northanger abbey-第47章

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occasion　of　saying　to　her；　〃My　father　only　wanted　me



to　answer　a　note；〃　she　began　to　hope　that　she　had　either



been　unseen　by　the　general；　or　that　from　some　consideration



of　policy　she　should　be　allowed　to　suppose　herself　so。　



Upon　this　trust　she　dared　still　to　remain　in　his　presence；



after　the　company　left　them；　and　nothing　occurred　to



disturb　it。　







　　　　　In　the　course　of　this　morning's　reflections；



she　came　to　a　resolution　of　making　her　next　attempt　on



the　forbidden　door　alone。　　It　would　be　much　better　in　every



respect　that　Eleanor　should　know　nothing　of　the　matter。　



To　involve　her　in　the　danger　of　a　second　detection；



to　court　her　into　an　apartment　which　must　wring　her　heart；



could　not　be　the　office　of　a　friend。　　The　general's



utmost　anger　could　not　be　to　herself　what　it　might　be　to



a　daughter；　and；　besides；　she　thought　the　examination　itself



would　be　more　satisfactory　if　made　without　any　companion。　



It　would　be　impossible　to　explain　to　Eleanor　the　suspicions；



from　which　the　other　had；　in　all　likelihood；　been　hitherto



happily　exempt；　nor　could　she　therefore；　in　her　presence；



search　for　those　proofs　of　the　general's　cruelty；



which　however　they　might　yet　have　escaped　discovery；



she　felt　confident　of　somewhere　drawing　forth；　in　the　shape



of　some　fragmented　journal；　continued　to　the　last　gasp。　



Of　the　way　to　the　apartment　she　was　now　perfectly　mistress；



and　as　she　wished　to　get　it　over　before　Henry's　return；



who　was　expected　on　the　morrow；　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost；



The　day　was　bright；　her　courage　high；　at　four　o'clock；



the　sun　was　now　two　hours　above　the　horizon；　and　it



would　be　only　her　retiring　to　dress　half　an　hour　earlier



than　usual。　







　　　　　It　was　done；　and　Catherine　found　herself　alone



in　the　gallery　before　the　clocks　had　ceased　to　strike。　



It　was　no　time　for　thought；　she　hurried　on；　slipped　with



the　least　possible　noise　through　the　folding　doors；



and　without　stopping　to　look　or　breathe；　rushed　forward



to　the　one　in　question。　　The　lock　yielded　to　her　hand；



and；　luckily；　with　no　sullen　sound　that　could　alarm



a　human　being。　　On　tiptoe　she　entered；　the　room　was



before　her；　but　it　was　some　minutes　before　she　could



advance　another　step。　　She　beheld　what　fixed　her　to



the　spot　and　agitated　every　feature。　　She　saw　a　large；



well…proportioned　apartment；　an　handsome　dimity　bed；



arranged　as　unoccupied　with　an　housemaid's　care；　a　bright



Bath　stove；　mahogany　wardrobes；　and　neatly　painted　chairs；



on　which　the　warm　beams　of　a　western　sun　gaily　poured



through　two　sash　windows！　Catherine　had　expected



to　have　her　feelings　worked；　and　worked　they　were。　



Astonishment　and　doubt　first　seized　them；　and　a　shortly



succeeding　ray　of　common　sense　added　some　bitter　emotions



of　shame。　　She　could　not　be　mistaken　as　to　the　room；



but　how　grossly　mistaken　in　everything　else！in　Miss



Tilney's　meaning；　in　her　own　calculation！　This　apartment；



to　which　she　had　given　a　date　so　ancient；　a　position　so　awful；



proved　to　be　one　end　of　what　the　general's　father　had　built。　



There　were　two　other　doors　in　the　chamber；　leading　probably



into　dressing…closets；　but　she　had　no　inclination　to



open　either。　　Would　the　veil　in　which　Mrs。　Tilney　had



last　walked；　or　the　volume　in　which　she　had　last　read；



remain　to　tell　what　nothing　else　was　allowed　to　whisper？



No：　whatever　might　have　been　the　general's　crimes；　he　had



certainly　too　much　wit　to　let　them　sue　for　detection。　



She　was　sick　of　exploring；　and　desired　but　to　be　safe　in



her　own　room；　with　her　own　heart　only　privy　to　its　folly；



and　she　was　on　the　point　of　retreating　as　softly　as　she



had　entered；　when　the　sound　of　footsteps；　she　could　hardly



tell　where；　made　her　pause　and　tremble。　　To　be　found　there；



even　by　a　servant；　would　be　unpleasant；　but　by　the　general



（and　he　seemed　always　at　hand　when　least　wanted）；　much



worse！　She　listenedthe　sound　had　ceased；　and　resolving　not



to　lose　a　moment；　she　passed　through　and　closed　the　door。　



At　that　instant　a　door　underneath　was　hastily　opened；



someone　seemed　with　swift　steps　to　ascend　the　stairs；



by　the　head　of　which　she　had　yet　to　pass　before　she



could　gain　the　gallery。　　She　bad　no　power　to　move。　



With　a　feeling　of　terror　not　very　definable；　she　fixed



her　eyes　on　the　staircase；　and　in　a　few　moments　it　gave



Henry　to　her　view。　　〃Mr。　Tilney！〃　she　exclaimed　in　a　voice



of　more　than　common　astonishment。　　He　looked　astonished　too。　



〃Good　God！〃　she　continued；　not　attending　to　his　address。　



〃How　came　you　here？　How　came　you　up　that　staircase？〃







　　　　　〃How　came　I　up　that　staircase！〃　he　replied；



greatly　surprised。　　〃Because　it　is　my　nearest　way　from　the



stable…yard　to　my　own　chamber；　and　why　should　I　not　come　up　it？〃







　　　　　Catherine　recollected　herself；　blushed　deeply；　and　could



say　no　more。　　He　seemed　to　be　looking　in　her　countenance



for　that　explanation　which　her　lips　did　not　afford。　



She　moved　on　towards　the　gallery。　　〃And　may　I　not；　in　my　turn；〃



said　he；　as　be　pushed　back　the　folding　doors；　〃ask　how　you



came　here？　This　passage　is　at　least　as　extraordinary



a　road　from　the　breakfast…parlour　to　your　apartment；



as　that　staircase　can　be　from　the　stables　to　mine。〃







　　　　　〃I　have　been；〃　said　Catherine；　looking　down；



〃to　see　your　mother's　room。〃







　　　　　〃My　mother's　room！　Is　there　anything　extraordinary



to　be　seen　there？〃







　　　　　〃No；　nothing　at　all。　　I　thought　you　did　not　mean



to　come　back　till　tomorrow。〃







　　　　　〃I　did　not　expect　to　be　able　to　return　sooner；



when　I　went　away；　but　three　hours　ago　I　had　the　pleasure



of　finding　nothing　to　detain　me。　　You　look　pale。　　I　am



afraid　I　alarmed　you　by　running　so　fast　up　those　stairs。　



Perhaps　you　did　not　knowyou　were　not　aware　of　their　leading



from　the　offices　in　common　use？〃







　　　　　〃No；　I　was　not。　　You　have　had　a　very　fine　day



for　your　ride。〃







　　　　　〃Very；　and　does　Eleanor　leave　you　to　find　your　way



into　an　the　rooms　in　the　house　by　yourself？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　No；　she　showed　me　over　the　greatest　part　on



Saturdayand　we　were　coming　here　to　these　roomsbut



only〃dropping　her　voice〃your　father　was　with　us。〃







　　　　　〃And　that　prevented　you；〃　said　Henry；　earnestly



regarding　her。　　〃Have　you　looked　into　all　the　rooms　in



that　passage？〃







　　　　　〃No；　I　only　wanted　to　see　Is　not　it　very　late？　I



must　go　and　dress。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　only　a　quarter　past　four〃　showing　his



watch〃and　you　are　not　now　in　Bath。　　No　theatre；　no　rooms



to　prepare　for。　　Half　an　hour　at　Northanger　must　be　enough。〃







　　　　　She　could　not　contradict　it；　and　therefore　suffered



herself　to　be　detained；　though　her　dread　of　further　questions



made　her；　for　the　first　time　in　their　acquaintance；



wish　to　leave　him。　　They　walked　slowly　up　the　gallery。　



〃Have　you　had　any　letter　from　Bath　since　I　saw　you？〃







　　　　　〃No；　and　I　am　very　much　surprised。　　Isabella　promised



so　faithfully　to　write　directly。〃







　　　　　〃Promised　so　faithfully！　A　faithful　promise！　That



puzzles　me。　　I　have　heard　of　a　faithful　performance。　



But　a　faithful　promisethe　fidelity　of　promising！　It



is　a　power　little　worth　knowing；　however；　since　it　can



deceive　and　pain　you。　　My　mother's　room　is　very　commodious；



is　it　not？　Large　and　cheerful…looking；　and　the



dressing…closets　so　well　disposed！　It　always　strikes　me



as　the　most　comfortable　apartment　in　the　house；　and　I



rather　wonder　that　Eleanor　should　not　take　it　for　her　own。　



She　sent　you　to　look