northanger abbey-第31部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！









　　　　　〃Oh！　No；　nodo　not　say　so。　　Well；　go　on。〃







　　　　　But　Henry　was　too　much　amused　by　the　interest　he



had　raised　to　be　able　to　carry　it　farther；　he　could



no　longer　command　solemnity　either　of　subject　or　voice；



and　was　obliged　to　entreat　her　to　use　her　own　fancy　in　the



perusal　of　Matilda's　woes。　　Catherine；　recollecting　herself；



grew　ashamed　of　her　eagerness；　and　began　earnestly　to　assure



him　that　her　attention　had　been　fixed　without　the　smallest



apprehension　of　really　meeting　with　what　he　related。　



〃Miss　Tilney；　she　was　sure；　would　never　put　her　into　such



a　chamber　as　he　had　described！　She　was　not　at　all　afraid。〃







　　　　　As　they　drew　near　the　end　of　their　journey；　her　impatience



for　a　sight　of　the　abbeyfor　some　time　suspended　by　his



conversation　on　subjects　very　differentreturned　in　full　force；



and　every　bend　in　the　road　was　expected　with　solemn　awe



to　afford　a　glimpse　of　its　massy　walls　of　grey　stone；



rising　amidst　a　grove　of　ancient　oaks；　with　the　last　beams



of　the　sun　playing　in　beautiful　splendour　on　its　high



Gothic　windows。　　But　so　low　did　the　building　stand；



that　she　found　herself　passing　through　the　great　gates



of　the　lodge　into　the　very　grounds　of　Northanger；



without　having　discerned　even　an　antique　chimney。　







　　　　　She　knew　not　that　she　had　any　right　to　be　surprised；



but　there　was　a　something　in　this　mode　of　approach



which　she　certainly　had　not　expected。　　To　pass　between



lodges　of　a　modern　appearance；　to　find　herself　with　such



ease　in　the　very　precincts　of　the　abbey；　and　driven



so　rapidly　along　a　smooth；　level　road　of　fine　gravel；



without　obstacle；　alarm；　or　solemnity　of　any　kind；



struck　her　as　odd　and　inconsistent。　　She　was　not



long　at　leisure；　however；　for　such　considerations。　



A　sudden　scud　of　rain；　driving　full　in　her　face；　made　it



impossible　for　her　to　observe　anything　further；　and　fixed



all　her　thoughts　on　the　welfare　of　her　new　straw　bonnet；



and　she　was　actually　under　the　abbey　walls；　was　springing；



with　Henry's　assistance；　from　the　carriage；　was　beneath　the



shelter　of　the　old　porch；　and　had　even　passed　on　to　the　hall；



where　her　friend　and　the　general　were　waiting　to　welcome　her；



without　feeling　one　awful　foreboding　of　future　misery



to　herself；　or　one　moment's　suspicion　of　any　past　scenes



of　horror　being　acted　within　the　solemn　edifice。　　The　breeze



had　not　seemed　to　waft　the　sighs　of　the　murdered　to　her；



it　had　wafted　nothing　worse　than　a　thick　mizzling　rain；



and　having　given　a　good　shake　to　her　habit；　she　was　ready



to　be　shown　into　the　common　drawing…room；　and　capable



of　considering　where　she　was。　







　　　　　An　abbey！　Yes；　it　was　delightful　to　be　really



in　an　abbey！　But　she　doubted；　as　she　looked　round



the　room；　whether　anything　within　her　observation　would



have　given　her　the　consciousness。　　The　furniture　was



in　all　the　profusion　and　elegance　of　modern　taste。　



The　fireplace；　where　she　had　expected　the　ample　width



and　ponderous　carving　of　former　times；　was　contracted



to　a　Rumford；　with　slabs　of　plain　though　handsome　marble；



and　ornaments　over　it　of　the　prettiest　English　china。　



The　windows；　to　which　she　looked　with　peculiar　dependence；



from　having　heard　the　general　talk　of　his　preserving　them



in　their　Gothic　form　with　reverential　care；　were　yet　less



what　her　fancy　had　portrayed。　　To　be　sure；　the　pointed



arch　was　preservedthe　form　of　them　was　Gothicthey



might　be　even　casementsbut　every　pane　was　so　large；



so　clear；　so　light！　To　an　imagination　which　had　hoped



for　the　smallest　divisions；　and　the　heaviest　stone…work；



for　painted　glass；　dirt；　and　cobwebs；　the　difference　was



very　distressing。　







　　　　　The　general；　perceiving　how　her　eye　was　employed；



began　to　talk　of　the　smallness　of　the　room　and　simplicity



of　the　furniture；　where　everything；　being　for　daily　use；



pretended　only　to　comfort；　etc。；　flattering　himself；　however；



that　there　were　some　apartments　in　the　Abbey　not　unworthy



her　noticeand　was　proceeding　to　mention　the　costly



gilding　of　one　in　particular；　when；　taking　out　his　watch；



he　stopped　short　to　pronounce　it　with　surprise　within



twenty　minutes　of　five！　This　seemed　the　word　of　separation；



and　Catherine　found　herself　hurried　away　by　Miss　Tilney



in　such　a　manner　as　convinced　her　that　the　strictest



punctuality　to　the　family　hours　would　be　expected　at　Northanger。　







　　　　　Returning　through　the　large　and　lofty　hall；



they　ascended　a　broad　staircase　of　shining　oak；　which；



after　many　flights　and　many　landing…places；　brought　them



upon　a　long；　wide　gallery。　　On　one　side　it　had　a　range



of　doors；　and　it　was　lighted　on　the　other　by　windows



which　Catherine　had　only　time　to　discover　looked



into　a　quadrangle；　before　Miss　Tilney　led　the　way



into　a　chamber；　and　scarcely　staying　to　hope　she　would



find　it　comfortable；　left　her　with　an　anxious　entreaty



that　she　would　make　as　little　alteration　as　possible



in　her　dress。　















CHAPTER　21











　　　　　A　moment's　glance　was　enough　to　satisfy　Catherine



that　her　apartment　was　very　unlike　the　one　which　Henry



had　endeavoured　to　alarm　her　by　the　description　of。　



It　was　by　no　means　unreasonably　large；　and　contained　neither



tapestry　nor　velvet。　　The　walls　were　papered；　the　floor



was　carpeted；　the　windows　were　neither　less　perfect　nor　more



dim　than　those　of　the　drawing…room　below；　the　furniture；



though　not　of　the　latest　fashion；　was　handsome　and　comfortable；



and　the　air　of　the　room　altogether　far　from　uncheerful。　



Her　heart　instantaneously　at　ease　on　this　point；　she　resolved



to　lose　no　time　in　particular　examination　of　anything；



as　she　greatly　dreaded　disobliging　the　general　by　any　delay。　



Her　habit　therefore　was　thrown　off　with　all　possible　haste；



and　she　was　preparing　to　unpin　the　linen　package；　which　the



chaise…seat　had　conveyed　for　her　immediate　accommodation；



when　her　eye　suddenly　fell　on　a　large　high　chest；



standing　back　in　a　deep　recess　on　one　side　of　the　fireplace。　



The　sight　of　it　made　her　start；　and；　forgetting　everything



else；　she　stood　gazing　on　it　in　motionless　wonder；



while　these　thoughts　crossed　her：







　　　　　〃This　is　strange　indeed！　I　did　not　expect　such　a　sight



as　this！　An　immense　heavy　chest！　What　can　it　hold？　Why



should　it　be　placed　here？　Pushed　back　too；　as　if　meant　to



be　out　of　sight！　I　will　look　into　itcost　me　what　it　may；



I　will　look　into　itand　directly　tooby　daylight。　



If　I　stay　till　evening　my　candle　may　go　out。〃



She　advanced　and　examined　it　closely：　it　was　of　cedar；



curiously　inlaid　with　some　darker　wood；　and　raised；



about　a　foot　from　the　ground；　on　a　carved　stand　of　the　same。　



The　lock　was　silver；　though　tarnished　from　age；　at　each



end　were　the　imperfect　remains　of　handles　also　of　silver；



broken　perhaps　prematurely　by　some　strange　violence；



and；　on　the　centre　of　the　lid；　was　a　mysterious　cipher；



in　the　same　metal。　　Catherine　bent　over　it　intently；



but　without　being　able　to　distinguish　anything　with　certainty。　



She　could　not；　in　whatever　direction　she　took　it；



believe　the　last　letter　to　be　a　T；　and　yet　that　it　should



be　anything　else　in　that　house　was　a　circumstance　to　raise



no　common　degree　of　astonishment。　　If　not　originally　theirs；



by　what　strange　events　could　it　have　fallen　into　the　Tilney



family？







　　　　　Her　fearful　curiosity　was　every　moment　growing　greater；



and　seizing；　with　trembling　hands；　the　hasp　of　the　lock；



she　resolved　at　all　hazards　to　satisfy　herself　at　least



as　to　its　contents。　　With　difficulty；　for　something　seemed



to　resist　her　efforts；　she　raised　the　lid　a　few　inches；



but　at　that　moment　a　sudden　knocking　at　the　door　of　the



room　made　her；　starting；　quit　her　hold；　and　the　lid



closed　with　alarming　violence。　　This　ill…timed　intruder



was　Miss　Tilney's　maid；　sent　by　her　mistress　to　be　of



use　to　Miss　Morland；　and　though　Catherine　immediately



dismissed　her；　it　recalled　her　to　the　sense　of　what　she



ought　to　be　doing；　and　forced　her；　in　spite　of　her　anxious



desire　to　penetrate　this　mystery；　to　proceed　in　her　dressing



without　further　delay。　　Her　progress　was　not　quick；



for　her　thoughts　and　her　eyes　were　still　bent　on　the　object



so　well　calculated　to　interest　and　alarm；　and　though



she　dared　not　waste　a　moment　upon　a　second　attempt；



she　could　not　remain　many　paces　from　the　chest。　



At　length；　however；　having　slipped　one　arm　into　her　gown；



her　toilette　seemed　so　nearly　finished　that　the　impatience



of　her　curiosity　might　safely　be　indulged。　　One　moment



surely　might　be　spared；　and；　so　desperate　should　be



the　exertion　of　her　strength；　that；　unless　secured



by　supernatural　means；　the　lid　in　one　moment　should



be　thrown　back。　　With　this　spirit　she　sprang　forward；



and　her　confidence　did　not　deceive　her。　　Her　resolute



effort　threw　back　the　lid；　and　gave　to　her　astonished　eyes



the　view　of　a　white　cotton　counterpane；　properly　folded；



reposing　at　one　end　of　the　chest　in　undisputed　possession！







　　　　　She　was　gazing　on　it　with　the　first　blush　of　surprise



when　Miss　Tilney；　anxious　for　her　friend's　being　ready；



entered　the　room；　and　to　the　rising　shame　of　having



harboured　for　some　minutes　an　absurd　expectation；　was　then



added　the　shame　of　being　caught　in　so　idle　a　search。　



〃That　is　a　curious　old　chest；　is　not　it？〃　said　Miss　Tilney；



as　Catherine　hastily　closed　it　and　turned　a