northanger abbey-第25章

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Young　people　do　not　like　to　be　always　thwarted。〃







　　　　　〃But　this　was　something　of　real　consequence；　and　I



do　not　think　you　would　have　found　me　hard　to　persuade。〃







　　　　　〃As　far　as　it　has　gone　hitherto；　there　is　no　harm　done；〃



said　Mr。　Allen；　〃and　I　would　only　advise　you；　my　dear；



not　to　go　out　with　Mr。　Thorpe　any　more。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　just　what　I　was　going　to　say；〃　added　his　wife。　







　　　　　Catherine；　relieved　for　herself；　felt　uneasy



for　Isabella；　and　after　a　moment's　thought；　asked　Mr。　Allen



whether　it　would　not　be　both　proper　and　kind　in　her



to　write　to　Miss　Thorpe；　and　explain　the　indecorum



of　which　she　must　be　as　insensible　as　herself；　for　she



considered　that　Isabella　might　otherwise　perhaps　be　going



to　Clifton　the　next　day；　in　spite　of　what　had　passed。　



Mr。　Allen；　however；　discouraged　her　from　doing　any



such　thing。　　〃You　had　better　leave　her　alone；　my　dear；



she　is　old　enough　to　know　what　she　is　about；　and　if　not；



has　a　mother　to　advise　her。　　Mrs。　Thorpe　is　too　indulgent



beyond　a　doubt；　but；　however；　you　had　better　not　interfere。　



She　and　your　brother　choose　to　go；　and　you　will　be　only



getting　ill　will。〃







　　　　　Catherine　submitted；　and　though　sorry　to　think　that



Isabella　should　be　doing　wrong；　felt　greatly　relieved



by　Mr。　Allen's　approbation　of　her　own　conduct；　and　truly



rejoiced　to　be　preserved　by　his　advice　from　the　danger



of　falling　into　such　an　error　herself。　　Her　escape　from



being　one　of　the　party　to　Clifton　was　now　an　escape　indeed；



for　what　would　the　Tilneys　have　thought　of　her；　if　she



had　broken　her　promise　to　them　in　order　to　do　what　was



wrong　in　itself；　if　she　had　been　guilty　of　one　breach



of　propriety；　only　to　enable　her　to　be　guilty　of　another？















CHAPTER　14











　　　　　The　next　morning　was　fair；　and　Catherine　almost



expected　another　attack　from　the　assembled　party。　



With　Mr。　Allen　to　support　her；　she　felt　no　dread　of



the　event：　but　she　would　gladly　be　spared　a　contest；



where　victory　itself　was　painful；　and　was　heartily　rejoiced



therefore　at　neither　seeing　nor　hearing　anything　of　them。　



The　Tilneys　called　for　her　at　the　appointed　time；



and　no　new　difficulty　arising；　no　sudden　recollection；



no　unexpected　summons；　no　impertinent　intrusion　to　disconcert



their　measures；　my　heroine　was　most　unnaturally　able　to　fulfil



her　engagement；　though　it　was　made　with　the　hero　himself。　



They　determined　on　walking　round　Beechen　Cliff；　that　noble



hill　whose　beautiful　verdure　and　hanging　coppice　render　it



so　striking　an　object　from　almost　every　opening　in　Bath。　







　　　　　〃I　never　look　at　it；〃　said　Catherine；　as　they



walked　along　the　side　of　the　river；　〃without　thinking



of　the　south　of　France。〃







　　　　　〃You　have　been　abroad　then？〃　said　Henry；　a　little　surprised。　







　　　　　〃Oh！　No；　I　only　mean　what　I　have　read　about。　



It　always　puts　me　in　mind　of　the　country　that　Emily　and　her



father　travelled　through；　in　The　Mysteries　of　Udolpho。　



But　you　never　read　novels；　I　dare　say？〃







　　　　　〃Why　not？〃







　　　　　〃Because　they　are　not　clever　enough　for　yougentlemen



read　better　books。〃







　　　　　〃The　person；　be　it　gentleman　or　lady；　who　has　not



pleasure　in　a　good　novel；　must　be　intolerably　stupid。　



I　have　read　all　Mrs。　Radcliffe's　works；　and　most　of



them　with　great　pleasure。　　The　Mysteries　of　Udolpho；



when　I　had　once　begun　it；　I　could　not　lay　down　again；



I　remember　finishing　it　in　two　daysmy　hair　standing　on　end



the　whole　time。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；〃　added　Miss　Tilney；　〃and　I　remember　that　you



undertook　to　read　it　aloud　to　me；　and　that　when　I　was　called



away　for　only　five　minutes　to　answer　a　note；　instead　of



waiting　for　me；　you　took　the　volume　into　the　Hermitage　Walk；



and　I　was　obliged　to　stay　till　you　had　finished　it。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　Eleanora　most　honourable　testimony。　



You　see；　Miss　Morland；　the　injustice　of　your　suspicions。　



Here　was　I；　in　my　eagerness　to　get　on；　refusing　to　wait



only　five　minutes　for　my　sister；　breaking　the　promise



I　had　made　of　reading　it　aloud；　and　keeping　her　in



suspense　at　a　most　interesting　part；　by　running　away



with　the　volume；　which；　you　are　to　observe；　was　her　own；



particularly　her　own。　　I　am　proud　when　I　reflect　on　it；



and　I　think　it　must　establish　me　in　your　good　opinion。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　very　glad　to　hear　it　indeed；　and　now　I　shall



never　be　ashamed　of　liking　Udolpho　myself。　　But　I　really



thought　before；　young　men　despised　novels　amazingly。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　amazingly；　it　may　well　suggest　amazement



if　they　dofor　they　read　nearly　as　many　as　women。　



I　myself　have　read　hundreds　and　hundreds。　　Do　not　imagine



that　you　can　cope　with　me　in　a　knowledge　of　Julias



and　Louisas。　　If　we　proceed　to　particulars；　and　engage



in　the　never…ceasing　inquiry　of　'Have　you　read　this？'



and　'Have　you　read　that？'　I　shall　soon　leave　you　as　far



behind　me　aswhat　shall　I　say？l　want　an　appropriate



simile。as　far　as　your　friend　Emily　herself　left　poor



Valancourt　when　she　went　with　her　aunt　into　Italy。　



Consider　how　many　years　I　have　had　the　start　of　you。　



I　had　entered　on　my　studies　at　Oxford；　while　you　were　a　good



little　girl　working　your　sampler　at　home！〃







　　　　　〃Not　very　good；　I　am　afraid。　　But　now　really；



do　not　you　think　Udolpho　the　nicest　book　in　the　world？〃







　　　　　〃The　nicestby　which　I　suppose　you　mean　the　neatest。　



That　must　depend　upon　the　binding。〃







　　　　　〃Henry；〃　said　Miss　Tilney；　〃you　are　very　impertinent。　



Miss　Morland；　he　is　treating　you　exactly　as　he　does　his　sister。　



He　is　forever　finding　fault　with　me；　for　some　incorrectness



of　language；　and　now　he　is　taking　the　same　liberty　with　you。　



The　word　'nicest；'　as　you　used　it；　did　not　suit　him；



and　you　had　better　change　it　as　soon　as　you　can；　or　we



shall　be　overpowered　with　Johnson　and　Blair　all　the　rest



of　the　way。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure；〃　cried　Catherine；　〃I　did　not　mean



to　say　anything　wrong；　but　it　is　a　nice　book；　and　why



should　not　I　call　it　so？〃







　　　　　〃Very　true；〃　said　Henry；　〃and　this　is　a　very　nice　day；



and　we　are　taking　a　very　nice　walk；　and　you　are　two



very　nice　young　ladies。　　Oh！　It　is　a　very　nice　word



indeed！　It　does　for　everything。　　Originally　perhaps　it



was　applied　only　to　express　neatness；　propriety；　delicacy；



or　refinementpeople　were　nice　in　their　dress；



in　their　sentiments；　or　their　choice。　　But　now　every



commendation　on　every　subject　is　comprised　in　that　one　word。〃







　　　　　〃While；　in　fact；〃　cried　his　sister；　〃it　ought　only



to　be　applied　to　you；　without　any　commendation　at　all。　



You　are　more　nice　than　wise。　　Come；　Miss　Morland；



let　us　leave　him　to　meditate　over　our　faults　in　the　utmost



propriety　of　diction；　while　we　praise　Udolpho　in　whatever



terms　we　like　best。　　It　is　a　most　interesting　work。　



You　are　fond　of　that　kind　of　reading？〃







　　　　　〃To　say　the　truth；　I　do　not　much　like　any　other。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed！〃







　　　　　〃That　is；　I　can　read　poetry　and　plays；　and　things



of　that　sort；　and　do　not　dislike　travels。　　But　history；



real　solemn　history；　I　cannot　be　interested　in。　



Can　you？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　am　fond　of　history。〃







　　　　　〃I　wish　I　were　too。　　I　read　it　a　little　as　a　duty；



but　it　tells　me　nothing　that　does　not　either　vex　or　weary　me。　



The　quarrels　of　popes　and　kings；　with　wars　or　pestilences；



in　every　page；　the　men　all　so　good　for　nothing；



and　hardly　any　women　at　allit　is　very　tiresome：



and