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men　assembling　in　St。　George's　Fields；　the　Bank　attacked；



the　Tower　threatened；　the　streets　of　London　flowing



with　blood；　a　detachment　of　the　Twelfth　Light　Dragoons　（the



hopes　of　the　nation）　called　up　from　Northampton　to　quell



the　insurgents；　and　the　gallant　Captain　Frederick　Tilney；



in　the　moment　of　charging　at　the　head　of　his　troop；



knocked　off　his　horse　by　a　brickbat　from　an　upper　window。　



Forgive　her　stupidity。　　The　fears　of　the　sister　have　added



to　the　weakness　of　the　woman；　but　she　is　by　no　means



a　simpleton　in　general。〃







　　　　　Catherine　looked　grave。　　〃And　now；　Henry；〃　said　Miss　Tilney；



〃that　you　have　made　us　understand　each　other；　you　may



as　well　make　Miss　Morland　understand　yourselfunless　you



mean　to　have　her　think　you　intolerably　rude　to　your　sister；



and　a　great　brute　in　your　opinion　of　women　in　general。　



Miss　Morland　is　not　used　to　your　odd　ways。〃







　　　　　〃I　shall　be　most　happy　to　make　her　better　acquainted



with　them。〃







　　　　　〃No　doubt；　but　that　is　no　explanation　of　the　present。〃







　　　　　〃What　am　I　to　do？〃







　　　　　〃You　know　what　you　ought　to　do。　　Clear　your　character　handsomely



before　her。　　Tell　her　that　you　think　very　highly　of　the　understanding　of　women。〃







　　　　　〃Miss　Morland；　I　think　very　highly　of　the　understanding



of　all　the　women　in　the　worldespecially　of　thosewhoever



they　may　bewith　whom　I　happen　to　be　in　company。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　not　enough。　　Be　more　serious。〃







　　　　　〃Miss　Morland；　no　one　can　think　more　highly　of



the　understanding　of　women　than　I　do。　　In　my　opinion；



nature　has　given　them　so　much　that　they　never　find　it



necessary　to　use　more　than　half。〃







　　　　　〃We　shall　get　nothing　more　serious　from　him　now；



Miss　Morland。　　He　is　not　in　a　sober　mood。　　But　I　do　assure



you　that　he　must　be　entirely　misunderstood；　if　he　can



ever　appear　to　say　an　unjust　thing　of　any　woman　at　all；



or　an　unkind　one　of　me。〃







　　　　　It　was　no　effort　to　Catherine　to　believe　that　Henry　Tilney



could　never　be　wrong。　　His　manner　might　sometimes　surprise；



but　his　meaning　must　always　be　just：　and　what　she　did



not　understand；　she　was　almost　as　ready　to　admire；



as　what　she　did。　　The　whole　walk　was　delightful；　and　though



it　ended　too　soon；　its　conclusion　was　delightful　too；



her　friends　attended　her　into　the　house；　and　Miss　Tilney；



before　they　parted；　addressing　herself　with　respectful　form；



as　much　to　Mrs。　Allen　as　to　Catherine；　petitioned　for



the　pleasure　of　her　company　to　dinner　on　the　day　after



the　next。　　No　difficulty　was　made　on　Mrs。　Allen's　side；



and　the　only　difficulty　on　Catherine's　was　in　concealing



the　excess　of　her　pleasure。　







　　　　　The　morning　had　passed　away　so　charmingly　as　to　banish



all　her　friendship　and　natural　affection；　for　no　thought



of　Isabella　or　James　had　crossed　her　during　their　walk。　



When　the　Tilneys　were　gone；　she　became　amiable　again；



but　she　was　amiable　for　some　time　to　little　effect；



Mrs。　Allen　had　no　intelligence　to　give　that　could　relieve



her　anxiety；　she　had　heard　nothing　of　any　of　them。　



Towards　the　end　of　the　morning；　however；　Catherine；



having　occasion　for　some　indispensable　yard　of　ribbon



which　must　be　bought　without　a　moment's　delay；　walked　out



into　the　town；　and　in　Bond　Street　overtook　the　second



Miss　Thorpe　as　she　was　loitering　towards　Edgar's



Buildings　between　two　of　the　sweetest　girls　in　the　world；



who　had　been　her　dear　friends　all　the　morning。　　From　her；



she　soon　learned　that　the　party　to　Clifton　had　taken　place。　



〃They　set　off　at　eight　this　morning；〃　said　Miss　Anne；



〃and　I　am　sure　I　do　not　envy　them　their　drive。　　I　think



you　and　I　are　very　well　off　to　be　out　of　the　scrape。　



it　must　be　the　dullest　thing　in　the　world；　for　there　is　not



a　soul　at　Clifton　at　this　time　of　year。　　Belle　went　with



your　brother；　and　John　drove　Maria。〃







　　　　　Catherine　spoke　the　pleasure　she　really　felt



on　hearing　this　part　of　the　arrangement。　







　　　　　〃Oh！　yes；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃Maria　is　gone。　



She　was　quite　wild　to　go。　　She　thought　it　would　be



something　very　fine。　　I　cannot　say　I　admire　her　taste；



and　for　my　part；　I　was　determined　from　the　first　not　to　go；



if　they　pressed　me　ever　so　much。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　a　little　doubtful　of　this；　could　not



help　answering；　〃I　wish　you　could　have　gone　too。　



It　is　a　pity　you　could　not　all　go。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　but　it　is　quite　a　matter　of　indifference



to　me。　　Indeed；　I　would　not　have　gone　on　any　account。　



I　was　saying　so　to　Emily　and　Sophia　when　you　overtook　us。　







　　　　　Catherine　was　still　unconvinced；　but　glad　that　Anne



should　have　the　friendship　of　an　Emily　and　a　Sophia　to



console　her；　she　bade　her　adieu　without　much　uneasiness；



and　returned　home；　pleased　that　the　party　had　not　been



prevented　by　her　refusing　to　join　it；　and　very　heartily



wishing　that　it　might　be　too　pleasant　to　allow　either



James　or　Isabella　to　resent　her　resistance　any　longer。　















CHAPTER　15











　　　　　Early　the　next　day；　a　note　from　Isabella；



speaking　peace　and　tenderness　in　every　line；　and　entreating



the　immediate　presence　of　her　friend　on　a　matter　of　the



utmost　importance；　hastened　Catherine；　in　the　happiest



state　of　confidence　and　curiosity；　to　Edgar's　Buildings。　



The　two　youngest　Miss　Thorpes　were　by　themselves　in



the　parlour；　and；　on　Anne's　quitting　it　to　call　her　sister；



Catherine　took　the　opportunity　of　asking　the　other



for　some　particulars　of　their　yesterday's　party。　



Maria　desired　no　greater　pleasure　than　to　speak　of　it；



and　Catherine　immediately　learnt　that　it　had　been　altogether



the　most　delightful　scheme　in　the　world；　that　nobody



could　imagine　how　charming　it　had　been；　and　that　it



had　been　more　delightful　than　anybody　could　conceive。　



Such　was　the　information　of　the　first　five　minutes；



the　second　unfolded　thus　much　in　detailthat　they　had　driven



directly　to　the　York　Hotel；　ate　some　soup；　and　bespoke



an　early　dinner；　walked　down　to　the　pump…room；　tasted



the　water；　and　laid　out　some　shillings　in　purses　and　spars；



thence　adjoined　to　eat　ice　at　a　pastry…cook's；　and　hurrying



back　to　the　hotel；　swallowed　their　dinner　in　haste；



to　prevent　being　in　the　dark；　and　then　had　a　delightful



drive　back；　only　the　moon　was　not　up；　and　it　rained　a　little；



and　Mr。　Morland's　horse　was　so　tired　he　could　hardly　get　it　along。　







　　　　　Catherine　listened　with　heartfelt　satisfaction。　



It　appeared　that　Blaize　Castle　had　never　been　thought　of；



and；　as　for　all　the　rest；　there　was　nothing　to　regret



for　half　an　instant。　　Maria's　intelligence　concluded



with　a　tender　effusion　of　pity　for　her　sister　Anne；



whom　she　represented　as　insupportably　cross；　from　being



excluded　the　party。　







　　　　　〃She　will　never　forgive　me；　I　am　sure；　but；　you　know；



how　could　I　help　it？　John　would　have　me　go；　for　he　vowed　he



would　not　drive　her；　because　she　had　such　thick　ankles。　



I　dare　say　she　will　not　be　in　good　humour　again　this　month；



but　I　am　determined　I　will　not　be　cross；　it　is　not　a　little



matter　that　puts　me　out　of　temper。〃







　　　　　Isabella　now　entered　the　room　with　so　eager　a　step；



and　a　look　of　such　happy　importance；　as　engaged　all　her



friend's　notice。　　Maria　was　without　ceremony　sent　away；



and　Isabella；　embracing　Catherine；　thus　began：　〃Yes；



my　dear　Catherine；　it　is　so　indeed；　your　penetration　has



not　deceived　you。　　Oh！　That　arch　eye　of　yours！　It　sees



through　everything。〃







　　　　　Catherine　replied　only　by　a　look　of　wondering　ignorance。　







　　　　　〃Nay；　my　beloved；　sweetest　friend；〃　continued　the　other；



〃compose　yourself。　　I　am　amazingly　agitated；　as　you　perceive。　



Let　us　sit　down　and　talk　in　comfort。　　Well；　and　so　you



guessed　it　the　moment　you　had　my　note？　Sly　creature！



Oh！　My　dear　Catherine；　you　alone；　who　know　my　heart；



can　judge　of　my　present　happiness。　　Your　brother　is　the　most



charming　of　men。　　I　only　wish　I　were　more　worthy　of　him。　



But　what　will　your　excellent　father　and　mother　say？　Oh！



Heavens！　When　I　think　of　them　I　am　so　agitated！〃







　　　　　Catherine's　understanding　began　to　awake：　an　idea



of　the　truth　suddenly　darted　into　her　mind；　and；　with　the



natural　blush　of　so　new　an　emotion；　she　cried　out；



〃Good　heaven！　My　dear　Isabella；　what　do　you　mean？　Can



youcan　you　really　be　in　love　with　James？〃







　　　　　This　bold　surmise；　however；　she　soon　learnt



comprehended　but　half　the　fact。　　The　anxious　affection；



which　she　was　accused　of　having　continually　watched



in　Isabella's　every　look　and　action；　had；　in　the　course



of　their　yesterday's　party；　received　the　delightful



confession　of　an　equal　love。　　Her　heart　and　faith　were



alike　engaged　to　James。　　Never　had　Catherine　listened



to　anything　so　full　of　interest；　wonder；　and　joy。　



Her　brother　and　her　friend　engaged！　New　to　such　circumstances；



the　importance　of　it　appeared　unspeakably　great；　and　she



contemplated　it　as　one　of　those　grand　events；　of　which



the　ordinary　course　of　life　can　hardly　afford　a　return。　



The　strength　of　her　feelings　she　could　not　express；



the　nature　of　them；　however；　contented　her　friend。　



The　happiness　of　having　such　a　sister　was　their　first　effusion；



and　the　fair　ladies　mingled　in　embraces　and　tears　of　joy。　







　　　　　Delighting；　however；　as　Catherine　sincerely　did



in　the　prospect　of　the　connection；　it　must