northanger abbey-第42章

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



and　of　being　herself　its　fastener；　darted　into　her　head；



and　cost　her　another　blush。　







　　　　　She　got　away　as　soon　as　she　could　from　a　room　in



which　her　conduct　produced　such　unpleasant　reflections；



and　found　her　way　with　all　speed　to　the　breakfast…parlour；



as　it　had　been　pointed　out　to　her　by　Miss　Tilney　the



evening　before。　　Henry　was　alone　in　it；　and　his　immediate



hope　of　her　having　been　undisturbed　by　the　tempest；



with　an　arch　reference　to　the　character　of　the　building



they　inhabited；　was　rather　distressing。　　For　the　world



would　she　not　have　her　weakness　suspected；　and　yet；



unequal　to　an　absolute　falsehood；　was　constrained　to



acknowledge　that　the　wind　had　kept　her　awake　a　little。　



〃But　we　have　a　charming　morning　after　it；〃　she　added；



desiring　to　get　rid　of　the　subject；　〃and　storms



and　sleeplessness　are　nothing　when　they　are　over。　



What　beautiful　hyacinths！　I　have　just　learnt　to　love



a　hyacinth。〃







　　　　　〃And　how　might　you　learn？　By　accident　or　argument？〃







　　　　　〃Your　sister　taught　me；　I　cannot　tell　how。　　Mrs。　Allen



used　to　take　pains；　year　after　year；　to　make　me　like　them；



but　I　never　could；　till　I　saw　them　the　other　day　in



Milsom　Street；　I　am　naturally　indifferent　about　flowers。〃







　　　　　〃But　now　you　love　a　hyacinth。　　So　much　the　better。　



You　have　gained　a　new　source　of　enjoyment；　and　it　is



well　to　have　as　many　holds　upon　happiness　as　possible。　



Besides；　a　taste　for　flowers　is　always　desirable　in　your　sex；



as　a　means　of　getting　you　out　of　doors；　and　tempting　you



to　more　frequent　exercise　than　you　would　otherwise　take。　



And　though　the　love　of　a　hyacinth　may　be　rather　domestic；



who　can　tell；　the　sentiment　once　raised；　but　you　may　in　time



come　to　love　a　rose？〃







　　　　　〃But　I　do　not　want　any　such　pursuit　to　get　me　out



of　doors。　　The　pleasure　of　walking　and　breathing　fresh



air　is　enough　for　me；　and　in　fine　weather　I　am　out　more



than　half　my　time。　　Mamma　says　I　am　never　within。〃







　　　　　〃At　any　rate；　however；　I　am　pleased　that　you　have



learnt　to　love　a　hyacinth。　　The　mere　habit　of　learning



to　love　is　the　thing；　and　a　teachableness　of　disposition



in　a　young　lady　is　a　great　blessing。　　Has　my　sister



a　pleasant　mode　of　instruction？〃







　　　　　Catherine　was　saved　the　embarrassment　of　attempting



an　answer　by　the　entrance　of　the　general；　whose　smiling



compliments　announced　a　happy　state　of　mind；　but　whose



gentle　hint　of　sympathetic　early　rising　did　not　advance



her　composure。　







　　　　　The　elegance　of　the　breakfast　set　forced　itself



on　Catherine's　notice　when　they　were　seated　at　table；



and；　lucidly；　it　had　been　the　general's　choice。　　He　was



enchanted　by　her　approbation　of　his　taste；　confessed　it



to　be　neat　and　simple；　thought　it　right　to　encourage



the　manufacture　of　his　country；　and　for　his　part；　to　his



uncritical　palate；　the　tea　was　as　well　flavoured　from　the



clay　of　Staffordshire；　as　from　that　of　Dresden　or　Save。　



But　this　was　quite　an　old　set；　purchased　two　years　ago。　



The　manufacture　was　much　improved　since　that　time；



he　had　seen　some　beautiful　specimens　when　last　in　town；



and　had　he　not　been　perfectly　without　vanity　of



that　kind；　might　have　been　tempted　to　order　a　new　set。　



He　trusted；　however；　that　an　opportunity　might　ere



long　occur　of　selecting　onethough　not　for　himself。　



Catherine　was　probably　the　only　one　of　the　party　who　did



not　understand　him。　







　　　　　Shortly　after　breakfast　Henry　left　them　for　Woodston；



where　business　required　and　would　keep　him　two　or　three　days。　



They　all　attended　in　the　hall　to　see　him　mount　his　horse；



and　immediately　on　re…entering　the　breakfast…room；　Catherine



walked　to　a　window　in　the　hope　of　catching　another　glimpse



of　his　figure。　　〃This　is　a　somewhat　heavy　call　upon　your



brother's　fortitude；〃　observed　the　general　to　Eleanor。　



〃Woodston　will　make　but　a　sombre　appearance　today。〃







　　　　　〃Is　it　a　pretty　place？〃　asked　Catherine。　







　　　　　〃What　say　you；　Eleanor？　Speak　your　opinion；



for　ladies　can　best　tell　the　taste　of　ladies　in　regard



to　places　as　well　as　men。　　I　think　it　would　be　acknowledged



by　the　most　impartial　eye　to　have　many　recommendations。　



The　house　stands　among　fine　meadows　facing　the　south…east；



with　an　excellent　kitchen…garden　in　the　same　aspect；



the　walls　surrounding　which　I　built　and　stocked　myself



about　ten　years　ago；　for　the　benefit　of　my　son。　　It　is



a　family　living；　Miss　Morland；　and　the　property　in　the



place　being　chiefly　my　own；　you　may　believe　I　take　care



that　it　shall　not　be　a　bad　one。　　Did　Henry's　income　depend



solely　on　this　living；　he　would　not　be　ill…provided　for。　



Perhaps　it　may　seem　odd；　that　with　only　two　younger　children；



I　should　think　any　profession　necessary　for　him；



and　certainly　there　are　moments　when　we　could　all　wish　him



disengaged　from　every　tie　of　business。　　But　though　I　may



not　exactly　make　converts　of　you　young　ladies；　I　am　sure



your　father；　Miss　Morland；　would　agree　with　me　in　thinking



it　expedient　to　give　every　young　man　some　employment。　



The　money　is　nothing；　it　is　not　an　object；　but　employment



is　the　thing。　　Even　Frederick；　my　eldest　son；　you　see；



who　will　perhaps　inherit　as　considerable　a　landed　property



as　any　private　man　in　the　county；　has　his　profession。〃







　　　　　The　imposing　effect　of　this　last　argument　was



equal　to　his　wishes。　　The　silence　of　the　lady　proved



it　to　be　unanswerable。　







　　　　　Something　had　been　said　the　evening　before　of　her



being　shown　over　the　house；　and　he　now　offered　himself



as　her　conductor；　and　though　Catherine　had　hoped　to　explore



it　accompanied　only　by　his　daughter；　it　was　a　proposal



of　too　much　happiness　in　itself；　under　any　circumstances；



not　to　be　gladly　accepted；　for　she　had　been　already



eighteen　hours　in　the　abbey；　and　had　seen　only　a　few　of



its　rooms。　　The　netting…box；　just　leisurely　drawn　forth；



was　closed　with　joyful　haste；　and　she　was　ready　to



attend　him　in　a　moment。　　〃And　when　they　had　gone　over



the　house；　he　promised　himself　moreover　the　pleasure



of　accompanying　her　into　the　shrubberies　and　garden。〃



She　curtsied　her　acquiescence。　　〃But　perhaps　it　might　be



more　agreeable　to　her　to　make　those　her　first　object。　



The　weather　was　at　present　favourable；　and　at　this　time



of　year　the　uncertainty　was　very　great　of　its　continuing　so。　



Which　would　she　prefer？　He　was　equally　at　her　service。　



Which　did　his　daughter　think　would　most　accord　with　her



fair　friend's　wishes？　But　he　thought　he　could　discern。　



Yes；　he　certainly　read　in　Miss　Morland's　eyes　a　judicious



desire　of　making　use　of　the　present　smiling　weather。　



But　when　did　she　judge　amiss？　The　abbey　would　be　always



safe　and　dry。　　He　yielded　implicitly；　and　would　fetch



his　hat　and　attend　them　in　a　moment。〃　He　left　the　room；



and　Catherine；　with　a　disappointed；　anxious　face；



began　to　speak　of　her　unwillingness　that　he　should　be



taking　them　out　of　doors　against　his　own　inclination；



under　a　mistaken　idea　of　pleasing　her；　but　she　was　stopped



by　Miss　Tilney's　saying；　with　a　little　confusion；　〃I　believe



it　will　be　wisest　to　take　the　morning　while　it　is　so　fine；



and　do　not　be　uneasy　on　my　father's　account；　he　always　walks



out　at　this　time　of　day。〃







　　　　　Catherine　did　not　exactly　know　how　this　was



to　be　understood。　　Why　was　Miss　Tilney　embarrassed？



Could　there　be　any　unwillingness　on　the　general's　side



to　show　her　over　the　abbey？　The　proposal　was　h