northanger abbey-第23部分

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　　　　　Delighting；　however；　as　Catherine　sincerely　did



in　the　prospect　of　the　connection；　it　must　be　acknowledged



that　Isabella　far　surpassed　her　in　tender　anticipations。　



〃You　will　be　so　infinitely　dearer　to　me；　my　Catherine；



than　either　Anne　or　Maria：　I　feel　that　I　shall　be　so　much



more　attached　to　my　dear　Morland's　family　than　to　my　own。〃







　　　　　This　was　a　pitch　of　friendship　beyond　Catherine。　







　　　　　〃You　are　so　like　your　dear　brother；〃　continued　Isabella；



〃that　I　quite　doted　on　you　the　first　moment　I　saw　you。　



But　so　it　always　is　with　me；　the　first　moment



settles　everything。　　The　very　first　day　that　Morland　came



to　us　last　Christmasthe　very　first　moment　I　beheld



himmy　heart　was　irrecoverably　gone。　　I　remember　I　wore



my　yellow　gown；　with　my　hair　done　up　in　braids；　and　when　I



came　into　the　drawing…room；　and　John　introduced　him；



I　thought　I　never　saw　anybody　so　handsome　before。〃







　　　　　Here　Catherine　secretly　acknowledged　the　power



of　love；　for；　though　exceedingly　fond　of　her　brother；



and　partial　to　all　his　endowments；　she　had　never　in　her



life　thought　him　handsome。　







　　　　　〃I　remember　too；　Miss　Andrews　drank　tea　with　us



that　evening；　and　wore　her　puce…coloured　sarsenet；



and　she　looked　so　heavenly　that　I　thought　your　brother



must　certainly　fall　in　love　with　her；　I　could　not　sleep



a　wink　all　right　for　thinking　of　it。　　Oh！　Catherine；



the　many　sleepless　nights　I　have　had　on　your　brother's



account！　I　would　not　have　you　suffer　half　what　I　have　done！



I　am　grown　wretchedly　thin；　I　know；　but　I　will　not　pain



you　by　describing　my　anxiety；　you　have　seen　enough　of　it。　



I　feel　that　I　have　betrayed　myself　perpetuallyso　unguarded



in　speaking　of　my　partiality　for　the　church！　But　my　secret



I　was　always　sure　would　be　safe　with　you。〃







　　　　　Catherine　felt　that　nothing　could　have　been　safer；



but　ashamed　of　an　ignorance　little　expected；　she　dared



no　longer　contest　the　point；　nor　refuse　to　have　been



as　full　of　arch　penetration　and　affectionate　sympathy



as　Isabella　chose　to　consider　her。　　Her　brother；　she　found；



was　preparing　to　set　off　with　all　speed　to　Fullerton；



to　make　known　his　situation　and　ask　consent；　and　here　was



a　source　of　some　real　agitation　to　the　mind　of　Isabella。　



Catherine　endeavoured　to　persuade　her；　as　she　was



herself　persuaded；　that　her　father　and　mother　would



never　oppose　their　son's　wishes。　　〃It　is　impossible；〃



said　she；　〃for　parents　to　be　more　kind；　or　more　desirous



of　their　children's　happiness；　I　have　no　doubt　of　their



consenting　immediately。〃







　　　　　〃Morland　says　exactly　the　same；〃　replied　Isabella；



〃and　yet　I　dare　not　expect　it；　my　fortune　will　be　so　small；



they　never　can　consent　to　it。　　Your　brother；　who　might



marry　anybody！〃







　　　　　Here　Catherine　again　discerned　the　force　of　love。　







　　　　　〃Indeed；　Isabella；　you　are　too　humble。　　The　difference



of　fortune　can　be　nothing　to　signify。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　My　sweet　Catherine；　in　your　generous　heart　I



know　it　would　signify　nothing；　but　we　must　not　expect



such　disinterestedness　in　many。　　As　for　myself；　I　am　sure



I　only　wish　our　situations　were　reversed。　　Had　I　the



command　of　millions；　were　I　mistress　of　the　whole　world；



your　brother　would　be　my　only　choice。〃







　　　　　This　charming　sentiment；　recommended　as　much　by　sense



as　novelty；　gave　Catherine　a　most　pleasing　remembrance　of　all



the　heroines　of　her　acquaintance；　and　she　thought　her　friend



never　looked　more　lovely　than　in　uttering　the　grand　idea。　



〃I　am　sure　they　will　consent；〃　was　her　frequent　declaration；



〃I　am　sure　they　will　be　delighted　with　you。〃







　　　　　〃For　my　own　part；〃　said　Isabella；　〃my　wishes　are　so　moderate



that　the　smallest　income　in　nature　would　be　enough　for　me。　



Where　people　are　really　attached；　poverty　itself　is　wealth；



grandeur　I　detest：　I　would　not　settle　in　London　for　the　universe。　



A　cottage　in　some　retired　village　would　be　ecstasy。　



There　are　some　charming　little　villas　about　Richmond。〃







　　　　　〃Richmond！〃　cried　Catherine。　　〃You　must　settle



near　Fullerton。　　You　must　be　near　us。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　shall　be　miserable　if　we　do　not。　



If　I　can　but　be　near　you；　I　shall　be　satisfied。　



But　this　is　idle　talking！　I　will　not　allow　myself　to　think



of　such　things；　till　we　have　your　father's　answer。　



Morland　says　that　by　sending　it　tonight　to　Salisbury；



we　may　have　it　tomorrow。　　Tomorrow？　I　know　I　shall　never　have



courage　to　open　the　letter。　　I　know　it　will　be　the　death



of　me。〃







　　　　　A　reverie　succeeded　this　convictionand　when



Isabella　spoke　again；　it　was　to　resolve　on　the　quality



of　her　wedding…gown。







　　　　　Their　conference　was　put　an　end　to　by　the　anxious



young　lover　himself；　who　came　to　breathe　his　parting　sigh



before　he　set　off　for　Wiltshire。　　Catherine　wished　to



congratulate　him；　but　knew　not　what　to　say；　and　her　eloquence



was　only　in　her　eyes。　　From　them；　however；　the　eight　parts



of　speech　shone　out　most　expressively；　and　James　could



combine　them　with　ease。　　Impatient　for　the　realization



of　all　that　he　hoped　at　home；　his　adieus　were　not　long；



and　they　would　have　been　yet　shorter；　had　he　not　been



frequently　detained　by　the　urgent　entreaties　of　his　fair



one　that　he　would　go。　　Twice　was　he　called　almost　from　the



door　by　her　eagerness　to　have　him　gone。　　〃Indeed；　Morland；



I　must　drive　you　away。　　Consider　how　far　you　have　to　ride。　



I　cannot　bear　to　see　you　linger　so。　　For　heaven's　sake；



waste　no　more　time。　　There；　go；　goI　insist　on　it。〃







　　　　　The　two　friends；　with　hearts　now　more　united　than　ever；



were　inseparable　for　the　day；　and　in　schemes　of　sisterly



happiness　the　hours　flew　along。　　Mrs。　Thorpe　and　her　son；



who　were　acquainted　with　everything；　and　who　seemed　only



to　want　Mr。　Morland's　consent；　to　consider　Isabella's



engagement　as　the　most　fortunate　circumstance　imaginable



for　their　family；　were　allowed　to　join　their　counsels；



and　add　their　quota　of　significant　looks　and　mysterious



expressions　to　fill　up　the　measure　of　curiosity



to　be　raised　in　the　unprivileged　younger　sisters。　



To　Catherine's　simple　feelings；　this　odd　sort　of　reserve



seemed　neither　kindly　meant；　nor　consistently　supported；



and　its　unkindness　she　would　hardly　have　forborne



pointing　out；　had　its　inconsistency　been　less　their　friend；



but　Anne　and　Maria　soon　set　her　heart　at　ease　by　the



sagacity　of　their　〃I　know　what〃；　and　the　evening　was　spent



in　a　sort　of　war　of　wit；　a　display　of　family　ingenuity；



on　one　side　in　the　mystery　of　an　affected　secret；



on　the　other　of　undefined　discovery；　all　equally　acute。　







　　　　　Catherine　was　with　her　friend　again　the　next　day；



endeavouring　to　support　her　spirits　and　while　away　the



many　tedious　hours　before　the　delivery　of　the　letters；



a　needful　exertion；　for　as　the　time　of　reasonable　expectation



drew　near；　Isabella　became　more　and　more　desponding；



and　before　the　letter　arrived；　had　worked　herself



into　a　state　of　real　distress。　　But　when　it　did　come；



where　could　distress　be　found？　〃I　have　had　no　difficulty



in　gaining　the　consent　of　my　kind　parents；　and　am



promised　that　everything　in　their　power　shall　be　done



to　forward　my　happiness；〃　were　the　first　three　lines；



and　in　one　moment　all　was　joyful　security。　　The　brightest



glow　was　instantly　spread　over　Isabella's　features；



all　care　and　anxiety　seemed　removed；　her　spirits　became



almost　too　high　for　control；　and　she　called　herself　without



scruple　the　happiest　of　mortals。　







　　　　　Mrs。　Thorpe；　with　tears　of　joy；　embraced　her　daughter；



her　son；　her　visitor；　and　could　have　embraced　half



the　inhabitants　of　Bath　with　satisfaction。　　Her　heart



was　overflowing　with　tenderness。　　It　was　〃dear　John〃



and　〃dear　Catherine〃　at　every　word；　〃dear　Anne　and　dear　Maria〃



must　immediately　be　made　sharers　in　their　felicity；



and　two　〃dears〃　at　once　before　the　name　of　Isabella　were



not　more　than　that　beloved　child　had　now　well　earned。　



John　himself　was　no　skulker　in　joy。　　He　not　only　bestowed



on　Mr。　Morland　the　high　commendation　of　being　one　of　the



finest　fellows　in　the　world；　but　swore　off　many　sentences



in　his　praise。　







　　　　　The　letter；　whence　sprang　all　this　felicity；　was　short；



containing　little　more　than　this　assurance　of　success；



and　every　particular　was　deferred　till　James　could　write　again。　



But　for　particulars　Isabella　could　well　afford　to　wait。　



The　needful　was　comprised　in　Mr。　Morland's　promise；



his　honour　was　pledged　to　make　everything　easy；　and　by



what　means　their　income　was　to　be　formed；　whether　landed



property　were　to　be　resigned；　or　funded　money　made　over；



was　a　matter　in　which　her　disinterested　spirit　took



no　concern。　　She　knew　enough　to　feel　secure　of　an　honourable



and　speedy　establishment；　and　her　imagination　took　a　rapid



flight　over　its　attendant　felicities。　　She　saw　herself　at



the　end　of　a　few　weeks；　the　gaze　and　admiration　of　every



new　acquaintance　at　Fullerton；　the　envy　of　every　valued



old　friend　in　Putney；　with　a　carriage　at　her　command；



a　new　name　on　her　tickets；　and　a　brilliant　exhibition



of　hoop　rings　on　her　finger。　







　　　　　When　the　contents　of　the　letter　were　ascertained；



John　Thorpe；　who　had　only　waited　its　arrival　to　begin　his



journey　to　London；　prepared　to　set　off。　　〃Well；　Miss　Morland；〃



said　he；　on　finding　her　alone　in　the　parlour；　〃I　am