northanger abbey-第24章

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hardly　have　been　a　proper　one。　







　　　　　Away　walked　Catherine　in　great　agitation；　as　fast



as　the　crowd　would　permit　her；　fearful　of　being　pursued；



yet　determined　to　persevere。　　As　she　walked；　she　reflected



on　what　had　passed。　　It　was　painful　to　her　to　disappoint



and　displease　them；　particularly　to　displease　her　brother；



but　she　could　not　repent　her　resistance。　　Setting　her　own



inclination　apart；　to　have　failed　a　second　time　in　her



engagement　to　Miss　Tilney；　to　have　retracted　a　promise



voluntarily　made　only　five　minutes　before；　and　on　a　false



pretence　too；　must　have　been　wrong。　　She　had　not　been



withstanding　them　on　selfish　principles　alone；　she　had



not　consulted　merely　her　own　gratification；　that　might



have　been　ensured　in　some　degree　by　the　excursion　itself；



by　seeing　Blaize　Castle；　no；　she　had　attended　to　what　was



due　to　others；　and　to　her　own　character　in　their　opinion。　



Her　conviction　of　being　right；　however；　was　not　enough



to　restore　her　composure；　till　she　had　spoken　to　Miss



Tilney　she　could　not　be　at　ease；　and　quickening　her　pace



when　she　got　clear　of　the　Crescent；　she　almost　ran　over　the



remaining　ground　till　she　gained　the　top　of　Milsom　Street。　



So　rapid　had　been　her　movements　that　in　spite　of　the　Tilneys'



advantage　in　the　outset；　they　were　but　just　fuming



into　their　lodgings　as　she　came　within　view　of　them；



and　the　servant　still　remaining　at　the　open　door；



she　used　only　the　ceremony　of　saying　that　she　must



speak　with　Miss　Tilney　that　moment；　and　hurrying　by　him



proceeded　upstairs。　　Then；　opening　the　first　door



before　her；　which　happened　to　be　the　right；　she　immediately



found　herself　in　the　drawing…room　with　General　Tilney；



his　son；　and　daughter。　　Her　explanation；　defective　only



in　beingfrom　her　irritation　of　nerves　and　shortness



of　breathno　explanation　at　all；　was　instantly　given。　



〃I　am　come　in　a　great　hurryIt　was　all　a　mistakeI



never　promised　to　goI　told　them　from　the　first　I　could



not　go。I　ran　away　in　a　great　hurry　to　explain　it。I



did　not　care　what　you　thought　of　me。I　would　not　stay



for　the　servant。〃







　　　　　The　business；　however；　though　not　perfectly



elucidated　by　this　speech；　soon　ceased　to　be　a　puzzle。　



Catherine　found　that　John　Thorpe　had　given　the　message；



and　Miss　Tilney　had　no　scruple　in　owning　herself　greatly



surprised　by　it。　　But　whether　her　brother　had　still



exceeded　her　in　resentment；　Catherine；　though　she



instinctively　addressed　herself　as　much　to　one　as　to



the　other　in　her　vindication；　had　no　means　of　knowing。　



Whatever　might　have　been　felt　before　her　arrival；



her　eager　declarations　immediately　made　every　look



and　sentence　as　friendly　as　she　could　desire。　







　　　　　The　affair　thus　happily　settled；　she　was　introduced



by　Miss　Tilney　to　her　father；　and　received　by　him



with　such　ready；　such　solicitous　politeness　as　recalled



Thorpe's　information　to　her　mind；　and　made　her　think



with　pleasure　that　he　might　be　sometimes　depended　on。　



To　such　anxious　attention　was　the　general's　civility　carried；



that　not　aware　of　her　extraordinary　swiftness　in　entering



the　house；　he　was　quite　angry　with　the　servant　whose　neglect



had　reduced　her　to　open　the　door　of　the　apartment　herself。　



〃What　did　William　mean　by　it？　He　should　make　a　point



of　inquiring　into　the　matter。〃　And　if　Catherine　had　not



most　warmly　asserted　his　innocence；　it　seemed　likely



that　William　would　lose　the　favour　of　his　master　forever；



if　not　his　place；　by　her　rapidity。　







　　　　　After　sitting　with　them　a　quarter　of　an　hour；



she　rose　to　take　leave；　and　was　then　most　agreeably



surprised　by　General　Tilney's　asking　her　if　she　would　do



his　daughter　the　honour　of　dining　and　spending　the　rest



of　the　day　with　her。　　Miss　Tilney　added　her　own　wishes。　



Catherine　was　greatly　obliged；　but　it　was　quite　out



of　her　power。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　would　expect　her　back



every　moment。　　The　general　declared　he　could　say　no　more；



the　claims　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　were　not　to　be　superseded；



but　on　some　other　day　he　trusted；　when　longer　notice　could



be　given；　they　would　not　refuse　to　spare　her　to　her　friend。　



〃Oh；　no；　Catherine　was　sure　they　would　not　have　the　least



objection；　and　she　should　have　great　pleasure　in　coming。〃



The　general　attended　her　himself　to　the　street…door；



saying　everything　gallant　as　they　went　downstairs；



admiring　the　elasticity　of　her　walk；　which　corresponded



exactly　with　the　spirit　of　her　dancing；　and　making



her　one　of　the　most　graceful　bows　she　had　ever　beheld；



when　they　parted。　







　　　　　Catherine；　delighted　by　all　that　had　passed；



proceeded　gaily　to　Pulteney　Street；　walking；　as　she



concluded；　with　great　elasticity；　though　she　had　never



thought　of　it　before。　　She　reached　home　without　seeing



anything　more　of　the　offended　party；　and　now　that　she



had　been　triumphant　throughout；　had　carried　her　point；



and　was　secure　of　her　walk；　she　began　（as　the　flutter



of　her　spirits　subsided）　to　doubt　whether　she　had　been



perfectly　right。　　A　sacrifice　was　always　noble；　and　if　she



had　given　way　to　their　entreaties；　she　should　have　been



spared　the　distressing　idea　of　a　friend　displeased；



a　brother　angry；　and　a　scheme　of　great　happiness　to　both



destroyed；　perhaps　through　her　means。　　To　ease　her　mind；



and　ascertain　by　the　opinion　of　an　unprejudiced　person



what　her　own　conduct　had　really　been；　she　took　occasion



to　mention　before　Mr。　Allen　the　half…settled　scheme



of　her　brother　and　the　Thorpes　for　the　following　day。　



Mr。　Allen　caught　at　it　directly。　　〃Well；〃　said　he；



〃and　do　you　think　of　going　too？〃







　　　　　〃No；　I　had　just　engaged　myself　to　walk　with　Miss



Tilney　before　they　told　me　of　it；　and　therefore　you　know



I　could　not　go　with　them；　could　I？〃







　　　　　〃No；　certainly　not；　and　I　am　glad　you　do　not



think　of　it。　　These　schemes　are　not　at　all　the　thing。　



Young　men　and　women　driving　about　the　country　in　open



carriages！　Now　and　then　it　is　very　well；　but　going　to　inns



and　public　places　together！　It　is　not　right；　and　I　wonder



Mrs。　Thorpe　should　allow　it。　　I　am　glad　you　do　not　think



of　going；　I　am　sure　Mrs。　Morland　would　not　be　pleased。　



Mrs。　Allen；　are　not　you　of　my　way　of　thinking？　Do　not　you



think　these　kind　of　projects　objectionable？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　much　so　indeed。　　Open　carriages　are



nasty　things。　　A　clean　gown　is　not　five　minutes'　wear　in　them。　



You　are　splashed　getting　in　and　getting　out；　and　the　wind



takes　your　hair　and　your　bonnet　in　every　direction。　



I　hate　an　open　carriage　myself。〃







　　　　　〃I　know　you　do；　but　that　is　not　the　question。　



Do　not　you　think　it　has　an　odd　appearance；　if　young



ladies　are　frequently　driven　about　in　them　by　young　men；



to　whom　they　are　not　even　related？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　my　dear；　a　very　odd　appearance　indeed。　



I　cannot　bear　to　see　it。〃







　　　　　〃Dear　madam；〃　cried　Catherine；　〃then　why　did　not



you　tell　me　so　before？　I　am　sure　if　I　had　known　it　to



be　improper；　I　would　not　have　gone　with　Mr。　Thorpe　at　all；



but　I　always　hoped　you　would　tell　me；　if　you　thought　I



was　doing　wrong。〃







　　　　　〃And　so　I　should；　my　dear；　you　may　depend　on　it；　for　as　I



told　Mrs。　Morland　at　parting；　I　would　always　do　the　best



for　you　in　my　power。　　But　one　must　not　be　over　particular。　



Young　people　will　be　young　people；　as　your　good　mother



says　herself。　　You　know　I　wanted　you；　when　we　first　came；



not　to　buy　that　sprigged　muslin；　but　you　would。　



Young　people　do　not　like　to　be　always　thwarted。〃