northanger abbey-第31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！





in　the　manners　either　of　brother　or　sister；　and　she



did　not　credit　there　being　any　pride　in　their　hearts。　



The　evening　rewarded　her　confidence；　she　was　met　by　one　with



the　same　kindness；　and　by　the　other　with　the　same　attention；



as　heretofore：　Miss　Tilney　took　pains　to　be　near　her；



and　Henry　asked　her　to　dance。　







　　　　　Having　heard　the　day　before　in　Milsom　Street



that　their　elder　brother；　Captain　Tilney；　was　expected



almost　every　hour；　she　was　at　no　loss　for　the　name　of　a



very　fashionable…looking；　handsome　young　man；　whom　she



had　never　seen　before；　and　who　now　evidently　belonged



to　their　party。　　She　looked　at　him　with　great　admiration；



and　even　supposed　it　possible　that　some　people　might　think



him　handsomer　than　his　brother；　though；　in　her　eyes；



his　air　was　more　assuming；　and　his　countenance



less　prepossessing。　　His　taste　and　manners　were　beyond



a　doubt　decidedly　inferior；　for；　within　her　hearing；　he　not



only　protested　against　every　thought　of　dancing　himself；



but　even　laughed　openly　at　Henry　for　finding　it　possible。　



From　the　latter　circumstance　it　may　be　presumed　that；



whatever　might　be　our　heroine's　opinion　of　him；



his　admiration　of　her　was　not　of　a　very　dangerous　kind；



not　likely　to　produce　animosities　between　the　brothers；



nor　persecutions　to　the　lady。　　He　cannot　be　the　instigator



of　the　three　villains　in　horsemen's　greatcoats；　by　whom



she　will　hereafter　be　forced　into　a　traveling…chaise



and　four；　which　will　drive　off　with　incredible　speed。　



Catherine；　meanwhile；　undisturbed　by　presentiments



of　such　an　evil；　or　of　any　evil　at　all；　except　that　of



having　but　a　short　set　to　dance　down；　enjoyed　her　usual



happiness　with　Henry　Tilney；　listening　with　sparkling　eyes



to　everything　he　said；　and；　in　finding　him　irresistible；



becoming　so　herself。　







　　　　　At　the　end　of　the　first　dance；　Captain　Tilney　came



towards　them　again；　and；　much　to　Catherine's　dissatisfaction；



pulled　his　brother　away。　　They　retired　whispering　together；



and；　though　her　delicate　sensibility　did　not　take　immediate　alarm；



and　lay　it　down　as　fact；　that　Captain　Tilney　must　have



heard　some　malevolent　misrepresentation　of　her；　which　he



now　hastened　to　communicate　to　his　brother；　in　the　hope



of　separating　them　forever；　she　could　not　have　her　partner



conveyed　from　her　sight　without　very　uneasy　sensations。　



Her　suspense　was　of　full　five　minutes'　duration；　and　she



was　beginning　to　think　it　a　very　long　quarter　of　an　hour；



when　they　both　returned；　and　an　explanation　was　given；



by　Henry's　requesting　to　know　if　she　thought　her　friend；



Miss　Thorpe；　would　have　any　objection　to　dancing；



as　his　brother　would　be　most　happy　to　be　introduced



to　her。　　Catherine；　without　hesitation；　replied　that　she



was　very　sure　Miss　Thorpe　did　not　mean　to　dance　at　all。　



The　cruel　reply　was　passed　on　to　the　other；　and　he



immediately　walked　away。　







　　　　　〃Your　brother　will　not　mind　it；　I　know；〃　said　she；



〃because　I　heard　him　say　before　that　he　hated　dancing；



but　it　was　very　good…natured　in　him　to　think　of　it。　



I　suppose　he　saw　Isabella　sitting　down；　and　fancied　she



might　wish　for　a　partner；　but　he　is　quite　mistaken；



for　she　would　not　dance　upon　any　account　in　the　world。〃







　　　　　Henry　smiled；　and　said；　〃How　very　little　trouble　it　can



give　you　to　understand　the　motive　of　other　people's　actions。〃







　　　　　〃Why？　What　do　you　mean？〃







　　　　　〃With　you；　it　is　not；　How　is　such　a　one　likely　to



be　influenced；　What　is　the　inducement　most　likely　to　act



upon　such　a　person's　feelings；　age；　situation；　and　probable



habits　of　life　consideredbut；　How　should　I　be　influenced；



What　would　be　my　inducement　in　acting　so　and　so？〃







　　　　　〃I　do　not　understand　you。〃







　　　　　〃Then　we　are　on　very　unequal　terms；　for　I　understand



you　perfectly　well。〃







　　　　　〃Me？　Yes；　I　cannot　speak　well　enough　to　be　unintelligible。〃







　　　　　〃Bravo！　An　excellent　satire　on　modern　language。〃







　　　　　〃But　pray　tell　me　what　you　mean。〃







　　　　　〃Shall　I　indeed？　Do　you　really　desire　it？　But　you



are　not　aware　of　the　consequences；　it　will　involve　you



in　a　very　cruel　embarrassment；　and　certainly　bring



on　a　disagreement　between　us。　







　　　　　〃No；　no；　it　shall　not　do　either；　I　am　not　afraid。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　then；　I　only　meant　that　your　attributing　my



brother's　wish　of　dancing　with　Miss　Thorpe　to　good　nature



alone　convinced　me　of　your　being　superior　in　good　nature



yourself　to　all　the　rest　of　the　world。〃







　　　　　Catherine　blushed　and　disclaimed；　and　the　gentleman's



predictions　were　verified。　　There　was　a　something；　however；



in　his　words　which　repaid　her　for　the　pain　of　confusion；



and　that　something　occupied　her　mind　so　much　that　she　drew



back　for　some　time；　forgetting　to　speak　or　to　listen；



and　almost　forgetting　where　she　was；　till；　roused　by　the



voice　of　Isabella；　she　looked　up　and　saw　her　with　Captain



Tilney　preparing　to　give　them　hands　across。　







　　　　　Isabella　shrugged　her　shoulders　and　smiled；　the　only



explanation　of　this　extraordinary　change　which　could



at　that　time　be　given；　but　as　it　was　not　quite　enough



for　Catherine's　comprehension；　she　spoke　her　astonishment



in　very　plain　terms　to　her　partner。　







　　　　　〃I　cannot　think　how　it　could　happen！　Isabella　was



so　determined　not　to　dance。〃







　　　　　〃And　did　Isabella　never　change　her　mind　before？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　But；　because　And　your　brother！　After　what　you



told　him　from　me；　how　could　he　think　of　going　to　ask　her？〃







　　　　　〃I　cannot　take　surprise　to　myself　on　that　head。　



You　bid　me　be　surprised　on　your　friend's　account；



and　therefore　I　am；　but　as　for　my　brother；　his　conduct



in　the　business；　I　must　own；　has　been　no　more　than　I



believed　him　perfectly　equal　to。　　The　fairness　of　your



friend　was　an　open　attraction；　her　firmness；　you　know；



could　only　be　understood　by　yourself。〃







　　　　　〃You　are　laughing；　but；　I　assure　you；　Isabella　is



very　firm　in　general。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　as　much　as　should　be　said　of　anyone。　　To　be



always　firm　must　be　to　be　often　obstinate。　　When　properly



to　relax　is　the　trial　of　judgment；　and；　without　reference



to　my　brother；　I　really　think　Miss　Thorpe　has　by　no　means



chosen　ill　in　fixing　on　the　present　hour。〃







　　　　　The　friends　were　not　able　to　get　together　for　any



confidential　discourse　till　all　the　dancing　was　over；



but　then；　as　they　walked　about　the　room　arm　in　arm；



Isabella　thus　explained　herself：　〃I　do　not　wonder　at



your　surprise；　and　I　am　really　fatigued　to　death。　　He　is　such



a　rattle！　Amusing　enough；　if　my　mind　had　been　disengaged；



but　I　would　have　given　the　world　to　sit　still。〃







　　　　　〃Then　why　did　not　you？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　My　dear！　It　would　have　looked　so　particular；



and　you　know　how　I　abhor　doing　that。　　I　refused　him　as



long　as　I　possibly　could；　but　he　would　take　no　denial。　



You　have　no　idea　how　he　pressed　me。　　I　begged　him　to



excuse　me；　and　get　some　other　partnerbut　no；　not　he；



after　aspiring　to　my　hand；　there　was　nobody　else　in　the



room　he　could　bear　to　think　of；　and　it　was　not　that　he



wanted　merely　to　dance；　he　wanted　to　be　with　me。　



Oh！　Such　nonsense！　I　told　him　he　had　taken　a　very　unlikely



way　to　prevail　upon　me；　for；　of　all　things　in　the　world；



I　hated　fine　speeches　and　compliments；　and　soand　so　then



I　found　there　would　be　no　peace　if　I　did　not　stand　up。　



Besides；　I　thought　Mrs。　Hughes；　who　introduced　him；



might　take　it　ill　if　I　did　not：　and　your　d