第 7 节
作者:打倒一切      更新:2024-04-07 21:07      字数:9322
  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 Udolpho; 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 pocketbook。  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 girl; 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 slightingly 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 earnestlyI 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 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 Udolpho to read; I feel as if nobody could 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 Udolpho before; but I suppose Mrs。 Morland objects
  to novels。〃
  〃No; she does not。  She very often reads Sir Charles
  Grandison herself; but new books do not fall in our way。〃
  〃Sir Charles Grandison! That is an amazing horrid book;
  is it not? I remember Miss Andrews could not get through
  the first volume。〃
  〃It is not like Udolpho at all; but yet I think it
  is very entertaining。〃
  〃Do you indeed! You surprise 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 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。  Brownnot fair;
  andand 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 complexiondo
  you knowI like a sallow 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
  gentlemen had just left the pump…room。
  〃And which way are they gone?〃 said Isabella;
  turning hastily round。  〃One was a very good…looking
  young man。〃
  〃They went towards the church…yard。〃
  〃Well; I am amazingly glad I have got rid of them!
  And now; what say you to going to Edgar's Buildings
  with me; and looking at my new hat? You said you should
  like to see it。〃
  Catherine readily agreed。  〃Only;〃 she added;
  〃perhaps we may overtake the two young men。〃
  〃Oh! Never mind that。  If we make haste; we shall
  pass by them presently; and I am dying to show you my hat。〃
  〃But if we only wait a few minutes; there will be
  no danger of our seeing them at all。〃
  〃I shall not pay them any such compliment; I assure you。
  I have no notion of treating men with such respect。
  That is the way to spoil them。〃
  Catherine had nothing to oppose against such reasoning;
  and therefore; to show the independence of Miss Thorpe;
  and her resolution of humbling the sex; they set off
  immediately as fast as they could walk; in pursuit of the
  two young men。
  CHAPTER 7
  Half a minute conducted them through the pump…yard
  to the archway; opposite Union Passage; but here they
  were stopped。  Everybody acquainted with Bath may remember
  the difficulties of crossing Cheap Street at this point;
  it is indeed a street of so impertinent a nature;
  so unfortunately connected with the great London
  and Oxford roads; and the principal inn of the city;
  that a day never passes in which parties of ladies;
  however important their business; whether in quest
  of pastry; millinery; or eve