northanger abbey-第39章

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began　to　talk　of　the　smallness　of　the　room　and　simplicity



of　the　furniture；　where　everything；　being　for　daily　use；



pretended　only　to　comfort；　etc。；　flattering　himself；　however；



that　there　were　some　apartments　in　the　Abbey　not　unworthy



her　noticeand　was　proceeding　to　mention　the　costly



gilding　of　one　in　particular；　when；　taking　out　his　watch；



he　stopped　short　to　pronounce　it　with　surprise　within



twenty　minutes　of　five！　This　seemed　the　word　of　separation；



and　Catherine　found　herself　hurried　away　by　Miss　Tilney



in　such　a　manner　as　convinced　her　that　the　strictest



punctuality　to　the　family　hours　would　be　expected　at　Northanger。　







　　　　　Returning　through　the　large　and　lofty　hall；



they　ascended　a　broad　staircase　of　shining　oak；　which；



after　many　flights　and　many　landing…places；　brought　them



upon　a　long；　wide　gallery。　　On　one　side　it　had　a　range



of　doors；　and　it　was　lighted　on　the　other　by　windows



which　Catherine　had　only　time　to　discover　looked



into　a　quadrangle；　before　Miss　Tilney　led　the　way



into　a　chamber；　and　scarcely　staying　to　hope　she　would



find　it　comfortable；　left　her　with　an　anxious　entreaty



that　she　would　make　as　little　alteration　as　possible



in　her　dress。　















CHAPTER　21











　　　　　A　moment's　glance　was　enough　to　satisfy　Catherine



that　her　apartment　was　very　unlike　the　one　which　Henry



had　endeavoured　to　alarm　her　by　the　description　of。　



It　was　by　no　means　unreasonably　large；　and　contained　neither



tapestry　nor　velvet。　　The　walls　were　papered；　the　floor



was　carpeted；　the　windows　were　neither　less　perfect　nor　more



dim　than　those　of　the　drawing…room　below；　the　furniture；



though　not　of　the　latest　fashion；　was　handsome　and　comfortable；



and　the　air　of　the　room　altogether　far　from　uncheerful。　



Her　heart　instantaneously　at　ease　on　this　point；　she　resolved



to　lose　no　time　in　particular　examination　of　anything；



as　she　greatly　dreaded　disobliging　the　general　by　any　delay。　



Her　habit　therefore　was　thrown　off　with　all　possible　haste；



and　she　was　preparing　to　unpin　the　linen　package；　which　the



chaise…seat　had　conveyed　for　her　immediate　accommodation；



when　her　eye　suddenly　fell　on　a　large　high　chest；



standing　back　in　a　deep　recess　on　one　side　of　the　fireplace。　



The　sight　of　it　made　her　start；　and；　forgetting　everything



else；　she　stood　gazing　on　it　in　motionless　wonder；



while　these　thoughts　crossed　her：







　　　　　〃This　is　strange　indeed！　I　did　not　expect　such　a　sight



as　this！　An　immense　heavy　chest！　What　can　it　hold？　Why



should　it　be　placed　here？　Pushed　back　too；　as　if　meant　to



be　out　of　sight！　I　will　look　into　itcost　me　what　it　may；



I　will　look　into　itand　directly　tooby　daylight。　



If　I　stay　till　evening　my　candle　may　go　out。〃



She　advanced　and　examined　it　closely：　it　was　of　cedar；



curiously　inlaid　with　some　darker　wood；　and　raised；



about　a　foot　from　the　ground；　on　a　carved　stand　of　the　same。　



The　lock　was　silver；　though　tarnished　from　age；　at　each



end　were　the　imperfect　remains　of　handles　also　of　silver；



broken　perhaps　prematurely　by　some　strange　violence；



and；　on　the　centre　of　the　lid；　was　a　mysterious　cipher；



in　the　same　metal。　　Catherine　bent　over　it　intently；



but　without　being　able　to　distinguish　anything　with　certainty。　



She　could　not；　in　whatever　direction　she　took　it；



believe　the　last　letter　to　be　a　T；　and　yet　that　it　should



be　anything　else　in　that　house　was　a　circumstance　to　raise



no　common　degree　of　astonishment。　　If　not　originally　theirs；



by　what　strange　events　could　it　have　fallen　into　the　Tilney



family？







　　　　　Her　fearful　curiosity　was　every　moment　growing　greater；



and　seizing；　with　trembling　hands；　the　hasp　of　the　lock；



she　resolved　at　all　hazards　to　satisfy　herself　at　least



as　to　its　contents。　　With　difficulty；　for　something　seemed



to　resist　her　efforts；　she　raised　the　lid　a　few　inches；



but　at　that　moment　a　sudden　knocking　at　the　door　of　the



room　made　her；　starting；　quit　her　hold；　and　the　lid



closed　with　alarming　violence。　　This　ill…timed　intruder



was　Miss　Tilney's　maid；　sent　by　her　mistress　to　be　of



use　to　Miss　Morland；　and　though　Catherine　immediately



dismissed　her；　it　recalled　her　to　the　sense　of　what　she



ought　to　be　doing；　and　forced　her；　in　spite　of　her　anxious



desire　to　penetrate　this　mystery；　to　proceed　in　her　dressing



without　further　delay。　　Her　progress　was　not　quick；



for　her　thoughts　and　her　eyes　were　still　bent　on　the　object



so　well　calculated　to　interest　and　alarm；　and　though



she　dared　not　waste　a　moment　upon　a　second　attempt；



she　could　not　remain　many　paces　from　the　chest。　



At　length；　however；　having　slipped　one　arm　into　her　gown；



her　toilette　seemed　so　nearly　finished　that　the　impatience



of　her　curiosity　might　safely　be　indulged。　　One　moment



surely　might　be　spared；　and；　so　desperate　should　be



the　exertion　of　her　strength；　that；　unless　secured



by　supernatural　means；　the　lid　in　one　moment　should



be　thrown　back。　　With　this　spirit　she　sprang　forward；



and　her　confidence　did　not　deceive　her。　　Her　resolute



effort　threw　back　the　lid；　and　gave　to　her　astonished　eyes



the　view　of　a　white　cotton　counterpane；　properly　folded；



reposing　at　one　end　of　the　chest　in　undisputed　possession！







　　　　　She　was　gazing　on　it　with　the　first　blush　of　surprise



when　Miss　Tilney；　anxious　for　her　friend's　being　ready；



entered　the　room；　and　to　the　rising　shame　of　having



harboured　for　some　minutes　an　absurd　expectation；　was　then



added　the　shame　of　being　caught　in　so　idle　a　search。　



〃That　is　a　curious　old　chest；　is　not　it？〃　said　Miss　Tilney；



as　Catherine　hastily　closed　it　and　turned　away　to　the　glass。　



〃It　is　impossible　to　say　how　many　generations　it　has



been　here。　　How　it　came　to　be　first　put　in　this　room　I



know　not；　but　I　have　not　had　it　moved；　because　I　thought



it　might　sometimes　be　of　use　in　holding　hats　and　bonnets。　



The　worst　of　it　is　that　its　weight　makes　it　difficult



to　open。　　In　that　corner；　however；　it　is　at　least　out　of



the　way。〃







　　　　　Catherine　had　no　leisure　for　speech；　being　at



once　blushing；　tying　her　gown；　and　forming　wise　resolutions



with　the　most　violent　dispatch。　　Miss　Tilney　gently　hinted



her　fear　of　being　late；　and　in　half　a　minute　they　ran



downstairs　together；　in　an　alarm　not　wholly　unfounded；



for　General　Tilney　was　pacing　the　drawing…room；　his　watch



in　his　hand；　and　having；　on　the　very　instant　of　their　entering；



pulled　the　bell　with　violence；　ordered　〃Dinner　to　be



on　table　directly！〃







　　　　　Catherine　trembled　at　the　emphasis　with　which　he　spoke；



and　sat　pale　and　breathless；　in　a　most　humble　mood；



concerned　for　his　children；　and　detesting　old　chests；



and　the　general；　recovering　his　politeness　as　he　looked



at　her；　spent　the　rest　of　his　time　in　scolding　his　daughter



for　so　foolishly　hurrying　her　fair　friend；　who　was　absolutely



out　of　breath　from　haste；　when　there　was　not　the　least



occasion　for　hurry　in　the　world：　but　Catherine　could　not



at　all　get　over　the　double　distress　of　having　involved



her　friend　in　a　lecture　and　been　a　great　simpleton　herself；



till　they　were　happily　seated　at　the　dinner…table；　when



the　general's　complacent　smiles；　and　a　good　appetite



of　her　own；　restored　her　to　peace。　　The　dining…parlour



was　a　noble　room；　suitable　in　its　dimensions　to　a　much



larger　drawing…room　than　the　one　in　common　use；　and　fitted



up　in　a　style　of　luxury　and　expense　which　was　almost　lost



on　the　unpractised　eye　of　Catherine；　who　saw　little　more



than　its　spaciou