northanger abbey-第4章

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felt　more　obliged　to　the　two　young　men　for　this　simple



praise　than　a　true…quality　heroine　would　have　been



for　fifteen　sonnets　in　celebration　of　her　charms；



and　went　to　her　chair　in　good　humour　with　everybody；



and　perfectly　satisfied　with　her　share　of　public　attention。　















CHAPTER　3











　　　　　Every　morning　now　brought　its　regular　dutiesshops　were



to　be　visited；　some　new　part　of　the　town　to　be　looked　at；



and　the　pump…room　to　be　attended；　where　they　paraded　up



and　down　for　an　hour；　looking　at　everybody　and　speaking



to　no　one。　　The　wish　of　a　numerous　acquaintance　in　Bath



was　still　uppermost　with　Mrs。　Allen；　and　she　repeated　it



after　every　fresh　proof；　which　every　morning　brought；



of　her　knowing　nobody　at　all。　







　　　　　They　made　their　appearance　in　the　Lower　Rooms；



and　here　fortune　was　more　favourable　to　our　heroine。　



The　master　of　the　ceremonies　introduced　to　her　a　very



gentlemanlike　young　man　as　a　partner；　his　name　was　Tilney。　



He　seemed　to　be　about　four　or　five　and　twenty；　was　rather　tall；



had　a　pleasing　countenance；　a　very　intelligent　and



lively　eye；　and；　if　not　quite　handsome；　was　very　near　it。　



His　address　was　good；　and　Catherine　felt　herself　in　high　luck。　



There　was　little　leisure　for　speaking　while　they　danced；



but　when　they　were　seated　at　tea；　she　found　him　as



agreeable　as　she　had　already　given　him　credit　for　being。　



He　talked　with　fluency　and　spiritand　there　was　an　archness



and　pleasantry　in　his　manner　which　interested；　though　it



was　hardly　understood　by　her。　　After　chatting　some　time



on　such　matters　as　naturally　arose　from　the　objects



around　them；　he　suddenly　addressed　her　with〃I　have



hitherto　been　very　remiss；　madam；　in　the　proper　attentions



of　a　partner　here；　I　have　not　yet　asked　you　how　long　you



have　been　in　Bath；　whether　you　were　ever　here　before；



whether　you　have　been　at　the　Upper　Rooms；　the　theatre；



and　the　concert；　and　how　you　like　the　place　altogether。　



I　have　been　very　negligentbut　are　you　now　at　leisure



to　satisfy　me　in　these　particulars？　If　you　are　I　will



begin　directly。〃







　　　　　〃You　need　not　give　yourself　that　trouble；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃No　trouble；　I　assure　you；　madam。〃　Then　forming



his　features　into　a　set　smile；　and　affectedly　softening



his　voice；　he　added；　with　a　simpering　air；　〃Have　you



been　long　in　Bath；　madam？〃







　　　　　〃About　a　week；　sir；〃　replied　Catherine；　trying　not



to　laugh。　







　　　　　〃Really！〃　with　affected　astonishment。　







　　　　　〃Why　should　you　be　surprised；　sir？〃







　　　　　〃Why；　indeed！〃　said　he；　in　his　natural　tone。　



〃But　some　emotion　must　appear　to　be　raised　by　your　reply；



and　surprise　is　more　easily　assumed；　and　not　less



reasonable　than　any　other。　　Now　let　us　go　on。　　Were　you



never　here　before；　madam？〃







　　　　　〃Never；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed！　Have　you　yet　honoured　the　Upper　Rooms？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　was　there　last　Monday。〃







　　　　　〃Have　you　been　to　the　theatre？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　was　at　the　play　on　Tuesday。〃







　　　　　〃To　the　concert？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　on　Wednesday。〃







　　　　　〃And　are　you　altogether　pleased　with　Bath？〃







　　　　　〃YesI　like　it　very　well。〃







　　　　　〃Now　I　must　give　one　smirk；　and　then　we　may　be



rational　again。〃　Catherine　turned　away　her　head；



not　knowing　whether　she　might　venture　to　laugh。　



〃I　see　what　you　think　of　me；〃　said　he　gravely〃I



shall　make　but　a　poor　figure　in　your　journal　tomorrow。〃







　　　　　〃My　journal！〃　〃Yes；　I　know　exactly　what　you　will



say：　Friday；　went　to　the　Lower　Rooms；　wore　my　sprigged



muslin　robe　with　blue　trimmingsplain　black　shoesappeared



to　much　advantage；　but　was　strangely　harassed　by　a　queer；



half…witted　man；　who　would　make　me　dance　with　him；



and　distressed　me　by　his　nonsense。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　I　shall　say　no　such　thing。〃







　　　　　〃Shall　I　tell　you　what　you　ought　to　say？〃







　　　　　〃If　you　please。〃







　　　　　〃I　danced　with　a　very　agreeable　young　man；



introduced　by　Mr。　King；　had　a　great　deal　of　conversation



with　himseems　a　most　extraordinary　geniushope　I　may



know　more　of　him。　　That；　madam；　is　what　I　wish　you　to　say。〃







　　　　　〃But；　perhaps；　I　keep　no　journal。〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　you　are　not　sitting　in　this　room；　and　I　am



not　sitting　by　you。　　These　are　points　in　which　a　doubt　is



equally　possible。　　Not　keep　a　journal！　How　are　your　absent



cousins　to　understand　the　tenour　of　your　life　in　Bath



without　one？　How　are　the　civilities　and　compliments　of



every　day　to　be　related　as　they　ought　to　be；　unless　noted



down　every　evening　in　a　journal？　How　are　your　various



dresses　to　be　remembered；　and　the　particular　state　of



your　complexion；　and　curl　of　your　hair　to　be　described



in　all　their　diversities；　without　having　constant　recourse



to　a　journal？　My　dear　madam；　I　am　not　so　ignorant　of



young　ladies'　ways　as　you　wish　to　believe　me；　it　is　this



delightful　habit　of　journaling　which　largely　contributes



to　form　the　easy　style　of　writing　for　which　ladies　are



so　generally　celebrated。　　Everybody　allows　that　the　talent



of　writing　agreeable　letters　is　peculiarly　female。　



Nature　may　have　done　something；　but　I　am　sure　it　must



be　essentially　assisted　by　the　practice　of　keeping　a　journal。〃







　　　　　〃I　have　sometimes　thought；〃　said　Catherine；　doubtingly；



〃whether　ladies　do　write　so　much　better　letters　than　gentlemen！



That　isI　should　not　think　the　superiority　was　always　on　our　side。〃







　　　　　〃As　far　as　I　have　had　opportunity　of　judging；



it　appears　to　me　that　the　usual　style　of　letter…writing



among　women　is　faultless；　except　in　three　particulars。〃







　　　　　〃And　what　are　they？〃







　　　　　〃A　general　deficiency　of　subject；　a　total　inattention



to　stops；　and　a　very　frequent　ignorance　of　grammar。〃







　　　　　〃Upon　my　word！　I　need　not　have　been　afraid　of　disclaiming



the　compliment。　　You　do　not　think　too　highly　of　us　in　that　way。〃







　　　　　〃I　should　no　more　lay　it　down　as　a　general　rule　that



women　write　better　letters　than　men；　than　that　they　sing



better　duets；　or　draw　better　landscapes。　　In　every　power；



of　which　taste　is　the　foundation；　excellence　is　pretty



fairly　divided　between　the　sexes。〃







　　　　　They　were　interrupted　by　Mrs。　Allen：　〃My　dear　Catherine；〃



said　she；　〃do　take　this　pin　out　of　my　sleeve；　I　am　afraid　it



has　torn　a　hole　already；　I　shall　be　quite　sorry　if　it　has；



for　this　is　a　favourite　gown；　though　it　cost　but　nine



shillings　a　yard。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　exactly　what　I　should　have　guessed



it；　madam；〃　said　Mr。　Tilney；　looking　at　the　muslin。　







　　　　　〃Do　you　understand　muslins；　sir？〃







　　　　　〃Particularly　well；　I　always　buy　my　own　cravats；



and　am　allowed　to　be　an　excellent　judge；　and　my



sister　has　often　trusted　me　in　the　choice　of　a　gown。　



I　bought　one　for　her　the　other　day；　and　it　was　pronounced



to　be　a　prodigious　bargain　by　every　lady　who　saw　it。　



I　gave　but　five　shillings　a　yard　for　it；　and　a　true



Indian　muslin。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Allen　was　quite　struck　by　his　genius。　　〃Men　commonly



take　so　little　notice　of　those　things；〃　said　she；　〃I　can



never　get　Mr。　Allen　to　know　one　of　my　gowns　from　another。　



You　must　be　a　great　comfort　to　your　sister；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃I　hope　I　am；　madam。〃







　　　　　〃And　pray；　sir；　what　do　you　think　of　Miss　Morland's　gown？〃







　　　　　〃It　is　very　pretty；　madam；〃　said　he；　gravely　examining　it；



〃but　I　do　not　think　it　will　wash　well；　I　am　afraid　it　will　fra