northanger abbey-第30部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





in　their　stirrups；　and　numerous　outriders　properly　mounted；



sunk　a　little　under　this　consequent　inconvenience。　



Had　their　party　been　perfectly　agreeable；　the　delay　would



have　been　nothing；　but　General　Tilney；　though　so　charming



a　man；　seemed　always　a　check　upon　his　children's　spirits；



and　scarcely　anything　was　said　but　by　himself；



the　observation　of　which；　with　his　discontent　at　whatever



the　inn　afforded；　and　his　angry　impatience　at　the　waiters；



made　Catherine　grow　every　moment　more　in　awe　of　him；



and　appeared　to　lengthen　the　two　hours　into　four。　



At　last；　however；　the　order　of　release　was　given；



and　much　was　Catherine　then　surprised　by　the　general's



proposal　of　her　taking　his　place　in　his　son's　curricle



for　the　rest　of　the　journey：　〃the　day　was　fine；



and　he　was　anxious　for　her　seeing　as　much　of　the　country



as　possible。〃







　　　　　The　remembrance　of　Mr。　Allen's　opinion；　respecting　young



men's　open　carriages；　made　her　blush　at　the　mention



of　such　a　plan；　and　her　first　thought　was　to　decline　it；



but　her　second　was　of　greater　deference　for　General



Tilney's　judgment；　he　could　not　propose　anything



improper　for　her；　and；　in　the　course　of　a　few　minutes；



she　found　herself　with　Henry　in　the　curricle；　as　happy



a　being　as　ever　existed。　　A　very　short　trial　convinced　her



that　a　curricle　was　the　prettiest　equipage　in　the　world；



the　chaise　and　four　wheeled　off　with　some　grandeur；



to　be　sure；　but　it　was　a　heavy　and　troublesome　business；



and　she　could　not　easily　forget　its　having　stopped　two　hours



at　Petty　France。　　Half　the　time　would　have　been　enough



for　the　curricle；　and　so　nimbly　were　the　light　horses



disposed　to　move；　that；　had　not　the　general　chosen　to　have



his　own　carriage　lead　the　way；　they　could　have　passed　it



with　ease　in　half　a　minute。　　But　the　merit　of　the　curricle



did　not　all　belong　to　the　horses；　Henry　drove　so　wellso



quietlywithout　making　any　disturbance；　without　parading



to　her；　or　swearing　at　them：　so　different　from　the　only



gentleman…coachman　whom　it　was　in　her　power　to　compare　him



with！　And　then　his　hat　sat　so　well；　and　the　innumerable



capes　of　his　greatcoat　looked　so　becomingly　important！



To　be　driven　by　him；　next　to　being　dancing　with　him；



was　certainly　the　greatest　happiness　in　the　world。　



In　addition　to　every　other　delight；　she　had　now　that　of



listening　to　her　own　praise；　of　being　thanked　at　least；



on　his　sister's　account；　for　her　kindness　in　thus　becoming



her　visitor；　of　hearing　it　ranked　as　real　friendship；



and　described　as　creating　real　gratitude。　　His　sister；



he　said；　was　uncomfortably　circumstancedshe　had　no　female



companionand；　in　the　frequent　absence　of　her　father；



was　sometimes　without　any　companion　at　all。　







　　　　　〃But　how　can　that　be？〃　said　Catherine。　　〃Are　not　you



with　her？〃







　　　　　〃Northanger　is　not　more　than　half　my　home；



I　have　an　establishment　at　my　own　house　in　Woodston；



which　is　nearly　twenty　miles　from　my　father's；　and　some



of　my　time　is　necessarily　spent　there。〃







　　　　　〃How　sorry　you　must　be　for　that！〃







　　　　　〃I　am　always　sorry　to　leave　Eleanor。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　but　besides　your　affection　for　her；　you　must



be　so　fond　of　the　abbey！　After　being　used　to　such　a　home　as



the　abbey；　an　ordinary　parsonage…house　must　be　very　disagreeable。〃







　　　　　He　smiled；　and　said；　〃You　have　formed　a　very　favourable



idea　of　the　abbey。〃







　　　　　〃To　be　sure；　I　have。　　Is　not　it　a　fine　old　place；



just　like　what　one　reads　about？〃







　　　　　〃And　are　you　prepared　to　encounter　all　the　horrors



that　a　building　such　as　'what　one　reads　about'　may　produce？



Have　you　a　stout　heart？　Nerves　fit　for　sliding　panels



and　tapestry？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　yesI　do　not　think　I　should　be　easily　frightened；



because　there　would　be　so　many　people　in　the　houseand



besides；　it　has　never　been　uninhabited　and　left　deserted



for　years；　and　then　the　family　come　back　to　it　unawares；



without　giving　any　notice；　as　generally　happens。〃







　　　　　〃No；　certainly。　　We　shall　not　have　to　explore　our



way　into　a　hall　dimly　lighted　by　the　expiring　embers



of　a　wood　firenor　be　obliged　to　spread　our　beds　on　the



floor　of　a　room　without　windows；　doors；　or　furniture。　



But　you　must　be　aware　that　when　a　young　lady　is　（by



whatever　means）　introduced　into　a　dwelling　of　this　kind；



she　is　always　lodged　apart　from　the　rest　of　the　family。　



While　they　snugly　repair　to　their　own　end　of　the　house；



she　is　formally　conducted　by　Dorothy；　the　ancient　housekeeper；



up　a　different　staircase；　and　along　many　gloomy　passages；



into　an　apartment　never　used　since　some　cousin　or　kin



died　in　it　about　twenty　years　before。　　Can　you　stand



such　a　ceremony　as　this？　Will　not　your　mind　misgive



you　when　you　find　yourself　in　this　gloomy　chambertoo



lofty　and　extensive　for　you；　with　only　the　feeble　rays



of　a　single　lamp　to　take　in　its　sizeits　walls　hung



with　tapestry　exhibiting　figures　as　large　as　life；



and　the　bed；　of　dark　green　stuff　or　purple　velvet；



presenting　even　a　funereal　appearance？　Will　not　your　heart



sink　within　you？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　But　this　will　not　happen　to　me；　I　am　sure。〃







　　　　　〃How　fearfully　will　you　examine　the　furniture　of



your　apartment！　And　what　will　you　discern？　Not　tables；



toilettes；　wardrobes；　or　drawers；　but　on　one　side　perhaps



the　remains　of　a　broken　lute；　on　the　other　a　ponderous



chest　which　no　efforts　can　open；　and　over　the　fireplace



the　portrait　of　some　handsome　warrior；　whose　features



will　so　incomprehensibly　strike　you；　that　you　will　not　be



able　to　withdraw　your　eyes　from　it。　　Dorothy；　meanwhile；



no　less　struck　by　your　appearance；　gazes　on　you　in



great　agitation；　and　drops　a　few　unintelligible　hints。　



To　raise　your　spirits；　moreover；　she　gives　you　reason



to　suppose　that　the　part　of　the　abbey　you　inhabit　is



undoubtedly　haunted；　and　informs　you　that　you　will　not　have



a　single　domestic　within　call。　　With　this　parting　cordial



she　curtsies　offyou　listen　to　the　sound　of　her　receding



footsteps　as　long　as　the　last　echo　can　reach　youand　when；



with　fainting　spirits；　you　attempt　to　fasten　your　door；



you　discover；　with　increased　alarm；　that　it　has　no　lock。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Mr。　Tilney；　how　frightful！　This　is　just　like



a　book！　But　it　cannot　really　happen　to　me。　　I　am　sure



your　housekeeper　is　not　really　Dorothy。　　Well；　what　then？〃







　　　　　〃Nothing　further　to　alarm　perhaps　may　occur　the



first　night。　　After　surmounting　your　unconquerable　horror



of　the　bed；　you　will　retire　to　rest；　and　get　a　few　hours'



unquiet　slumber。　　But　on　the　second；　or　at　farthest



the　third　night　after　your　arrival；　you　will　probably



have　a　violent　storm。　　Peals　of　thunder　so　loud　as　to　seem



to　shake　the　edifice　to　its　foundation　will　roll　round



the　neighbouring　mountainsand　during　the　frightful



gusts　of　wind　which　accompany　it；　you　will　probably　think



you　discern　（for　your　lamp　is　not　extinguished）　one　part



of　the　hanging　more　violently　agitated　than　the　rest。　



Unable　of　course　to　repress　your　curiosity　in　so　favourable



a　moment　for　indulging　it；　you　will　instantly　arise；



and　throwing　your　dressing…gown　around　you；　proceed　to



examine　this　mystery。　　After　a　very　short　search；



you　will　discover　a　division　in　the　tapestry　so　artfully



constructed　as　to　defy　the　minutest　inspection；　and　on



opening　it；　a　door　will　immediately　appearwhich　door；



being　only　secured　by　massy　bars　and　a　padlock；　you　will；



after　a　few　efforts；　succeed　in　openingand；　with　your



lamp　in　your　hand；　will　pass　through　it　into　a　small



vaulted　room。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　I　should　be　too　much　frightened　to　do



any　such　thing。〃







　　　　　〃What！　Not　when　Dorothy　has　given　you　to　understand



that　there　is　a　secret　subterraneous　communication　between



your　apartment　and　the　chapel　of　St。　Anthony；　scarcely　two



miles　off？　Could　you　shrink　from　so　simple　an　adventure？



No；　no；　you　will　proceed　into　this　small　vaulted　room；



and　through　this　into　several　others；　without　perceiving



anything　very　remarkable　in　either。　　In　one　perhaps



there　may　be　a　dagger；　in　another　a　few　drops　of　blood；



and　in　a　third　the　remains　of　some　instrument　of　torture；



but　there　being　nothing　in　all　this　out　of　the　common　way；



and　your　lamp　being　nearly　exhausted；　you　will　return



towards　your　own　apartment。　　In　repassing　through　the　small



vaulted　room；　however；　your　eyes　will　be　attracted　towards



a　large；　old…fashioned　cabinet　of　ebony　and　gold；　which；



though　narrowly　examining　the　furniture　before；　you　had



passed　unnoticed。　　Impelled　by　an　irresistible　presentiment；



you　will　eagerly　advance　to　it；　unlock　its　folding　doors；



and　search　into　every　drawerbut　for　some　time　without



discovering　anything　of　importanceperhaps　nothing



but　a　considerable　hoard　of　diamonds。　　At　last；　however；



by　touching　a　secret　spring；　an　inner　compartment　will



opena　roll　of　paper　appearsyou　seize　itit　contains



many　sheets　of　manuscriptyou　hasten　with　the　precious



treasure　into　your　own　chamber；　but　scarcely　have　you　been



able　to　decipher　'Oh！　Thouwhomsoever　thou　mayst　be；



into　whose　hands　these　memoirs　of　the　wretched　Matilda



may　fall'when　your　lamp　suddenly　expires　in　the　socket；



and　leaves　you　in　total　darkness。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　No；　nodo　not　say　so。　　Well；　go　on。〃







　　　　　But　Henry　was　too　much　amused　by　the　intere