northanger abbey-第40部分

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As　soon　as　she　dared　leave　the　table　she　hurried　away



to　her　own　room；　but　the　housemaids　were　busy　in　it；



and　she　was　obliged　to　come　down　again。　　She　turned



into　the　drawing…room　for　privacy；　but　Henry　and　Eleanor



had　likewise　retreated　thither；　and　were　at　that　moment



deep　in　consultation　about　her。　　She　drew　back；



trying　to　beg　their　pardon；　but　was；　with　gentle　violence；



forced　to　return；　and　the　others　withdrew；　after　Eleanor　had



affectionately　expressed　a　wish　of　being　of　use　or　comfort



to　her。　







　　　　　After　half　an　hour's　free　indulgence　of　grief　and



reflection；　Catherine　felt　equal　to　encountering　her　friends；



but　whether　she　should　make　her　distress　known　to　them　was



another　consideration。　　Perhaps；　if　particularly　questioned；



she　might　just　give　an　ideajust　distantly　hint　at



itbut　not　more。　　To　expose　a　friend；　such　a　friend



as　Isabella　had　been　to　herand　then　their　own　brother



so　closely　concerned　in　it！　She　believed　she　must　waive



the　subject　altogether。　　Henry　and　Eleanor　were　by　themselves



in　the　breakfast…room；　and　each；　as　she　entered　it；



looked　at　her　anxiously。　　Catherine　took　her　place　at



the　table；　and；　after　a　short　silence；　Eleanor　said；　〃No　bad



news　from　Fullerton；　I　hope？　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Morlandyour



brothers　and　sistersI　hope　they　are　none　of　them　ill？〃







　　　　　〃No；　I　thank　you〃　（sighing　as　she　spoke）；　〃they　are



all　very　well。　　My　letter　was　from　my　brother　at　Oxford。〃







　　　　　Nothing　further　was　said　for　a　few　minutes；　and　then



speaking　through　her　tears；　she　added；　〃I　do　not　think



I　shall　ever　wish　for　a　letter　again！〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sorry；〃　said　Henry；　closing　the　book　he　had



just　opened；　〃if　I　had　suspected　the　letter　of　containing



anything　unwelcome；　I　should　have　given　it　with　very　different　feelings。〃







　　　　　〃It　contained　something　worse　than　anybody　could



suppose！　Poor　James　is　so　unhappy！　You　will　soon　know　why。〃







　　　　　〃To　have　so　kind…hearted；　so　affectionate　a　sister；〃



replied　Henry　warmly；　〃must　be　a　comfort　to　him　under



any　distress。〃







　　　　　〃I　have　one　favour　to　beg；〃　said　Catherine；



shortly　afterwards；　in　an　agitated　manner；　〃that；　if



your　brother　should　be　coming　here；　you　will　give



me　notice　of　it；　that　I　may　go　away。〃







　　　　　〃Our　brother！　Frederick！〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　am　sure　I　should　be　very　sorry　to　leave　you



so　soon；　but　something　has　happened　that　would　make　it　very



dreadful　for　me　to　be　in　the　same　house　with　Captain　Tilney。〃







　　　　　Eleanor's　work　was　suspended　while　she　gazed　with



increasing　astonishment；　but　Henry　began　to　suspect　the　truth；



and　something；　in　which　Miss　Thorpe's　name　was　included；



passed　his　lips。　







　　　　　〃How　quick　you　are！〃　cried　Catherine：　〃you　have



guessed　it；　I　declare！　And　yet；　when　we　talked　about



it　in　Bath；　you　little　thought　of　its　ending　so。　



Isabellano　wonder　now　I　have　not　heard　from　herIsabella



has　deserted　my　brother；　and　is　to　marry　yours！　Could



you　have　believed　there　had　been　such　inconstancy



and　fickleness；　and　everything　that　is　bad　in　the　world？〃







　　　　　〃I　hope；　so　far　as　concerns　my　brother；　you　are　misinformed。　



I　hope　he　has　not　had　any　material　share　in　bringing　on



Mr。　Morland's　disappointment。　　His　marrying　Miss　Thorpe



is　not　probable。　　I　think　you　must　be　deceived　so　far。　



I　am　very　sorry　for　Mr。　Morlandsorry　that　anyone　you



love　should　be　unhappy；　but　my　surprise　would　be　greater



at　Frederick's　marrying　her　than　at　any　other　part　of　the　story。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　very　true；　however；　you　shall　read



James's　letter　yourself。　　Stay　There　is　one　part〃



recollecting　with　a　blush　the　last　line。　







　　　　　〃Will　you　take　the　trouble　of　reading　to　us



the　passages　which　concern　my　brother？〃







　　　　　〃No；　read　it　yourself；〃　cried　Catherine；　whose　second



thoughts　were　clearer。　　〃I　do　not　know　what　I　was



thinking　of〃　（blushing　again　that　she　had　blushed　before）；



〃James　only　means　to　give　me　good　advice。〃







　　　　　He　gladly　received　the　letter；　and；　having　read



it　through；　with　close　attention；　returned　it　saying；



〃Well；　if　it　is　to　be　so；　I　can　only　say　that　I　am　sorry



for　it。　　Frederick　will　not　be　the　first　man　who　has



chosen　a　wife　with　less　sense　than　his　family　expected。　



I　do　not　envy　his　situation；　either　as　a　lover　or　a　son。〃







　　　　　Miss　Tilney；　at　Catherine's　invitation；　now　read



the　letter　likewise；　and；　having　expressed　also　her



concern　and　surprise；　began　to　inquire　into　Miss　Thorpe's



connections　and　fortune。　







　　　　　〃Her　mother　is　a　very　good　sort　of　woman；〃



was　Catherine's　answer。　







　　　　　〃What　was　her　father？〃







　　　　　〃A　lawyer；　I　believe。　　They　live　at　Putney。〃







　　　　　〃Are　they　a　wealthy　family？〃







　　　　　〃No；　not　very。　　I　do　not　believe　Isabella　has　any



fortune　at　all：　but　that　will　not　signify　in　your　family。　



Your　father　is　so　very　liberal！　He　told　me　the　other　day



that　he　only　valued　money　as　it　allowed　him　to　promote　the



happiness　of　his　children。〃　The　brother　and　sister　looked



at　each　other。　　〃But；〃　said　Eleanor；　after　a　short　pause；



〃would　it　be　to　promote　his　happiness；　to　enable　him



to　marry　such　a　girl？　She　must　be　an　unprincipled　one；



or　she　could　not　have　used　your　brother　so。　　And　how



strange　an　infatuation　on　Frederick's　side！　A　girl　who；



before　his　eyes；　is　violating　an　engagement　voluntarily



entered　into　with　another　man！　Is　not　it　inconceivable；



Henry？　Frederick　too；　who　always　wore　his　heart　so　proudly！



Who　found　no　woman　good　enough　to　be　loved！〃







　　　　　〃That　is　the　most　unpromising　circumstance；



the　strongest　presumption　against　him。　　When　I　think



of　his　past　declarations；　I　give　him　up。　　Moreover；　I　have



too　good　an　opinion　of　Miss　Thorpe's　prudence　to　suppose



that　she　would　part　with　one　gentleman　before　the　other



was　secured。　　It　is　all　over　with　Frederick　indeed！　He　is



a　deceased　mandefunct　in　understanding。　　Prepare　for　your



sister…in…law；　Eleanor；　and　such　a　sister…in…law　as　you　must



delight　in！　Open；　candid；　artless；　guileless；　with　affections



strong　but　simple；　forming　no　pretensions；　and　knowing　no　disguise。〃







　　　　　〃Such　a　sister…in…law；　Henry；　I　should　delight　in；〃



said　Eleanor　with　a　smile。　







　　　　　〃But　perhaps；〃　observed　Catherine；　〃though　she　has



behaved　so　ill　by　our　family；　she　may　behave　better



by　yours。　　Now　she　has　really　got　the　man　she　likes；



she　may　be　constant。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　I　am　afraid　she　will；〃　replied　Henry；



〃I　am　afraid　she　will　be　very　constant；　unless　a　baronet



should　come　in　her　way；　that　is　Frederick's　only　chance。　



I　will　get　the　Bath　paper；　and　look　over　the　arrivals。〃







　　　　　〃You　think　it　is　all　for　ambition；　then？　And；



upon　my　word；　there　are　some　things　that　seem　very　like　it。　



I　cannot　forget　that；　when　she　first　knew　what　my　father



would　do　for　them；　she　seemed　quite　disappointed　that　it



was　not　more。　　I　never　was　so　deceived　in　anyone's　character



in　my　life　before。〃







　　　　　〃Among　all　the　great　variety　that　you　have　known



and　studied。〃







　　　　　〃My　own　disappointment　and　loss　in　her　is　very　great；



but；　as　for　poor　James；　I　suppose　he　will　hardly　ever



recover　it。〃







　　　　　〃Your　brother　is　certainly　very　much　to　be　pitied



at　present；　but　we　must　not；　in　our　concern　for



his　sufferings；　undervalue　yours。　　You　feel；　I　suppose；



that　in　losing　Isabella；　you　lose　half　yourself：　you　feel



a　void　in　your　heart　which　nothing　else　can　occupy。　



Society　is　becoming　irksome；　and　as　for　the　amusements



in　which　you　were　wont　to　share　at　Bath；　the　very　idea



of　them　without　her　is　abhorrent。　　You　would　not；



for　instance；　now　go　to　a　ball　for　the　world。　　You　feel



that　you　have　no　longer　any　friend　to　whom　you　can　speak



with　unreserve；　on　whose　regard　you　can　place　dependence；



or　whose　counsel；　in　any　difficulty；　you　could　rely　on。　



You　feel　all　this？〃







　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Catherine；　after　a　few　moments'　reflection；



〃I　do　notought　I？　To　say　the　truth；　though　I　am　hurt



and　grieved；　that　I　cannot　still　love　her；　that　I　am



never　to　hear　from　her；　perhaps　never　to　see　her　again；



I　do　not　feel　so　very；　very　much　afflicted　as　one　would　have　thought。〃







　　　　　〃You　feel；　as　you　always　do；　what　is　most　to　the　credit



of　human　nature。　　Such　feelings　ought　to　be　investigated；



that　they　may　know　themselves。〃











　　　　　Catherine；　by　some　chance　or　other；　found　her　spirits



so　very　much　relieved　by　this　conversation　that　she　could



not　regret　her　being　led　on；　though　so　unaccountably；



to　mention　the　circumstance　which　had　produced　it。　















CHAPTER　26











　　　　　From　this　time；　the　subject　was　frequently　canvassed



by　the　three　young　people；　and　Catherine　found；



with　some　surprise；　that　her　two　young　friends　were



perfectly　agreed　in　considering　Isabella's　want



of　consequence　and　fortune　as　likely　to　throw　great



difficulties　in　the　way　of　her　marrying　their　brother。　



Their　persuasion　that　the　general　would；　upon　this



ground　alone；　independent　of　the　objection　that　might



be　raised　against　her　character；　oppose　the　connection；



turned　her　feelings　moreover　with　some　alarm　towards　herself。　



She　was　as　insignificant；　and　perhaps　as　portionless；



as　Isabella；　and　if　the　h