northanger abbey-第61章

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His　resolution　was　soon　formed。　　Already　had　he　discerned



a　liking　towards　Miss　Morland　in　the　countenance　of　his　son；



and　thankful　for　Mr。　Thorpe's　communication；　he　almost



instantly　determined　to　spare　no　pains　in　weakening



his　boasted　interest　and　ruining　his　dearest　hopes。　



Catherine　herself　could　not　be　more　ignorant　at　the　time



of　all　this；　than　his　own　children。　　Henry　and　Eleanor；



perceiving　nothing　in　her　situation　likely　to　engage　their



father's　particular　respect；　had　seen　with　astonishment



the　suddenness；　continuance；　and　extent　of　his　attention；



and　though　latterly；　from　some　hints　which　had　accompanied



an　almost　positive　command　to　his　son　of　doing　everything



in　his　power　to　attach　her；　Henry　was　convinced　of　his



father's　believing　it　to　be　an　advantageous　connection；



it　was　not　till　the　late　explanation　at　Northanger　that　they



had　the　smallest　idea　of　the　false　calculations　which



had　hurried　him　on。　　That　they　were　false；　the　general



had　learnt　from　the　very　person　who　had　suggested　them；



from　Thorpe　himself；　whom　he　had　chanced　to　meet　again



in　town；　and　who；　under　the　influence　of　exactly



opposite　feelings；　irritated　by　Catherine's　refusal；



and　yet　more　by　the　failure　of　a　very　recent　endeavour



to　accomplish　a　reconciliation　between　Morland　and　Isabella；



convinced　that　they　were　separated　forever；　and　spurning



a　friendship　which　could　be　no　longer　serviceable；



hastened　to　contradict　all　that　he　had　said　before　to　the



advantage　of　the　Morlandsconfessed　himself　to　have　been



totally　mistaken　in　his　opinion　of　their　circumstances



and　character；　misled　by　the　rhodomontade　of　his　friend



to　believe　his　father　a　man　of　substance　and　credit；



whereas　the　transactions　of　the　two　or　three　last　weeks



proved　him　to　be　neither；　for　after　coming　eagerly　forward



on　the　first　overture　of　a　marriage　between　the　families；



with　the　most　liberal　proposals；　he　had；　on　being



brought　to　the　point　by　the　shrewdness　of　the　relator；



been　constrained　to　acknowledge　himself　incapable　of　giving



the　young　people　even　a　decent　support。　　They　were；　in　fact；



a　necessitous　family；　numerous；　too；　almost　beyond　example；



by　no　means　respected　in　their　own　neighbourhood；　as　he



had　lately　had　particular　opportunities　of　discovering；



aiming　at　a　style　of　life　which　their　fortune　could　not　warrant；



seeking　to　better　themselves　by　wealthy　connections；



a　forward；　bragging；　scheming　race。　







　　　　　The　terrified　general　pronounced　the　name　of　Allen



with　an　inquiring　look；　and　here　too　Thorpe　had　learnt



his　error。　　The　Allens；　he　believed；　had　lived　near　them



too　long；　and　he　knew　the　young　man　on　whom　the　Fullerton



estate　must　devolve。　　The　general　needed　no　more。　



Enraged　with　almost　everybody　in　the　world　but　himself；



he　set　out　the　next　day　for　the　abbey；　where　his　performances



have　been　seen。　







　　　　　I　leave　it　to　my　reader's　sagacity　to　determine　how



much　of　all　this　it　was　possible　for　Henry　to　communicate



at　this　time　to　Catherine；　how　much　of　it　he　could　have



learnt　from　his　father；　in　what　points　his　own　conjectures



might　assist　him；　and　what　portion　must　yet　remain　to　be



told　in　a　letter　from　James。　　I　have　united　for　their　case



what　they　must　divide　for　mine。　　Catherine；　at　any　rate；



heard　enough　to　feel　that　in　suspecting　General　Tilney　of



either　murdering　or　shutting　up　his　wife；　she　had　scarcely



sinned　against　his　character；　or　magnified　his　cruelty。　







　　　　　Henry；　in　having　such　things　to　relate　of　his　father；



was　almost　as　pitiable　as　in　their　first　avowal　to　himself。　



He　blushed　for　the　narrow…minded　counsel　which　he



was　obliged　to　expose。　　The　conversation　between　them



at　Northanger　had　been　of　the　most　unfriendly　kind。　



Henry's　indignation　on　hearing　how　Catherine　had　been　treated；



on　comprehending　his　father's　views；　and　being　ordered



to　acquiesce　in　them；　had　been　open　and　bold。　　The　general；



accustomed　on　every　ordinary　occasion　to　give　the　law



in　his　family；　prepared　for　no　reluctance　but　of　feeling；



no　opposing　desire　that　should　dare　to　clothe　itself



in　words；　could　in　brook　the　opposition　of　his　son；



steady　as　the　sanction　of　reason　and　the　dictate　of



conscience　could　make　it。　　But；　in　such　a　cause；　his　anger；



though　it　must　shock；　could　not　intimidate　Henry；　who　was



sustained　in　his　purpose　by　a　conviction　of　its　justice。　



He　felt　himself　bound　as　much　in　honour　as　in　affection



to　Miss　Morland；　and　believing　that　heart　to　be　his　own



which　he　had　been　directed　to　gain；　no　unworthy　retraction



of　a　tacit　consent；　no　reversing　decree　of　unjustifiable　anger；



could　shake　his　fidelity；　or　influence　the　resolutions



it　prompted。　







　　　　　He　steadily　refused　to　accompany　his　father



into　Herefordshire；　an　engagement　formed　almost　at　the



moment　to　promote　the　dismissal　of　Catherine；　and　as



steadily　declared　his　intention　of　offering　her　his　hand。　



The　general　was　furious　in　his　anger；　and　they　parted



in　dreadful　disagreement。　　Henry；　in　an　agitation　of　mind



which　many　solitary　hours　were　required　to　compose；



had　returned　almost　instantly　to　Woodston；　and；　on　the



afternoon　of　the　following　day；　had　begun　his　journey　to　Fullerton。　















CHAPTER　31











　　　　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Morland's　surprise　on　being　applied



to　by　Mr。　Tilney　for　their　consent　to　his　marrying　their



daughter　was；　for　a　few　minutes；　considerable；　it　having



never　entered　their　heads　to　suspect　an　attachment



on　either　side；　but　as　nothing；　after　all；　could　be



more　natural　than　Catherine's　being　beloved；　they　soon



learnt　to　consider　it　with　only　the　happy　agitation　of



gratified　pride；　and；　as　far　as　they　alone　were　concerned；



had　not　a　single　objection　to　start。　　His　pleasing



manners　and　good　sense　were　self…evident　recommendations；



and　having　never　heard　evil　of　him；　it　was　not　their　way



to　suppose　any　evil　could　be　told。　　Goodwill　supplying　the



place　of　experience；　his　character　needed　no　attestation。　



〃Catherine　would　make　a　sad；　heedless　young　housekeeper



to　be　sure；〃　was　her　mother's　foreboding　remark；　but　quick



was　the　consolation　of　there　being　nothing　like　practice。　







　　　　　There　was　but　one　obstacle；　in　short；　to　be　mentioned；



but　till　that　one　was　removed；　it　must　be　impossible　for



them　to　sanction　the　engagement。　　Their　tempers　were　mild；



but　their　principles　were　steady；　and　while　his　parent



so　expressly　forbade　the　connection；　they　could　not　allow



themselves　to　encourage　it。　　That　the　general　should



come　forward　to　solicit　the　alliance；　or　that　he　should



even　very　heartily　approve　it；　they　were　not　refined



enough　to　make　any　parading　stipulation；　but　the　decent



appearance　of　consent　must　be　yielded；　and　that　once



obtainedand　their　own　hearts　made　them　trust　that　it



could　not　be　very　long　deniedtheir　willing　approbation



was　instantly　to　follow。　　His　consent　was　all　that　they



wished　for。　　They　were　no　more　inclined　than　entitled



to　demand　his　money。　　Of　a　very　considerable　fortune；



his　son　was；　by　marriage　settlements；　eventually　secure；



his　present　income　was　an　income　of　independence　and　comfort；



and　under　every　pecuniary　view；　it　was　a　match　beyond



the　claims　of　their　daughter。　







　　　　　The　young　people　could　not　be　surprised　at　a　decision



like　this。　　They　felt　and　they　deploredbut　they　could



not　resent　it；　and　they　parted；　endeavouring　to　hope



that　such　a　change　in　the　general；　as　each　believed



almost　imp