northanger abbey-第48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！





without　knowing　it　herself；　into　languor　and　listlessness；



moving　herself　in　her　chair；　from　the　irritation



of　weariness；　much　oftener　than　she　moved　her　needle。　



Mrs。　Morland　watched　the　progress　of　this　relapse；



and　seeing；　in　her　daughter's　absent　and　dissatisfied　look；



the　full　proof　of　that　repining　spirit　to　which　she



had　now　begun　to　attribute　her　want　of　cheerfulness；



hastily　left　the　room　to　fetch　the　book　in　question；



anxious　to　lose　no　time　in　attacking　so　dreadful　a　malady。　



It　was　some　time　before　she　could　find　what　she　looked　for；



and　other　family　matters　occurring　to　detain　her；



a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　elapsed　ere　she　returned



downstairs　with　the　volume　from　which　so　much　was　hoped。　



Her　avocations　above　having　shut　out　all　noise　but　what　she



created　herself；　she　knew　not　that　a　visitor　had　arrived



within　the　last　few　minutes；　till；　on　entering　the　room；



the　first　object　she　beheld　was　a　young　man　whom　she



had　never　seen　before。　　With　a　look　of　much　respect；



he　immediately　rose；　and　being　introduced　to　her　by　her



conscious　daughter　as　〃Mr。　Henry　Tilney；〃　with　the



embarrassment　of　real　sensibility　began　to　apologize



for　his　appearance　there；　acknowledging　that　after



what　had　passed　he　had　little　right　to　expect　a　welcome



at　Fullerton；　and　stating　his　impatience　to　be　assured



of　Miss　Morland's　having　reached　her　home　in　safety；



as　the　cause　of　his　intrusion。　　He　did　not　address　himself



to　an　uncandid　judge　or　a　resentful　heart。　　Far　from



comprehending　him　or　his　sister　in　their　father's　misconduct；



Mrs。　Morland　had　been　always　kindly　disposed　towards　each；



and　instantly；　pleased　by　his　appearance；　received　him



with　the　simple　professions　of　unaffected　benevolence；



thanking　him　for　such　an　attention　to　her　daughter；



assuring　him　that　the　friends　of　her　children　were　always



welcome　there；　and　entreating　him　to　say　not　another　word　of



the　past。　







　　　　　He　was　not　ill…inclined　to　obey　this　request；　for；



though　his　heart　was　greatly　relieved　by　such　unlooked…for



mildness；　it　was　not　just　at　that　moment　in　his　power



to　say　anything　to　the　purpose。　　Returning　in　silence



to　his　seat；　therefore；　he　remained　for　some　minutes　most



civilly　answering　all　Mrs。　Morland's　common　remarks　about



the　weather　and　roads。　　Catherine　meanwhilethe　anxious；



agitated；　happy；　feverish　Catherinesaid　not　a　word；



but　her　glowing　cheek　and　brightened　eye　made　her　mother



trust　that　this　good…natured　visit　would　at　least　set



her　heart　at　ease　for　a　time；　and　gladly　therefore



did　she　lay　aside　the　first　volume　of　The　Mirror　for　a　future　hour。　







　　　　　Desirous　of　Mr。　Morland's　assistance；　as　well　in



giving　encouragement；　as　in　finding　conversation　for



her　guest；　whose　embarrassment　on　his　father's　account　she



earnestly　pitied；　Mrs。　Morland　had　very　early　dispatched



one　of　the　children　to　summon　him；　but　Mr。　Morland　was　from



homeand　being　thus　without　any　support；　at　the　end　of　a



quarter　of　an　hour　she　had　nothing　to　say。　　After　a　couple



of　minutes'　unbroken　silence；　Henry；　turning　to　Catherine



for　the　first　time　since　her　mother's　entrance；　asked　her；



with　sudden　alacrity；　if　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　were　now　at



Fullerton？　And　on　developing；　from　amidst　all　her　perplexity



of　words　in　reply；　the　meaning；　which　one　short　syllable



would　have　given；　immediately　expressed　his　intention



of　paying　his　respects　to　them；　and；　with　a　rising　colour；



asked　her　if　she　would　have　the　goodness　to　show　him



the　way。　　〃You　may　see　the　house　from　this　window；　sir；〃



was　information　on　Sarah's　side；　which　produced　only　a　bow



of　acknowledgment　from　the　gentleman；　and　a　silencing　nod



from　her　mother；　for　Mrs。　Morland；　thinking　it　probable；



as　a　secondary　consideration　in　his　wish　of　waiting　on　their



worthy　neighbours；　that　he　might　have　some　explanation



to　give　of　his　father's　behaviour；　which　it　must　be



more　pleasant　for　him　to　communicate　only　to　Catherine；



would　not　on　any　account　prevent　her　accompanying　him。　



They　began　their　walk；　and　Mrs。　Morland　was　not　entirely



mistaken　in　his　object　in　wishing　it。　　Some　explanation



on　his　father's　account　he　had　to　give；　but　his　first



purpose　was　to　explain　himself；　and　before　they　reached



Mr。　Allen's　grounds　he　had　done　it　so　well　that　Catherine



did　not　think　it　could　ever　be　repeated　too　often。　



She　was　assured　of　his　affection；　and　that　heart　in　return



was　solicited；　which；　perhaps；　they　pretty　equally　knew



was　already　entirely　his　own；　for；　though　Henry　was　now



sincerely　attached　to　her；　though　he　felt　and　delighted



in　all　the　excellencies　of　her　character　and　truly　loved



her　society；　I　must　confess　that　his　affection　originated



in　nothing　better　than　gratitude；　or；　in　other　words；



that　a　persuasion　of　her　partiality　for　him　had　been　the



only　cause　of　giving　her　a　serious　thought。　　It　is　a　new



circumstance　in　romance；　I　acknowledge；　and　dreadfully



derogatory　of　an　heroine's　dignity；　but　if　it　be　as　new



in　common　life；　the　credit　of　a　wild　imagination　will



at　least　be　all　my　own。　







　　　　　A　very　short　visit　to　Mrs。　Allen；　in　which　Henry　talked



at　random；　without　sense　or　connection；　and　Catherine；



rapt　in　the　contemplation　of　her　own　unutterable　happiness；



scarcely　opened　her　lips；　dismissed　them　to　the　ecstasies



of　another　tete…a…tete；　and　before　it　was　suffered　to　close；



she　was　enabled　to　judge　how　far　he　was　sanctioned



by　parental　authority　in　his　present　application。　



On　his　return　from　Woodston；　two　days　before；　he　had



been　met　near　the　abbey　by　his　impatient　father；



hastily　informed　in　angry　terms　of　Miss　Morland's　departure；



and　ordered　to　think　of　her　no　more。　







　　　　　Such　was　the　permission　upon　which　he　had　now　offered



her　his　hand。　　The　affrighted　Catherine；　amidst　all　the



terrors　of　expectation；　as　she　listened　to　this　account；



could　not　but　rejoice　in　the　kind　caution　with　which　Henry



had　saved　her　from　the　necessity　of　a　conscientious　rejection；



by　engaging　her　faith　before　he　mentioned　the　subject；



and　as　he　proceeded　to　give　the　particulars；　and　explain



the　motives　of　his　father's　conduct；　her　feelings　soon



hardened　into　even　a　triumphant　delight。　　The　general　had



had　nothing　to　accuse　her　of；　nothing　to　lay　to　her　charge；



but　her　being　the　involuntary；　unconscious　object



of　a　deception　which　his　pride　could　not　pardon；



and　which　a　better　pride　would　have　been　ashamed　to　own。　



She　was　guilty　only　of　being　less　rich　than　he　had　supposed



her　to　be。　　Under　a　mistaken　persuasion　of　her　possessions



and　claims；　he　had　courted　her　acquaintance　in　Bath；



solicited　her　company　at　Northanger；　and　designed　her



for　his　daughter…in…law。　On　discovering　his　error；　to　turn



her　from　the　house　seemed　the　best；　though　to　his　feelings



an　inadequate　proof　of　his　resentment　towards　herself；



and　his　contempt　of　her　family。　







　　　　　John　Thorpe　had　first　misled　him。　　The　general；



perceiving　his　son　one　night　at　the　theatre　to　be　paying



considerable　attention　to　Miss　Morland；　had　accidentally



inquired　of　Thorpe　if　he　knew　more　of　her　than　her　name。　



Thorpe；　most　happy　to　be　on　speaking　terms　with　a　man



of　General　Tilney's　importance；　had　been　joyfully　and



proudly　communicative；　and　being　at　that　time　not　only　in　daily



expectation　of　Morland's　engaging　Isabella；　but　likewise



pretty　well　resolved　upon　marrying　Catherine　himself；



his　vanity　induced　him　to　represent　the　family　as　yet　more



wealthy　than　his　vanity　and　avarice　had　made　him　believe　them。　



With　whomsoever　he　was；　or　was　likely　to　be　connected；



his　own　consequence　always　required　that　theirs　should



be　great；　and　as　his　intimacy　with　any　acquaintance　grew；



so　regularly　grew　their　fortune。　　The　expectations　of　his



friend　Morland；　therefore；　from　the　first　overrated；



had　ever　since　his　introduction　to　Isabella　been



gradually　increasing；　and　by　merely　adding　twice　as　much



for　the　grandeur　of　the　moment；　by　doubling　what　he



chose　to　think　the　amount　of　Mr。　Morland's　preferment；



trebling　his　private　fortune；　bestowing　a　rich　aunt；



and　sinking　half　the　children；　he　was　able　to　represent



the　whole　family　to　the　general　in　a　most　respectable　light。　



For　Catherine；　however；　the　peculiar　object　of　the　general's



curiosity；　and　his　own　speculations；　he　had　yet　something



more　in　reserve；　and　the　ten　or　fifteen　thousand　pounds



which　her　father　could　give　her　would　be　a　pretty　addition



to　Mr。　Allen's　estate。　　Her　intimacy　there　had　made　him



seriously　determine　on　her　being　handsomely　legacied　hereafter；



and　to　speak　of　her　therefore　as　the　almost　acknowledged



future　heiress　of　Fullerton　naturally　followed。　



Upon　such　intelligence　the　general　had　proceeded；



for　never　had　it　occurred　to　him　to　doubt　its　authority。　



Thorpe's　interest　in　the　family；　by　his　sister's　approaching



connection　with　one　of　its　members；　and　his　own　views



on　another　（circumstances　of　which　he　boasted　with　almost



equal　openness）；　seemed　sufficient　vouchers　for　his　truth；



and　to　these　were　added　the　absolute　facts　of　the　Allens



being　wealthy　and　childless；　of　Miss　Morland's　being　under



their　care；　andas　soon　as　his　acquaintance　allowed　him



to　judgeof　their　treating　her　with　parental　kindness。　



His　resolution　was　soon　formed。　　Already　had　he　discerned



a　liking　towards　Miss　Morland　in　th