northanger abbey-第36章

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a　torment。〃







　　　　　Catherine　blushed　for　her　friend；　and　said；



〃Isabella　is　wrong。　　But　I　am　sure　she　cannot　mean



to　torment；　for　she　is　very　much　attached　to　my　brother。　



She　has　been　in　love　with　him　ever　since　they　first　met；



and　while　my　father's　consent　was　uncertain；　she　fretted



herself　almost　into　a　fever。　　You　know　she　must　be　attached



to　him。〃







　　　　　〃I　understand：　she　is　in　love　with　James；　and　flirts



with　Frederick。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　no；　not　flirts。　　A　woman　in　love　with　one　man



cannot　flirt　with　another。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　probable　that　she　will　neither　love　so　well；



nor　flirt　so　well；　as　she　might　do　either　singly。　



The　gentlemen　must　each　give　up　a　little。〃







　　　　　After　a　short　pause；　Catherine　resumed　with；



〃Then　you　do　not　believe　Isabella　so　very　much　attached



to　my　brother？〃







　　　　　〃I　can　have　no　opinion　on　that　subject。〃







　　　　　〃But　what　can　your　brother　mean？　If　he　knows



her　engagement；　what　can　he　mean　by　his　behaviour？〃







　　　　　〃You　are　a　very　close　questioner。〃







　　　　　〃Am　I？　I　only　ask　what　I　want　to　be　told。〃







　　　　　〃But　do　you　only　ask　what　I　can　be　expected　to　tell？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　think　so；　for　you　must　know　your　brother's　heart。〃







　　　　　〃My　brother's　heart；　as　you　term　it；　on　the



present　occasion；　I　assure　you　I　can　only　guess　at。〃







　　　　　〃Well？〃







　　　　　〃Well！　Nay；　if　it　is　to　be　guesswork；　let　us　all　guess



for　ourselves。　　To　be　guided　by　second…hand　conjecture



is　pitiful。　　The　premises　are　before　you。　　My　brother　is



a　lively　and　perhaps　sometimes　a　thoughtless　young　man；



he　has　had　about　a　week's　acquaintance　with　your　friend；



and　he　has　known　her　engagement　almost　as　long　as　he　has



known　her。〃







　　　　　〃Well；〃　said　Catherine；　after　some　moments'　consideration；



〃you　may　be　able　to　guess　at　your　brother's　intentions　from



all　this；　but　I　am　sure　I　cannot。　　But　is　not　your　father



uncomfortable　about　it？　Does　not　he　want　Captain　Tilney



to　go　away？　Sure；　if　your　father　were　to　speak　to　him；



he　would　go。〃







　　　　　〃My　dear　Miss　Morland；〃　said　Henry；　〃in　this　amiable



solicitude　for　your　brother's　comfort；　may　you　not　be



a　little　mistaken？　Are　you　not　carried　a　little　too　far？



Would　he　thank　you；　either　on　his　own　account　or　Miss



Thorpe's；　for　supposing　that　her　affection；　or　at　least



her　good　behaviour；　is　only　to　be　secured　by　her　seeing



nothing　of　Captain　Tilney？　Is　he　safe　only　in　solitude？



Or　is　her　heart　constant　to　him　only　when　unsolicited



by　anyone　else？　He　cannot　think　thisand　you　may　be　sure



that　he　would　not　have　you　think　it。　　I　will　not　say；



'Do　not　be　uneasy；'　because　I　know　that　you　are　so；



at　this　moment；　but　be　as　little　uneasy　as　you　can。　



You　have　no　doubt　of　the　mutual　attachment　of　your　brother



and　your　friend；　depend　upon　it；　therefore；　that　real



jealousy　never　can　exist　between　them；　depend　upon　it



that　no　disagreement　between　them　can　be　of　any　duration。　



Their　hearts　are　open　to　each　other；　as　neither　heart　can



be　to　you；　they　know　exactly　what　is　required　and　what　can



be　borne；　and　you　may　be　certain　that　one　will　never　tease



the　other　beyond　what　is　known　to　be　pleasant。〃







　　　　　Perceiving　her　still　to　look　doubtful　and　grave；



he　added；　〃Though　Frederick　does　not　leave　Bath　with　us；



he　will　probably　remain　but　a　very　short　time；



perhaps　only　a　few　days　behind　us。　　His　leave　of　absence



will　soon　expire；　and　he　must　return　to　his　regiment。　



And　what　will　then　be　their　acquaintance？　The　mess…room



will　drink　Isabella　Thorpe　for　a　fortnight；　and　she　will



laugh　with　your　brother　over　poor　Tilney's　passion　for



a　month。〃







　　　　　Catherine　would　contend　no　longer　against　comfort。　



She　had　resisted　its　approaches　during　the　whole　length



of　a　speech；　but　it　now　carried　her　captive。　　Henry　Tilney



must　know　best。　　She　blamed　herself　for　the　extent



of　her　fears；　and　resolved　never　to　think　so　seriously



on　the　subject　again。　







　　　　　Her　resolution　was　supported　by　Isabella's　behaviour



in　their　parting　interview。　　The　Thorpes　spent　the　last



evening　of　Catherine's　stay　in　Pulteney　Street；　and　nothing



passed　between　the　lovers　to　excite　her　uneasiness；



or　make　her　quit　them　in　apprehension。　　James　was　in



excellent　spirits；　and　Isabella　most　engagingly　placid。　



Her　tenderness　for　her　friend　seemed　rather　the　first　feeling



of　her　heart；　but　that　at　such　a　moment　was　allowable；



and　once　she　gave　her　lover　a　flat　contradiction；　and　once



she　drew　back　her　hand；　but　Catherine　remembered　Henry's



instructions；　and　placed　it　all　to　judicious　affection。　



The　embraces；　tears；　and　promises　of　the　parting　fair



ones　may　be　fancied。　















CHAPTER　20











　　　　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　were　sorry　to　lose　their　young　friend；



whose　good　humour　and　cheerfulness　had　made　her　a



valuable　companion；　and　in　the　promotion　of　whose　enjoyment



their　own　had　been　gently　increased。　　Her　happiness　in



going　with　Miss　Tilney；　however；　prevented　their　wishing



it　otherwise；　and；　as　they　were　to　remain　only　one　more



week　in　Bath　themselves；　her　quitting　them　now　would　not



long　be　felt。　　Mr。　Allen　attended　her　to　Milsom　Street；



where　she　was　to　breakfast；　and　saw　her　seated　with　the



kindest　welcome　among　her　new　friends；　but　so　great　was



her　agitation　in　finding　herself　as　one　of　the　family；



and　so　fearful　was　she　of　not　doing　exactly　what　was　right；



and　of　not　being　able　to　preserve　their　good　opinion；



that；　in　the　embarrassment　of　the　first　five　minutes；



she　could　almost　have　wished　to　return　with　him　to



Pulteney　Street。　







　　　　　Miss　Tilney's　manners　and　Henry's　smile　soon　did



away　some　of　her　unpleasant　feelings；　but　still　she



was　far　from　being　at　ease；　nor　could　the　incessant



attentions　of　the　general　himself　entirely　reassure　her。　



Nay；　perverse　as　it　seemed；　she　doubted　whether　she



might　not　have　felt　less；　had　she　been　less　attended　to。　



His　anxiety　for　her　comforthis　continual　solicitations



that　she　would　eat；　and　his　often…expressed　fears　of　her



seeing　nothing　to　her　tastethough　never　in　her　life　before



had　she　beheld　half　such　variety　on　a　breakfast…tablemade



it　impossible　for　her　to　forget　for　a　moment　that　she



was　a　visitor。　　She　felt　utterly　unworthy　of　such　respect；



and　knew　not　how　to　reply　to　it。　　Her　tranquillity　was　not



improved　by　the　general's　impatience　for　the　appearance



of　his　eldest　son；　nor　by　the　displeasure　he　expressed



at　his　laziness　when　Captain　Tilney　at　last　came　down。　



She　was　quite　pained　by　the　severity　of　his　father's　reproof；



which　seemed　disproportionate　to　the　offence；　and　much



was　her　concern　increased　when　she　found　herself　the



principal　cause　of　the　lecture；　and　that　his　tardiness



was　chiefly　resented　from　being　disrespectful　to　her。　



This　was　placing　her　in　a　very　uncomfortable　situation；



and　she　felt　great　compassion　for　Captain　Tilney；



without　being　able　to　hope　for　his　goodwill。　







　　　　　He　listened　to　his　father　in　silence；　and　attempted



not　any　defence；　which　confirmed　her　in　fearing　that　the



inquietude　of　his　mind；　on　Isabella's　account；　might；



by　keeping　him　long　sleepless；　have　been　the　real　cause



of　his　rising　late。　　It　was　the　first　time　of　her　being



decidedly　in　his　company；　and　she　had　hoped　to　be　now



able　to　form　her　opinion　of　him；　but　she　scarcely



heard　his　voice　while　his　father　remained　in　the　room；



and