northanger abbey-第41章

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The　place　in　the　middle　alone　remained　now　unexplored；



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



idea　of　finding　anything　in　any　part　of　the　cabinet；



and　was　not　in　the　least　disappointed　at　her　ill　success



thus　far；　it　would　be　foolish　not　to　examine　it　thoroughly



while　she　was　about　it。〃　It　was　some　time　however　before



she　could　unfasten　the　door；　the　same　difficulty　occurring



in　the　management　of　this　inner　lock　as　of　the　outer；



but　at　length　it　did　open；　and　not　vain；　as　hitherto；



was　her　search；　her　quick　eyes　directly　fell　on　a　roll



of　paper　pushed　back　into　the　further　part　of　the　cavity；



apparently　for　concealment；　and　her　feelings　at　that



moment　were　indescribable。　　Her　heart　fluttered；



her　knees　trembled；　and　her　cheeks　grew　pale。　　She　seized；



with　an　unsteady　hand；　the　precious　manuscript；　for　half



a　glance　sufficed　to　ascertain　written　characters；



and　while　she　acknowledged　with　awful　sensations　this



striking　exemplification　of　what　Henry　had　foretold；



resolved　instantly　to　peruse　every　line　before　she　attempted



to　rest。　







　　　　　The　dimness　of　the　light　her　candle　emitted　made



her　turn　to　it　with　alarm；　but　there　was　no　danger



of　its　sudden　extinction；　it　had　yet　some　hours　to　burn；



and　that　she　might　not　have　any　greater　difficulty



in　distinguishing　the　writing　than　what　its　ancient　date



might　occasion；　she　hastily　snuffed　it。　　Alas！　It　was　snuffed



and　extinguished　in　one。　　A　lamp　could　not　have　expired



with　more　awful　effect。　　Catherine；　for　a　few　moments；



was　motionless　with　horror。　　It　was　done　completely；



not　a　remnant　of　light　in　the　wick　could　give　hope



to　the　rekindling　breath。　　Darkness　impenetrable　and



immovable　filled　the　room。　　A　violent　gust　of　wind；



rising　with　sudden　fury；　added　fresh　horror　to　the　moment。　



Catherine　trembled　from　head　to　foot。　　In　the　pause



which　succeeded；　a　sound　like　receding　footsteps　and　the



closing　of　a　distant　door　struck　on　her　affrighted　ear。　



Human　nature　could　support　no　more。　　A　cold　sweat　stood



on　her　forehead；　the　manuscript　fell　from　her　hand；



and　groping　her　way　to　the　bed；　she　jumped　hastily　in；



and　sought　some　suspension　of　agony　by　creeping　far



underneath　the　clothes。　　To　close　her　eyes　in　sleep



that　night；　she　felt　must　be　entirely　out　of　the　question。　



With　a　curiosity　so　justly　awakened；　and　feelings　in　every



way　so　agitated；　repose　must　be　absolutely　impossible。　



The　storm　too　abroad　so　dreadful！　She　had　not　been　used



to　feel　alarm　from　wind；　but　now　every　blast　seemed　fraught



with　awful　intelligence。　　The　manuscript　so　wonderfully　found；



so　wonderfully　accomplishing　the　morning's　prediction；



how　was　it　to　be　accounted　for？　What　could　it　contain？　To



whom　could　it　relate？　By　what　means　could　it　have　been



so　long　concealed？　And　how　singularly　strange　that　it



should　fall　to　her　lot　to　discover　it！　Till　she　had　made



herself　mistress　of　its　contents；　however；　she　could



have　neither　repose　nor　comfort；　and　with　the　sun's　first



rays　she　was　determined　to　peruse　it。　　But　many　were　the



tedious　hours　which　must　yet　intervene。　　She　shuddered；



tossed　about　in　her　bed；　and　envied　every　quiet　sleeper。　



The　storm　still　raged；　and　various　were　the　noises；



more　terrific　even　than　the　wind；　which　struck　at　intervals



on　her　startled　ear。　　The　very　curtains　of　her　bed　seemed



at　one　moment　in　motion；　and　at　another　the　lock　of　her　door



was　agitated；　as　if　by　the　attempt　of　somebody　to　enter。　



Hollow　murmurs　seemed　to　creep　along　the　gallery；　and　more　than



once　her　blood　was　chilled　by　the　sound　of　distant　moans。　



Hour　after　hour　passed　away；　and　the　wearied　Catherine



had　heard　three　proclaimed　by　all　the　clocks　in　the　house



before　the　tempest　subsided　or　she　unknowingly　fell



fast　asleep。　















CHAPTER　22











　　　　　The　housemaid's　folding　back　her　window…shutters



at　eight　o'clock　the　next　day　was　the　sound　which



first　roused　Catherine；　and　she　opened　her　eyes；



wondering　that　they　could　ever　have　been　closed；



on　objects　of　cheerfulness；　her　fire　was　already　burning；



and　a　bright　morning　had　succeeded　the　tempest　of　the　night。　



Instantaneously；　with　the　consciousness　of　existence；



returned　her　recollection　of　the　manuscript；　and　springing



from　the　bed　in　the　very　moment　of　the　maid's　going　away；



she　eagerly　collected　every　scattered　sheet　which　had



burst　from　the　roll　on　its　falling　to　the　ground；　and　flew



back　to　enjoy　the　luxury　of　their　perusal　on　her　pillow。　



She　now　plainly　saw　that　she　must　not　expect　a　manuscript



of　equal　length　with　the　generality　of　what　she　had



shuddered　over　in　books；　for　the　roll；　seeming　to　consist



entirely　of　small　disjointed　sheets；　was　altogether　but



of　trifling　size；　and　much　less　than　she　had　supposed



it　to　be　at　first。　







　　　　　Her　greedy　eye　glanced　rapidly　over　a　page。　



She　started　at　its　import。　　Could　it　be　possible；　or　did



not　her　senses　play　her　false？　An　inventory　of　linen；



in　coarse　and　modern　characters；　seemed　all　that　was　before



her！　If　the　evidence　of　sight　might　be　trusted；　she　held



a　washing…bill　in　her　hand。　　She　seized　another　sheet；



and　saw　the　same　articles　with　little　variation；



a　third；　a　fourth；　and　a　fifth　presented　nothing　new。　



Shirts；　stockings；　cravats；　and　waistcoats　faced



her　in　each。　　Two　others；　penned　by　the　same　hand；



marked　an　expenditure　scarcely　more　interesting；



in　letters；　hair…powder；　shoe…string；　and　breeches…ball。



And　the　larger　sheet；　which　had　enclosed　the　rest；



seemed　by　its　first　cramp　line；　〃To　poultice　chestnut



mare〃a　farrier's　bill！　Such　was　the　collection　of　papers



（left　perhaps；　as　she　could　then　suppose；　by　the　negligence



of　a　servant　in　the　place　whence　she　had　taken　them）



which　had　filled　her　with　expectation　and　alarm；　and　robbed



her　of　half　her　night's　rest！　She　felt　humbled　to　the　dust。　



Could　not　the　adventure　of　the　chest　have　taught　her



wisdom？　A　corner　of　it；　catching　her　eye　as　she　lay；



seemed　to　rise　up　in　judgment　against　her。　　Nothing　could



now　be　clearer　than　the　absurdity　of　her　recent　fancies。　



To　suppose　that　a　manuscript　of　many　generations　back



could　have　remained　undiscovered　in　a　room　such　as　that；



so　modern；　so　habitable！Or　that　she　should　be　the　first



to　possess　the　skill　of　unlocking　a　cabinet；　the　key



of　which　was　open　to　all！







　　　　　How　could　she　have　so　imposed　on　herself？　Heaven



forbid　that　Henry　Tilney　should　ever　know　her　folly！　And



it　was　in　a　great　measure　his　own　doing；　for　had　not　the



cabinet　appeared　so　exactly　to　agree　with　his　description



of　her　adventures；　she　should　never　have　felt　the　smallest



curiosity　about　it。　　This　was　the　only　comfort　that　occurred。　



Impatient　to　get　rid　of　those　hateful　evidences　of　her　folly；



those　detestable　papers　then　scattered　over　the　bed；



she　rose　directly；　and　folding　them　up　as　nearly　as　possible



in　the　same　shape　as　before；　returned　them　to　the　same



spot　within　the　cabinet；　with　a　very　hearty　wish　that　no



untoward　accident　might　ever　bring　them　forward　again；



to　disgrace　her　even　with　herself。　







　　　　　Why　the　locks　should　have　been　so　difficult



to　open；　however；　was　still　something　remarkable；



for　she　could　now　manage　them　with　perfect　ease。　　In　this



there　was　surely　something　mysterious；　and　she　indulged



in　the　flattering　suggestion　for　half　a　minute；　till　the



possibility　of　the　door's　having　been　at　first　unlocked；



and　of　being　herself　its