northanger abbey-第3部分

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〃would　not　it？　It　is　such　a　delicate　muslin。　　For　my　part



I　have　not　seen　anything　I　like　so　well　in　the　whole　room；



I　assure　you。〃







　　　　　〃How　uncomfortable　it　is；〃　whispered　Catherine；



〃not　to　have　a　single　acquaintance　here！〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mrs。　Allen；　with　perfect



serenity；　〃it　is　very　uncomfortable　indeed。〃







　　　　　〃What　shall　we　do？　The　gentlemen　and　ladies　at　this



table　look　as　if　they　wondered　why　we　came　herewe　seem



forcing　ourselves　into　their　party。〃







　　　　　〃Aye；　so　we　do。　　That　is　very　disagreeable。　



I　wish　we　had　a　large　acquaintance　here。〃







　　　　　〃I　wish　we　had　anyit　would　be　somebody　to　go　to。〃







　　　　　〃Very　true；　my　dear；　and　if　we　knew　anybody　we　would



join　them　directly。　　The　Skinners　were　here　last　yearI



wish　they　were　here　now。〃







　　　　　〃Had　not　we　better　go　away　as　it　is？　Here　are　no



tea…things　for　us；　you　see。〃







　　　　　〃No　more　there　are；　indeed。　　How　very　provoking！　But



I　think　we　had　better　sit　still；　for　one　gets　so　tumbled



in　such　a　crowd！　How　is　my　head；　my　dear？　Somebody　gave



me　a　push　that　has　hurt　it；　I　am　afraid。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　it　looks　very　nice。　　But；　dear　Mrs。　Allen；



are　you　sure　there　is　nobody　you　know　in　all　this　multitude



of　people？　I　think　you　must　know　somebody。〃







　　　　　〃I　don't；　upon　my　wordI　wish　I　did。　　I　wish　I　had　a



large　acquaintance　here　with　all　my　heart；　and　then　I　should



get　you　a　partner。　　I　should　be　so　glad　to　have　you　dance。　



There　goes　a　strange…looking　woman！　What　an　odd　gown



she　has　got　on！　How　old…fashioned　it　is！　Look　at　the　back。〃







　　　　　After　some　time　they　received　an　offer　of　tea　from



one　of　their　neighbours；　it　was　thankfully　accepted；



and　this　introduced　a　light　conversation　with　the　gentleman



who　offered　it；　which　was　the　only　time　that　anybody　spoke



to　them　during　the　evening；　till　they　were　discovered



and　joined　by　Mr。　Allen　when　the　dance　was　over。　







　　　　　〃Well；　Miss　Morland；〃　said　he；　directly；　〃I　hope



you　have　had　an　agreeable　ball。〃







　　　　　〃Very　agreeable　indeed；〃　she　replied；



vainly　endeavouring　to　hide　a　great　yawn。　







　　　　　〃I　wish　she　had　been　able　to　dance；〃　said　his　wife；



〃I　wish　we　could　have　got　a　partner　for　her。　　I　have　been



saying　how　glad　I　should　be　if　the　Skinners　were　here　this



winter　instead　of　last；　or　if　the　Parrys　had　come；　as　they



talked　of　once；　she　might　have　danced　with　George　Parry。　



I　am　so　sorry　she　has　not　had　a　partner！〃







　　　　　〃We　shall　do　better　another　evening　I　hope；〃



was　Mr。　Allen's　consolation。　







　　　　　The　company　began　to　disperse　when　the　dancing　was



overenough　to　leave　space　for　the　remainder　to　walk



about　in　some　comfort；　and　now　was　the　time　for　a　heroine；



who　had　not　yet　played　a　very　distinguished　part　in



the　events　of　the　evening；　to　be　noticed　and　admired。　



Every　five　minutes；　by　removing　some　of　the　crowd；



gave　greater　openings　for　her　charms。　　She　was　now　seen



by　many　young　men　who　had　not　been　near　her　before。　



Not　one；　however；　started　with　rapturous　wonder　on



beholding　her；　no　whisper　of　eager　inquiry　ran　round



the　room；　nor　was　she　once　called　a　divinity　by　anybody。　



Yet　Catherine　was　in　very　good　looks；　and　had　the　company



only　seen　her　three　years　before；　they　would　now　have　thought



her　exceedingly　handsome。　







　　　　　She　was　looked　at；　however；　and　with　some　admiration；



for；　in　her　own　hearing；　two　gentlemen　pronounced　her



to　be　a　pretty　girl。　　Such　words　had　their　due　effect；



she　immediately　thought　the　evening　pleasanter　than　she



had　found　it　beforeher　humble　vanity　was　contentedshe



felt　more　obliged　to　the　two　young　men　for　this　simple



praise　than　a　true…quality　heroine　would　have　been



for　fifteen　sonnets　in　celebration　of　her　charms；



and　went　to　her　chair　in　good　humour　with　everybody；



and　perfectly　satisfied　with　her　share　of　public　attention。　















CHAPTER　3











　　　　　Every　morning　now　brought　its　regular　dutiesshops　were



to　be　visited；　some　new　part　of　the　town　to　be　looked　at；



and　the　pump…room　to　be　attended；　where　they　paraded　up



and　down　for　an　hour；　looking　at　everybody　and　speaking



to　no　one。　　The　wish　of　a　numerous　acquaintance　in　Bath



was　still　uppermost　with　Mrs。　Allen；　and　she　repeated　it



after　every　fresh　proof；　which　every　morning　brought；



of　her　knowing　nobody　at　all。　







　　　　　They　made　their　appearance　in　the　Lower　Rooms；



and　here　fortune　was　more　favourable　to　our　heroine。　



The　master　of　the　ceremonies　introduced　to　her　a　very



gentlemanlike　young　man　as　a　partner；　his　name　was　Tilney。　



He　seemed　to　be　about　four　or　five　and　twenty；　was　rather　tall；



had　a　pleasing　countenance；　a　very　intelligent　and



lively　eye；　and；　if　not　quite　handsome；　was　very　near　it。　



His　address　was　good；　and　Catherine　felt　herself　in　high　luck。　



There　was　little　leisure　for　speaking　while　they　danced；



but　when　they　were　seated　at　tea；　she　found　him　as



agreeable　as　she　had　already　given　him　credit　for　being。　



He　talked　with　fluency　and　spiritand　there　was　an　archness



and　pleasantry　in　his　manner　which　interested；　though　it



was　hardly　understood　by　her。　　After　chatting　some　time



on　such　matters　as　naturally　arose　from　the　objects



around　them；　he　suddenly　addressed　her　with〃I　have



hitherto　been　very　remiss；　madam；　in　the　proper　attentions



of　a　partner　here；　I　have　not　yet　asked　you　how　long　you



have　been　in　Bath；　whether　you　were　ever　here　before；



whether　you　have　been　at　the　Upper　Rooms；　the　theatre；



and　the　concert；　and　how　you　like　the　place　altogether。　



I　have　been　very　negligentbut　are　you　now　at　leisure



to　satisfy　me　in　these　particulars？　If　you　are　I　will



begin　directly。〃







　　　　　〃You　need　not　give　yourself　that　trouble；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃No　trouble；　I　assure　you；　madam。〃　Then　forming



his　features　into　a　set　smile；　and　affectedly　softening



his　voice；　he　added；　with　a　simpering　air；　〃Have　you



been　long　in　Bath；　madam？〃







　　　　　〃About　a　week；　sir；〃　replied　Catherine；　trying　not



to　laugh。　







　　　　　〃Really！〃　with　affected　astonishment。　







　　　　　〃Why　should　you　be　surprised；　sir？〃







　　　　　〃Why；　indeed！〃　said　he；　in　his　natural　tone。　



〃But　some　emotion　must　appear　to　be　raised　by　your　reply；



and　surprise　is　more　easily　assumed；　and　not　less



reasonable　than　any　other。　　Now　let　us　go　on。　　Were　you



never　here　before；　madam？〃







　　　　　〃Never；　sir。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed！　Have　you　yet　honoured　the　Upper　Rooms？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　was　there　last　Monday。〃







　　　　　〃Have　you　been　to　the　theatre？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　was　at　the　play　on　Tuesday。〃







　　　　　〃To　the　concert？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；　on　Wednesday。〃







　　　　　〃And　are　you　altogether　pleased　with　Bath？〃







　　　　　〃YesI　like　it　very　well。〃







　　　　　〃Now　I　must　give　one　smirk；　and　then　we　may　be



rational　again。〃　Catherine　turned　away　her　head；



not　knowing　whether　she　might　venture　to　laugh。　



〃I　see　what　you　think　of　me；〃　said　he　gravely〃I



shall　make　but　a　poor　figure　in　your　journal　tomorrow。〃







　　　　　〃My　journal！〃　〃Yes；　I　know　exactly　what　you　will



say：　Friday；　went　to　the　Lower　Rooms；　wore　my　sprigged



muslin　robe　with　blue　trimmingsplain　black　shoesappeared



to　much　advantage；　but　was　strangely　harassed　by　a　queer；



half…witted　man；　who　would　make　me　dance　with　him；



and　distressed　me　by　his　nonsense。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　I　shall　say　no　such　thing。〃







　　　　　〃Shall　I　tell　you　what　you　ought　to　say？〃







　　　　　〃If　you　please。〃







　　　　　〃I　danced　with　a　very　agreeable　young　man；



introduced　by　Mr。　King；　had　a　great　deal　of　conversation



with　himseems　a　most　extraordinary　geniushope　I　may



know　more　of　him。　　That；　madam；　is　what　I　wish　you　to　say。〃







　　　　　〃But；　perhaps；　I　keep　no　journal。〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　you　are　not　sitting　in　this　room；　and　I　am



not　sitting　by　you。　　These　are　points　in　which　a　doubt　is



equally　possible。　　Not　keep　a　journal！　How　are　your　absent



cousins　to　understand　the　tenour　of　your　life　in　Bath



without　one？　How　are　the　civilities　and　compliments　of



every　day　to　be　related　as　they　ought　to　be；　unless　noted



down　every　evening　in　a　journal？　How　are　your　various



dresses　to　be　remembered；　and　the　particular　state　of



your　complexion；　and　curl　of　your　hair　to　be　described



in　all　their　diversities；　without　having　constant　recourse



to　a　journal？　My　dear　madam；　I　am　not　so　ignorant　of



young　ladies'　ways　as　you　wish　to　believe　me；　it　is　this



delightful　habit　of　journaling　which　largely　contributes



to　form　the　easy　style　of　writing　for　which　ladies　are



so　generally　celebrated。　　Everybody　allows　that　the　talent



of　writing　agreeable　letters　is　peculiarly　female。　



Nature　may　have　done　something；　but　I　am　sure　it　must



be　essentially　assisted　by　the　practice　of　keeping　a　journal。〃







　　　　　〃I　have　sometimes　thought；〃　said　Catherine；　doubtingly；



〃whether　ladies　do　write　so　much　better　letters　than　gentlemen！



That　isI　should　not　think　the　superiority　was　always　on　our　side。〃







　　　　　〃As　far　as　I　have　had　opportunity　of　judging；



it　appears　to　me　that　the　usual　style　of　letter…writing



among　women　is　faultless；　except　in　three　particulars。〃







　　　　　〃And　w