 1. Advertisement by the authoress to Northanger Abbey. This little work was finished in the year 1803, and intended for immediate publication. It was disposed of to a bookseller, it was even advertised, and why the business proceeded no farther, the author has never been able to learn. That any bookseller should think it worth while to purchase what he did not think it worth while to publish seems extraordinary. But with this, neither the author nor the public have any other concern than as some observation is necessary upon those parts of the work which thirteen years have made comparatively obsolete. The public are entreated to bear in mind that thirteen years have passed since it was finished, many more since it was begun, and that during that period places, manners, books, and opinions have undergone considerable changes. CHAPTER I No one who had ever seen Catherine Moreland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be in heroin. Her situation and life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all equally against her. Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected or poor, and a very respectable man, though his name was Richard, and he had never been handsome. He had a considerable independence besides two good livings, and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters. Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a good constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was born, and instead of dying and bringing the latter into the world, as anybody might expect, she still lived on, lived to have six children more, to see them growing up around her, and to enjoy excellent health herself. A family of ten children will always be called a fine family, where there are heads and arms and legs enough for the number. But the Morelands had little other right to the word, for they were in general very plain, and Catherine, for many years of her life, as plain as any. She had a thin, awkward figure, a shallow skin without colour, dark, lank hair and strong features. So much for her person, and not less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind. She was fond of all boys' plays, and greatly preferred cricket not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a door-mouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush. Indeed, she had no taste for a garden, and if she gathered flowers at all, it was chiefly for the pleasure of mischief, at least so it was conjectured from her always preferring those which she was forbidden to take. Such were her propensities. Her abilities were quite as extraordinary. She never could learn or understand anything before she was taught, and sometimes not even then, for she was often inattentive, and occasionally stupid. Her mother was three months in teaching her only to repeat the beggar's petition, and after all her next sister Sally could say it better than she did. Not that Catherine was always stupid, by no means. She learnt the fable of the hair and many friends as quickly as any girl in England. Her mother wished her to learn music, and Catherine was sure she should like it, for she was very fond of tinkling the keys of the old forlorn spinner. So, at eight years old, she began. She learnt a year, and could not bear it. And Mrs. Moorland, who did not insist on her daughters being accomplished in spite of incapacity or distaste, allowed her to leave off. The day which dismissed the music-master was one of the happiest of Catherine's life. Her taste for drawing was not superior, though whenever she could obtain the outside of a letter from her mother, or seize upon any other odd piece of paper, she did what she could in that way, by drawing houses and trees, hens and chickens, all very much like one another. Writing and accounts she was taught by her father, French by her mother, her proficiency in either was not remarkable, and she shirked her lessons in both whenever she could. What a strange, unaccountable character! For with all these symptoms of profligacy at ten years old, she had neither a bad heart nor a bad temper, was seldom stubborn, scarcely ever quarrelsome, and very kind to the little ones, with few interruptions of tyranny. She was moreover noisy and wild, hated confinement and cleanliness, and loved nothing so well in the world as rolling down the green slope at the back of the house. Such was Catherine Moorland at ten. At fifteen, appearances were mending. She began to curl her hair and long for balls. Her complexion improved, her features were softened by plumpness and color, her eyes gained more animation, and her figure more consequence. Her love of dirt gave way to an inclination for finery, and she grew clean as she grew smart. She had now the pleasure of sometimes hearing her father and mother remark on her personal improvement. Catherine grows quite a good-looking girl. She is almost pretty to-day. Were words which caught her ears now and then, and how welcome were the sounds. To look almost pretty is an acquisition of higher delight to a girl who has been looking plain the first fifteen years of her life, than a beauty from her cradle can ever receive. Mrs. Moorland was a very good woman, and wished to see her children everything they ought to be. But her time was so much occupied in lying in and teaching the little ones, that her elder daughters were inevitably left to shift for themselves, and it was not very wonderful that Catherine, who had by nature nothing heroic about her, should prefer cricket, baseball, riding on horseback, and running about the country at the age of fourteen, to books, or at least books of information, for provided that nothing like useful knowledge could be gained from them, provided they were all story and no reflection, she had never any objection to books at all. But from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine. She read all such works as heroines must read to supply their memories with those quotations which are so serviceable and so soothing in the vicissitudes of their eventful lives. From Pope she learned to censure those who bear about the mockery of woe. From Gray that many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its fragrance on the desert air. From Thompson that it is a delightful task to teach the young idea how to shoot. And from Shakespeare she gained a great store of information amongst the rest that trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmation strong as proofs of holy writ, that the poor beetle which we tread upon in corporal sufferance feels a pang as great as when a giant dies, and that a young woman in love always looks like patience on a monument smiling at grief. So far her improvement was sufficient, and in many other points she came on exceedingly well, for though she could not write sonnets, she brought herself to read them. And though there seemed no chance of her throwing a whole party into raptures by a prelude on the piano forte of her own composition, she could listen to other people's performance with very little fatigue. Her greatest efficiency was in the pencil. She had no notion of drawing, not even enough to attempt a sketch of her lover's profile that she might be detected in the design. There she fell miserably short of the true heroic height. At present she did not know her own poverty, for she had no lover to portray. She had reached the age of seventeen, without having seen one amiable youth who could call forth her sensibility, without having inspired one real passion, and without having excited even any admiration but what was very moderate and very transient. This was strange indeed. But strange things may be generally accounted for, if their cause be fairly searched out. There was not one lord in the neighbourhood. No, not even a baronet. There was not one family among their acquaintance who had reared and supported a boy accidentally found at their door, not one young man whose origin was unknown. Her father had no ward, and the squire of the parish no children. But, when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way. Mr. Allen, who owned the chief of the property about Fullerton, the village in Wiltshire where the Moorlands lived, was ordered to bath for the benefit of a gouty constitution, and his lady, a good-humoured woman, fond of Miss Moorland, and probably aware that if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad, invited her to go with them. Mr. and Mrs. Moorland were all compliance, and Catherine all happiness. CHAPTER II In addition to what has already been said of Catherine Moorland's personal and mental endowments, when about to be launched into all the difficulties and dangers of a six-weeks residence in Bath, it may be stated, for the readers more certain information, lest the following pages should otherwise fail at giving any idea of what her character is meant to be, that her heart was affectionate, her disposition cheerful and open, without conceit or affectation of any kind, her manners just removed from the awkwardness and shyness of a girl, her person pleasing, and, when in good looks, pretty, and her mind about as ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is. When the hour of departure junear, the maternal anxiety of Mrs. Moorland will be naturally supposed to be most severe, a thousand alarming pre-sentiments of evil to her beloved Catherine, from this terrific separation, must oppress her heart with sadness, and drown her in tears for the last day or two of their being together, and advice of the most important and applicable nature must, of course, flow from her wise lips in their parting conference in her closet. Cautions against the violence of such noblemen and baronettes as delight in forcing young ladies away to some remote farmhouse must, at such a moment, relieve the fullness of her heart. Who would not think so? But Mrs. Moorland knew so little of lords and baronettes that she entertained no notion of their general mischievousness, and was wholly unsuspicious of danger to her daughter from their machinations. Her cautions were confined to the following points. I beg, Catherine, you will always wrap yourself out very warm about the throat, when you come from the rooms at night, and I wish you would try to keep some account of the money you spend. I will give you this little book on purpose. Sally, or rather Sarah, for what young lady of common gentility will reach the age of sixteen without altering her name as far as she can, must from situation be at this time the intimate friend and confidant of her sister. It is remarkable, however, that she neither insisted on Catherine's writing by every post, nor exacted her promise of transmitting the character of every new acquaintance, nor detail of every interesting conversation that Bath might produce. Everything indeed relative to this important journey was done on the Port of the Moorlands with a degree of moderation and composure, which seemed rather consistent with the common feelings of common life, than with the refined susceptibilities, the tender emotions which the first separation of a heroine from her family ought always to excite. Her father, instead of giving her an unlimited order on his banker, or even putting a hundred pounds bank-bill into her hands, gave her only ten guineas, and promised her more when she wanted it. Under these unpromising auspices the parting took place, and the journey began. It was performed with suitable quietness and uneventful safety. Neither robbers nor tempests befriended them, nor one lucky overturn to introduce them to the hero. Nothing more alarming occurred than a fear on Mrs. Allen's side of having once left her clogs behind her at an inn, and that fortunately proved to be groundless. They arrived at Bath. Catherine was all eager delight. Her eyes were here, there, everywhere as they approached its fine and striking environs, and afterward strove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel. She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already. They were soon settled in comfortable lodgings in Poultony Street. It is now expedient to give some description of Mrs. Allen that the reader may be able to judge in what manner her actions will hereafter tend to promote the general distress of the work, and how she will probably contribute to reduce poor Catherine to all the desperate wretchedness of which a last volume is capable, whether by her imprudence, vulgarity, or jealousy, whether by intercepting her letters, ruining her character, or turning her out of doors. Mrs. Allen was one of that numerous class of females whose society can raise no other emotion than surprise at there being any men in the world who could like them well enough to marry them. She had neither beauty, genius, accomplishment, nor manner. The air of a gentlewoman, a great deal of quiet, inactive, good temper, and a trifling turn of mind were all that could account for her being the choice of a sensible, intelligent man like Mr. Allen. In one respect, she was admirably fitted to introduce a young lady into public, being as fond of going everywhere and seeing everything herself as any young lady could be. Dress was her passion. She had a most harmless delight in being fine, and our heroine's entree into life could not take place till after three or four days had been spent in learning what was mostly worn, and her chaperone was provided with the dress of the newest fashion. Catherine, too, made some purchases herself, and when all these matters were arranged, the important evening came which was to usher her into the upper rooms. Her hair was cut and dressed by the best hand, her clothes put on with care, and both Mrs. Allen and her maid declared she looked quite as she should do. With such encouragement Catherine hoped at least to pass uncensured to the crowd. As for admiration, it was always very welcome when it came, but she did not depend on it. Mrs. Allen was so long in dressing that they did not enter the ballroom till late. The season was full, the room crowded, and the two ladies squeezed in as well as they could. As for Mr. Allen, he repaired directly to the card-room, and left them to enjoy a maw by themselves. With more care for the safety of her new gown than for the comfort of her protégé, Mrs. Allen made her way through the throng of men by the door, as swiftly as the necessary caution would allow. Catherine, however, kept close at her side, and linked her arm too firmly within her friends to be torn asunder by any common effort of a struggling assembly. But to her utter amazement she found that to proceed along the room was by no means the way to disengage themselves from the crowd. It seemed rather to increase as they went on, whereas she had imagined that when once fairly within the door they should easily find seats and be able to watch the dances with perfect convenience. But this was far from being the case, and though by unwearyed diligence they gained even the top of the room, their situation was just the same. They saw nothing of the dancers but the high feathers of some of the ladies. Still they moved on, something better was yet in view, and by a continued exertion of strength and ingenuity they found themselves at last in the passage behind the highest bench. Here there was something less of a crowd than below, and hence Miss Morland had a comprehensive view of the company beneath her, and of all the dangers of her late passage through them. It was a splendid sight, and she began for the first time that evening to feel herself at a ball. She longed to dance, but she had not an acquaintance in the room. Miss Allen did all that she could do in such a case by saying very placently every now and then, "'I wish you could get a dance, my dear! I wish you could get a partner!' For some time her young friend felt obliged to her for these wishes, but they were repeated so often, and proved so totally ineffectual, that Catherine grew tired at last and would thank her no more. They were not long able, however, to enjoy the repose of the eminence they had so laboriously gained. Everybody was shortly in motion for tea, and they must squeeze out like the rest.' Catherine began to feel something of disappointment. She was tired of being continually pressed against by people, the generality of whose faces possessed nothing to interest, and with all of whom she was so wholly unacquainted that she could not relieve the irksomeness of imprisonment by the exchange of a syllable with any of her fellow captives. And when at last arrived in the tea-room, she felt yet more the awkwardness of having no party to join, no acquaintance to claim, no gentleman to assist them. They saw nothing of Mr. Allen, and after looking about them in vain for a more eligible situation, were obliged to sit down at the end of a table, at which a large party were already placed, without having anything to do there, or anything to speak to, except each other. Mrs. Allen congratulated herself as soon as they were seated on having preserved her gown from injury. It would have been very shocking to have it torn, said she. Would it not? 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 here. We seem forcing ourselves into their party.' "'Ah, so we do. That is very disagreeable. I wish we had a large acquaintance here.' "'I wish we had any. It 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 year. I 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 was 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 word. I wish I did. I wish I had a large acquaintance here with all my heart, and then I should get to your 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 Molland,' 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 parries 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 over, enough 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 before. Her humble vanity was contented. She 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. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. CHAPTER III Every morning now brought its regular duties. Shops 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 gentleman-like 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, and 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 spirit, and 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 negligent. But 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 effectively 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 all together pleased with Bath? Yes. I 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 she will say. Friday went to the lower rooms, wore my sprigged muslin robe with blue trimmings, plain black shoes, appeared 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 him, seems a most extraordinary genius. Hope 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 tenor 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 is, I 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 what are they? A general deficiency of subject, a total inattention to stops, and a very frequent ignorance of grammar. Upon my word, I need not have been afraid of disclaiming the compliment. You do not think too highly of us in that way. I should no more lay it down as a general rule that women write better letters than men, than that they sing better duets or draw better landscapes. In every power of which taste is the foundation, excellence is pretty fairly divided between the sexes. They were interrupted by Mrs. Allen. My dear Catherine, said she, do take this pin out of my sleeve. I am afraid it has torn a hole already. I shall be quite sorry if it has, for this is a favourite gown, though it cost but nine shillings a yard. That is exactly what I should have guessed it, madam, said Mr. Tilney, looking at the muslin. Do you understand muslin, sir? Particularly well. I always buy my own cribats, and am allowed to be an excellent judge, and my sister has often trusted me in the choice of a gown. I bought one for her the other day, and it was pronounced to be a prodigious bargain by every lady who saw it. I gave but five shillings a yard for it, and a true Indian muslin. Mrs. Allen was quite struck by his genius. Men commonly take so little notice of those things, said she. I can never get Mr. Allen to know one of my gowns from another. You must be a great comfort to your sister, sir. I hope I am, madam. And pray, sir, what do you think of this maulin's gown? It is very pretty, madam, said he, gravely examining it. But I do not think it will wash well. I am afraid it will fray. How can you? said Catherine, laughing. Be so! she had almost said, strange. I am quite of your opinion, sir, replied Mrs. Allen. And so I told Miss Maulin when she bought it. But then you know, madam, muslin always turns to some account or other. Miss Maulin will get enough out of it for a handkerchief, or a cap, or a cloak. Muslin can never be said to be wasted. I have heard my sister say so forty times, when she has been extravagant in buying more than she wanted, or careless in cutting it to pieces. Bath is a charming place, sir. There are so many good shops here. We are sadly off in the country, not but what we have very good shops in Salisbury, but it is so far to go. Eight miles is a long way. Mr. Allen says it is nine, measured nine, but I am sure it cannot be more than eight, and it is such a fag. I come back tired to death. Now here one can step out of doors and get a thing in five minutes. Mr. Tilney was polite enough to seem interested in what she said, and she kept him on the subject of muslins till the dancing reccomends. Catherine feared, as she listened to their discourse, that he indulged himself a little too much with the voyables of others. What are you thinking of so earnestly? said he, as they walked back to the ballroom. Not of your partner, I hope, for by that shake of the hedge your meditations are not satisfactory. Catherine colored and said, I was not thinking of anything. That is artful and deep, to be sure, but I had rather be told at once that you will not tell me. Well, then, I will not. Thank you. For now we shall soon be acquainted, as I am authorized to tease you on this subject whenever we meet, and nothing in the world advances intimacy so much. They danced again, and when the assembly closed, parted, on the lady's side at least, with a strong inclination for continuing the acquaintance. Whether she thought of him so much, while she drank her warm wine and water, and prepared herself for bed, as to dream of him when there, cannot be ascertained. But I hope it was no more than in a slight slumber, or mourning dose at most, for if it be true, as a celebrated writer has maintained, that no young lady can be justified in falling in love before the gentleman's love is declared, it must be very improper that a young lady should dream of a gentleman, before the gentleman is first known to have dreamt of her. How proper Mr. Tilney might be as a dreamer or a lover, had not yet perhaps entered Mr. Allen's head, but that he was not objectionable as a common acquaintance for his young charge, he was on inquiry satisfied. For he had early in the evening taken pains to know who her partner was, and had been assured of Mr. Tilney's being a clergyman, and of a very respectable family in Gloucestershire. CHAPTER IV With more than usual eagerness did Catherine hasten to the pump-room the next day, secure within herself of seeing Mr. Tilney there before the morning were over, and ready to meet him with a smile. But no smile was demanded. Mr. Tilney did not appear. Every creature in Bath except himself was to be seen in the room at different periods of the fashionable hours. Crowds of people were every moment passing in and out, up the steps and down, people whom nobody cared about, and nobody wanted to see, and he only was absent. What a delightful place Bath is, said Mrs. Allen, as they sat down near the great clock, after parading the room till they were tired. And how pleasant it would be if we had any acquaintance here! This sentiment had been uttered so often in vain that Mrs. Allen had no particular reason to hope it would be followed with more advantage now, but we are told to despair of nothing we would attain, as unweary diligence our point would gain, and the unweary diligence with which she had every day wished for the same thing was at length to have its just reward, for hardly had she been seated ten minutes before a lady of about her own age, who was sitting by her, and had been looking at her attentively for several minutes, addressed her with great complacence in these words. I think, madame, I cannot be mistaken. It is a long time, since I had the pleasure of seeing you, but is not your name Allen? This question answered, as it readily was. The stranger pronounced hers to be Thorpe, and Mrs. Allen immediately recognized the features of a former school fellow and intimate, whom she had seen only once since their respective marriages, and that many years ago. Their joy on this meeting was very great, as well it might, since they had been contented to know nothing of each other for the last fifteen years. Compliments on good looks now passed, and after observing how time had slipped away since they were last together, how little they had thought of meeting in Bath, and what a pleasure it was to see an old friend. They proceeded to make inquiries and give intelligence as to their families, sisters, and cousins, talking both together, far more ready to give than to receive information, and each hearing very little of what the other said. Mrs. Thorpe, however, had one great advantage as a talker over Mrs. Allen, in a family of children, and when she expatiated on the talents of her sons, and the beauty of her daughters, when she related their different situations and views, that John was at Oxford, Edward at Merchant Taylor's, and William at Sea, and all of them more beloved and respected in their different station than any other three beings ever were, Mrs. Allen had no similar information to give, no similar triumphs to press on the unwilling, unbelieving ear of her friend, and was forced to sit and appear to listen to all these maternal effusions, consoling herself, however, with the discovery, which her keen eye soon made, that the lace on Mrs. Thorpe's police was not half so handsome as that on her own. Here come my dear girls!" cried Mrs. Thorpe, pointing at three smart-looking females, who arm-in-arm were then moving towards her. "'My dear Mrs. Allen, I longed to introduce them. They would be so delighted to see you. The tallest is Isabella, my eldest. Is not she a fine young woman? The others are very much admired, too, but I believe Isabella is the handsomest.' The Miss Thorpe's were introduced, and Miss Moorland, who had been for a short time forgotten, was introduced likewise. The name seemed to strike them all, and after speaking to her with great civility, the eldest young lady observed aloud to the rest. "'How excessively like a brother Miss Moorland is!' "'The very picture of him, indeed,' cried the mother, and—'I should have known her anywhere for his sister,' was repeated by them all, two or three times over. For a moment Catherine was surprised, but Mrs. Thorpe and her daughters had scarcely begun the history of their acquaintance with Mr. James Moorland, before she remembered that her eldest brother had lately formed an intimacy with a young man of his own college, of the name of Thorpe. And that he had spent the last week of the Christmas vacation with his family near London. The whole being explained, many obliging things were said by the Miss Thorpe's of their wish of being better acquainted with her, of being considered as already friends, through the friendship of their brothers, etc., which Catherine heard with pleasure, and answered with all the pretty expressions she could command. And, as the first proof of amity, she was soon invited to accept an arm of the eldest Miss Thorpe, and take a turn with her about the room. Catherine was delighted with this extension of her bath acquaintance, and almost forgot Mr. Tilney while she talked to Miss Thorpe. Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love. Their conversation turned upon those subjects, of which the free discussion has generally much to do in perfecting a sudden intimacy between two young ladies, such as dress, balls, flirtations, and quizzes. Miss Thorpe, however, being four years older than Miss Moorland, and at least four years better informed, had a very decided advantage in discussing such points. She could compare the balls of bath with those of Tunbridge, its fashions with the fashions of London, could rectify the opinions of her new friend in many articles of tasteful attire, could discover a flirtation between any gentleman and lady who only smiled on each other, and point out a quiz through the thickness of a crowd. These powers received due admiration from Catherine, to whom they were entirely new, and the respect which they naturally inspired might have been too great for familiarity, had not the easy gaiety of Miss Thorpe's manners, and her frequent expressions of delight on the acquaintance with her, softened down every feeling of awe, and left nothing but tender affection. Their increasing attachment was not to be satisfied with half a dozen turns in the pump-room, but required, when they all quitted it together, that Miss Thorpe should accompany Miss Moorland to the very door of Mr. Allen's house, and that they should there part with the most affectionate and lengthened shake of hands, after learning, to their mutual relief, that they should see each other across the theatre at night, and say their prayers in the same chapel the next morning. Catherine then ran directly upstairs, and watched Miss Thorpe's progress down the street from the drawing-room window, admired the graceful sphere to her walk, the fashionable air of her figure and dress, and felt grateful, as well she might, for the chance which had procured her such a friend. Mrs. Thorpe was a widow, and not a very rich one. She was a good-humoured, well-meaning woman, and a very indulgent mother. Her eldest daughter had great personal beauty, and the younger ones, by pretending to be as handsome as their sister, imitating her air, and dressing in the same style, did very well. This brief account of the family is intended to supersede the necessity of a long and minute detail from Mrs. Thorpe herself, of her past adventures and sufferings, which might otherwise be expected to occupy the three or four following chapters, in which the worthlessness of lords and attorneys might be set forth, and conversations, which had passed twenty years before, be minutely repeated. Catherine was not so much engaged at the theatre that evening, in returning the nods and smiles of Miss Thorpe, though they certainly claimed much of her leisure, as to forget to look with an inquiring eye for Mr. Tilney, in every breath of her. But she looked in vain. Mr. Tilney was no fonder of the play than the pump-room. She hoped to be more fortunate the next day, and when her wishes for fine weather were answered by seeing a beautiful morning, she hardly felt a doubt of it. For a fine Sunday in Bath empties every house of its inhabitants, and all the world appears on such an occasion to walk about, and tell their acquaintance which a charming day it is. As soon as divine service was over, the Thorpes and Allens eagerly joined each other, and after staying long enough in the pump-room to discover that the crowd was insupportable, and that there was not a gentile face to be seen, which everybody discovers every Sunday throughout the season, they hastened away to the Crescent to breathe the fresh air of better company. Here Catherine and Isabella, arm in arm, again tasted the sweets of friendship in an unreserved conversation. They talked much, and with much enjoyment. But again was Catherine disappointed in her hope of re-seeing her partner. He was nowhere to be met with. Every search for him was equally unsuccessful. In morning lounges were evening assemblies. Neither at the upper nor lower rooms, at dressed or undressed balls was he perceivable, nor among the walkers, the horsemen, or the curicle-drivers of the morning. His name was not in the pump-room book, and curiosity could do no more. He must be gone from Bath. Yet he had not mentioned that his stay would be so short. This sort of mysteriousness, which is always so becoming an hero, threw a fresh grace in Catherine's imagination around his person and manners, and increased her anxiety to know more of him. From the thorps she could learn nothing, for they had been only two days in Bath before they met with Mrs. Allen. It was a subject, however, in which she often indulged with her fair friend, from whom she received every possible encouragement to continue to think of him, and his impression on her fancy was not suffered therefore to weaken. Isabella was very sure that he must be a charming young man, and was equally sure that he must have been delighted with her dear Catherine, and would therefore shortly return. She liked him the better for being a clergyman. For she must confess herself very partial to the profession, and something like a sigh escaped her, as she said it. Perhaps Catherine was wrong in not demanding the cause of that gentle emotion, but she was not experienced enough in the finesse of love, or the duties of friendship, to know when delicate railery was properly called for, or when a confidence should be forced. Mrs. Allen was now quite happy, quite satisfied with Bath. She had found some acquaintance, had been so lucky too as to find in them the family of a most worthy old friend, and as the completion of good fortune, had found these friends by no means so expensively dressed as herself. Her daily expressions were no longer. I wish we had some acquaintance in Bath. They were changed into. How glad I am we have met with Mrs. Thorpe! And she was as eager in promoting the intercourse of the two families, as her young charge and Isabella themselves could be. Never satisfied with the day unless she spent the chief of it by the side of Mrs. Thorpe, in what they called a conversation, but in which there was scarcely ever any exchange of opinion, and not often any resemblance of subject. For Mrs. Thorpe talked chiefly of her children, and Mrs. Allen of her gowns. The progress of the friendship between Catherine and Isabella was quick as its beginnings had been warm, and they passed so rapidly through every gradation of increasing tenderness, that there was shortly no fresh proof of it to be given to their friends or themselves. They called each other by their Christian name, were always arm in arm when they walked, pinned up each other's train for the dance, and were not to be divided in the set, and if a rainy morning deprived them of other enjoyments, they were still resolute in meeting in defiance of wet and dirt, and shot themselves up to read novels together. Yes, novels. For I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel writers, of degrading by their contemptuous censure the very performances to the number of which they are themselves adding, joining with their greatest enemies in bestowing the harshest epithets on such works, and scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who, if she accidentally takes up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust. Alas! If the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard? I cannot approve of it. Let us leave it to the reviewers to abuse such effutions of fancy at their leisure, and over every new novel to talk in threadbare strains of the trash with which the press now groans. Let us not desert one another. We are an injured body. Although our productions have afforded more extensive and unaffected pleasure than those of any other literary corporation in the world, no species of composition has been so much to cry. From pride, ignorance, or fashion, our foes are almost as much as our readers, and while the abilities of the nine hundredth abridger of the history of England, or of the man who collects and publishes in a volume some dozen lines of Milton Pope or prior, with a paper from the spectator, and a chapter from Stern, are eulogized by a thousand pens, there seems almost a general wish of decrying the capacity and undervaluing the labour of the novelist, and of sliding the performances which have only genius, wit, and taste to recommend them. I am no novel reader. I seldom look into novels. Do not imagine that I often read novels. It is really very well for a novel. Such is the common can't. And what are you reading, Miss? Oh, it is only a novel," replies the young lady, while she lays down her book with an affected indifference or momentary shame. It is only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda, or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language. Now, had the same young lady been engaged with a volume of the spectator, instead of such a work, how proudly would she have produced the book and told its name? Though the chances must be against her being occupied by any part of that voluminous publication, of which either the manner or matter would not disgust a young person of taste, the substance of its papers so often consisting in the statement of improbable circumstances, unnatural characters, and topics of conversation which no longer concern any one living, and their language too, frequently so coarse as to give no very favourable idea of the age that could endure it. End of CHAPTER V. CHAPTER VI. Following conversation, which took place between the two friends in the pump-room one morning, after an acquaintance of eight or nine days, is given as a specimen of their very warm attachment, and of the delicacy, discretion, originality of thought, and literary taste which marked the reasonableness of that attachment. They met by appointment, and as Isabella had arrived nearly five minutes before her friend, her first address naturally was, My dearest creature, what can have made you so late? I have been waiting for you at least this age. Have you indeed? I am very sorry for it, but really I thought I was in very good time. It is but just one. I hope you have not been here very long. Oh! these ten ages at least! I am sure I have been here this half hour. But now, let us go and sit down at the other end of the room, and enjoy ourselves. I have a hundred things to say to you. In the first place, I was so afraid it would rain this morning, just as I wanted to set off. It looked very showery, and that would have thrown me into agonies. Do you know? I saw the prettiest hat you can imagine, in a shop window in Milsom Street just now. Very like yours, only with cockley co-ribbons instead of green. I quite longed for it. But, my dearest Catherine, what have you been doing with yourself all this morning? Have you gone on with the doll-foam? Yes. I have been reading it ever since I woke, and I have got the black veil. Ah! you indeed! How delightful! Oh! I would not tell you what is behind the black veil for the world. I am not too wild to know. Oh! yes, quite! What can it be? But do not tell me. I would not be told upon any account. I know it must be a skeleton. I am sure it is Laurentina's skeleton. Oh! I am delighted with the book. I should like to spend my whole life in reading it. I assure you, if it had not been to meet you, I would not have come away from it for all the world. Dear creature, how much I am obliged to you! And when you have finished your doll-foam, we will read the Italian together, and I have made out a list of ten or twelve more of the same kind for you. Have you indeed! How glad I am! What are they all? I will read you their names directly. Here they are in my pocket-book. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont, Mysterious Warnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest, Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine, and Horrid Mysteries. Those will last us some time. Yes, pretty well. But are they all horrid? Are you sure they are all horrid? Yes, quite sure. For a particular friend of mine, a Miss Andrews, a sweet gal, one of the sweetest creatures in the world, has read every one of them. I wish you knew Miss Andrews. You would be delighted with her. She is netting herself the sweetest cloak you can conceive. I think her as beautiful as an angel, and I am so vexed with the men for not admiring her. I scold them all amazingly about it. Scold them? Do you scold them for not admiring her? Yes, that I do. There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves. It is not my nature. My attachments are always excessively strong. I told Captain Hunt at one of our assemblies this winter, that if he was to tease me all night, I would not dance with him, unless he would allow Miss Andrews to be as beautiful as an angel. The men think us incapable of real friendship, you know, and I am determined to show them the difference. Now, if I were to hear anybody speak slightly of you, I should fire up in a moment. But that is not at all likely. For you are just the kind of girl to be a great favourite with the men. Oh dear! cried Catherine, colouring. How can you say so? I know you very well. You have so much animation, which is exactly what Miss Andrews wants. For I must confess, there is something amazingly insipid about her. Oh! I must tell you, that just after we parted yesterday, I saw a young man looking at you so earnestly. I am sure he is in love with you. Catherine coloured and disclaimed again. Isabella laughed. It is very true upon my honour, but I see how it is. You are indifferent to everybody's admiration, except that of one gentleman who shall be nameless. Nay, I cannot blame you. Speaking more seriously, your feelings are easily understood. Where the heart is really attached, I know very well how little one can be pleased with the attention of anybody else. Everything is so insipid, so uninteresting, that it does not relate to the beloved object. I can perfectly comprehend your feelings. But you should not persuade me that I think so very much about Mr. Tilney, for perhaps I may never see him again. Not see him again? My dearest creature, do not talk of it. I am sure you would be miserable if you thought so. No, indeed, I should not. I do not pretend to say that I was not very much pleased with him. But while I have Udolfo to read, I feel as if nobody can make me miserable. Oh, the dreadful black veil! My dear Isabella, I am sure there must be Laurentina's skeleton behind it. It is so odd to me that you should never have read Udolfo before, but I suppose Mrs. Moran objects to novels. No, she does not. She very often reads Sir Charles Granderson herself, but new books do not fall in our way. Sir Charles Granderson? That is an amazing horrid book, is it not? I remember Miss Andrews could not get through the first volume. It is not like Udolfo at all, but yet I think it is very entertaining. Do you indeed? You surprised me. I thought it had not been readable. But, my dearest Catherine, have you settled what to wear on your head tonight? I am determined at all events to be dressed exactly like you. The men take notice of that sometimes, you know. But it does not signify if they do, said Catherine, very innocently. Signify? Oh, heavens! I make it a rule never to mind what they say. They are very often amazingly impertinent if you do not treat them with spirit, and make them keep their distance. Are they? Well, I never observed that. They always behave very well to me. Oh! they give themselves such airs. They are the most conceited creatures in the world, and think themselves of so much importance. By the by, though I have often thought of it a hundred times, I have always forgot to ask you, what is your favourite complexion in a man? Do you like them best dark or fair? I hardly know. I never much thought about it. Something between both, I think. Brown, not fair, and—and not very dark. Very well, Catherine, that is exactly he. I have not forgot your description of Mr. Tilney, a brown skin with dark eyes and rather dark hair. Well, my taste is different. I prefer light eyes, and as to complexion, do you know, I like a shallow better than any other. You must not betray me, if you should ever meet with one of your acquaintance answering that description. Betray you? What do you mean? 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 gentleman 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 churchyard. 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 them by presently, and I am dying to show you my hat. But if we only wait a few minutes, there will be no danger of us 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. End of Chapter 6 February 2008 Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen. 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. Moorland 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 gentleman 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 duroirs 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. As a stout young man of middling height, who, with a plain face and ungraceful form, seemed fearful of being too hensome 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 sure 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 innyard 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 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 he had come to walk at church. But look at his forehead. Look at his noins. 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 it not? Well-hung, town-built. I have not had it a month. It was built for a Christ-church 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 curicle, too. But I chanced to meet him on Mortland 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! 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 ironwork is 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, damn it! When one has the means of doing a good 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 uncockedish 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, with Catherine, and after a few minutes silence renewed the conversation about his gig. You will find, however, Miss Morland, it would be reckoned a cheap thing by some people, for I might have sold it for ten guineas more the next day. Jackson of Oriel bid me sixty at once. Morland was with me at the time. Yes, said Morland, who overheard this. But you forget that your horse was included. My horse? How damn it! I would not sell my horse for a hundred. Are you fond of an open carriage, Miss Morland? Yes, very. I have hardly ever an opportunity of being in one, but I am particularly fond of it. I am glad of it. I will drive you out and mine every day. Thank you, said Catherine, in some distress, from a doubt of the propriety of accepting such an offer. I will drive you up Landsdown Hill to-morrow. Thank you, but will not your horse want rest? Rest? He's only come three and twenty miles to-day. Whole nonsense! Nothing ruins horses so much as rest. Nothing knocks them up so soon. No, no, I shall exercise mine at the average of four hours every day while I am here. Shall you indeed? said Catherine, very seriously. That will be forty miles a day. Forty? I, fifty, for what I care. Well, I will drive you up Landsdown to-morrow. Mind, I am engaged. How delightful that will be! cried Isabella, turning round. My dearest Catherine, I quite envy you, but I am afraid, brother, you will not have room for a third. A third, indeed? No, no. I did not come to Bath to drive my sisters about. That would be a good joke, Faith. Morland must take care of you. This brought on a dialogue of civilities between the other two, but Catherine heard neither the particulars nor the result. Her companion's discourse now sung from its hitherto animated pitch to nothing more than a short, decisive sentence of praise or condemnation on the face of every woman they met. And Catherine, after listening and agreeing as long as she could, with all the civility and deference of the youthful female mind, fearful of hazarding an opinion of its own in opposition to that of a self-assured man, especially where the beauty of her own sex is concerned, ventured at length to vary the subject by a question which had been long uppermost in her thoughts. It was, have you ever read Udolfo, Mr. Thorpe? Udolfo? Oh Lord! Not I. I never read novels. I have something else to do. Catherine, humbled and ashamed, was going to apologize for her question, but he prevented her by saying, Novels are all so full of nonsense and stuff. There has not been a tolerably decent one come out since Tom Jones, except the monk. I read that to the day, but as for all the others, they are the stupidest things in creation. I think you must like Udolfo. If you were to read it, it is so very interesting. Not I, Faith. No, if I read any, it shall be Mrs. Radcliffe's. Her novels are amusing enough. They are worth reading. Some fun and nature in them. Udolfo was written by Mrs. Radcliffe, said Catherine, with some hesitation, from the fear of mortifying him. No sure, was it? Aye, I remember so it was. I was thinking of that other stupid book, written by that woman they make such a fuss about—she who married the French emigrant. I suppose you mean Camilla? Yes, that's the book. Such unnatural stuff. An old man playing its seesaw. I took up the first volume once and looked it over, but I soon found it would not do. Indeed, I guessed what sort of stuff it must be before I saw it. As soon as I heard she had married an emigrant, I was sure I should never be able to get through it. I have never read it. You had no loss, I assure you. It is the horridest nonsense you can imagine. There is nothing in the world in it but an old man's playing its seesaw and learning Latin. Upon my soul there is not. This critique, the justness of which was unfortunately lost on poor Catherine, brought them to the door of Mrs. Thorpe's lodgings, and the feelings of the discerning and unprejudiced reader of Camilla gave way to the feelings of the dutiful and affectionate son, as they met Mrs. Thorpe, who had described them from above in the passage. Ah, mother! How do you do? said he, giving her a hearty shake of the hand. Where did you get that quiz of a hat? It makes you look like an old witch. Here is Mole and an eye come to stay a few days with you, so you must look out for a couple of good beds somewhere near. And this address seemed to satisfy all the fondest wishes of the mother's heart, for she received him with the most delighted and exulting affection. On his two younger sisters he then bestowed an equal portion of his fraternal tenderness, for he asked each of them how they did, and observed that they both looked very ugly. These manners did not please Catherine, but he was James's friend and Isabella's brother, and her judgment was further brought off by Isabella's assuring her, when they withdrew to see the new hat, that John thought her the most charming girl in the world, and by John's engaging her before they parted to dance with him that evening. Had she been older or vainer, such attacks might have done little. But where youth and diffidence are united, it requires uncommon steadiness of reason to resist the attraction of being called the most charming girl in the world, and of being so very early engaged as a partner. And the consequence was that, when the two Morlands, after sitting an hour with the Thorps, set off to walk together to Mr. Allen's, and James, as the door was closed on them, said, Well, Catherine, how do you like my friend Thorp? Instead of answering, as she probably would have done, had there been no friendship and no flattery in the case, I do not like him at all. She directly replied, I like him very much. He seems very agreeable. He is as good-natured a fellow as ever lived, a little of a rattle, but that will recommend him to your sex, I believe. And how do you like the rest of the family? Very, very much indeed. Isabella particularly. I am very glad to hear you say so. She is just the kind of young woman I could wish to see you attached to. She has so much good sense, and is so thoroughly unaffected and amiable. I always wanted you to know her, and she seems very fond of you. She said the highest things in your praise that could possibly be, and the praise of such a girl as Miss Thorp even you, Catherine, taking her hand with affection, may be proud of. Indeed I am, she replied. I love her exceedingly, and am delighted to find that you like her too. You hardly mention anything of her when you wrote to me after your visit there. Because I thought I should soon see you myself, I hope you'll be a great deal together while you are in Bath. She is a most amiable girl, such a superior understanding. How fond all the family are of her. She is evidently the general favourite, and how much she must be admired in such a place as this. Is not she? Yes, very much indeed, I fancy. Mr. Allen thinks so the prettiest girl in Bath. I dare say he does, and I do not know any man who is a better judge of beauty than Mr. Allen. I need not ask you whether you are happy here, my dear Catherine. With such a companion and friend as Isabella Thorp, it would be impossible for you to be otherwise, and the Allens, I am sure, are very kind to you. Yes, very kind. I never was so happy before, and now you are come it will be more delightful than ever. How good it is of you to come so far on purpose to see me. James accepted this tribute of gratitude, and qualified his conscience for accepting it too, by saying with perfect sincerity, Indeed, Catherine, I love you dearly. Inquiries and communications concerning brothers and sisters, the situation of some, the growth of the rest, and other family matters now passed between them, and continued, with only one small digression on James's part, in praise of Miss Thorp, till they reached Poultony Street, where he was welcomed with great kindness by Mr. and Mrs. Allen, invited by the former to dine with them, and summoned by the latter to guess the price, and weigh the merits of a new muff and tippet. A pre-engagement in Edgar's buildings prevented his accepting the invitation of one friend, and obliged him to hurry away as soon as he had satisfied the demands of the other. The time of the two parties uniting in the octagon-room being correctly adjusted, Catherine was then left to the luxury of a raised, restless, and frightened imagination over the pages of Udolfo, lost from all worldly concerns of dressing and dinner, incapable of soothing Mrs. Allen's fears on the delay of an expected dressmaker, and having only one minute and sixty to bestow even on the reflection of her own felicity, in being already engaged for the evening. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Read by Elizabeth Klett. Houston, Texas. February 2008. Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen. CHAPTER VIII. In spite of Udolfo and the dressmaker, however, the party from Poultony Street reached the upper rooms in very good time. The Thorps and James Moreland were there only two minutes before them, and Isabella having gone through the usual ceremonial of meeting her friend with the most smiling and affectionate haste, of admiring the set of her gown, and envying the curl of her hair, they followed their chaperones, arm in arm, into the ballroom, whispering to each other whenever a thought occurred, and supplying the place of many ideas by a squeeze of the hand or a smile of affection. The dancing began within a few minutes after they were seated, and James, who had been engaged quite as long as his sister, was very important with Isabella to stand up. But John was gone into the card-room to speak to a friend, and nothing, she declared, should induce her to join the set before her dear Catherine could join it too. I assure you, said she, I would not stand up without your dear sister for all the world, for if I did, we should certainly be separated the whole evening. Catherine accepted this kindness with gratitude, and they continued as they were for three minutes longer, when Isabella, who had been talking to James on the other side of her, turned again to his sister and whispered, My dear creature, I am afraid I must leave you. Your brother is so amazingly impatient to begin. I know you will not mind my going away, and I dare say John will be back in a moment, and then you may easily find me out. Catherine, though a little disappointed, had too much good nature to make any opposition, and the others rising up, Isabella had only time to press her friend's hand and say, Good-bye, my dear love, before they hurried off. The younger Miss Thorpe's being also dancing, Catherine was left to the mercy of Mrs. Thorpe and Mrs. Allen, between whom she now remained. She could not help being vexed at the non-appearance of Mr. Thorpe, for she not only longed to be dancing, but was likewise aware that, as the real dignity of her situation could not be known, she was sharing with the scores of other young ladies still sitting down, all the discredit of wanting a partner. To be disgraced in the eye of the world, to wear the appearance of infamy while her heart is all purity, her actions all innocence, and the misconduct of another the true source of her debasement, is one of those circumstances which peculiarly belonged to the heroine's life, and her fortitude under it what particularly dignifies her character. Catherine had fortitude too. She suffered, but no murmur passed her lips. From this state of humiliation she was roused, at the end of ten minutes, to a pleasanter feeling, by seeing, not Mr. Thorpe, but Mr. Tilney, within three yards of the place where they sat, he seemed to be moving that way, but he did not see her, and therefore the smile and the blush, which his sudden reappearance raised in Catherine, passed away without sullying her heroic importance. He looked as handsome and as lively as ever, and was talking with interest to a fashionable and pleasing-looking young woman, who lent on his arm, and whom Catherine immediately guessed to be his sister, thus unthinkingly throwing away a fair opportunity of considering him lost to her forever, by being married already. But guided only by what was simple and probable, it had never entered her head that Mr. Tilney could be married. He had not behaved. He had not talked like the married man to whom she had been used. He had never mentioned a wife, and he had acknowledged a sister. From these circumstances sprang the instant conclusion of his sister's now being by his side, and therefore, instead of turning of a death-like paleness and falling in a fit on Mrs. Allen's bosom, Catherine sat erect, in the perfect use of her senses, and with cheeks only a little redder than usual. Mr. Tilney and his companion, who continued, though slowly to approach, were immediately preceded by a lady, an acquaintance of Mrs. Thorpe, and this lady stopping to speak to her, they, as belonging to her, stopped likewise, and Catherine, catching Mr. Tilney's eye, instantly received from him the smiling tribute of recognition. She returned it with pleasure, and then advancing still nearer, he spoke both to her and Mrs. Allen, by whom he was very civilly acknowledged. I am very happy to see you again, sir. Indeed! I was afraid you had left Bath. He thanked her for her fears, and said that he had quitted it for a week, on the very morning after his having had the pleasure of seeing her. Well, sir, and I dare say you are not sorry to be back again, for it is just the place for young people, and indeed for everybody else too. I tell Mr. Allen, when he talks of being sick of it, that I am sure he should not complain, for it is so very agreeable a place, that it is much better to be here than at home at this dull time of year. I tell him he is quite in luck to be sent here for his health. And I hope, madam, that Mr. Allen will be obliged to like the place from finding it of service to him. Thank you, sir! I have no doubt that he will. A neighbour of ours, Dr. Skinner, was here for his health last winter, and came away quite stout. That circumstance must give great encouragement. Yes, sir, and Dr. Skinner and his family were here three months, so I tell Mr. Allen he must not be in a hurry to get away. Here they were interrupted by a request from Mrs. Thorpe to Mrs. Allen, that she would move a little to accommodate Mrs. Hughes and Miss Tilney with seats, as they had agreed to join their party. This was accordingly done. Mr. Tilney still continuing standing before them, and after a few minutes' consideration, he asked Catherine to dance with him. This compliment, delightful as it was, produced severe mortification to the lady, and in giving her denial, she expressed her sorrow on the occasion so very much as if she really felt it, that had Thorpe, who joined her just afterwards, been half a minute earlier, he might have thought her sufferings rather too acute. The very easy manner in which she then told her that he had kept her waiting, did not, by any means, reconcile her more to her lot, nor did the particulars which she entered into while they were standing up, of the horses and dogs of the friend whom he had just left, and of a proposed exchange of terriers between them, interest her so much as to prevent her looking very often towards that part of the room where she had left Mr. Tilney. Of her dear Isabella, to whom she particularly longed to point out that gentleman, she could see nothing. They were indifferent sets. She was separated from all her party, and away from all her acquaintance. One mortification succeeded another, and from the whole she deduced to this useful lesson, that to go previously engaged to a ball does not necessarily increase either the dignity or enjoyment of a young lady. From such a moralizing strain as this, she was suddenly roused by a touch on the shoulder, and turning round, perceived Mrs. Hughes directly behind her, attended by Miss Tilney and a gentleman. I beg your pardon, Miss Morland," said she, for this liberty, but I cannot anyhow get to Miss Thorpe, and Mrs. Thorpe said she was sure you would not have the least objection to letting in this young lady by you. Mrs. Hughes could not have applied to any creature in the room more happy to oblige her than Catherine. The young ladies were introduced to each other, Miss Tilney expressing a proper sense of such goodness, Miss Morland with the real delicacy of a generous mind making light of the obligation. Had Mrs. Hughes satisfied with having so respectably settled her young charge, returned to her party. Miss Tilney had a good figure, a pretty face, and a very agreeable countenance, and her air, though it had not at all the decided pretension, the resolute stylishness of Miss Thorpe's, had more real elegance. Her manners showed good sense and good breeding. They were neither shy nor effectively open, and she seemed capable of being young, attractive, and at a ball without wanting to fix the attention of every man near her, and without exaggerated feelings of ecstatic delight or inconceivable vexation on every little trifling occurrence. Catherine, interested at once by her appearance and her relationship to Mr. Tilney, was desirous of being acquainted with her, and readily talked therefore whenever she could think of anything to say, and had courage and leisure for saying it. But the hindrance thrown in the way of a very speedy intimacy by the frequent want of one or more of these requisites prevented their doing more than going through the first rudiments of an acquaintance, by informing themselves how well the other liked Bath, how much she admired its buildings and surrounding country, whether she drew or played or sang, and whether she was fond of riding on horseback. The two dances were scarcely concluded before Catherine found her arm gently seized by her faithful Isabella, who in great spirits exclaimed, At last I have got you, my dearest creature! I have been looking for you this hour. What could induce you to come into this set when you knew I was in the other? I have been quite wretched without you. My dear Isabella, how was it possible for me to get out to you? I could not even see where you were. So I told your brother all the time, but he would not believe me. Do go and see for her, Mr. Moorland, said I, but all in vain. He would not stir an inch. Was it not so, Mr. Moorland? But you men are all so immoderately lazy. I have been scolding him to such a degree, my dear Catherine, you would be quite amazed. You know I never stand upon ceremony with such people. Look at that young lady with the white beads round her head, whispered Catherine, detaching her friend from James. It is Mr. Tilney's sister. Oh, heavens! You don't say so! Let me look at her this moment. What a delightful girl! I never saw anything half so beautiful. But where is her all-conquering brother? Is he in the room? Point him out to me this instant, if he is. I die to see him. Mr. Moorland, you are not to listen. We are not talking about you. But what is all this whispering about? What is going on? There now I knew how it would be. You men have such restless curiosity. Talk of the curiosity of women, indeed. It is nothing. But be satisfied, for you are not to do anything at all of the matter. And is that likely to satisfy me, do you think? Well, I declare, I never knew anything like you. What can it signify to you what we are talking of? Perhaps we are talking about you. Therefore I would advise you not to listen, or you may happen to hear something not very agreeable. In this commonplace chatter, which lasted some time, the original subject seemed entirely forgotten, and though Catherine was very well pleased to have it dropped for a while, she could not avoid a little suspicion at the total suspension of all Isabella's impatient desire to see Mr. Tilney. When the orchestra struck up a fresh dance, James would have led his fair partner away, but she resisted. I tell you, Mr. Moorland, she cried, I would not do such a thing for all the world. How can you be so teasing? Only conceive, my dear Catherine, what your brother wants me to do. He wants me to dance with him again, though I tell him that it is a most improper thing, and entirely against the rules. It would make us the talk of the place if we were not to change partners. Upon my honour," said James, in these public assemblies, it is as often done as not. Nonsense! How can you say so? But when you men have a point to carry, you never stick at anything. My sweet Catherine, do support me. Persuade your brother how impossible it is. Tell him that it would quite shock you to see me do such a thing. Now would it not? No, not at all. But if you think it wrong, you would much better change. There! cried Isabella. You hear what your sister says, and yet you will not mind her. Well, remember that it is not my fault if we set all the old ladies in bath in a bustle. Come along, my dearest Catherine, for heaven's sake, and stand by me. And off they went to regain their former place. John Thorpe, in the meanwhile, had walked away, and Catherine, ever willing to give Mr. Tilney an opportunity of repeating the agreeable request which had already flattered her once, made her way to Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Thorpe as fast as she could, in the hope of finding him still with them. A hope which, when it proved to be fruitless, she felt to have been highly unreasonable. Well, my dear, said Mrs. Thorpe, impatient for praise of her son, I hope you have had an agreeable partner. Very agreeable, madam. I am glad of it. John has charming spirits, has not he? Did you meet Mr. Tilney, my dear, said Mrs. Allen? No, where is he? He was with us just now, and she said he was so tired of lounging about that he was resolved to go and dance, so I thought perhaps he would ask you if he met with you. Where can he be? said Catherine, looking round, but she had not looked round long before she saw him leading a young lady to the dance. Ah! he has got a partner! I wish he had asked you! said Mrs. Allen, and after a short silence she added, he is a very agreeable young man. Indeed he is, Mrs. Allen! said Mrs. Thorpe, smiling complacently. I must say it, though I am his mother, that there is not a more agreeable young man in the world. This inapplicable answer might have been too much for the comprehension of many, but it did not puzzle Mrs. Allen, for after only a moment's consideration she said in a whisper to Catherine. I daresay she thought I was speaking of a son. Catherine was disappointed and vexed. She seemed to have missed by so little the very object she had had in view, and this persuasion did not incline her to a very gracious reply, when John Thorpe came up to her soon afterwards and said, Well, Miss Morland, I suppose you and I are to stand up and jig it together again. Oh, no! I am much obliged to you. Our two dances are over, and besides, I am tired, and do not mean to dance any more. Do not you! Then let us walk about and quiz people. Come along with me, and I will show you the four greatest quizzes in the room—my two younger sisters and their partners. I have been laughing at them this half-hour." Again Catherine excused herself, and at last he walked off to quiz his sisters by himself. The rest of the evening she found very dull. Mr. Tilney was drawn away from their party at T. to attend that of his partner. Miss Tilney, though belonging to it, did not sit near her, and James and Isabella were so much engaged in conversation, together, that the latter had no leisure to bestow more on her friend than one smile, one squeeze, and one—dearest Catherine. CHAPTER IX The progress of Catherine's unhappiness from the events of the evening was as follows. It appeared first in a general dissatisfaction with everybody about her, while she remained in the rooms, which speedily brought on considerable weariness and a violent desire to go home. This, on arriving in Pultany Street, took the direction of extraordinary hunger, and when that was appeased, changed into an earnest longing to be in bed. Such was the extreme point of her distress, for when there she immediately fell into a sound sleep which lasted nine hours, and from which she awoke perfectly revived in excellent spirits with fresh hopes and fresh schemes. The first wish of her heart was to improve her acquaintance with Miss Tilney, and almost her first resolution, to seek her for that purpose, in the pump-room at noon. In the pump-room, one so newly arrived in Bath, must be met with, and that building she had already found so favourable for the discovery of female excellence and the completion of female intimacy, so admirably adapted for secret discourses and unlimited confidence, that she was most reasonably encouraged to expect another friend from within its walls. Her plan for the morning thus settled. She sat quietly down to her book after breakfast, resolving to remain in the same place and the same employment till the clock struck one, and from habitude very little incommodated by the remarks and ejaculations of Mrs. Allen, whose vacancy of mind and incapacity for thinking were such, that as she never talked a great deal, so she could never be entirely silent. And therefore, while she sat at her work, if she lost her needle or broke her thread, if she heard a carriage in the street or saw a speck upon her gown, she must observe it aloud, whether there were any one at leisure to answer her or not. At about half-past twelve a remarkably loud rap drew her in haste to the window, and scarcely had she time to inform Catherine of there being two open carriages at the door, in the first only a servant, her brother driving Miss Thorpe in the second, before John Thorpe came running upstairs, calling out, Well, Miss Morland, here I am. Have you been waiting long? We could not come before. The old devil of a coach-maker was such an eternity finding out a thing fit to be got into, and now it is ten thousand to one, but they break down before we are out of the street. How do you do, Mrs. Allen? A famous bag last night was it not? Come, Miss Morland, be quick, for the others are in a confounded hurry to be off. They wanted to get their tumble over. What do you mean? said Catherine. Where are you all going to? Going to? Why, you have not forgot our engagement. Did we not agree together to take a drive this morning? What ahead do you have? We are going up Clavitton down. Something was said about it, I remember, said Catherine, looking at Mrs. Allen for her opinion. But really I did not expect you. Not expect me? That's a good one! And what a dust you would have made if I had not come! Catherine's silent appeal to her friend, meanwhile, was entirely thrown away, for Mrs. Allen, not being at all in the habit of conveying any expression herself by a look, was not aware of its ever being intended by anybody else. Catherine, whose desire of seeing Miss Tilney again, could at that moment bear a short delay in favour of a drive, and who thought there could be no impropriety in her going with Mr. Thorpe, as Isabella was going at the same time with James, was therefore obliged to speak plainer. Well, mum, what do you say to it? Can you spare me for an hour or two? Shall I go? Do just as you please, my dear," replied Mrs. Allen, with the most placid indifference. Catherine took the advice and ran off to get ready. In a very few minutes she reappeared, having scarcely allowed the two others time enough to get through a very short sentences in her praise, after Thorpe had procured Mrs. Allen's admiration of his gig, and then receiving her friend's parting good wishes, they both hurried downstairs. My dearest creature! cried Isabella, to whom the duty of friendship immediately called her before she could get into the carriage. You have been at least three hours getting ready. I was afraid you were ill. What a delightful ball we had last night. I have a thousand things to say to you, but make haste and get in, for I long to be off." Catherine followed her orders and turned away, but not too soon to hear her friend exclaim aloud to James. What a sweet girl she is! I quite doubt on her. You will not be frightened, Miss Morland, said Thorpe, as he handed her in. If my horse should dance about a little at first setting off, he will most likely give a plunge or two, and perhaps take the rest for a minute, but he will soon know his master. He is full of spirits, playful as can be, but there is no vice in him. Catherine did not think the portrait a very inviting one, but it was too late to retreat, and she was too young to own herself frightened. So, resigning herself to her fate, and trusting to the animal's boasted knowledge of its owner, she sat peaceably down, and saw Thorpe sit down by her. Everything being then arranged, the servant who stood at the horse's head was bid in an important voice to, let him go, and off they went in the quietest manner imaginable, without a plunge or a caper, or anything like one. Catherine, delighted at so happy an escape, spoke her pleasure aloud with grateful surprise, and her companion immediately made the matter perfectly simple by assuring her that it was entirely owing to the peculiarly judicious manner in which she had then held the reins, and the singular discernment and dexterity with which she had directed his whip. Catherine, though she could not help wondering that with such perfect command of his horse, he should think it necessary to alarm her with the relation of its tricks, congratulated herself sincerely on being under the care of so excellent a coachman, and perceiving that the animal continued to go on in the same quiet manner, without showing the smallest propensity towards any unpleasant vivacity, and, considering its inevitable pace was ten miles an hour, by no means alarmingly fast, gave herself up to all the enjoyment of air and exercise of the most invigorating kind, in a fine, mild day of February, with the consciousness of safety. A silence of several minutes succeeded their first short dialogue. It was broken by Thorpe's saying very abruptly, Old Allen, as as rich as a Jew, is not he? Catherine could not understand him, and he repeated his question, adding in explanation, Old Allen, the man you were with! Oh! Mr. Allen, you mean? Yes, I believe he is very rich. And no children at all? No, not any. A famous thing for his next heirs. He is your godfather, is not he? My godfather? No. But you are always very much with them? Yes, very much. Ah, that is what I meant. He seems a good kind of old fellow enough, and has lived very well in his time, I daresay. He is not gouty for nothing. Does he drink his bottle a day now? His bottle a day? No. Why should you think of such a thing? He is a very temperate man, and you could not fancy him in liquor last night. Lord help you! You women are always thinking of men's being in liquor. Why, you do not suppose a man is over-set by a bottle? I am sure of this, that if everybody were to drink their bottle a day, there would not be half the disorders in the world there are now. It would be a famous good thing for us all. I cannot believe it. Oh Lord! It would be the saving of thousands! There is not the hundredth part of the wine consumed in this kingdom that there ought to be. Our foggy climate wants help. And yet I have heard that there is a great deal of wine drunk in Oxford. Oxford? There is no drinking at Oxford now, I assure you. Nobody drinks there. You would hardly meet with a man who goes beyond his four pints at the utmost. Now, for instance, it was reckoned a remarkable thing in the last party in my rooms that upon an average we cleared about five pints ahead. It was looked upon as something out of the common way. Mine is famous good stuff to be sure. You would not often meet with anything like it in Oxford, and that may account for it. But this will just give you a notion of the general rate of drinking there. Yes, it does give an ocean," said Catherine warmly, and that is, that you all drink a great deal more wine than I thought you did. However, I am sure James does not drink so much. This declaration brought on a loud and overpowering reply, of which no part was very distinct, except the frequent exclamations amounting almost to odes, which adorned it, and Catherine was left when it ended, with a rather strengthened belief of there being a great deal of wine drunk in Oxford, and the same happy conviction of her brother's comparative sobriety. Thorpe's ideas then all reverted to the merits of his own equippage, and she was called on to admire the spirit and freedom with which his horse moved along, and the ease which his paces, as well as the excellence of the springs, gave the motion of the carriage. She followed him in all his admiration as well as she could. To go before or beyond him was impossible. His knowledge and her ignorance of the subject, his rapidity of expression, and her diffidence of herself put that out of her power. She could strike out nothing new in commendation. But she readily echoed whatever he chose to assert, and it was finally settled between them without any difficulty, that his equippage was altogether the most complete of its kind in England, his carriage the neatest, his horse the best-goer, and himself the best coachman. You do not really think, Mr. Thorpe? said Catherine, venturing after some time to consider the matter as entirely decided, and to offer some little variation on the subject. That James's gig will break down. Break down? Oh, Lord! Did you ever see such a little titty-pee thing in your life? There is not a sound piece of iron about it. The wheels have been fairly worn out these ten years at least, and as for the body, upon my soul you might shake it to pieces yourself with a touch. It is the most devilish little rickety business I ever beheld. Thank God we have got a better. I would not be bound to go two miles in it for fifty thousand pounds. Good heavens! cried Catherine, quite frightened. Then pray, let us turn back. They will most certainly meet with an accident if we go on. Do let us turn back, Mr. Thorpe. Stop and speak to my brother, and tell him how very unsafe it is. Unsafe? Oh, Lord! What is there in that? They will only get a roll if it does break down, and there is plenty of dirt, it will be excellent falling. How cursed! The carriage is safe enough if a man knows how to drive it. A thing of that sort in good hands will last above twenty years after it is fairly worn out. Lord bless you! I would undertake for five pounds to drive it to York and back again without losing a nail. Catherine listened with astonishment. She knew not how to reconcile two such very different accounts of the same thing, for she had not been brought up to understand the propensities of a rattle, nor to know how many idle assertions and impudent falsehoods the excessive vanity will lead. Her own family were plain matter-of-fact people, who seldom aimed at wit of any kind. Her father at the utmost, being contented with the pun, and her mother with a proverb. They were not in the habit, therefore, of telling lies to increase their importance, or of asserting at one moment what they would contradict the next. She reflected on the affair for some time in much perplexity, and was more than once on the point of requesting from Mr. Thorpe a clear insight into his real opinion on the subject. But she checked herself, because it appeared to her that he did not excel in giving those clear insights, in making those things plain which he had before made ambiguous. And joining to this, the consideration that he would not really suffer his sister and his friend to be exposed to danger, from which he might easily preserve them, she concluded at last that he must know the carriage to be, in fact, perfectly safe, and therefore would alarm herself no longer. By him the whole matter seemed entirely forgotten, and all the rest of his conversation, or rather talk, began and ended with himself and his own concerns. He told her of horses which he had bought for a trifle and sold for incredible sums, of racing matches in which his judgment had infallibly foretold the winner, of shooting parties in which he had killed more birds, though without having one good shot, than all his companions together, and described to her some famous day sport with the foxhounds, in which his foresight and skill in directing the dogs had repaired the mistakes of the most experienced huntsmen, and in which the boldness of his riding, though it had never endangered his own life for a moment, had been constantly leading others into difficulties, which he calmly concluded had broken the necks of many. Little as Catherine was in the habit of judging for herself, and unfixed as were her general notions of what men ought to be, she could not entirely repress a doubt, while she bore with the effusions of his endless conceit, of his being altogether completely agreeable. It was a bold surmise, for he was Isabella's brother, and she had been assured by James that his manners would recommend him to all her sex. But in spite of this, the extreme weariness of his company, which crept over her before they had been out an hour, and which continued unceasingly to increase till they stopped in Poulton Street again, induced her, in some small degree, to resist such high authority, and to distrust his powers of giving universal pleasure. When they arrived at Mrs. Allen's door, the astonishment of Isabella was hardly to be expressed, on finding that it was too late in the day for them to attend her friend into the house. Pause three o'clock! It was inconceivable, incredible, impossible, and she would neither believe her own watch nor her brother's nor the servant's, she would believe no assurance of it founded on reason or reality, till Moreland produced his watch and ascertained the fact. To have doubted a moment longer than would have been equally inconceivable, incredible, and impossible, and she could only protest, over and over again, that no two hours and a half had ever gone off so swiftly before, as Catherine was called on to confirm. Catherine could not tell a falsehood even to please Isabella, but the latter was spared the misery of her friend's dissenting voice by not waiting for her answer. Her own feelings entirely engrossed her. Her wretchedness was most acute on finding herself obliged to go directly home. It was ages since she had had a moment's conversation with her dearest Catherine, and though she had such thousands of things to say to her, it appeared as if they were never to be together again. So, with sniffles of most exquisite misery, and the laughing eye of utter despondency, she bade her friend adieu, and went on. Catherine found Mrs. Allen just returned from all the busy idleness of the morning, and was immediately greeted with, Well, my dear, here you are—a truth which she had no greater inclination than power to dispute. And I hope you've had a pleasant airing. Yes, ma'am, I thank you. We could not have had a nicer day. So Mrs. Thorpe said, she was vastly pleased at your all going. You have seen Mrs. Thorpe, then? Yes, I went to the pump-room as soon as you were gone, and there I met her, and we had a great deal of talk together. She says there was hardly any veal to be got at market this morning. It is so uncommonly scarce. Did you see anybody else of our acquaintance? Yes, we agreed to take a turn in the Crescent, and there we met Mrs. Hughes and Mr. and Miss Tilney walking with her. Did you indeed? And did they speak to you? Yes, we walked along the Crescent together for half an hour. They seemed very agreeable people. Miss Tilney was in a very pretty-spotted muslin, and I fancy by what I can learn that she always stresses very handsomely. Mrs. Hughes talked to me a great deal about the family. And what did she tell you of them? Oh, a vast deal indeed! She hardly talked of anything else. Did she tell you what part of Gloucestershire they come from? Yes, she did. But I cannot recollect now. But they are very good kind of people, and very rich. Mrs. Tilney was a mistrummond, and she and Mrs. Hughes were school-fellows, and mistrummond had a very large fortune, and when she married her father gave her twenty thousand pounds and five hundred to buy wedding clothes. Mrs. Hughes saw all the clothes after they came from the warehouse. And I am Mr. and Mrs. Tilney in birth. Yes, I fancy they are, but I am not quite certain. Upon recollection, however, I have a notion they are both dead. At least the mother is. Yes, I am sure Mrs. Tilney is dead, because Mrs. Hughes told me there was a very beautiful set of pearls that Mr. Drummond gave his daughter on her wedding-day, and that Mrs. Tilney has got now, for they were put by for her when her mother died. And is Mr. Tilney, my partner, the only son? I cannot be quite positive about that, my dear. I have some idea he is. But, however, he is a very fine young man, Mrs. Hughes says, and likely to do very well. Catherine inquired no further. She had heard enough to feel that Mrs. Allen had no real intelligence to give, and that she was most particularly unfortunate herself in having missed such a meeting with both brother and sister. Could she have foreseen such a circumstance? Nothing should have persuaded her to go out with the others. And as it was, she could only lament her ill luck, and think over what she had lost, till it was quite clear to her that the drive had by no means been very pleasant, and that John Thorpe himself was quite disagreeable.