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among　women　is　faultless；　except　in　three　particulars。〃







　　　　　〃And　what　are　they？〃







　　　　　〃A　general　deficiency　of　subject；　a　total　inattention



to　stops；　and　a　very　frequent　ignorance　of　grammar。〃







　　　　　〃Upon　my　word！　I　need　not　have　been　afraid　of　disclaiming



the　compliment。　　You　do　not　think　too　highly　of　us　in　that　way。〃







　　　　　〃I　should　no　more　lay　it　down　as　a　general　rule　that



women　write　better　letters　than　men；　than　that　they　sing



better　duets；　or　draw　better　landscapes。　　In　every　power；



of　which　taste　is　the　foundation；　excellence　is　pretty



fairly　divided　between　the　sexes。〃







　　　　　They　were　interrupted　by　Mrs。　Allen：　〃My　dear　Catherine；〃



said　she；　〃do　take　this　pin　out　of　my　sleeve；　I　am　afraid　it



has　torn　a　hole　already；　I　shall　be　quite　sorry　if　it　has；



for　this　is　a　favourite　gown；　though　it　cost　but　nine



shillings　a　yard。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　exactly　what　I　should　have　guessed



it；　madam；〃　said　Mr。　Tilney；　looking　at　the　muslin。　







　　　　　〃Do　you　understand　muslins；　sir？〃







　　　　　〃Particularly　well；　I　always　buy　my　own　cravats；



and　am　allowed　to　be　an　excellent　judge；　and　my



sister　has　often　trusted　me　in　the　choice　of　a　gown。　



I　bought　one　for　her　the　other　day；　and　it　was　pronounced



to　be　a　prodigious　bargain　by　every　lady　who　saw　it。　



I　gave　but　five　shillings　a　yard　for　it；　and　a　true



Indian　muslin。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Allen　was　quite　struck　by　his　genius。　　〃Men　commonly



take　so　little　notice　of　those　things；〃　said　she；　〃I　can



never　get　Mr。　Allen　to　know　one　of　my　gowns　from　another。　



You　must　be　a　great　comfort　to　your　sister；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃I　hope　I　am；　madam。〃







　　　　　〃And　pray；　sir；　what　do　you　think　of　Miss　Morland's　gown？〃







　　　　　〃It　is　very　pretty；　madam；〃　said　he；　gravely　examining　it；



〃but　I　do　not　think　it　will　wash　well；　I　am　afraid　it　will　fray。〃







　　　　　〃How　can　you；〃　said　Catherine；　laughing；　〃be　so〃



She　had　almost　said　〃strange。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　quite　of　your　opinion；　sir；〃　replied　Mrs。　Allen；



〃and　so　I　told　Miss　Morland　when　she　bought　it。〃







　　　　　〃But　then　you　know；　madam；　muslin　always　turns



to　some　account　or　other；　Miss　Morland　will　get　enough



out　of　it　for　a　handkerchief；　or　a　cap；　or　a　cloak。　



Muslin　can　never　be　said　to　be　wasted。　　I　have　heard　my



sister　say　so　forty　times；　when　she　has　been　extravagant



in　buying　more　than　she　wanted；　or　careless　in　cutting　it



to　pieces。〃







　　　　　〃Bath　is　a　charming　place；　sir；　there　are　so　many



good　shops　here。　　We　are　sadly　off　in　the　country；



not　but　what　we　have　very　good　shops　in　Salisbury；



but　it　is　so　far　to　goeight　miles　is　a　long　way；



Mr。　Allen　says　it　is　nine；　measured　nine；　but　I　am　sure　it



cannot　be　more　than　eight；　and　it　is　such　a　fagI　come



back　tired　to　death。　　Now；　here　one　can　step　out　of　doors



and　get　a　thing　in　five　minutes。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Tilney　was　polite　enough　to　seem　interested



in　what　she　said；　and　she　kept　him　on　the　subject　of



muslins　till　the　dancing　recommenced。　　Catherine　feared；



as　she　listened　to　their　discourse；　that　he　indulged



himself　a　little　too　much　with　the　foibles　of　others。　



〃What　are　you　thinking　of　so　earnestly？〃　said　he；



as　they　walked　back　to　the　ballroom；　〃not　of　your　partner；



I　hope；　for；　by　that　shake　of　the　head；　your　meditations



are　not　satisfactory。〃







　　　　　Catherine　coloured；　and　said；　〃I　was　not　thinking



of　anything。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　artful　and　deep；　to　be　sure；　but　I　had



rather　be　told　at　once　that　you　will　not　tell　me。〃







　　　　　〃Well　then；　I　will　not。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　for　now　we　shall　soon　be　acquainted；



as　I　am　authorized　to　tease　you　on　this　subject　whenever



we　meet；　and　nothing　in　the　world　advances　intimacy



so　much。〃







　　　　　They　danced　again；　and；　when　the　assembly　closed；



parted；　on　the　lady's　side　at　least；　with　a　strong



inclination　for　continuing　the　acquaintance。　　Whether　she



thought　of　him　so　much；　while　she　drank　her　warm　wine



and　water；　and　prepared　herself　for　bed；　as　to　dream　of　him



when　there；　cannot　be　ascertained；　but　I　hope　it　was　no



more　than　in　a　slight　slumber；　or　a　morning　doze　at　most；



for　if　it　be　true；　as　a　celebrated　writer　has　maintained；



that　no　young　lady　can　be　justified　in　falling　in　love



before　the　gentleman's　love　is　declared；*　it　must　be　very



improper　that　a　young　lady　should　dream　of　a　gentleman



before　the　gentleman　is　first　known　to　have　dreamt　of　her。　



How　proper　Mr。　Tilney　might　be　as　a　dreamer　or　a　lover



had　not　yet　perhaps　entered　Mr。　Allen's　head；　but　that　he



was　not　objectionable　as　a　common　acquaintance　for　his



young　charge　he　was　on　inquiry　satisfied；　for　he　had　early



in　the　evening　taken　pains　to　know　who　her　partner　was；



and　had　been　assured　of　Mr。　Tilney's　being　a　clergyman；



and　of　a　very　respectable　family　in　Gloucestershire。　















CHAPTER　4











　　　　　With　more　than　usual　eagerness　did　Catherine　hasten



to　the　pump…room　the　next　day；　secure　within　herself



of　seeing　Mr。　Tilney　there　before　the　morning　were　over；



and　ready　to　meet　him　with　a　smile；　but　no　smile　was



demandedMr。　Tilney　did　not　appear。　　Every　creature　in　Bath；



except　himself；　was　to　be　seen　in　the　room　at　different



periods　of　the　fashionable　hours；　crowds　of　people　were



every　moment　passing　in　and　out；　up　the　steps　and　down；



people　whom　nobody　cared　about；　and　nobody　wanted　to　see；



and　he　only　was　absent。　　〃What　a　delightful　place　Bath　is；〃



said　Mrs。　Allen　as　they　sat　down　near　the　great　clock；



after　parading　the　room　till　they　were　tired；　〃and　how



pleasant　it　would　be　if　we　had　any　acquaintance　here。〃







　　　　　This　sentiment　had　been　uttered　so　often　in　vain



that　Mrs。　Allen　had　no　particular　reason　to　hope　it　would



be　followed　with　more　advantage　now；　but　we　are　told



to　〃despair　of　nothing　we　would　attain；〃　as　〃unwearied



diligence　our　point　would　gain〃；　and　the　unwearied　diligence



with　which　she　had　every　day　wished　for　the　same　thing



was　at　length　to　have　its　just　reward；　for　hardly　had　she



been　seated　ten　minutes　before　a　lady　of　about　her　own　age；



who　was　sitting　by　her；　and　had　been　looking　at　her　attentively



for　several　minutes；　addressed　her　with　great　complaisance



in　these　words：　〃I　think；　madam；　I　cannot　be　mistaken；



it　is　a　long　time　since　I　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you；



but　is　not　your　name　Allen？〃　This　question　answered；　as　it



readily　was；　the　stranger　pronounced　hers　to　be　Thorpe；



and　Mrs。　Allen　immediately　recognized　the　features



of　a　former　schoolfellow　and　intimate；　whom　she　had　seen



only　once　since　their　respective　marriages；　and　that　many



years　ago。　　Their　joy　on　this　meeting　was　very　great；



as　well　it　might；　since　they　had　been　contented　to　know



nothing　of　each　other　for　the　last　fifteen　years。　



Compliments　on　good　looks　now　passed；　and；　after　observing



how　time　had　slipped　away　since　they　were　last　together；



how　little　they　had　thought　of　meeting　in　Bath；　and　what



a　pleasure　it　was　to　see　an　old　friend；　they　proceeded



to　make　inquiries　and　give　intelligence　as　to　their



families；　sisters；　and　cousins；　talking　both　together；



far　more　ready　to　give　than　to　receive　information；



and　each　hearing　very　little　of　what　the　other　said。　



Mrs。　Thorpe；　however；　had　one　great　advantage　as　a　talker；



over　Mrs。　Allen；　in　a　family　of　children；　and　when　she



expatiated　on　the　talents　of　her　sons；　and　the　beauty　of



her　daughters；　when　she　related　their　different　situations



and　viewsthat　John　was　at　Oxford；　Edward　at　Merchant



Taylors'；　and　William　at　seaand　all　of　them　more　beloved



and　respected　in　their　different　station　than　any　other



three　beings　ever　were；　Mrs。　Allen　had　no　similar　information



to　give；　no　similar　triumphs　to　press　on　the　unwilling



and　unbelieving　ear　of　her　friend；　and　was　forced　to　sit



and　appear　to　listen　to　all　these　maternal　effusions；



consoling　herself；　however；　with　the　discovery；　which　her



keen　eye　soon　made；　that　the　lace　on　Mrs。　Thorpe's



pelisse　was　not　half　so　handsome　as　that　on　her　own。　







　　　　　〃Here　come　my　dear　girls；〃　cried　Mrs。　Thorpe；



pointing　at　three　smart…looking　females　who；　arm　in　arm；



were　then　moving　towards　her。　　〃My　dear　Mrs。　Allen；



I　long　to　introduce　them；　they　will　be　so　delighted　to　see



you：　the　tallest　is　Isabella；　my　eldest；　is　not　she　a　fine



young　woman？　The　others　are　very　much　admired　too；　but　I



believe　Isabella　is　the　handsomest。〃







　　　　　The　Miss　Thorpes　were　introduced；　and　Miss　Morland；



who　had　been　for　a　short　time　forgotten；　was　introduced　likewise。　



The　name　seemed　to　strike　them　all；　and；　after　speaking



to　her　with　great　civility；　the　eldest　young　lady　observed



aloud　to　the　rest；　〃How　excessively　like　her　brother　Miss　Morland　is！〃







　　　　　〃The　very　picture　of　him　indeed！〃　cried　the　motherand



〃I　should　have　known　her　anywhere　for　his　sister！〃



was　repeated　by　them　all；　two　or　three　times　over。　



For　a　moment　Catherine　was　surprised；　but　Mrs。　Thorpe



and　her　daughters　had　scarcely　begun　the　history　of　their



acquaintance　with　Mr。　James　Morland；　before　she　remembered



that　her　eldest　brother　had　lately　formed　an　intimacy



with　a　young　man　of　his　own　college；　of　the　name　of　Thorpe；



and　that　he　had　spent　the　last　week　of　the　Christmas



vacation　wi