northanger abbey-第26节

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！





of　her　wedding…gown。







　　　　　Their　conference　was　put　an　end　to　by　the　anxious



young　lover　himself；　who　came　to　breathe　his　parting　sigh



before　he　set　off　for　Wiltshire。　　Catherine　wished　to



congratulate　him；　but　knew　not　what　to　say；　and　her　eloquence



was　only　in　her　eyes。　　From　them；　however；　the　eight　parts



of　speech　shone　out　most　expressively；　and　James　could



combine　them　with　ease。　　Impatient　for　the　realization



of　all　that　he　hoped　at　home；　his　adieus　were　not　long；



and　they　would　have　been　yet　shorter；　had　he　not　been



frequently　detained　by　the　urgent　entreaties　of　his　fair



one　that　he　would　go。　　Twice　was　he　called　almost　from　the



door　by　her　eagerness　to　have　him　gone。　　〃Indeed；　Morland；



I　must　drive　you　away。　　Consider　how　far　you　have　to　ride。　



I　cannot　bear　to　see　you　linger　so。　　For　heaven's　sake；



waste　no　more　time。　　There；　go；　goI　insist　on　it。〃







　　　　　The　two　friends；　with　hearts　now　more　united　than　ever；



were　inseparable　for　the　day；　and　in　schemes　of　sisterly



happiness　the　hours　flew　along。　　Mrs。　Thorpe　and　her　son；



who　were　acquainted　with　everything；　and　who　seemed　only



to　want　Mr。　Morland's　consent；　to　consider　Isabella's



engagement　as　the　most　fortunate　circumstance　imaginable



for　their　family；　were　allowed　to　join　their　counsels；



and　add　their　quota　of　significant　looks　and　mysterious



expressions　to　fill　up　the　measure　of　curiosity



to　be　raised　in　the　unprivileged　younger　sisters。　



To　Catherine's　simple　feelings；　this　odd　sort　of　reserve



seemed　neither　kindly　meant；　nor　consistently　supported；



and　its　unkindness　she　would　hardly　have　forborne



pointing　out；　had　its　inconsistency　been　less　their　friend；



but　Anne　and　Maria　soon　set　her　heart　at　ease　by　the



sagacity　of　their　〃I　know　what〃；　and　the　evening　was　spent



in　a　sort　of　war　of　wit；　a　display　of　family　ingenuity；



on　one　side　in　the　mystery　of　an　affected　secret；



on　the　other　of　undefined　discovery；　all　equally　acute。　







　　　　　Catherine　was　with　her　friend　again　the　next　day；



endeavouring　to　support　her　spirits　and　while　away　the



many　tedious　hours　before　the　delivery　of　the　letters；



a　needful　exertion；　for　as　the　time　of　reasonable　expectation



drew　near；　Isabella　became　more　and　more　desponding；



and　before　the　letter　arrived；　had　worked　herself



into　a　state　of　real　distress。　　But　when　it　did　come；



where　could　distress　be　found？　〃I　have　had　no　difficulty



in　gaining　the　consent　of　my　kind　parents；　and　am



promised　that　everything　in　their　power　shall　be　done



to　forward　my　happiness；〃　were　the　first　three　lines；



and　in　one　moment　all　was　joyful　security。　　The　brightest



glow　was　instantly　spread　over　Isabella's　features；



all　care　and　anxiety　seemed　removed；　her　spirits　became



almost　too　high　for　control；　and　she　called　herself　without



scruple　the　happiest　of　mortals。　







　　　　　Mrs。　Thorpe；　with　tears　of　joy；　embraced　her　daughter；



her　son；　her　visitor；　and　could　have　embraced　half



the　inhabitants　of　Bath　with　satisfaction。　　Her　heart



was　overflowing　with　tenderness。　　It　was　〃dear　John〃



and　〃dear　Catherine〃　at　every　word；　〃dear　Anne　and　dear　Maria〃



must　immediately　be　made　sharers　in　their　felicity；



and　two　〃dears〃　at　once　before　the　name　of　Isabella　were



not　more　than　that　beloved　child　had　now　well　earned。　



John　himself　was　no　skulker　in　joy。　　He　not　only　bestowed



on　Mr。　Morland　the　high　commendation　of　being　one　of　the



finest　fellows　in　the　world；　but　swore　off　many　sentences



in　his　praise。　







　　　　　The　letter；　whence　sprang　all　this　felicity；　was　short；



containing　little　more　than　this　assurance　of　success；



and　every　particular　was　deferred　till　James　could　write　again。　



But　for　particulars　Isabella　could　well　afford　to　wait。　



The　needful　was　comprised　in　Mr。　Morland's　promise；



his　honour　was　pledged　to　make　everything　easy；　and　by



what　means　their　income　was　to　be　formed；　whether　landed



property　were　to　be　resigned；　or　funded　money　made　over；



was　a　matter　in　which　her　disinterested　spirit　took



no　concern。　　She　knew　enough　to　feel　secure　of　an　honourable



and　speedy　establishment；　and　her　imagination　took　a　rapid



flight　over　its　attendant　felicities。　　She　saw　herself　at



the　end　of　a　few　weeks；　the　gaze　and　admiration　of　every



new　acquaintance　at　Fullerton；　the　envy　of　every　valued



old　friend　in　Putney；　with　a　carriage　at　her　command；



a　new　name　on　her　tickets；　and　a　brilliant　exhibition



of　hoop　rings　on　her　finger。　







　　　　　When　the　contents　of　the　letter　were　ascertained；



John　Thorpe；　who　had　only　waited　its　arrival　to　begin　his



journey　to　London；　prepared　to　set　off。　　〃Well；　Miss　Morland；〃



said　he；　on　finding　her　alone　in　the　parlour；　〃I　am　come



to　bid　you　good…bye。〃　Catherine　wished　him　a　good　journey。　



Without　appearing　to　hear　her；　he　walked　to　the　window；



fidgeted　about；　hummed　a　tune；　and　seemed　wholly



self…occupied。







　　　　　〃Shall　not　you　be　late　at　Devizes？〃　said　Catherine。　



He　made　no　answer；　but　after　a　minute's　silence　burst



out　with；　〃A　famous　good　thing　this　marrying　scheme；



upon　my　soul！　A　clever　fancy　of　Morland's　and　Belle's。



What　do　you　think　of　it；　Miss　Morland？　I　say　it　is　no



bad　notion。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　think　it　a　very　good　one。〃







　　　　　〃Do　you？　That's　honest；　by　heavens！　I　am　glad　you



are　no　enemy　to　matrimony；　however。　　Did　you　ever　hear



the　old　song　'Going　to　One　Wedding　Brings　on　Another？'



I　say；　you　will　come　to　Belle's　wedding；　I　hope。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　have　promised　your　sister　to　be　with　her；



if　possible。〃







　　　　　〃And　then　you　know〃twisting　himself　about



and　forcing　a　foolish　laugh〃I　say；　then　you　know；



we　may　try　the　truth　of　this　same　old　song。〃







　　　　　〃May　we？　But　I　never　sing。　　Well；　I　wish　you　a　good　journey。　



I　dine　with　Miss　Tilney　today；　and　must　now　be　going　home。〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　but　there　is　no　such　confounded　hurry。　



Who　knows　when　we　may　be　together　again？　Not　but　that　I



shall　be　down　again　by　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　and　a



devilish　long　fortnight　it　will　appear　to　me。〃







　　　　　〃Then　why　do　you　stay　away　so　long？〃



replied　Catherinefinding　that　he　waited　for　an　answer。　







　　　　　〃That　is　kind　of　you；　howeverkind　and　good…natured。



I　shall　not　forget　it　in　a　hurry。　　But　you　have　more　good



nature　and　all　that；　than　anybody　living；　I　believe。　



A　monstrous　deal　of　good　nature；　and　it　is　not　only



good　nature；　but　you　have　so　much；　so　much　of　everything；



and　then　you　have　such　upon　my　soul；　I　do　not　know



anybody　like　you。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　dear；　there　are　a　great　many　people　like　me；



I　dare　say；　only　a　great　deal　better。　　Good　morning



to　you。〃







　　　　　〃But　I　say；　Miss　Morland；　I　shall　come　and　pay　my



respects　at　Fullerton　before　it　is　long；　if　not　disagreeable。〃







　　　　　〃Pray　do。　　My　father　and　mother　will　be　very　glad



to　see　you。〃







　　　　　〃And　I　hopeI　hope；　Miss　Morland；　you　will　not



be　sorry　to　see　me。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　dear；　not　at　all。　　There　are　very　few　people



I　am　sorry　to　see。　　Company　is　always　cheerful。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　just　my　way　of　thinking。　　Give　me　but　a　little



cheerful　company；　let　me　only　have　the　company　of　the　people



I　love；　let　me　only　be　where　I　like　and　with　whom　I　like；



and　the　devil　take　the　rest；　say　I。　And　I　am　heartily



glad　to　hear　you　say　the　same。　　But　I　have　a　notion；



Miss　Morland；　you　and　I　think　pretty　much　alike　upon



most　matters。〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　we　may；　but　it　is　more　than　I　ever　thought　of。　



And　as　to　most　matters；　to　say　the　truth；　there　are　not



many　that　I　know　my　own　mind　about。〃







　　　　　〃By　Jove；　no　more　do　I。　It　is　not　my　way　to　bother



my　brains　with　what　does　not　concern　me。　　My　notion



of　things　is　simple　enough。　　Let　me　only　have　the　girl



I　like；　say　I；　with　a　comfortable　house　over　my　head；



and　what　care　I　for　all　the　rest？　Fortune　is　nothing。　



I　am　sure　of　a　good　income　of　my　own；　and　if　she　had　not



a　penny；　why；　so　much　the　better。〃







　　　　　〃Very　true。　　I　think　like　you　there。　　If　there　is　a　good



fortune　on　one　side；　there　can　be　no　occasion　for　any　on



the　other。　　No　matter　which　has　it；　so　that　there　is　enough。　



I　hate　the　idea　of　one　great　fortune　looking　out　for　another。　



And　to　marry　for　money　I　think　the　wickedest　thing



in　existence。　　Good　day。　　We　shall　be　very　glad　to　see



you　at　Fullerton；　whenever　it　is　con