northanger abbey-第15部分

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and　plays；　and　everyday　sights；　is　past　with　them。〃



Here　their　conversation　closed；　the　demands　of　the　dance



becoming　now　too　importunate　for　a　divided　attention。　







　　　　　Soon　after　their　reaching　the　bottom　of　the　set；



Catherine　perceived　herself　to　be　earnestly　regarded　by　a



gentleman　who　stood　among　the　lookers…on；　immediately　behind



her　partner。　　He　was　a　very　handsome　man；　of　a　commanding



aspect；　past　the　bloom；　but　not　past　the　vigour　of　life；



and　with　his　eye　still　directed　towards　her；　she　saw　him



presently　address　Mr。　Tilney　in　a　familiar　whisper。　



Confused　by　his　notice；　and　blushing　from　the　fear　of



its　being　excited　by　something　wrong　in　her　appearance；



she　turned　away　her　head。　　But　while　she　did　so；



the　gentleman　retreated；　and　her　partner；　coming　nearer；



said；　〃I　see　that　you　guess　what　I　have　just　been　asked。　



That　gentleman　knows　your　name；　and　you　have　a　right



to　know　his。　　It　is　General　Tilney；　my　father。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　answer　was　only　〃Oh！〃but　it　was　an　〃Oh！〃



expressing　everything　needful：　attention　to　his　words；



and　perfect　reliance　on　their　truth。　　With　real　interest



and　strong　admiration　did　her　eye　now　follow　the　general；



as　he　moved　through　the　crowd；　and　〃How　handsome　a　family



they　are！〃　was　her　secret　remark。　







　　　　　In　chatting　with　Miss　Tilney　before　the　evening　concluded；



a　new　source　of　felicity　arose　to　her。　　She　had　never　taken



a　country　walk　since　her　arrival　in　Bath。　　Miss　Tilney；



to　whom　all　the　commonly　frequented　environs　were　familiar；



spoke　of　them　in　terms　which　made　her　all　eagerness



to　know　them　too；　and　on　her　openly　fearing　that　she



might　find　nobody　to　go　with　her；　it　was　proposed　by



the　brother　and　sister　that　they　should　join　in　a　walk；



some　morning　or　other。　　〃I　shall　like　it；〃　she　cried；



〃beyond　anything　in　the　world；　and　do　not　let　us　put　it



offlet　us　go　tomorrow。〃　This　was　readily　agreed　to；



with　only　a　proviso　of　Miss　Tilney's；　that　it　did　not　rain；



which　Catherine　was　sure　it　would　not。　　At　twelve



o'clock；　they　were　to　call　for　her　in　Pulteney　Street；



and　〃Remembertwelve　o'clock；〃　was　her　parting　speech



to　her　new　friend。　　Of　her　other；　her　older；　her　more



established　friend；　Isabella；　of　whose　fidelity　and　worth



she　had　enjoyed　a　fortnight's　experience；　she　scarcely



saw　anything　during　the　evening。　　Yet；　though　longing



to　make　her　acquainted　with　her　happiness；　she　cheerfully



submitted　to　the　wish　of　Mr。　Allen；　which　took　them



rather　early　away；　and　her　spirits　danced　within　her；



as　she　danced　in　her　chair　all　the　way　home。　















CHAPTER　11











　　　　　The　morrow　brought　a　very　sober…looking　morning；



the　sun　making　only　a　few　efforts　to　appear；　and　Catherine



augured　from　it　everything　most　favourable　to　her　wishes。　



A　bright　morning　so　early　in　the　year；　she　allowed；



would　generally　turn　to　rain；　but　a　cloudy　one　foretold



improvement　as　the　day　advanced。　　She　applied　to



Mr。　Allen　for　confirmation　of　her　hopes；　but　Mr。　Allen；



not　having　his　own　skies　and　barometer　about　him；



declined　giving　any　absolute　promise　of　sunshine。　



She　applied　to　Mrs。　Allen；　and　Mrs。　Allen's　opinion　was



more　positive。　　〃She　had　no　doubt　in　the　world　of　its



being　a　very　fine　day；　if　the　clouds　would　only　go　off；



and　the　sun　keep　out。〃







　　　　　At　about　eleven　o'clock；　however；　a　few　specks　of　small



rain　upon　the　windows　caught　Catherine's　watchful　eye；



and　〃Oh！　dear；　I　do　believe　it　will　be　wet；〃　broke　from



her　in　a　most　desponding　tone。　







　　　　　〃I　thought　how　it　would　be；〃　said　Mrs。　Allen。　







　　　　　〃No　walk　for　me　today；〃　sighed　Catherine；　〃but　perhaps



it　may　come　to　nothing；　or　it　may　hold　up　before　twelve。〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　it　may；　but　then；　my　dear；　it　will　be　so　dirty。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　That　will　not　signify；　I　never　mind　dirt。〃







　　　　　〃No；〃　replied　her　friend　very　placidly；　〃I　know　you



never　mind　dirt。〃







　　　　　After　a　short　pause；　〃It　comes　on　faster　and　faster！〃



said　Catherine；　as　she　stood　watching　at　a　window。　







　　　　　〃So　it　does　indeed。　　If　it　keeps　raining；　the　streets



will　be　very　wet。〃







　　　　　〃There　are　four　umbrellas　up　already。　　How　I　hate



the　sight　of　an　umbrella！〃







　　　　　〃They　are　disagreeable　things　to　carry。　　I　would



much　rather　take　a　chair　at　any　time。〃







　　　　　〃It　was　such　a　nice…looking　morning！　I　felt



so　convinced　it　would　be　dry！〃







　　　　　〃Anybody　would　have　thought　so　indeed。　　There　will



be　very　few　people　in　the　pump…room；　if　it　rains　all



the　morning。　　I　hope　Mr。　Allen　will　put　on　his　greatcoat



when　he　goes；　but　I　dare　say　he　will　not；　for　he　had　rather



do　anything　in　the　world　than　walk　out　in　a　greatcoat；



I　wonder　he　should　dislike　it；　it　must　be　so　comfortable。〃







　　　　　The　rain　continuedfast；　though　not　heavy。　



Catherine　went　every　five　minutes　to　the　clock；



threatening　on　each　return　that；　if　it　still　kept　on



raining　another　five　minutes；　she　would　give　up　the　matter



as　hopeless。　　The　clock　struck　twelve；　and　it　still　rained。　



〃You　will　not　be　able　to　go；　my　dear。〃







　　　　　〃I　do　not　quite　despair　yet。　　I　shall　not　give



it　up　till　a　quarter　after　twelve。　　This　is　just



the　time　of　day　for　it　to　clear　up；　and　I　do　think　it



looks　a　little　lighter。　　There；　it　is　twenty　minutes



after　twelve；　and　now　I　shall　give　it　up　entirely。　



Oh！　That　we　had　such　weather　here　as　they　had　at　Udolpho；



or　at　least　in　Tuscany　and　the　south　of　France！the



night　that　poor　St。　Aubin　died！such　beautiful　weather！〃







　　　　　At　half　past　twelve；　when　Catherine's　anxious　attention



to　the　weather　was　over　and　she　could　no　longer　claim



any　merit　from　its　amendment；　the　sky　began　voluntarily



to　clear。　　A　gleam　of　sunshine　took　her　quite　by　surprise；



she　looked　round；　the　clouds　were　parting；　and　she　instantly



returned　to　the　window　to　watch　over　and　encourage　the



happy　appearance。　　Ten　minutes　more　made　it　certain　that　a



bright　afternoon　would　succeed；　and　justified　the　opinion



of　Mrs。　Allen；　who　had　〃always　thought　it　would　clear　up。〃



But　whether　Catherine　might　still　expect　her　friends；



whether　there　had　not　been　too　much　rain　for　Miss　Tilney



to　venture；　must　yet　be　a　question。　







　　　　　It　was　too　dirty　for　Mrs。　Allen　to　accompany　her



husband　to　the　pump…room；　he　accordingly　set　off　by　himself；



and　Catherine　had　barely　watched　him　down　the　street



when　her　notice　was　claimed　by　the　approach　of　the　same



two　open　carriages；　containing　the　same　three　people



that　had　surprised　her　so　much　a　few　mornings　back。　







　　　　　〃Isabella；　my　brother；　and　Mr。　Thorpe；　I　declare！



They　are　coming　for　me　perhapsbut　I　shall　not　goI



cannot　go　indeed；　for　you　know　Miss　Tilney　may　still　call。〃



Mrs。　Allen　agreed　to　it。　　John　Thorpe　was　soon　with　them；



and　his　voice　was　with　them　yet　sooner；　for　on　the



stairs　he　was　calling　out　to　Miss　Morland　to　be　quick。　



〃Make　haste！　Make　haste！〃　as　he　threw　open　the　door。　



〃Put　on　your　hat　this　momentthere　is　no　time　to　be　lostwe



are　going　to　Bristol。　　How　d'ye　do；　Mrs。　Allen？〃







　　　　　〃To　Bristol！　Is　not　that　a　great　way　off？　But；



however；　I　cannot　go　with　you　today；　because　I　am　engaged；



I　expect　some　friends　every　moment。〃　This　was　of　course



vehemently　talked　down　as　no　reason　at　all；　Mrs。　Allen



was　called　on　to　second　him；　and　the　two　others　walked　in；



to　give　their　assistance。　　〃My　sweetest　Catherine；　is　not



this　delightful？　We　shall　have　a　most　heavenly　drive。　



You　are　to　thank　your　brother　and　me　for　the　scheme；



it　darted　into　our　heads　at　breakfast…time；　I　verily



believe　at　the　same　instant；　and　we　should　have　been　off



two　hours　ago　if　it　had　not　been　for　this　detestable　rain。　



But　it　does　not　signify；　the　nights　are　moonlight；　and　we



shall　do　delightfully。　　Oh！　I　am　in　such　ecstasies　at　the



thoughts　of　a　little　country　air　and　quiet！　So　much　better



than　going　to　the　Lower　Rooms。　　We　shall　drive　directly



to　Clifton　and　dine　there；　and；　as　soon　as　dinner　is　over；



if　there　is　time　for　it；　go　on　to　Kingsweston。〃







　　　　　〃I　doubt　our　being　able　to　do　so　much；〃　said　Morland。　







　　　　　〃You　croaking　fellow！〃　cried　Thorpe。　　〃We　shall



be　able　to　do　ten　times　more。　　Kingsweston！　Aye；



and　Blaize　Castle　too；　and　anything　else　we　can　hear　of；



but　here　is　your　sister　says　she　will　not　go。〃







　　　　　〃Blaize　Castle！〃　cried　Catherine。　　〃What　is　that'？〃







　　　　　〃The　finest　place　in　Englandworth　going　fifty



miles　at　any　time　to　see。〃







　　　　　〃What；　is　it　really　a　castle；　an　old　castle？〃







　　　　　〃The　oldest　in　the　kingdom。〃







　　　　　〃But　is　it　like　what　one　reads　of？〃







　　　　　〃Exactlythe　very　same。〃







　　　　　〃But　now　reallyare　there　towers　and　long　galleries？〃







　　　　　〃By　dozens。〃







　　　　　〃Then　I　should　like　to　see　it；　but　I　cannotI



cannot　go。　







　　　　　〃Not　go！　My　beloved　creature；　what　do　you　mean'？〃







　　　　　〃I　cannot　go；　because〃looking　down　as　she　spoke；



fearful　of　Isabella's　smile〃I　expect　Miss　Tilney



and　her　brother　to　call　on　me　to　take　a　country　walk。　



They　promised　to　come　at　twelve；　only　it　rained；　but　now；



as　it　is　so　fine；　I　dare　say　they　will　be　here　soon。〃







　　　　　〃Not　they　indeed；〃　cried　Thorpe；　〃for；　as　we　turned



into　Broad　Street；　I　saw