northanger abbey-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





which　was　to　usher　her　into　the　Upper　Rooms。　　Her　hair



was　cut　and　dressed　by　the　best　hand；　her　clothes　put　on



with　care；　and　both　Mrs。　Allen　and　her　maid　declared　she



looked　quite　as　she　should　do。　　With　such　encouragement；



Catherine　hoped　at　least　to　pass　uncensured　through　the　crowd。　



As　for　admiration；　it　was　always　very　welcome　when　it　came；



but　she　did　not　depend　on　it。　







　　　　　Mrs。　Allen　was　so　long　in　dressing　that　they　did　not　enter



the　ballroom　till　late。　　The　season　was　full；　the　room　crowded；



and　the　two　ladies　squeezed　in　as　well　as　they　could。　



As　for　Mr。　Allen；　he　repaired　directly　to　the　card…room；



and　left　them　to　enjoy　a　mob　by　themselves。　　With　more



care　for　the　safety　of　her　new　gown　than　for　the　comfort



of　her　protegee；　Mrs。　Allen　made　her　way　through　the　throng



of　men　by　the　door；　as　swiftly　as　the　necessary　caution



would　allow；　Catherine；　however；　kept　close　at　her　side；



and　linked　her　arm　too　firmly　within　her　friend's　to　be　torn



asunder　by　any　common　effort　of　a　struggling　assembly。　



But　to　her　utter　amazement　she　found　that　to　proceed



along　the　room　was　by　no　means　the　way　to　disengage



themselves　from　the　crowd；　it　seemed　rather　to　increase



as　they　went　on；　whereas　she　had　imagined　that　when　once



fairly　within　the　door；　they　should　easily　find　seats



and　be　able　to　watch　the　dances　with　perfect　convenience。　



But　this　was　far　from　being　the　case；　and　though　by



unwearied　diligence　they　gained　even　the　top　of　the　room；



their　situation　was　just　the　same；　they　saw　nothing　of



the　dancers　but　the　high　feathers　of　some　of　the　ladies。　



Still　they　moved　onsomething　better　was　yet　in　view；



and　by　a　continued　exertion　of　strength　and　ingenuity



they　found　themselves　at　last　in　the　passage　behind



the　highest　bench。　　Here　there　was　something　less



of　crowd　than　below；　and　hence　Miss　Morland　had　a



comprehensive　view　of　all　the　company　beneath　her；



and　of　all　the　dangers　of　her　late　passage　through　them。　



It　was　a　splendid　sight；　and　she　began；　for　the　first



time　that　evening；　to　feel　herself　at　a　ball：　she　longed



to　dance；　but　she　had　not　an　acquaintance　in　the　room。　



Mrs。　Allen　did　all　that　she　could　do　in　such　a　case



by　saying　very　placidly；　every　now　and　then；　〃I　wish　you



could　dance；　my　dearI　wish　you　could　get　a　partner。〃



For　some　time　her　young　friend　felt　obliged　to　her　for



these　wishes；　but　they　were　repeated　so　often；　and　proved



so　totally　ineffectual；　that　Catherine　grew　tired　at　last；



and　would　thank　her　no　more。　







　　　　　They　were　not　long　able；　however；　to　enjoy　the



repose　of　the　eminence　they　had　so　laboriously　gained。　



Everybody　was　shortly　in　motion　for　tea；　and　they　must



squeeze　out　like　the　rest。　　Catherine　began　to　feel



something　of　disappointmentshe　was　tired　of　being



continually　pressed　against　by　people；　the　generality



of　whose　faces　possessed　nothing　to　interest；　and　with



all　of　whom　she　was　so　wholly　unacquainted　that　she



could　not　relieve　the　irksomeness　of　imprisonment　by　the



exchange　of　a　syllable　with　any　of　her　fellow　captives；



and　when　at　last　arrived　in　the　tea…room；　she　felt



yet　more　the　awkwardness　of　having　no　party　to　join；



no　acquaintance　to　claim；　no　gentleman　to　assist　them。　



They　saw　nothing　of　Mr。　Allen；　and　after　looking　about



them　in　vain　for　a　more　eligible　situation；　were　obliged



to　sit　down　at　the　end　of　a　table；　at　which　a　large　party



were　already　placed；　without　having　anything　to　do　there；



or　anybody　to　speak　to；　except　each　other。　







　　　　　Mrs。　Allen　congratulated　herself；　as　soon　as　they



were　seated；　on　having　preserved　her　gown　from　injury。　



〃It　would　have　been　very　shocking　to　have　it　torn；〃　said　she；



〃would　not　it？　It　is　such　a　delicate　muslin。　　For　my　part



I　have　not　seen　anything　I　like　so　well　in　the　whole　room；



I　assure　you。〃







　　　　　〃How　uncomfortable　it　is；〃　whispered　Catherine；



〃not　to　have　a　single　acquaintance　here！〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mrs。　Allen；　with　perfect



serenity；　〃it　is　very　uncomfortable　indeed。〃







　　　　　〃What　shall　we　do？　The　gentlemen　and　ladies　at　this



table　look　as　if　they　wondered　why　we　came　herewe　seem



forcing　ourselves　into　their　party。〃







　　　　　〃Aye；　so　we　do。　　That　is　very　disagreeable。　



I　wish　we　had　a　large　acquaintance　here。〃







　　　　　〃I　wish　we　had　anyit　would　be　somebody　to　go　to。〃







　　　　　〃Very　true；　my　dear；　and　if　we　knew　anybody　we　would



join　them　directly。　　The　Skinners　were　here　last　yearI



wish　they　were　here　now。〃







　　　　　〃Had　not　we　better　go　away　as　it　is？　Here　are　no



tea…things　for　us；　you　see。〃







　　　　　〃No　more　there　are；　indeed。　　How　very　provoking！　But



I　think　we　had　better　sit　still；　for　one　gets　so　tumbled



in　such　a　crowd！　How　is　my　head；　my　dear？　Somebody　gave



me　a　push　that　has　hurt　it；　I　am　afraid。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　it　looks　very　nice。　　But；　dear　Mrs。　Allen；



are　you　sure　there　is　nobody　you　know　in　all　this　multitude



of　people？　I　think　you　must　know　somebody。〃







　　　　　〃I　don't；　upon　my　wordI　wish　I　did。　　I　wish　I　had　a



large　acquaintance　here　with　all　my　heart；　and　then　I　should



get　you　a　partner。　　I　should　be　so　glad　to　have　you　dance。　



There　goes　a　strange…looking　woman！　What　an　odd　gown



she　has　got　on！　How　old…fashioned　it　is！　Look　at　the　back。〃







　　　　　After　some　time　they　received　an　offer　of　tea　from



one　of　their　neighbours；　it　was　thankfully　accepted；



and　this　introduced　a　light　conversation　with　the　gentleman



who　offered　it；　which　was　the　only　time　that　anybody　spoke



to　them　during　the　evening；　till　they　were　discovered



and　joined　by　Mr。　Allen　when　the　dance　was　over。　







　　　　　〃Well；　Miss　Morland；〃　said　he；　directly；　〃I　hope



you　have　had　an　agreeable　ball。〃







　　　　　〃Very　agreeable　indeed；〃　she　replied；



vainly　endeavouring　to　hide　a　great　yawn。　







　　　　　〃I　wish　she　had　been　able　to　dance；〃　said　his　wife；



〃I　wish　we　could　have　got　a　partner　for　her。　　I　have　been



saying　how　glad　I　should　be　if　the　Skinners　were　here　this



winter　instead　of　last；　or　if　the　Parrys　had　come；　as　they



talked　of　once；　she　might　have　danced　with　George　Parry。　



I　am　so　sorry　she　has　not　had　a　partner！〃







　　　　　〃We　shall　do　better　another　evening　I　hope；〃



was　Mr。　Allen's　consolation。　







　　　　　The　company　began　to　disperse　when　the　dancing　was



overenough　to　leave　space　for　the　remainder　to　walk



about　in　some　comfort；　and　now　was　the　time　for　a　heroine；



who　had　not　yet　played　a　very　distinguished　part　in



the　events　of　the　evening；　to　be　noticed　and　admired。　



Every　five　minutes；　by　removing　some　of　the　crowd；



gave　greater　openings　for　her　charms。　　She　was　now　seen



by　many　young　men　who　had　not　been　near　her　before。　



Not　one；　however；　started　with　rapturous　wonder　on



beholding　her；　no　whisper　of　eager　inquiry　ran　round



the　room；　nor　was　she　once　called　a　divinity　by　anybody。　



Yet　Catherine　was　in　very　good　looks；　and　had　the　company



only　seen　her　three　years　before；　they　would　now　have　thought



her　exceedingly　handsome。　







　　　　　She　was　looked　at；　however；　and　with　some　admiration；



for；　in　her　own　hearing；　two　gentlemen　pronounced　her



to　be　a　pretty　girl。　　Such　words　had　their　due　effect；



she　immediately　thought　the　evening　pleasanter　than　she



had　found　it　beforeher　humble　vanity　was　contentedshe



felt　more　obliged　to　the　two　young　men　for　this　simple



praise　than　a　true…quality　heroine　would　have　been



for