northanger abbey-第21节

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do　not　go；　d　me　if　I　do。　　I　only　go　for　the　sake　of　driving　you。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　a　compliment　which　gives　me　no　pleasure。〃



But　her　words　were　lost　on　Thorpe；　who　had　turned



abruptly　away。　







　　　　　The　three　others　still　continued　together；



walking　in　a　most　uncomfortable　manner　to　poor　Catherine；



sometimes　not　a　word　was　said；　sometimes　she　was　again　attacked



with　supplications　or　reproaches；　and　her　arm　was　still



linked　within　Isabella's；　though　their　hearts　were　at　war。　



At　one　moment　she　was　softened；　at　another　irritated；



always　distressed；　but　always　steady。　







　　　　　〃I　did　not　think　you　had　been　so　obstinate；　Catherine；〃



said　James；　〃you　were　not　used　to　be　so　hard　to　persuade；



you　once　were　the　kindest；　best…tempered　of　my　sisters。〃







　　　　　〃I　hope　I　am　not　less　so　now；〃　she　replied；



very　feelingly；　〃but　indeed　I　cannot　go。　　If　I　am　wrong；



I　am　doing　what　I　believe　to　be　right。〃







　　　　　〃I　suspect；〃　said　Isabella；　in　a　low　voice；



〃there　is　no　great　struggle。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　heart　swelled；　she　drew　away　her　arm；



and　Isabella　made　no　opposition。　　Thus　passed　a　long　ten　minutes；



till　they　were　again　joined　by　Thorpe；　who；　coming　to　them



with　a　gayer　look；　said；　〃Well；　I　have　settled　the　matter；



and　now　we　may　all　go　tomorrow　with　a　safe　conscience。　



I　have　been　to　Miss　Tilney；　and　made　your　excuses。〃







　　　　　〃You　have　not！〃　cried　Catherine。　







　　　　　〃I　have；　upon　my　soul。　　Left　her　this　moment。　　Told　her



you　had　sent　me　to　say　that；　having　just　recollected　a　prior



engagement　of　going　to　Clifton　with　us　tomorrow；　you　could



not　have　the　pleasure　of　walking　with　her　till　Tuesday。　



She　said　very　well；　Tuesday　was　just　as　convenient　to　her；



so　there　is　an　end　of　all　our　difficulties。　　A　pretty



good　thought　of　minehey？〃







　　　　　Isabella's　countenance　was　once　more　all　smiles



and　good　humour；　and　James　too　looked　happy　again。　







　　　　　〃A　most　heavenly　thought　indeed！　Now；　my　sweet　Catherine；



all　our　distresses　are　over；　you　are　honourably　acquitted；



and　we　shall　have　a　most　delightful　party。〃







　　　　　〃This　will　not　do；〃　said　Catherine；　〃I　cannot　submit



to　this。　　I　must　run　after　Miss　Tilney　directly　and　set



her　right。〃







　　　　　Isabella；　however；　caught　hold　of　one　hand；　Thorpe　of



the　other；　and　remonstrances　poured　in　from　all　three。　



Even　James　was　quite　angry。　　When　everything　was　settled；



when　Miss　Tilney　herself　said　that　Tuesday　would　suit　her



as　well；　it　was　quite　ridiculous；　quite　absurd；　to　make



any　further　objection。　







　　　　　〃I　do　not　care。　　Mr。　Thorpe　had　no　business　to　invent



any　such　message。　　If　I　had　thought　it　right　to　put



it　off；　I　could　have　spoken　to　Miss　Tilney　myself。　



This　is　only　doing　it　in　a　ruder　way；　and　how　do　I　know



that　Mr。　Thorpe　has　He　may　be　mistaken　again　perhaps；



he　led　me　into　one　act　of　rudeness　by　his　mistake　on　Friday。　



Let　me　go；　Mr。　Thorpe；　Isabella；　do　not　hold　me。　







　　　　　Thorpe　told　her　it　would　be　in　vain　to　go　after



the　Tilneys；　they　were　turning　the　corner　into　Brock　Street；



when　he　had　overtaken　them；　and　were　at　home　by　this　time。　







　　　　　〃Then　I　will　go　after　them；〃　said　Catherine；



〃wherever　they　are　I　will　go　after　them。　　It　does　not



signify　talking。　　If　I　could　not　be　persuaded　into　doing



what　I　thought　wrong；　I　never　will　be　tricked　into　it。〃



And　with　these　words　she　broke　away　and　hurried　off。　



Thorpe　would　have　darted　after　her；　but　Morland　withheld　him。　



〃Let　her　go；　let　her　go；　if　she　will　go。　　She　is　as



obstinate　as〃







　　　　　Thorpe　never　finished　the　simile；　for　it　could



hardly　have　been　a　proper　one。　







　　　　　Away　walked　Catherine　in　great　agitation；　as　fast



as　the　crowd　would　permit　her；　fearful　of　being　pursued；



yet　determined　to　persevere。　　As　she　walked；　she　reflected



on　what　had　passed。　　It　was　painful　to　her　to　disappoint



and　displease　them；　particularly　to　displease　her　brother；



but　she　could　not　repent　her　resistance。　　Setting　her　own



inclination　apart；　to　have　failed　a　second　time　in　her



engagement　to　Miss　Tilney；　to　have　retracted　a　promise



voluntarily　made　only　five　minutes　before；　and　on　a　false



pretence　too；　must　have　been　wrong。　　She　had　not　been



withstanding　them　on　selfish　principles　alone；　she　had



not　consulted　merely　her　own　gratification；　that　might



have　been　ensured　in　some　degree　by　the　excursion　itself；



by　seeing　Blaize　Castle；　no；　she　had　attended　to　what　was



due　to　others；　and　to　her　own　character　in　their　opinion。　



Her　conviction　of　being　right；　however；　was　not　enough



to　restore　her　composure；　till　she　had　spoken　to　Miss



Tilney　she　could　not　be　at　ease；　and　quickening　her　pace



when　she　got　clear　of　the　Crescent；　she　almost　ran　over　the



remaining　ground　till　she　gained　the　top　of　Milsom　Street。　



So　rapid　had　been　her　movements　that　in　spite　of　the　Tilneys'



advantage　in　the　outset；　they　were　but　just　fuming



into　their　lodgings　as　she　came　within　view　of　them；



and　the　servant　still　remaining　at　the　open　door；



she　used　only　the　ceremony　of　saying　that　she　must



speak　with　Miss　Tilney　that　moment；　and　hurrying　by　him



proceeded　upstairs。　　Then；　opening　the　first　door



before　her；　which　happened　to　be　the　right；　she　immediately



found　herself　in　the　drawing…room　with　General　Tilney；



his　son；　and　daughter。　　Her　explanation；　defective　only



in　beingfrom　her　irritation　of　nerves　and　shortness



of　breathno　explanation　at　all；　was　instantly　given。　



〃I　am　come　in　a　great　hurryIt　was　all　a　mistakeI



never　promised　to　goI　told　them　from　the　first　I　could



not　go。I　ran　away　in　a　great　hurry　to　explain　it。I



did　not　care　what　you　thought　of　me。I　would　not　stay



for　the　servant。〃







　　　　　The　business；　however；　though　not　perfectly



elucidated　by　this　speech；　soon　ceased　to　be　a　puzzle。　



Catherine　found　that　John　Thorpe　had　given　the　message；



and　Miss　Tilney　had　no　scruple　in　owning　herself　greatly



surprised　by　it。　　But　whether　her　brother　had　still



exceeded　her　in　resentment；　Catherine；　though　she



instinctively　addressed　herself　as　much　to　one　as　to



the　other　in　her　vindication；　had　no　means　of　knowing。　



Whatever　might　have　been　felt　before　her　arrival；



her　eager　declarations　immediately　made　every　look



and　sentence　as　friendly　as　she　could　desire。　







　　　　　The　affair　thus　happily　settled；　she　was　introduced



by　Miss　Tilney　to　her　father；　and　received　by　him



with　such　ready；　such　solicitous　politeness　as　recalled



Thorpe's　information　to　her　mind；　and　made　her　think



with　pleasure　that　he　might　be　sometimes　depended　on。　



To　such　anxious　attention　was　the　general's　civility　carried；



that　not　aware　of　her　extraordinary　swiftness　in　entering



the　house；　he　was　quite　angry　with　the　servant　whose　neglect



had　reduced　her　to　open　the　door　of　the　apartment　herself。　



〃What　did　William　mean　by　it？　He　should　make　a　point



of　inquiring　into　the　matter。〃　And　if　Catherine　had　not



most　warmly　asserted　his　innocence；　it　seemed　likely



that　William　would　lose　the　favour　of　his　master　forever；



if　not　his　place；　by　her　rapidity。　







　　　　　After　sitting　with　them　a　quarter　of　an　hour；



she　rose　to　take　leave；　and　was　then　most　agreeably



surprised　by　General　Tilney's　asking　her　if　she　would　do



his　daughter　the　honour　of　dining　and　spending　the　rest



of　the　day　with　her。　　Miss　Tilney　added　her　own　wishes。　



Catherine　was　greatly　obliged；　but　it　was　quite　out



of　her　power。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　would　expect　her　back



every　moment。　　The　general　declared　he　could　say　no　more；



the　claims　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　were　not　to　be　superseded；



but　on　some　other　day　he　trusted；　when　longer　notice　could



be　given；　they　would　not　refuse　to　spare　her　to　her　friend。　



〃Oh；　no；　Catherine　was　sure　they　would　not　have　the　least



objection；　and　she　should　have　great　pleasure　in　coming。〃



The　general　attended　her　himself　to　the　street…door；



saying　everything　gallant　as　they　went　downstairs；



admiring　the　elasticity　of　her　walk；　which　corresponded



exactly　with　the　spirit　of　her　dancing；　and　making



her　one　of　the　most　graceful　bows　she　had　ever　beheld；



when　they　parted。　







　　　　　Catherine；　delighted　by　all　that　had　passed；



proceeded　gaily　to　Pulteney　Street；　walking；　as　she



concluded；　with　great　elasticity；　though　she　had　never



thought　of　it　before。　　She　reached　home　without　seeing



anyth