northanger abbey-第29章

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that　the　smallest　income　in　nature　would　be　enough　for　me。　



Where　people　are　really　attached；　poverty　itself　is　wealth；



grandeur　I　detest：　I　would　not　settle　in　London　for　the　universe。　



A　cottage　in　some　retired　village　would　be　ecstasy。　



There　are　some　charming　little　villas　about　Richmond。〃







　　　　　〃Richmond！〃　cried　Catherine。　　〃You　must　settle



near　Fullerton。　　You　must　be　near　us。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　shall　be　miserable　if　we　do　not。　



If　I　can　but　be　near　you；　I　shall　be　satisfied。　



But　this　is　idle　talking！　I　will　not　allow　myself　to　think



of　such　things；　till　we　have　your　father's　answer。　



Morland　says　that　by　sending　it　tonight　to　Salisbury；



we　may　have　it　tomorrow。　　Tomorrow？　I　know　I　shall　never　have



courage　to　open　the　letter。　　I　know　it　will　be　the　death



of　me。〃







　　　　　A　reverie　succeeded　this　convictionand　when



Isabella　spoke　again；　it　was　to　resolve　on　the　quality



of　her　wedding…gown。







　　　　　Their　conference　was　put　an　end　to　by　the　anxious



young　lover　himself；　who　came　to　breathe　his　parting　sigh



before　he　set　off　for　Wiltshire。　　Catherine　wished　to



congratulate　him；　but　knew　not　what　to　say；　and　her　eloquence



was　only　in　her　eyes。　　From　them；　however；　the　eight　parts



of　speech　shone　out　most　expressively；　and　James　could



combine　them　with　ease。　　Impatient　for　the　realization



of　all　that　he　hoped　at　home；　his　adieus　were　not　long；



and　they　would　have　been　yet　shorter；　had　he　not　been



frequently　detained　by　the　urgent　entreaties　of　his　fair



one　that　he　would　go。　　Twice　was　he　called　almost　from　the



door　by　her　eagerness　to　have　him　gone。　　〃Indeed；　Morland；



I　must　drive　you　away。　　Consider　how　far　you　have　to　ride。　



I　cannot　bear　to　see　you　linger　so。　　For　heaven's　sake；



waste　no　more　time。　　There；　go；　goI　insist　on　it。〃







　　　　　The　two　friends；　with　hearts　now　more　united　than　ever；



were　inseparable　for　the　day；　and　in　schemes　of　sisterly



happiness　the　hours　flew　along。　　Mrs。　Thorpe　and　her　son；



who　were　acquainted　with　everything；　and　who　seemed　only



to　want　Mr。　Morland's　consent；　to　consider　Isabella's



engagement　as　the　most　fortunate　circumstance　imaginable



for　their　family；　were　allowed　to　join　their　counsels；



and　add　their　quota　of　significant　looks　and　mysterious



expressions　to　fill　up　the　measure　of　curiosity



to　be　raised　in　the　unprivileged　younger　sisters。　



To　Catherine's　simple　feelings；　this　odd　sort　of　reserve



seemed　neither　kindly　meant；　nor　consistently　supported；



and　its　unkindness　she　would　hardly　have　forborne



pointing　out；　had　its　inconsistency　been　less　their　friend；



but　Anne　and　Maria　soon　set　her　heart　at　ease　by　the



sagacity　of　their　〃I　know　what〃；　and　the　evening　was　spent



in　a　sort　of　war　of　wit；　a　display　of　family　ingenuity；



on　one　side　in　the　mystery　of　an　affected　secret；



on　the　other　of　undefined　discovery；　all　equally　acute。　







　　　　　Catherine　was　with　her　friend　again　the　next　day；



endeavouring　to　support　her　spirits　and　while　away　the



many　tedious　hours　before　the　delivery　of　the　letters；



a　needful　exertion；　for　as　the　time　of　reasonable　expectation



drew　near；　Isabella　became　more　and　more　desponding；



and　before　the　letter　arrived；　had　worked　herself



into　a　state　of　real　distress。　　But　when　it　did　come；



where　could　distress　be　found？　〃I　have　had　no　difficulty



in　gaining　the　consent　of　my　kind　parents；　and　am



promised　that　everything　in　their　power　shall　be　done



to　forward　my　happiness；〃　were　the　first　three　lines；



and　in　one　moment　all　was　joyful　security。　　The　brightest



glow　was　instantly　spread　over　Isabella's　features；



all　care　and　anxiety　seemed　removed；　her　spirits　became



almost　too　high　for　control；　and　she　called　herself　without



scruple　the　happiest　of　mortals。　







　　　　　Mrs。　Thorpe；　with　tears　of　joy；　embraced　her　daughter；



her　son；　her　visitor；　and　could　have　embraced　half



the　inhabitants　of　Bath　with　satisfaction。　　Her　heart



was　overflowing　with　tenderness。　　It　was　〃dear　John〃



and　〃dear　Catherine〃　at　every　word；　〃dear　Anne　and　dear　Maria〃



must　immediately　be　made　sharers　in　their　felicity；



and　two　〃dears〃　at　once　before　the　name　of　Isabella　were



not　more　than　that　beloved　child　had　now　well　earned。　



John　himself　was　no　skulker　in　joy。　　He　not　only　bestowed



on　Mr。　Morland　the　high　commendation　of　being　one　of　the



finest　fellows　in　the　world；　but　swore　off　many　sentences



in　his　praise。　







　　　　　The　letter；　whence　sprang　all　this　felicity；　was　short；



containing　little　more　than　this　assurance　of　success；



and　every　particular　was　deferred　till　James　could　write　again。　



But　for　particulars　Isabella　could　well　afford　to　wait。　



The　needful　was　comprised　in　Mr。　Morland's　promise；



his　honour　was　pledged　to　make　everything　easy；　and　by



what　means　their　income　was　to　be　formed；　whether　landed



property　were　to　be　resigned；　or　funded　money　made　over；



was　a　matter　in　which　her　disinterested　spirit　took



no　concern。　　She　knew　enough　to　feel　secure　of　an　honourable



and　speedy　establishment；　and　her　imagination　took　a　rapid



flight　over　its　attendant　felicities。　　She　saw　herself　at



the　end　of　a　few　weeks；　the　gaze　and　admiration　of　every



new　acquaintance　at　Fullerton；　the　envy　of　every　valued



old　friend　in　Putney；　with　a　carriage　at　her　command；



a　new　name　on　her　tickets；　and　a　brilliant　exhibition



of　hoop　rings　on　her　finger。　







　　　　　When　the　contents　of　the　letter　were　ascertained；



John　Thorpe；　who　had　only　waited　its　arrival　to　begin　his



journey　to　London；　prepared　to　set　off。　　〃Well；　Miss　Morland；〃



said　he；　on　finding　her　alone　in　the　parlour；　〃I　am　come



to　bid　you　good…bye。〃　Catherine　wished　him　a　good　journey。　



Without　appearing　to　hear　her；　he　walked　to　the　window；



fidgeted　about；　hummed　a　tune；　and　seemed　wholly



self…occupied。







　　　　　〃Shall　not　you　be　late　at　Devizes？〃　said　Catherine。　



He　made　no　answer；　but　after　a　minute's　silence　burst



out　with；　〃A　famous　good　thing　this　marrying　scheme；



upon　my　soul！　A　clever　fancy　of　Morland's　and　Belle's。



What　do　you　think　of　it；　Miss　Morland？　I　say　it　is　no



bad　notion。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　think　it　a　very　good　one。〃







　　　　　〃Do　you？　That's　honest；　by　heavens！　I　am　glad　you



are　no　enemy　to　matrimony；　however。　　Did　you　ever　hear



the　old　song　'Going　to　One　Wedding　Brings　on　Another？'



I　say；　you　will　come　to　Belle's　wedding；　I　hope。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　have　promised　your　sister　to　be　with　her；



if　possible。〃







　　　　　〃And　then　you　know〃twisting　himself　about



and　forcing　a　foolish　laugh〃I　say；　then　you　know；



we　may　try　the　truth　of　this　same　old　song。〃







　　　　　〃May　we？　But　I　never　sing。　　Well；　I　wish　you　a　good　journey。　



I　dine　with　Miss　Tilney　today；　and　must　now　be　going　home。〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　but　there　is　no　such　confounded　hurry。　



Who　knows　when　we　may　be　together　again？　Not　but　that　I



shall　be　down　again　by　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　and　a



devilish　long　fortnight　it　will　appear　to　me。〃







　　　　　〃Then　why　do　you　stay　away　so　long？〃



replied　Catherinefinding　that　he　waited　for　an　answer。　







　　　　　〃That　is　kind　of　you；　howeverkind　and　good…natured。



I　shall　not　forget　it　in　a　hurry。　　But　you　have　more　good



nature　and　all　that；　than　anybody　living；　I　believe。　



A　monstrous　deal　of　good　nature；　and　it　is　not　only



good　nature；　but　you　have　so　much；　so　much　of　everything；



and　then　you　have　such　upon　my　soul；　I　do　not　know



anybody　like　you。〃