northanger abbey-第54章

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to　go　to　London　for　a　week；　and　he　left　Northanger



earnestly　regretting　that　any　necessity　should　rob　him



even　for　an　hour　of　Miss　Morland's　company；　and　anxiously



recommending　the　study　of　her　comfort　and　amusement



to　his　children　as　their　chief　object　in　his　absence。　



His　departure　gave　Catherine　the　first　experimental　conviction



that　a　loss　may　be　sometimes　a　gain。　　The　happiness　with



which　their　time　now　passed；　every　employment　voluntary；



every　laugh　indulged；　every　meal　a　scene　of　ease　and



good　humour；　walking　where　they　liked　and　when　they　liked；



their　hours；　pleasures；　and　fatigues　at　their　own　command；



made　her　thoroughly　sensible　of　the　restraint　which　the



general's　presence　had　imposed；　and　most　thankfully　feel



their　present　release　from　it。　　Such　ease　and　such　delights



made　her　love　the　place　and　the　people　more　and　more



every　day；　and　had　it　not　been　for　a　dread　of　its　soon



becoming　expedient　to　leave　the　one；　and　an　apprehension



of　not　being　equally　beloved　by　the　other；　she　would　at



each　moment　of　each　day　have　been　perfectly　happy；　but　she



was　now　in　the　fourth　week　of　her　visit；　before　the　general



came　home；　the　fourth　week　would　be　turned；　and　perhaps



it　might　seem　an　intrusion　if　she　stayed　much　longer。　



This　was　a　painful　consideration　whenever　it　occurred；



and　eager　to　get　rid　of　such　a　weight　on　her　mind；



she　very　soon　resolved　to　speak　to　Eleanor　about　it



at　once；　propose　going　away；　and　be　guided　in　her　conduct



by　the　manner　in　which　her　proposal　might　be　taken。　







　　　　　Aware　that　if　she　gave　herself　much　time；　she　might



feel　it　difficult　to　bring　forward　so　unpleasant



a　subject；　she　took　the　first　opportunity　of　being



suddenly　alone　with　Eleanor；　and　of　Eleanor's　being



in　the　middle　of　a　speech　about　something　very　different；



to　start　forth　her　obligation　of　going　away　very　soon。　



Eleanor　looked　and　declared　herself　much　concerned。　



She　had　〃hoped　for　the　pleasure　of　her　company　for　a　much



longer　timehad　been　misled　（perhaps　by　her　wishes）



to　suppose　that　a　much　longer　visit　had　been　promisedand



could　not　but　think　that　if　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Morland　were



aware　of　the　pleasure　it　was　to　her　to　have　her　there；



they　would　be　too　generous　to　hasten　her　return。〃



Catherine　explained：　〃Oh！　As　to　that；　Papa　and　Mamma　were



in　no　hurry　at　all。　　As　long　as　she　was　happy；　they　would



always　be　satisfied。〃







　　　　　〃Then　why；　might　she　ask；　in　such　a　hurry　herself



to　leave　them？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Because　she　had　been　there　so　long。〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　if　you　can　use　such　a　word；　I　can　urge　you



no　farther。　　If　you　think　it　long〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　No；　I　do　not　indeed。　　For　my　own　pleasure；　I　could



stay　with　you　as　long　again。〃　And　it　was　directly　settled　that；



till　she　had；　her　leaving　them　was　not　even　to　be　thought　of。　



In　having　this　cause　of　uneasiness　so　pleasantly　removed；



the　force　of　the　other　was　likewise　weakened。　　The　kindness；



the　earnestness　of　Eleanor's　manner　in　pressing　her　to　stay；



and　Henry's　gratified　look　on　being　told　that　her　stay



was　determined；　were　such　sweet　proofs　of　her　importance



with　them；　as　left　her　only　just　so　much　solicitude



as　the　human　mind　can　never　do　comfortably　without。　



She　didalmost　alwaysbelieve　that　Henry　loved　her；



and　quite　always　that　his　father　and　sister　loved　and



even　wished　her　to　belong　to　them；　and　believing　so　far；



her　doubts　and　anxieties　were　merely　sportive　irritations。　







　　　　　Henry　was　not　able　to　obey　his　father's　injunction　of



remaining　wholly　at　Northanger　in　attendance　on　the　ladies；



during　his　absence　in　London；　the　engagements　of　his　curate



at　Woodston　obliging　him　to　leave　them　on　Saturday　for　a



couple　of　nights。　　His　loss　was　not　now　what　it　had　been



while　the　general　was　at　home；　it　lessened　their　gaiety；



but　did　not　ruin　their　comfort；　and　the　two　girls　agreeing



in　occupation；　and　improving　in　intimacy；　found　themselves



so　well　sufficient　for　the　time　to　themselves；　that　it　was



eleven　o'clock；　rather　a　late　hour　at　the　abbey；　before　they



quitted　the　supper…room　on　the　day　of　Henry's　departure。　



They　had　just　reached　the　head　of　the　stairs　when　it　seemed；



as　far　as　the　thickness　of　the　walls　would　allow　them



to　judge；　that　a　carriage　was　driving　up　to　the　door；



and　the　next　moment　confirmed　the　idea　by　the　loud　noise



of　the　house…bell。　After　the　first　perturbation　of　surprise



had　passed　away；　in　a　〃Good　heaven！　What　can　be　the　matter？〃



it　was　quickly　decided　by　Eleanor　to　be　her　eldest　brother；



whose　arrival　was　often　as　sudden；　if　not　quite　so　unseasonable；



and　accordingly　she　hurried　down　to　welcome　him。　







　　　　　Catherine　walked　on　to　her　chamber；　making　up　her



mind　as　well　as　she　could；　to　a　further　acquaintance　with



Captain　Tilney；　and　comforting　herself　under　the　unpleasant



impression　his　conduct　had　given　her；　and　the　persuasion



of　his　being　by　far　too　fine　a　gentleman　to　approve　of　her；



that　at　least　they　should　not　meet　under　such　circumstances



as　would　make　their　meeting　materially　painful。　



She　trusted　he　would　never　speak　of　Miss　Thorpe；



and　indeed；　as　he　must　by　this　time　be　ashamed　of　the



part　he　had　acted；　there　could　be　no　danger　of　it；



and　as　long　as　all　mention　of　Bath　scenes　were　avoided；



she　thought　she　could　behave　to　him　very　civilly。　



In　such　considerations　time　passed　away；　and　it　was　certainly



in　his　favour　that　Eleanor　should　be　so　glad　to　see　him；



and　have　so　much　to　say；　for　half　an　hour　was　almost



gone　since　his　arrival；　and　Eleanor　did　not　come　up。　







　　　　　At　that　moment　Catherine　thought　she　heard　her



step　in　the　gallery；　and　listened　for　its　continuance；



but　all　was　silent。　　Scarcely；　however；　had　she　convicted



her　fancy　of　error；　when　the　noise　of　something　moving



close　to　her　door　made　her　start；　it　seemed　as　if　someone



was　touching　the　very　doorwayand　in　another　moment



a　slight　motion　of　the　lock　proved　that　some　hand　must



be　on　it。　　She　trembled　a　little　at　the　idea　of　anyone's



approaching　so　cautiously；　but　resolving　not　to　be　again



overcome　by　trivial　appearances　of　alarm；　or　misled



by　a　raised　imagination；　she　stepped　quietly　forward；



and　opened　the　door。　　Eleanor；　and　only　Eleanor；　stood　there。　



Catherine's　spirits；　however；　were　tranquillized　but　for



an　instant；　for　Eleanor's　cheeks　were　pale；　and　her　manner



greatly　agitated。　　Though　evidently　intending　to　come　in；



it　seemed　an　effort　to　enter　the　room；　and　a　still



greater　to　speak　when　there。　　Catherine；　supposing　some



uneasiness　on　Captain　Tilney's　account；　could　only



express　her　concern　by　silent　attention；　obliged　her



to　be　seated；　rubbed　her　temples　with　lavender…water；



and　hung　over　her　with　affectionate　solicitude。　



〃My　dear　Catherine；　you　must　notyou　must　not　indeed〃



were　Eleanor's　first　connected　words。　　〃I　am　quite　well。　



This　kindness　distracts　meI　cannot　bear　itI　come



to　you　on　such　an　errand！〃







　　　　　〃Errand！　To　me！〃







　　　　　〃How　shall　I　tell　you！　Oh！　How　shall　I　tell　you！〃







　　　　　A　new　idea　now　darted　into　Catherine's　mind；



and　turning　as　pale　as　her　friend；　she　exclaimed；



〃'Tis　a　messenger　from　Woodston！〃







　　　　　〃You　are　mistaken；　indeed；〃　returned　Eleanor；　looking　at



her　most　compassionately；　〃it　is　no　one　from　Woodston。　



It　is　my　father　himself。〃　Her　voice　faltered；　and　her　eyes



were　turned　to　the　ground　as　she　mentioned　his　name。　



His　unlooked…for　return　was　enough　in　itself　to　make



Cath