northanger abbey-第40章

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on　the　unpractised　eye　of　Catherine；　who　saw　little　more



than　its　spaciousness　and　the　number　of　their　attendants。　



Of　the　former；　she　spoke　aloud　her　admiration；



and　the　general；　with　a　very　gracious　countenance；



acknowledged　that　it　was　by　no　means　an　ill…sized　room；



and　further　confessed　that；　though　as　careless　on　such



subjects　as　most　people；　he　did　look　upon　a　tolerably



large　eating…room　as　one　of　the　necessaries　of　life；



he　supposed；　however；　〃that　she　must　have　been　used



to　much　better…sized　apartments　at　Mr。　Allen's？〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；〃　was　Catherine's　honest　assurance；



〃Mr。　Allen's　dining…parlour　was　not　more　than　half　as　large；〃



and　she　had　never　seen　so　large　a　room　as　this　in　her　life。　



The　general's　good　humour　increased。　　Why；　as　he　had



such　rooms；　he　thought　it　would　be　simple　not　to　make



use　of　them；　but；　upon　his　honour；　he　believed　there



might　be　more　comfort　in　rooms　of　only　half　their　size。　



Mr。　Allen's　house；　he　was　sure；　must　be　exactly　of　the　true



size　for　rational　happiness。　







　　　　　The　evening　passed　without　any　further　disturbance；



and；　in　the　occasional　absence　of　General　Tilney；　with　much



positive　cheerfulness。　　It　was　only　in　his　presence　that



Catherine　felt　the　smallest　fatigue　from　her　journey；



and　even　then；　even　in　moments　of　languor　or　restraint；



a　sense　of　general　happiness　preponderated；　and　she　could



think　of　her　friends　in　Bath　without　one　wish　of　being



with　them。　







　　　　　The　night　was　stormy；　the　wind　had　been　rising　at



intervals　the　whole　afternoon；　and　by　the　time　the　party



broke　up；　it　blew　and　rained　violently。　　Catherine；　as　she



crossed　the　hall；　listened　to　the　tempest　with　sensations



of　awe；　and；　when　she　heard　it　rage　round　a　corner　of　the



ancient　building　and　close　with　sudden　fury　a　distant　door；



felt　for　the　first　time　that　she　was　really　in　an　abbey。　



Yes；　these　were　characteristic　sounds；　they　brought　to　her



recollection　a　countless　variety　of　dreadful　situations



and　horrid　scenes；　which　such　buildings　had　witnessed；



and　such　storms　ushered　in；　and　most　heartily　did



she　rejoice　in　the　happier　circumstances　attending



her　entrance　within　walls　so　solemn！　She　had　nothing



to　dread　from　midnight　assassins　or　drunken　gallants。　



Henry　had　certainly　been　only　in　jest　in　what　he　had　told



her　that　morning。　　In　a　house　so　furnished；　and　so　guarded；



she　could　have　nothing　to　explore　or　to　suffer；　and　might



go　to　her　bedroom　as　securely　as　if　it　had　been　her　own



chamber　at　Fullerton。　　Thus　wisely　fortifying　her　mind；



as　she　proceeded　upstairs；　she　was　enabled；　especially　on



perceiving　that　Miss　Tilney　slept　only　two　doors　from　her；



to　enter　her　room　with　a　tolerably　stout　heart；　and　her



spirits　were　immediately　assisted　by　the　cheerful　blaze



of　a　wood　fire。　　〃How　much　better　is　this；〃　said　she；



as　she　walked　to　the　fender〃how　much　better　to　find　a　fire



ready　lit；　than　to　have　to　wait　shivering　in　the　cold



till　all　the　family　are　in　bed；　as　so　many　poor　girls



have　been　obliged　to　do；　and　then　to　have　a　faithful　old



servant　frightening　one　by　coming　in　with　a　faggot！　How



glad　I　am　that　Northanger　is　what　it　is！　If　it　had　been



like　some　other　places；　I　do　not　know　that；　in　such　a　night



as　this；　I　could　have　answered　for　my　courage：　but　now；



to　be　sure；　there　is　nothing　to　alarm　one。〃







　　　　　She　looked　round　the　room。　　The　window　curtains　seemed



in　motion。　　It　could　be　nothing　but　the　violence　of　the



wind　penetrating　through　the　divisions　of　the　shutters；



and　she　stepped　boldly　forward；　carelessly　humming　a　tune；



to　assure　herself　of　its　being　so；　peeped　courageously



behind　each　curtain；　saw　nothing　on　either　low　window　seat



to　scare　her；　and　on　placing　a　hand　against　the　shutter；



felt　the　strongest　conviction　of　the　wind's　force。　



A　glance　at　the　old　chest；　as　she　turned　away　from



this　examination；　was　not　without　its　use；　she　scorned



the　causeless　fears　of　an　idle　fancy；　and　began　with　a



most　happy　indifference　to　prepare　herself　for　bed。　



〃She　should　take　her　time；　she　should　not　hurry　herself；



she　did　not　care　if　she　were　the　last　person　up　in　the　house。　



But　she　would　not　make　up　her　fire；　that　would　seem　cowardly；



as　if　she　wished　for　the　protection　of　light　after　she



were　in　bed。〃　The　fire　therefore　died　away；　and　Catherine；



having　spent　the　best　part　of　an　hour　in　her　arrangements；



was　beginning　to　think　of　stepping　into　bed；　when；　on　giving



a　parting　glance　round　the　room；　she　was　struck　by　the



appearance　of　a　high；　old…fashioned　black　cabinet；　which；



though　in　a　situation　conspicuous　enough；　had　never　caught



her　notice　before。　　Henry's　words；　his　description　of　the



ebony　cabinet　which　was　to　escape　her　observation　at　first；



immediately　rushed　across　her；　and　though　there　could



be　nothing　really　in　it；　there　was　something　whimsical；



it　was　certainly　a　very　remarkable　coincidence！　She



took　her　candle　and　looked　closely　at　the　cabinet。　



It　was　not　absolutely　ebony　and　gold；　but　it　was　japan；



black　and　yellow　japan　of　the　handsomest　kind；　and　as　she



held　her　candle；　the　yellow　had　very　much　the　effect



of　gold。　　The　key　was　in　the　door；　and　she　had　a　strange



fancy　to　look　into　it；　not；　however；　with　the　smallest



expectation　of　finding　anything；　but　it　was　so　very　odd；



after　what　Henry　had　said。　　In　short；　she　could　not



sleep　till　she　had　examined　it。　　So；　placing　the　candle



with　great　caution　on　a　chair；　she　seized　the　key　with　a



very　tremulous　hand　and　tried　to　turn　it；　but　it　resisted



her　utmost　strength。　　Alarmed；　but　not　discouraged；



she　tried　it　another　way；　a　bolt　flew；　and　she　believed



herself　successful；　but　how　strangely　mysterious！



The　door　was　still　immovable。　　She　paused　a　moment



in　breathless　wonder。　　The　wind　roared　down　the　chimney；



the　rain　beat　in　torrents　against　the　windows；　and　everything



seemed　to　speak　the　awfulness　of　her　situation。　



To　retire　to　bed；　however；　unsatisfied　on　such　a　point；



would　be　vain；　since　sleep　must　be　impossible　with　the



consciousness　of　a　cabinet　so　mysteriously　closed　in　her



immediate　vicinity。　　Again；　therefore；　she　applied　herself



to　the　key；　and　after　moving　it　in　every　possible　way



for　some　instants　with　the　determined　celerity　of　hope's



last　effort；　the　door　suddenly　yielded　to　her　hand：　her



heart　leaped　with　exultation　at　such　a　victory；　and　having



thrown　open　each　folding　door；　the　second　being　secured



only　by　bolts　of　less　wonderful　construction　than　the　lock；



though　in　that　her　eye　could　not　discern　anything　unusual；



a　double　range　of　small　drawers　appeared　in　view；



with　some　larger　drawers　above　and　below　them；　and　in



the　centre；　a　small　door；　closed　also　with　a　lock　and　key；



secured　in　all　probability　a　cavity　of　importance。　







　　　　　Catherine's　heart　beat　quick；　but　her　courage　did



not　fail　her。　　With　a　cheek　flushed　by　hope；　and　an　eye



straining　with　curiosity；　her　fingers　grasped　the　handle



of　a　drawer　and　drew　it　forth。　　It　was　entirely　empty。　



With　less　alarm　and　greater　eagerness　she　seized　a　second；



a　third；　a　fourth；　each　was　equally　empty。　　Not　one　was



left　unsearched；　and　in　not　one　was　anything　found。　



Well　read　in　the　art　of　concealing　a　treasure；　the　possibility



of　false　linings　to　the　drawers　did　not　escape　her；



and　she　felt　round　each　with　anxious　acuteness　in　vain。　



The　place　in　the　middle　alone　remained　now　unexplored；



and　though　she　had　〃never　from　the　first　had　the　smallest



id