Catherine　was　disturbed　and　out　of　spirits；　but　Isabella



seemed　to　find　a　pool　of　commerce；　in　the　fate　of



which　she　shared；　by　private　partnership　with　Morland；



a　very　good　equivalent　for　the　quiet　and　country　air



of　an　inn　at　Clifton。　　Her　satisfaction；　too；　in　not



being　at　the　Lower　Rooms　was　spoken　more　than　once。　



〃How　I　pity　the　poor　creatures　that　are　going　there！　How



glad　I　am　that　I　am　not　amongst　them！　I　wonder　whether



it　will　be　a　full　ball　or　not！　They　have　not　begun



dancing　yet。　　I　would　not　be　there　for　all　the　world。　



It　is　so　delightful　to　have　an　evening　now　and　then



to　oneself。　　I　dare　say　it　will　not　be　a　very　good　ball。　



I　know　the　Mitchells　will　not　be　there。　　I　am　su