northanger abbey-第23章

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of　both　the　Thorpes；　they　must　go　to　Clifton　tomorrow；



they　would　not　go　without　her；　it　would　be　nothing



to　put　off　a　mere　walk　for　one　day　longer；　and　they



would　not　hear　of　a　refusal。　　Catherine　was　distressed；



but　not　subdued。　　〃Do　not　urge　me；　Isabella。　　I　am　engaged



to　Miss　Tilney。　　I　cannot　go。〃　This　availed　nothing。　



The　same　arguments　assailed　her　again；　she　must　go；



she　should　go；　and　they　would　not　hear　of　a　refusal。　



〃It　would　be　so　easy　to　tell　Miss　Tilney　that　you　had　just



been　reminded　of　a　prior　engagement；　and　must　only　beg　to



put　off　the　walk　till　Tuesday。〃







　　　　　〃No；　it　would　not　be　easy。　　I　could　not　do　it。　



There　has　been　no　prior　engagement。〃　But　Isabella　became



only　more　and　more　urgent；　calling　on　her　in　the　most



affectionate　manner；　addressing　her　by　the　most　endearing　names。　



She　was　sure　her　dearest；　sweetest　Catherine　would　not



seriously　refuse　such　a　trifling　request　to　a　friend



who　loved　her　so　dearly。　　She　knew　her　beloved　Catherine



to　have　so　feeling　a　heart；　so　sweet　a　temper；　to　be　so



easily　persuaded　by　those　she　loved。　　But　all　in　vain；



Catherine　felt　herself　to　be　in　the　right；　and　though



pained　by　such　tender；　such　flattering　supplication；



could　not　allow　it　to　influence　her。　　Isabella　then



tried　another　method。　　She　reproached　her　with　having



more　affection　for　Miss　Tilney；　though　she　had　known　her



so　little　a　while；　than　for　her　best　and　oldest　friends；



with　being　grown　cold　and　indifferent；　in　short；



towards　herself。　　〃I　cannot　help　being　jealous；　Catherine；



when　I　see　myself　slighted　for　strangers；　I；　who　love



you　so　excessively！　When　once　my　affections　are　placed；



it　is　not　in　the　power　of　anything　to　change　them。　



But　I　believe　my　feelings　are　stronger　than　anybody's；



I　am　sure　they　are　too　strong　for　my　own　peace；　and　to　see



myself　supplanted　in　your　friendship　by　strangers　does　cut



me　to　the　quick；　I　own。　　These　Tilneys　seem　to　swallow　up



everything　else。〃







　　　　　Catherine　thought　this　reproach　equally　strange



and　unkind。　　Was　it　the　part　of　a　friend　thus　to　expose　her



feelings　to　the　notice　of　others？　Isabella　appeared　to　her



ungenerous　and　selfish；　regardless　of　everything　but　her



own　gratification。　　These　painful　ideas　crossed　her　mind；



though　she　said　nothing。　　Isabella；　in　the　meanwhile；



had　applied　her　handkerchief　to　her　eyes；　and　Morland；



miserable　at　such　a　sight；　could　not　help　saying；



〃Nay；　Catherine。　　I　think　you　cannot　stand　out　any　longer　now。　



The　sacrifice　is　not　much；　and　to　oblige　such　a　friendI



shall　think　you　quite　unkind；　if　you　still　refuse。〃







　　　　　This　was　the　first　time　of　her　brother's　openly



siding　against　her；　and　anxious　to　avoid　his　displeasure；



she　proposed　a　compromise。　　If　they　would　only　put　off



their　scheme　till　Tuesday；　which　they　might　easily　do；



as　it　depended　only　on　themselves；　she　could　go　with　them；



and　everybody　might　then　be　satisfied。　　But　〃No；　no；



no！〃　was　the　immediate　answer；　〃that　could　not　be；



for　Thorpe　did　not　know　that　he　might　not　go　to　town



on　Tuesday。〃　Catherine　was　sorry；　but　could　do　no　more；



and　a　short　silence　ensued；　which　was　broken　by　Isabella；



who　in　a　voice　of　cold　resentment　said；　〃Very　well；



then　there　is　an　end　of　the　party。　　If　Catherine



does　not　go；　I　cannot。　　I　cannot　be　the　only　woman。　



I　would　not；　upon　any　account　in　the　world；　do　so　improper



a　thing。〃







　　　　　〃Catherine；　you　must　go；〃　said　James。　







　　　　　〃But　why　cannot　Mr。　Thorpe　drive　one　of　his　other



sisters？　I　dare　say　either　of　them　would　like　to　go。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　ye；〃　cried　Thorpe；　〃but　I　did　not　come　to　Bath



to　drive　my　sisters　about；　and　look　like　a　fool。　　No；　if　you



do　not　go；　d　me　if　I　do。　　I　only　go　for　the　sake　of　driving　you。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　a　compliment　which　gives　me　no　pleasure。〃



But　her　words　were　lost　on　Thorpe；　who　had　turned



abruptly　away。　







　　　　　The　three　others　still　continued　together；



walking　in　a　most　uncomfortable　manner　to　poor　Catherine；



sometimes　not　a　word　was　said；　sometimes　she　was　again　attacked



with　supplications　or　reproaches；　and　her　arm　was　still



linked　within　Isabella's；　though　their　hearts　were　at　war。　



At　one　moment　she　was　softened；　at　another　irritated；



always　distressed；　but　always　steady。　







　　　　　〃I　did　not　think　you　had　been　so　obstinate；　Catherine；〃



said　James；　〃you　were　not　used　to　be　so　hard　to　persuade；



you　once　were　the　kindest；　best…tempered　of　my　sisters。〃







　　　　　〃I　hope　I　am　not　less　so　now；〃　she　replied；



very　feelingly；　〃but　indeed　I　cannot　go。　　If　I　am　wrong；



I　am　doing　what　I　believe　to　be　right。〃







　　　　　〃I　suspect；〃　said　Isabella；　in　a　low　voice；



〃there　is　no　great　struggle。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　heart　swelled；　she　drew　away　her　arm；



and　Isabella　made　no　opposition。　　Thus　passed　a　long　ten　minutes；



till　they　were　again　joined　by　Thorpe；　who；　coming　to　them



with　a　gayer　look；　said；　〃Well；　I　have　settled　the　matter；



and　now　we　may　all　go　tomorrow　with　a　safe　conscience。　



I　have　been　to　Miss　Tilney；　and　made　your　excuses。〃







　　　　　〃You　have　not！〃　cried　Catherine。　







　　　　　〃I　have；　upon　my　soul。　　Left　her　this　moment。　　Told　her



you　had　sent　me　to　say　that；　having　just　recollected　a　prior



engagement　of　going　to　Clifton　with　us　tomorrow；　you　could



not　have　the　pleasure　of　walking　with　her　till　Tuesday。　



She　said　very　well；　Tuesday　was　just　as　convenient　to　her；



so　there　is　an　end　of　all　our　difficulties。　　A　pretty



good　thought　of　minehey？〃







　　　　　Isabella's　countenance　was　once　more　all　smiles



and　good　humour；　and　James　too　looked　happy　again。　







　　　　　〃A　most　heavenly　thought　indeed！　Now；　my　sweet　Catherine；



all　our　distresses　are　over；　you　are　honourably　acquitted；



and　we　shall　have　a　most　delightful　party。〃







　　　　　〃This　will　not　do；〃　said　Catherine；　〃I　cannot　submit



to　this。　　I　must　run　after　Miss　Tilney　directly　and　set



her　right。〃







　　　　　Isabella；　however；　caught　hold　of　one　hand；　Thorpe　of



the　other；　and　remonstrances　poured　in　from　all　three。　



Even　James　was　quite　angry。　　When　everything　was　settled；



when　Miss　Tilney　herself　said　that　Tuesday　would　suit　her



as　well；　it　was　quite　ridiculous；　quite　absurd；　to　make



any　further　objection。　







　　　　　〃I　do　not　care。　　Mr。　Thorpe　had　no　business　to　invent



any　such　message。　　If　I　had　thought　it　right　to　put



it　off；　I　could　have　spoken　to　Miss　Tilney　myself。　



This　is　only　doing　it　in　a　ruder　way；　and　how　do　I　know



that　Mr。　Thorpe　has　He　may　be　mistaken　again　perhaps；



he　led　me　into　one　act　of　rudeness　by　his　mistake　on　Friday。　



Let　me　go；　Mr。　Thorpe；　Isabella；　do　not　hold　me。　







　　　　　Thorpe　told　her　it　would　be　in　vain　to　go　after



the　Tilneys；　they　were　turning　the　corner　into　Brock　Street；



when　he　had　overtaken　them；　and　were　at　home　by　this　time。　







　　　　　〃Then　I　will　go　after　them；〃　said　Catherine；



〃wherever　they　are　I　will　go　after　them。　　It　does　not



signify　talking。　　If　I　could　not　be　persuaded　into　doing



what　I　thought　wrong；　I　never　will　be　tricked　into　it。〃



And　with　these　words　she　broke　away　and　hurried　off。　



Thorpe　would　have　darted　after　her；　but　Morland　withheld　him。　



〃Let　her　go；　let　her　go；　if　she　will　go。　　She　is　as



obstinate　as〃







　　　　　Thorpe　never　finished　the　simile；　for　it　could



hardly　have　been　a　proper　one。　







　　　　　Away　walked　Catherine　in　great　agitation；　as　fast



as　the　crowd　would　pe