northanger abbey-第37部分

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unfortunate　woman's　confinementmight　have　been　within　a　few



paces　of　the　cell　in　which　she　languished　out　her　days；



for　what　part　of　the　abbey　could　be　more　fitted　for　the



purpose　than　that　which　yet　bore　the　traces　of　monastic



division？　In　the　high…arched　passage；　paved　with　stone；



which　already　she　had　trodden　with　peculiar　awe；



she　well　remembered　the　doors　of　which　the　general



had　given　no　account。　　To　what　might　not　those　doors



lead？　In　support　of　the　plausibility　of　this　conjecture；



it　further　occurred　to　her　that　the　forbidden　gallery；



in　which　lay　the　apartments　of　the　unfortunate　Mrs。　Tilney；



must　be；　as　certainly　as　her　memory　could　guide　her；



exactly　over　this　suspected　range　of　cells；　and　the　staircase



by　the　side　of　those　apartments　of　which　she　had　caught



a　transient　glimpse；　communicating　by　some　secret　means



with　those　cells；　might　well　have　favoured　the　barbarous



proceedings　of　her　husband。　　Down　that　staircase　she



had　perhaps　been　conveyed　in　a　state　of　well…prepared



insensibility！







　　　　　Catherine　sometimes　started　at　the　boldness　of　her



own　surmises；　and　sometimes　hoped　or　feared　that　she　had



gone　too　far；　but　they　were　supported　by　such　appearances



as　made　their　dismissal　impossible。　







　　　　　The　side　of　the　quadrangle；　in　which　she　supposed



the　guilty　scene　to　be　acting；　being；　according　to



her　belief；　just　opposite　her　own；　it　struck　her　that；



if　judiciously　watched；　some　rays　of　light　from　the



general's　lamp　might　glimmer　through　the　lower　windows；



as　he　passed　to　the　prison　of　his　wife；　and；　twice　before



she　stepped　into　bed；　she　stole　gently　from　her　room　to　the



corresponding　window　in　the　gallery；　to　see　if　it　appeared；



but　all　abroad　was　dark；　and　it　must　yet　be　too　early。　



The　various　ascending　noises　convinced　her　that　the



servants　must　still　be　up。　　Till　midnight；　she　supposed



it　would　be　in　vain　to　watch；　but　then；　when　the　clock



had　struck　twelve；　and　all　was　quiet；　she　would；　if　not



quite　appalled　by　darkness；　steal　out　and　look　once　more。　



The　clock　struck　twelveand　Catherine　had　been　half



an　hour　asleep。　















CHAPTER　24











　　　　　The　next　day　afforded　no　opportunity　for　the　proposed



examination　of　the　mysterious　apartments。　　It　was　Sunday；



and　the　whole　time　between　morning　and　afternoon　service



was　required　by　the　general　in　exercise　abroad　or　eating



cold　meat　at　home；　and　great　as　was　Catherine's　curiosity；



her　courage　was　not　equal　to　a　wish　of　exploring　them



after　dinner；　either　by　the　fading　light　of　the　sky　between



six　and　seven　o'clock；　or　by　the　yet　more　partial　though



stronger　illumination　of　a　treacherous　lamp。　　The　day　was



unmarked　therefore　by　anything　to　interest　her　imagination



beyond　the　sight　of　a　very　elegant　monument　to　the　memory



of　Mrs。　Tilney；　which　immediately　fronted　the　family　pew。　



By　that　her　eye　was　instantly　caught　and　long　retained；



and　the　perusal　of　the　highly　strained　epitaph；　in　which　every



virtue　was　ascribed　to　her　by　the　inconsolable　husband；



who　must　have　been　in　some　way　or　other　her　destroyer；



affected　her　even　to　tears。　







　　　　　That　the　general；　having　erected　such　a　monument；



should　be　able　to　face　it；　was　not　perhaps　very　strange；



and　yet　that　he　could　sit　so　boldly　collected　within　its　view；



maintain　so　elevated　an　air；　look　so　fearlessly　around；



nay；　that　he　should　even　enter　the　church；　seemed　wonderful



to　Catherine。　　Not；　however；　that　many　instances　of　beings



equally　hardened　in　guilt　might　not　be　produced。　　She　could



remember　dozens　who　had　persevered　in　every　possible　vice；



going　on　from　crime　to　crime；　murdering　whomsoever



they　chose；　without　any　feeling　of　humanity　or　remorse；



till　a　violent　death　or　a　religious　retirement　closed



their　black　career。　　The　erection　of　the　monument　itself



could　not　in　the　smallest　degree　affect　her　doubts　of



Mrs。　Tilney's　actual　decease。　　Were　she　even　to　descend　into



the　family　vault　where　her　ashes　were　supposed　to　slumber；



were　she　to　behold　the　coffin　in　which　they　were　said



to　be　enclosedwhat　could　it　avail　in　such　a　case？



Catherine　had　read　too　much　not　to　be　perfectly　aware



of　the　ease　with　which　a　waxen　figure　might　be　introduced；



and　a　supposititious　funeral　carried　on。　







　　　　　The　succeeding　morning　promised　something　better。　



The　general's　early　walk；　ill…timed　as　it　was　in　every



other　view；　was　favourable　here；　and　when　she　knew



him　to　be　out　of　the　house；　she　directly　proposed



to　Miss　Tilney　the　accomplishment　of　her　promise。　



Eleanor　was　ready　to　oblige　her；　and　Catherine　reminding



her　as　they　went　of　another　promise；　their　first　visit



in　consequence　was　to　the　portrait　in　her　bed…chamber。　It



represented　a　very　lovely　woman；　with　a　mild　and　pensive



countenance；　justifying；　so　far；　the　expectations　of　its



new　observer；　but　they　were　not　in　every　respect　answered；



for　Catherine　had　depended　upon　meeting　with　features；



hair；　complexion；　that　should　be　the　very　counterpart；



the　very　image；　if　not　of　Henry's；　of　Eleanor'sthe　only



portraits　of　which　she　had　been　in　the　habit　of　thinking；



bearing　always　an　equal　resemblance　of　mother　and　child。　



A　face　once　taken　was　taken　for　generations。　　But　here　she



was　obliged　to　look　and　consider　and　study　for　a　likeness。　



She　contemplated　it；　however；　in　spite　of　this　drawback；



with　much　emotion；　and；　but　for　a　yet　stronger　interest；



would　have　left　it　unwillingly。　







　　　　　Her　agitation　as　they　entered　the　great　gallery　was　too



much　for　any　endeavour　at　discourse；　she　could　only　look



at　her　companion。　　Eleanor's　countenance　was　dejected；



yet　sedate；　and　its　composure　spoke　her　inured　to　all　the



gloomy　objects　to　which　they　were　advancing。　　Again　she



passed　through　the　folding　doors；　again　her　hand　was　upon



the　important　lock；　and　Catherine；　hardly　able　to　breathe；



was　turning　to　close　the　former　with　fearful　caution；



when　the　figure；　the　dreaded　figure　of　the　general　himself



at　the　further　end　of　the　gallery；　stood　before　her！　The



name　of　〃Eleanor〃　at　the　same　moment；　in　his　loudest　tone；



resounded　through　the　building；　giving　to　his　daughter



the　first　intimation　of　his　presence；　and　to　Catherine



terror　upon　terror。　　An　attempt　at　concealment　had　been



her　first　instinctive　movement　on　perceiving　him；



yet　she　could　scarcely　hope　to　have　escaped　his　eye；



and　when　her　friend；　who　with　an　apologizing　look　darted



hastily　by　her；　had　joined　and　disappeared　with　him；



she　ran　for　safety　to　her　own　room；　and；　locking　herself　in；



believed　that　she　should　never　have　courage　to　go



down　again。　　She　remained　there　at　least　an　hour；



in　the　greatest　agitation；　deeply　commiserating　the　state



of　her　poor　friend；　and　expecting　a　summons　herself　from



the　angry　general　to　attend　him　in　his　own　apartment。　



No　summons；　however；　arrived；　and　at　last；　on　seeing



a　carriage　drive　up　to　the　abbey；　she　was　emboldened



to　descend　and　meet　him　under　the　protection　of　visitors。　



The　breakfast…room　was　gay　with　company；　and　she　was　named



to　them　by　the　general　as　the　friend　of　his　daughter；　in　a



complimentary　style；　which　so　well　concealed　his　resentful　ire；



as　to　make　her　feel　secure　at　least　of　life　for　the　present。　



And　Eleanor；　with　a　command　of　countenance　which　did



honour　to　her　concern　for　his　character；　taking　an　early



occasion　of　saying　to　her；　〃My　father　only　wanted　me



to　answer　a　note；〃　she　began　to　hope　that　she　had　either



been　unseen　by　the　general；　or　that　from　some　consideration



of　policy　she　should　be　allowed　to　suppose　herself　so。　



Upon　this　trust　she　dared　still　to　remain　in　his　presence；



after　the　company　left　them；　and　nothing　occurred　to



disturb　it。　







　　　　　In　the　course　of　this　morning's　reflections；



she　came　to　a　resolution　of　making　her　next　attempt　on



the　forbidden　door　alone。　　It　would　be　much　better　in　every



respect　that　Eleanor　should　know　nothing　of　the　matter。　



To　involve　her　in　the　danger　of　a　second　detection；



to　court　her　into　an　apartment　which　must　wring　her　heart；



could　not　be　the　office　of　a　friend。　　The　general's



utmost　anger　could　not　be　to　herself　what　it　might　be　to



a　daughter；　and；　besides；　she　thought　the　examination　itself



would　be　more　satisfactory　if　made　without　any　companion。　



It　would　be　impossible　to　explain　to　Eleanor　the　suspicions；



from　which　the　other　had；　in　all　likelihood；　been　hitherto



happily　exempt；　nor　could　she　therefore；　in　her　presence；



search　for　those　proofs　of　the　general's　cruelty；



which　however　they　might　yet　have　escaped　discovery；



she　felt　confident　of　somewhere　drawing　forth；　in　the　shape



of　some　fragmented　journal；　continued　to　the　last　gasp。　



Of　the　way　to　the　apartment　she　was　now　perfectly　mistress；



and　as　she　wished　to　get　it　over　before　Henry's　return；



who　was　expected　on　the　morrow；　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost；



The　day　was　bright；　her　courage　high；　at　four　o'clock；



the　sun　was　now　two　hours　above　the　horizon；　and　it



would　be　only　her　retiring　to　dress　half　an　hour　earlier



than　usual。　







　　　　　It　was　done；　and　Catherine　found　herself　alone



in　the　gallery　before　the　clocks　had　ceased　to　strike。　



It　was　no　time　for　thought；　she　hurried　on；　slipped　with



the　least　possible　noise　through　the　folding　doors；



and　without　stopping