northanger abbey-第7部分

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　　　　　〃Nay；　do　not　distress　me。　　I　believe　I　have　said



too　much。　　Let　us　drop　the　subject。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　in　some　amazement；　complied；　and　after



remaining　a　few　moments　silent；　was　on　the　point　of



reverting　to　what　interested　her　at　that　time　rather　more



than　anything　else　in　the　world；　Laurentina's　skeleton；



when　her　friend　prevented　her；　by　saying；　〃For　heaven's



sake！　Let　us　move　away　from　this　end　of　the　room。　



Do　you　know；　there　are　two　odious　young　men　who　have　been



staring　at　me　this　half　hour。　　They　really　put　me　quite



out　of　countenance。　　Let　us　go　and　look　at　the　arrivals。　



They　will　hardly　follow　us　there。〃







　　　　　Away　they　walked　to　the　book；　and　while　Isabella



examined　the　names；　it　was　Catherine's　employment　to　watch



the　proceedings　of　these　alarming　young　men。　







　　　　　〃They　are　not　coming　this　way；　are　they？　I　hope　they



are　not　so　impertinent　as　to　follow　us。　　Pray　let　me　know



if　they　are　coming。　　I　am　determined　I　will　not　look　up。〃







　　　　　In　a　few　moments　Catherine；　with　unaffected　pleasure；



assured　her　that　she　need　not　be　longer　uneasy；　as　the



gentlemen　had　just　left　the　pump…room。







　　　　　〃And　which　way　are　they　gone？〃　said　Isabella；



turning　hastily　round。　　〃One　was　a　very　good…looking



young　man。〃







　　　　　〃They　went　towards　the　church…yard。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　I　am　amazingly　glad　I　have　got　rid　of　them！



And　now；　what　say　you　to　going　to　Edgar's　Buildings



with　me；　and　looking　at　my　new　hat？　You　said　you　should



like　to　see　it。〃







　　　　　Catherine　readily　agreed。　　〃Only；〃　she　added；



〃perhaps　we　may　overtake　the　two　young　men。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Never　mind　that。　　If　we　make　haste；　we　shall



pass　by　them　presently；　and　I　am　dying　to　show　you　my　hat。〃







　　　　　〃But　if　we　only　wait　a　few　minutes；　there　will　be



no　danger　of　our　seeing　them　at　all。〃







　　　　　〃I　shall　not　pay　them　any　such　compliment；　I　assure　you。　



I　have　no　notion　of　treating　men　with　such　respect。　



That　is　the　way　to　spoil　them。〃







　　　　　Catherine　had　nothing　to　oppose　against　such　reasoning；



and　therefore；　to　show　the　independence　of　Miss　Thorpe；



and　her　resolution　of　humbling　the　sex；　they　set　off



immediately　as　fast　as　they　could　walk；　in　pursuit　of　the



two　young　men。　















CHAPTER　7











　　　　　Half　a　minute　conducted　them　through　the　pump…yard



to　the　archway；　opposite　Union　Passage；　but　here　they



were　stopped。　　Everybody　acquainted　with　Bath　may　remember



the　difficulties　of　crossing　Cheap　Street　at　this　point；



it　is　indeed　a　street　of　so　impertinent　a　nature；



so　unfortunately　connected　with　the　great　London



and　Oxford　roads；　and　the　principal　inn　of　the　city；



that　a　day　never　passes　in　which　parties　of　ladies；



however　important　their　business；　whether　in　quest



of　pastry；　millinery；　or　even　（as　in　the　present　case）



of　young　men；　are　not　detained　on　one　side　or　other



by　carriages；　horsemen；　or　carts。　　This　evil　had　been　felt



and　lamented；　at　least　three　times　a　day；　by　Isabella



since　her　residence　in　Bath；　and　she　was　now　fated



to　feel　and　lament　it　once　more；　for　at　the　very　moment



of　coming　opposite　to　Union　Passage；　and　within　view　of



the　two　gentlemen　who　were　proceeding　through　the　crowds；



and　threading　the　gutters　of　that　interesting　alley；



they　were　prevented　crossing　by　the　approach　of　a　gig；



driven　along　on　bad　pavement　by　a　most　knowing…looking



coachman　with　all　the　vehemence　that　could　most　fitly



endanger　the　lives　of　himself；　his　companion；　and　his　horse。　







　　　　　〃Oh；　these　odious　gigs！〃　said　Isabella；　looking　up。　



〃How　I　detest　them。〃　But　this　detestation；　though　so　just；



was　of　short　duration；　for　she　looked　again　and　exclaimed；



〃Delightful！　Mr。　Morland　and　my　brother！〃







　　　　　〃Good　heaven！　'Tis　James！〃　was　uttered　at　the　same



moment　by　Catherine；　and；　on　catching　the　young　men's　eyes；



the　horse　was　immediately　checked　with　a　violence



which　almost　threw　him　on　his　haunches；　and　the　servant



having　now　scampered　up；　the　gentlemen　jumped　out；



and　the　equipage　was　delivered　to　his　care。　







　　　　　Catherine；　by　whom　this　meeting　was　wholly　unexpected；



received　her　brother　with　the　liveliest　pleasure；　and　he；



being　of　a　very　amiable　disposition；　and　sincerely　attached



to　her；　gave　every　proof　on　his　side　of　equal　satisfaction；



which　he　could　have　leisure　to　do；　while　the　bright　eyes



of　Miss　Thorpe　were　incessantly　challenging　his　notice；



and　to　her　his　devoirs　were　speedily　paid；　with　a　mixture



of　joy　and　embarrassment　which　might　have　informed　Catherine；



had　she　been　more　expert　in　the　development　of　other



people's　feelings；　and　less　simply　engrossed　by　her　own；



that　her　brother　thought　her　friend　quite　as　pretty　as　she



could　do　herself。　







　　　　　John　Thorpe；　who　in　the　meantime　had　been　giving



orders　about　the　horses；　soon　joined　them；　and　from　him　she



directly　received　the　amends　which　were　her　due；　for　while



he　slightly　and　carelessly　touched　the　hand　of　Isabella；



on　her　he　bestowed　a　whole　scrape　and　half　a　short　bow。　



He　was　a　stout　young　man　of　middling　height；　who；　with　a



plain　face　and　ungraceful　form；　seemed　fearful　of　being



too　handsome　unless　he　wore　the　dress　of　a　groom；



and　too　much　like　a　gentleman　unless　he　were　easy　where　he



ought　to　be　civil；　and　impudent　where　he　might　be　allowed



to　be　easy。　　He　took　out　his　watch：　〃How　long　do　you



think　we　have　been　running　it　from　Tetbury；　Miss　Morland？〃







　　　　　〃I　do　not　know　the　distance。〃　Her　brother　told



her　that　it　was　twenty…three　miles。　







　　　　　〃Three　and　twenty！〃　cried　Thorpe。　　〃Five　and　twenty　if　it



is　an　inch。〃　Morland　remonstrated；　pleaded　the　authority



of　road…books；　innkeepers；　and　milestones；　but　his　friend



disregarded　them　all；　he　had　a　surer　test　of　distance。　



〃I　know　it　must　be　five　and　twenty；〃　said　he；　〃by　the



time　we　have　been　doing　it。　　It　is　now　half　after　one；



we　drove　out　of　the　inn…yard　at　Tetbury　as　the　town　clock



struck　eleven；　and　I　defy　any　man　in　England　to　make



my　horse　go　less　than　ten　miles　an　hour　in　harness；



that　makes　it　exactly　twenty…five。〃







　　　　　〃You　have　lost　an　hour；〃　said　Morland；　〃it　was　only



ten　o'clock　when　we　came　from　Tetbury。〃







　　　　　〃Ten　o'clock！　It　was　eleven；　upon　my　soul！　I　counted



every　stroke。　　This　brother　of　yours　would　persuade　me



out　of　my　senses；　Miss　Morland；　do　but　look　at　my　horse；



did　you　ever　see　an　animal　so　made　for　speed　in　your　life？〃



（The　servant　had　just　mounted　the　carriage　and　was　driving　off。）



〃Such　true　blood！　Three　hours　and　and　a　half　indeed　coming



only　three　and　twenty　miles！　Look　at　that　creature；



and　suppose　it　possible　if　you　can。〃







　　　　　〃He　does　look　very　hot；　to　be　sure。〃







　　　　　〃Hot！　He　had　not　turned　a　hair　till　we　came　to



Walcot　Church；　but　look　at　his　forehand；　look　at　his　loins；



only　see　how　he　moves；　that　horse　cannot　go　less　than



ten　miles　an　hour：　tie　his　legs　and　he　will　get　on。　



What　do　you　think　of　my　gig；　Miss　Morland？　A　neat　one；



is　not　it？　Well　hung；　town…built；　I　have　not　had　it　a　month。　



It　was　built　for　a　Christchurch　man；　a　friend　of　mine；



a　very　good　sort　of　fellow；　he　ran　it　a　few　weeks；　till；



I　believe；　it　was　convenient　to　have　done　with　it。　



I　happened　just　then　to　be　looking　out　for　some　light



thing　of　the　kind；　though　I　had　pretty　well　determined　on



a　curricle　too；　but　I　chanced　to　meet　him　on　Magdalen　Bridge；



as　he　was　driving　into　Oxford；　last　term：　'Ah！　Thorpe；'



said　he；　'do　you　happen　to　want　such　a　little　thing



as　this？　It　is　a　capital　one　of　the　kind；　but　I　am



cursed　tired　of　it。'　'Oh！　D；'　said　I；　'I　am　your　man；



what　do　you　ask？'　And　how　much　do　you　think　he　did；



Miss　Morland？〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　cannot　guess　at　all。〃







　　　　　〃Curricle…hung；　you　see；　seat；　trunk；　sword…case；



splashing…board；　lamps；　silver　moulding；　all　you



see　complete；　the　iron…work　as　good　as　new；　or　better。　



He　asked　fifty　guineas；　I　closed　with　him　directly；



threw　down　the　money；　and　the　carriage　was　mine。〃







　　　　　〃And　I　am　sure；〃　said　Catherine；　〃I　know　so　little



of　such　things　that　I　cannot　judge　whether　it　was　cheap



or　dear。〃







　　　　　〃Neither　one　nor　t'other；　I　might　have　got　it　for　less；



I　dare　say；　but　I　hate　haggling；　and　poor　Freeman　wanted　cash。〃







　　　　　〃That　was　very　good…natured　of　you；〃　said　Catherine；



quite　pleased。　







　　　　　〃Oh！　D　it；　when　one　has　the　means　of　doing　a　kind



thing　by　a　friend；　I　hate　to　be　pitiful。〃







　　　　　An　inquiry　now　took　place　into　the　intended　movements



of　the　young　ladies；　and；　on　finding　whither　they　were　going；



it　was　decided　that　the　gentlemen　should　accompany　them



to　Edgar's　Buildings；　and　pay　their　respects　to　Mrs。　Thorpe。　



James　and　Isabella　led　the　way；　and　so　well　satisfied



was　the　latter　with　her　lot；　so　contentedly　was　she



endeavouring　to　ensure　a　pleasant　walk　to　him　who　brought



the　double　recommendation　of　being　her　brother's　friend；



and　her　friend's　brother；　so　pure　and　uncoquettish



were　her　feelings；　that；　though　they　overtook　and



passed　the　two　offending　young　men　in　Milsom　Street；



she　was　so　far　from　seeking　to　attract　their　notice；



that　she　looked　back　at　them　only　three　times。　







　　　　　John　Thorpe　kept　of　course　wit