northanger abbey-第32章

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



might　take　it　ill　if　I　did　not：　and　your　dear　brother；



I　am　sure　he　would　have　been　miserable　if　I　had　sat　down



the　whole　evening。　　I　am　so　glad　it　is　over！　My　spirits



are　quite　jaded　with　listening　to　his　nonsense：　and　then；



being　such　a　smart　young　fellow；　I　saw　every　eye　was



upon　us。〃







　　　　　〃He　is　very　handsome　indeed。〃







　　　　　〃Handsome！　Yes；　I　suppose　he　may。　　I　dare　say　people



would　admire　him　in　general；　but　he　is　not　at　all　in　my



style　of　beauty。　　I　hate　a　florid　complexion　and　dark　eyes



in　a　man。　　However；　he　is　very　well。　　Amazingly　conceited；



I　am　sure。　　I　took　him　down　several　times；　you　know；



in　my　way。〃







　　　　　When　the　young　ladies　next　met；　they　had　a　far



more　interesting　subject　to　discuss。　　James　Morland's



second　letter　was　then　received；　and　the　kind　intentions



of　his　father　fully　explained。　　A　living；　of　which



Mr。　Morland　was　himself　patron　and　incumbent；　of　about



four　hundred　pounds　yearly　value；　was　to　be　resigned



to　his　son　as　soon　as　he　should　be　old　enough　to　take　it；



no　trifling　deduction　from　the　family　income；　no　niggardly



assignment　to　one　of　ten　children。　　An　estate　of　at　least



equal　value；　moreover；　was　assured　as　his　future　inheritance。　







　　　　　James　expressed　himself　on　the　occasion　with



becoming　gratitude；　and　the　necessity　of　waiting　between



two　and　three　years　before　they　could　marry；　being；



however　unwelcome；　no　more　than　he　had　expected；　was　borne



by　him　without　discontent。　　Catherine；　whose　expectations



had　been　as　unfixed　as　her　ideas　of　her　father's　income；



and　whose　judgment　was　now　entirely　led　by　her　brother；



felt　equally　well　satisfied；　and　heartily　congratulated



Isabella　on　having　everything　so　pleasantly　settled。　







　　　　　〃It　is　very　charming　indeed；〃　said　Isabella；



with　a　grave　face。　　〃Mr。　Morland　has　behaved　vastly



handsome　indeed；〃　said　the　gentle　Mrs。　Thorpe；



looking　anxiously　at　her　daughter。　　〃I　only　wish　I　could



do　as　much。　　One　could　not　expect　more　from　him；　you　know。　



If　he　finds　he　can　do　more　by　and　by；　I　dare　say　he　will；



for　I　am　sure　he　must　be　an　excellent　good…hearted　man。　



Four　hundred　is　but　a　small　income　to　begin　on　indeed；



but　your　wishes；　my　dear　Isabella；　are　so　moderate；　you　do



not　consider　how　little　you　ever　want；　my　dear。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　not　on　my　own　account　I　wish　for　more；　but　I



cannot　bear　to　be　the　means　of　injuring　my　dear　Morland；



making　him　sit　down　upon　an　income　hardly　enough　to　find



one　in　the　common　necessaries　of　life。　　For　myself；



it　is　nothing；　I　never　think　of　myself。〃







　　　　　〃I　know　you　never　do；　my　dear；　and　you　will　always



find　your　reward　in　the　affection　it　makes　everybody



feel　for　you。　　There　never　was　a　young　woman　so　beloved



as　you　are　by　everybody　that　knows　you；　and　I　dare　say



when　Mr。　Morland　sees　you；　my　dear　childbut　do　not　let



us　distress　our　dear　Catherine　by　talking　of　such　things。　



Mr。　Morland　has　behaved　so　very　handsome；　you　know。　



I　always　heard　he　was　a　most　excellent　man；　and　you　know；



my　dear；　we　are　not　to　suppose　but　what；　if　you　had　had　a



suitable　fortune；　he　would　have　come　down　with　something　more；



for　I　am　sure　he　must　be　a　most　liberal…minded　man。〃







　　　　　〃Nobody　can　think　better　of　Mr。　Morland　than　I　do；



I　am　sure。　　But　everybody　has　their　failing；　you　know；



and　everybody　has　a　right　to　do　what　they　like　with　their



own　money。〃　Catherine　was　hurt　by　these　insinuations。　



〃I　am　very　sure；〃　said　she；　〃that　my　father　has　promised



to　do　as　much　as　he　can　afford。〃







　　　　　Isabella　recollected　herself。　　〃As　to　that；



my　sweet　Catherine；　there　cannot　be　a　doubt；　and　you　know



me　well　enough　to　be　sure　that　a　much　smaller　income　would



satisfy　me。　　It　is　not　the　want　of　more　money　that　makes



me　just　at　present　a　little　out　of　spirits；　I　hate　money；



and　if　our　union　could　take　place　now　upon　only　fifty



pounds　a　year；　I　should　not　have　a　wish　unsatisfied。　



Ah！　my　Catherine；　you　have　found　me　out。　　There's　the　sting。　



The　long；　long；　endless　two　years　and　half　that　are　to　pass



before　your　brother　can　hold　the　living。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　yes；　my　darling　Isabella；〃　said　Mrs。　Thorpe；



〃we　perfectly　see　into　your　heart。　　You　have　no　disguise。　



We　perfectly　understand　the　present　vexation；　and　everybody



must　love　you　the　better　for　such　a　noble　honest　affection。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　uncomfortable　feelings　began　to　lessen。　



She　endeavoured　to　believe　that　the　delay　of　the　marriage



was　the　only　source　of　Isabella's　regret；　and　when　she



saw　her　at　their　next　interview　as　cheerful　and　amiable



as　ever；　endeavoured　to　forget　that　she　had　for　a　minute



thought　otherwise。　　James　soon　followed　his　letter；



and　was　received　with　the　most　gratifying　kindness。　















CHAPTER　17











　　　　　The　Allens　had　now　entered　on　the　sixth　week　of　their



stay　in　Bath；　and　whether　it　should　be　the　last　was　for



some　time　a　question；　to　which　Catherine　listened　with　a



beating　heart。　　To　have　her　acquaintance　with　the　Tilneys



end　so　soon　was　an　evil　which　nothing　could　counterbalance。　



Her　whole　happiness　seemed　at　stake；　while　the　affair　was



in　suspense；　and　everything　secured　when　it　was　determined



that　the　lodgings　should　be　taken　for　another　fortnight。　



What　this　additional　fortnight　was　to　produce　to　her



beyond　the　pleasure　of　sometimes　seeing　Henry　Tilney



made　but　a　small　part　of　Catherine's　speculation。　



Once　or　twice　indeed；　since　James's　engagement　had　taught



her　what　could　be　done；　she　had　got　so　far　as　to　indulge



in　a　secret　〃perhaps；〃　but　in　general　the　felicity　of　being



with　him　for　the　present　bounded　her　views：　the　present



was　now　comprised　in　another　three　weeks；　and　her　happiness



being　certain　for　that　period；　the　rest　of　her　life　was



at　such　a　distance　as　to　excite　but　little　interest。　



In　the　course　of　the　morning　which　saw　this　business　arranged；



she　visited　Miss　Tilney；　and　poured　forth　her　joyful　feelings。　



It　was　doomed　to　be　a　day　of　trial。　　No　sooner　had　she



expressed　her　delight　in　Mr。　Allen's　lengthened　stay



than　Miss　Tilney　told　her　of　her　father's　having　just



determined　upon　quitting　Bath　by　the　end　of　another　week。　



Here　was　a　blow！　The　past　suspense　of　the　morning　had



been　ease　and　quiet　to　the　present　disappointment。　



Catherine's　countenance　fell；　and　in　a　voice　of　most



sincere　concern　she　echoed　Miss　Tilney's　concluding　words；



〃By　the　end　of　another　week！〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　my　father　can　seldom　be　prevailed　on　to　give　the



waters　what　I　think　a　fair　trial。　　He　has　been　disappointed



of　some　friends'　arrival　whom　he　expected　to　meet　here；



and　as　he　is　now　pretty　well；　is　in　a　hurry　to　get　home。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　very　sorry　for　it；〃　said　Catherine　dejectedly；



〃if　I　had　known　this　before〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps；〃　said　Miss　Tilney　in　an　embarrassed　manner；



〃you　would　be　so　goodit　would　make　me　very　happy　if〃







　　　　　The　entrance　of　her　father　put　a　stop　to　the　civility；



which　Catherine　was　beginning　to　hope　might　introduce



a　desire　of　their　corresponding。　　After　addressing　her



with　his　usual　politeness；　he　turned　to　his　daughter



and　said；　〃Well；　Eleanor；　may　I　congratulate　you　on　being



successful　in　your　application　to　your　fair　friend？〃







　　　　　〃I　was　just　beginning　to　make　the　request；　sir；　as　you



came　in。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　proceed　by　all　means。　　I　know　how　much



your　heart