northanger abbey-第30节

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Northanger　turned　up　an　abbey；　and　she　was　to　be　its　inhabitant。　



Its　long；　damp　passages；　its　narrow　cells　and　ruined　chapel；



were　to　be　within　her　daily　reach；　and　she　could　not



entirely　subdue　the　hope　of　some　traditional　legends；



some　awful　memorials　of　an　injured　and　ill…fated　nun。　







　　　　　It　was　wonderful　that　her　friends　should　seem



so　little　elated　by　the　possession　of　such　a　home；



that　the　consciousness　of　it　should　be　so　meekly　borne。　



The　power　of　early　habit　only　could　account　for　it。　



A　distinction　to　which　they　had　been　born　gave　no　pride。　



Their　superiority　of　abode　was　no　more　to　them　than　their



superiority　of　person。　







　　　　　Many　were　the　inquiries　she　was　eager　to　make



of　Miss　Tilney；　but　so　active　were　her　thoughts；



that　when　these　inquiries　were　answered；　she　was　hardly



more　assured　than　before；　of　Northanger　Abbey　having　been



a　richly　endowed　convent　at　the　time　of　the　Reformation；



of　its　having　fallen　into　the　hands　of　an　ancestor　of　the



Tilneys　on　its　dissolution；　of　a　large　portion　of　the　ancient



building　still　making　a　part　of　the　present　dwelling　although



the　rest　was　decayed；　or　of　its　standing　low　in　a　valley；



sheltered　from　the　north　and　east　by　rising　woods　of　oak。　















CHAPTER　18











　　　　　With　a　mind　thus　full　of　happiness；　Catherine　was　hardly



aware　that　two　or　three　days　had　passed　away；　without　her



seeing　Isabella　for　more　than　a　few　minutes　together。　



She　began　first　to　be　sensible　of　this；　and　to　sigh



for　her　conversation；　as　she　walked　along　the　pump…room



one　morning；　by　Mrs。　Allen's　side；　without　anything　to　say



or　to　hear；　and　scarcely　had　she　felt　a　five　minutes'



longing　of　friendship；　before　the　object　of　it　appeared；



and　inviting　her　to　a　secret　conference；　led　the　way



to　a　seat。　　〃This　is　my　favourite　place；〃　said　she　as　they



sat　down　on　a　bench　between　the　doors；　which　commanded



a　tolerable　view　of　everybody　entering　at　either；



〃it　is　so　out　of　the　way。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　observing　that　Isabella's　eyes　were



continually　bent　towards　one　door　or　the　other；　as　in



eager　expectation；　and　remembering　how　often　she　had　been



falsely　accused　of　being　arch；　thought　the　present　a　fine



opportunity　for　being　really　so；　and　therefore　gaily　said；



〃Do　not　be　uneasy；　Isabella；　James　will　soon　be　here。〃







　　　　　〃Psha！　My　dear　creature；〃　she　replied；　〃do　not　think



me　such　a　simpleton　as　to　be　always　wanting　to　confine　him



to　my　elbow。　　It　would　be　hideous　to　be　always　together；



we　should　be　the　jest　of　the　place。　　And　so　you　are



going　to　Northanger！　I　am　amazingly　glad　of　it。　　It　is



one　of　the　finest　old　places　in　England；　I　understand。　



I　shall　depend　upon　a　most　particular　description　of　it。〃







　　　　　〃You　shall　certainly　have　the　best　in　my　power　to　give。　



But　who　are　you　looking　for？　Are　your　sisters　coming？〃







　　　　　〃I　am　not　looking　for　anybody。　　One's　eyes　must



be　somewhere；　and　you　know　what　a　foolish　trick　I　have　of



fixing　mine；　when　my　thoughts　are　an　hundred　miles　off。　



I　am　amazingly　absent；　I　believe　I　am　the　most　absent



creature　in　the　world。　　Tilney　says　it　is　always　the　case



with　minds　of　a　certain　stamp。〃







　　　　　〃But　I　thought；　Isabella；　you　had　something



in　particular　to　tell　me？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Yes；　and　so　I　have。　　But　here　is　a　proof　of



what　I　was　saying。　　My　poor　head；　I　had　quite　forgot　it。　



Well；　the　thing　is　this：　I　have　just　had　a　letter　from　John；



you　can　guess　the　contents。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　I　cannot。〃







　　　　　〃My　sweet　love；　do　not　be　so　abominably　affected。　



What　can　he　write　about；　but　yourself？　You　know　he　is　over



head　and　ears　in　love　with　you。〃







　　　　　〃With　me；　dear　Isabella！〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　my　sweetest　Catherine；　this　is　being　quite



absurd！　Modesty；　and　all　that；　is　very　well　in　its　way；



but　really　a　little　common　honesty　is　sometimes　quite



as　becoming。　　I　have　no　idea　of　being　so　overstrained！



It　is　fishing　for　compliments。　　His　attentions　were



such　as　a　child　must　have　noticed。　　And　it　was　but　half



an　hour　before　he　left　Bath　that　you　gave　him　the　most



positive　encouragement。　　He　says　so　in　this　letter；



says　that　he　as　good　as　made　you　an　offer；　and　that　you



received　his　advances　in　the　kindest　way；　and　now　he



wants　me　to　urge　his　suit；　and　say　all　manner　of　pretty



things　to　you。　　So　it　is　in　vain　to　affect　ignorance。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　with　all　the　earnestness　of　truth；



expressed　her　astonishment　at　such　a　charge；　protesting



her　innocence　of　every　thought　of　Mr。　Thorpe's　being



in　love　with　her；　and　the　consequent　impossibility　of



her　having　ever　intended　to　encourage　him。　　〃As　to　any



attentions　on　his　side；　I　do　declare；　upon　my　honour；



I　never　was　sensible　of　them　for　a　momentexcept　just



his　asking　me　to　dance　the　first　day　of　his　coming。　



And　as　to　making　me　an　offer；　or　anything　like　it；



there　must　be　some　unaccountable；　mistake。　　I　could　not



have　misunderstood　a　thing　of　that　kind；　you　know！　And；



as　I　ever　wish　to　be　believed；　I　solemnly　protest　that



no　syllable　of　such　a　nature　ever　passed　between　us。　



The　last　half　hour　before　he　went　away！　It　must　be　all



and　completely　a　mistakefor　I　did　not　see　him　once



that　whole　morning。〃







　　　　　〃But　that　you　certainly　did；　for　you　spent　the　whole



morning　in　Edgar's　Buildingsit　was　the　day　your　father's



consent　cameand　I　am　pretty　sure　that　you　and　John　were



alone　in　the　parlour　some　time　before　you　left　the　house。〃







　　　　　〃Are　you？　Well；　if　you　say　it；　it　was　so；　I　dare



saybut　for　the　life　of　me；　I　cannot　recollect　it。　



I　do　remember　now　being　with　you；　and　seeing　him　as



well　as　the　restbut　that　we　were　ever　alone　for　five



minutes　However；　it　is　not　worth　arguing　about；



for　whatever　might　pass　on　his　side；　you　must　be　convinced；



by　my　having　no　recollection　of　it；　that　I　never　thought；



nor　expected；　nor　wished　for　anything　of　the　kind　from　him。　



I　am　excessively　concerned　that　he　should　have　any　regard



for　mebut　indeed　it　has　been　quite　unintentional



on　my　side；　I　never　had　the　smallest　idea　of　it。　



Pray　undeceive　him　as　soon　as　you　can；　and　tell　him　I　beg



his　pardonthat　isI　do　not　know　what　I　ought　to　saybut



make　him　understand　what　I　mean；　in　the　properest　way。　



I　would　not　speak　disrespectfully　of　a　brother　of　yours；



Isabella；　I　am　sure；　but　you　know　very　well　that　if　I　could



think　of　one　man　more　than　anotherhe　is　not　the　person。〃



Isabella　was　silent。　　〃My　dear　friend；　you　must　not　be



angry　with　me。　　I　cannot　suppose　your　brother　cares



so　very　much　about　me。　　And；　you　know；　we　shall　still



be　sisters。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　yes〃　（with　a　blush）；　〃there　are　more　ways



than　one　of　our　being　sisters。　　But　where　am　I　wandering



to？　Well；　my　dear　Catherine；　the　case　seems　to　be



that　you　are　determined　against　poor　Johnis　not　it　so？〃







　　　　　〃I　certainly　cannot　return　his　affection；　and　as



certainly　never　meant　to　encourage　it。〃







　　　　　〃Since　that　is　the　case；　I　am　sure　I　shall　not



tease　you　any　further。　　John　desired　me　to　speak　to　you



on　the　subject；　and　therefore　I　have。　　But　I　confess；



as　soon　as　I　read　his　letter；　I　thought　it　a　very　foolish；



imprudent　business；　and　not　likely　to　promote　the　good



of　either；　for　what　were　you　to　live　upon；　supposing　you



came　together？　You　have　both　of　you　something；　to　be　sure；



but　it　is　not　a　trifle　that　will　support　a　family　nowadays；



and　after　all　that　romancers　may　say；　there　is　no　doing



without　money。　　I　only　wonder　John　could　think　of　it；



he　could　not　have　received　my　last。〃







　　　　　〃You　do　acquit　me；　then；　of　anything　wrong？You



are　convinced　that　I　never　meant　to　deceive　your　brother；



never　suspected　him　of　liking　me　till　this　moment？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　As　to　that；〃　answered　Isabella　laughingly；



〃I　do　not　pretend　to　determine　what　your　thoughts　and



designs　in　time　past　may　have　been。　　All　that　is　best　known



to　yourself。　　A　little　harmless　flirtation　or　so　will　occur；



and　one　is　often　drawn　on　to　give　more　encouragement　than



one　wishes　to　stand　by。　　But　you　may　be　assured　that　I



am　the　last　person　in　the　world　to　judge　you　severely。　



All　those　things　should　be　allowed　for　in　youth　and



high　spirits。　　What　one　means　one　day；　you　know；　one　may



not　mean　the　next。　　Circumstances　change；　opinions　alter。〃







　　　　　〃But　my　opinion　o