northanger abbey-第51章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





She　was　as　insignificant；　and　perhaps　as　portionless；



as　Isabella；　and　if　the　heir　of　the　Tilney　property　had



not　grandeur　and　wealth　enough　in　himself；　at　what　point



of　interest　were　the　demands　of　his　younger　brother　to



rest？　The　very　painful　reflections　to　which　this　thought



led　could　only　be　dispersed　by　a　dependence　on　the　effect



of　that　particular　partiality；　which；　as　she　was　given



to　understand　by　his　words　as　well　as　his　actions；



she　had　from　the　first　been　so　fortunate　as　to　excite



in　the　general；　and　by　a　recollection　of　some　most　generous



and　disinterested　sentiments　on　the　subject　of　money；



which　she　had　more　than　once　heard　him　utter；　and　which



tempted　her　to　think　his　disposition　in　such　matters



misunderstood　by　his　children。　







　　　　　They　were　so　fully　convinced；　however；　that　their



brother　would　not　have　the　courage　to　apply　in　person



for　his　father's　consent；　and　so　repeatedly　assured　her



that　he　had　never　in　his　life　been　less　likely　to　come



to　Northanger　than　at　the　present　time；　that　she　suffered



her　mind　to　be　at　ease　as　to　the　necessity　of　any　sudden



removal　of　her　own。　　But　as　it　was　not　to　be　supposed



that　Captain　Tilney；　whenever　he　made　his　application；



would　give　his　father　any　just　idea　of　Isabella's　conduct；



it　occurred　to　her　as　highly　expedient　that　Henry　should



lay　the　whole　business　before　him　as　it　really　was；



enabling　the　general　by　that　means　to　form　a　cool



and　impartial　opinion；　and　prepare　his　objections



on　a　fairer　ground　than　inequality　of　situations。　



She　proposed　it　to　him　accordingly；　but　he　did　not



catch　at　the　measure　so　eagerly　as　she　had　expected。　



〃No；〃　said　he；　〃my　father's　hands　need　not　be　strengthened；



and　Frederick's　confession　of　folly　need　not　be　forestalled。　



He　must　tell　his　own　story。〃







　　　　　〃But　he　will　tell　only　half　of　it。〃







　　　　　〃A　quarter　would　be　enough。〃







　　　　　A　day　or　two　passed　away　and　brought　no　tidings



of　Captain　Tilney。　　His　brother　and　sister　knew　not　what



to　think。　　Sometimes　it　appeared　to　them　as　if　his　silence



would　be　the　natural　result　of　the　suspected　engagement；



and　at　others　that　it　was　wholly　incompatible　with　it。　



The　general；　meanwhile；　though　offended　every　morning　by



Frederick's　remissness　in　writing；　was　free　from　any　real



anxiety　about　him；　and　had　no　more　pressing　solicitude



than　that　of　making　Miss　Morland's　time　at　Northanger



pass　pleasantly。　　He　often　expressed　his　uneasiness　on



this　head；　feared　the　sameness　of　every　day's　society



and　employments　would　disgust　her　with　the　place；



wished　the　Lady　Frasers　had　been　in　the　country；



talked　every　now　and　then　of　having　a　large　party



to　dinner；　and　once　or　twice　began　even　to　calculate



the　number　of　young　dancing　people　in　the　neighbourhood。　



But　then　it　was　such　a　dead　time　of　year；　no　wild…fowl；



no　game；　and　the　Lady　Frasers　were　not　in　the　country。　



And　it　all　ended；　at　last；　in　his　telling　Henry　one　morning



that　when　he　next　went　to　Woodston；　they　would　take　him



by　surprise　there　some　day　or　other；　and　eat　their　mutton



with　him。　　Henry　was　greatly　honoured　and　very　happy；



and　Catherine　was　quite　delighted　with　the　scheme。　



〃And　when　do　you　think；　sir；　I　may　look　forward　to　this



pleasure？　I　must　be　at　Woodston　on　Monday　to　attend　the



parish　meeting；　and　shall　probably　be　obliged　to　stay　two



or　three　days。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　well；　we　will　take　our　chance　some　one



of　those　days。　　There　is　no　need　to　fix。　　You　are　not



to　put　yourself　at　all　out　of　your　way。　　Whatever　you



may　happen　to　have　in　the　house　will　be　enough。　



I　think　I　can　answer　for　the　young　ladies　making　allowance



for　a　bachelor's　table。　　Let　me　see；　Monday　will　be



a　busy　day　with　you；　we　will　not　come　on　Monday；



and　Tuesday　will　be　a　busy　one　with　me。　　I　expect　my



surveyor　from　Brockham　with　his　report　in　the　morning；



and　afterwards　I　cannot　in　decency　fail　attending　the　club。　



I　really　could　not　face　my　acquaintance　if　I　stayed



away　now；　for；　as　I　am　known　to　be　in　the　country；



it　would　be　taken　exceedingly　amiss；　and　it　is　a　rule



with　me；　Miss　Morland；　never　to　give　offence　to　any　of



my　neighbours；　if　a　small　sacrifice　of　time　and　attention



can　prevent　it。　　They　are　a　set　of　very　worthy　men。　



They　have　half　a　buck　from　Northanger　twice　a　year；



and　I　dine　with　them　whenever　I　can。　　Tuesday；　therefore；



we　may　say　is　out　of　the　question。　　But　on　Wednesday；



I　think；　Henry；　you　may　expect　us；　and　we　shall　be　with



you　early；　that　we　may　have　time　to　look　about　us。　



Two　hours　and　three　quarters　will　carry　us　to　Woodston；



I　suppose；　we　shall　be　in　the　carriage　by　ten；　so；　about　a



quarter　before　one　on　Wednesday；　you　may　look　for　us。〃







　　　　　A　ball　itself　could　not　have　been　more　welcome



to　Catherine　than　this　little　excursion；　so　strong



was　her　desire　to　be　acquainted　with　Woodston；



and　her　heart　was　still　bounding　with　joy　when　Henry；



about　an　hour　afterwards；　came　booted　and　greatcoated　into



the　room　where　she　and　Eleanor　were　sitting；　and　said；



〃I　am　come；　young　ladies；　in　a　very　moralizing　strain；



to　observe　that　our　pleasures　in　this　world　are　always



to　be　paid　for；　and　that　we　often　purchase　them　at　a



great　disadvantage；　giving　ready…monied　actual　happiness



for　a　draft　on　the　future；　that　may　not　be　honoured。　



Witness　myself；　at　this　present　hour。　　Because　I　am



to　hope　for　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　you　at　Woodston



on　Wednesday；　which　bad　weather；　or　twenty　other　causes；



may　prevent；　I　must　go　away　directly；　two　days　before　I



intended　it。〃







　　　　　〃Go　away！〃　said　Catherine；　with　a　very　long　face。　



〃And　why？〃







　　　　　〃Why！　How　can　you　ask　the　question？　Because　no　time



is　to　be　lost　in　frightening　my　old　housekeeper　out　of



her　wits；　because　I　must　go　and　prepare　a　dinner　for　you；



to　be　sure。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Not　seriously！〃







　　　　　〃Aye；　and　sadly　toofor　I　had　much　rather　stay。〃







　　　　　〃But　how　can　you　think　of　such　a　thing；　after　what



the　general　said？　When　he　so　particularly　desired　you



not　to　give　yourself　any　trouble；　because　anything　would　do。〃







　　　　　Henry　only　smiled。　　〃I　am　sure　it　is　quite



unnecessary　upon　your　sister's　account　and　mine。　



You　must　know　it　to　be　so；　and　the　general　made　such　a



point　of　your　providing　nothing　extraordinary：　besides；



if　he　had　not　said　half　so　much　as　he　did；　he　has



always　such　an　excellent　dinner　at　home；　that　sitting



down　to　a　middling　one　for　one　day　could　not　signify。〃







　　　　　〃I　wish　I　could　reason　like　you；　for　his　sake　and　my　own。　



Good…bye。　As　tomorrow　is　Sunday；　Eleanor；　I　shall　not　return。〃







　　　　　He　went；　and；　it　being　at　any　time　a　much　simpler



operation　to　Catherine　to　doubt　her　own　judgment　than



Henry's；　she　was　very　soon　obliged　to　give　him　credit



for　being　right；　however　disagreeable　to　her　his　going。　



But　the　inexplicability　of　the　general's　conduct　dwelt



much　on　her　thoughts。　　That　he　was　very　particular　in



his　eating；　she　had；　by　her　own　unassisted　observation；



already　discovered；　but　why　he　should　say　one　thing



so　positively；　and　mean　another　all　the　while；



was　most　unaccountable！　How　were　people；　at　that　rate；



to　be　understood？　Who　but　Henry　could　have　been　aware



of　what　his　father　was　at？







　　　　　From　Saturday　to　Wednesday；　however；　they　were　now



to　be　without　Henry。　　This　was　the　sad　finale　of　every



reflection：　and　Captain　Tilney's　letter　would　certainly　come