〃Perhaps　it　may；　but　then；　my　dear；　it　will　be　so　dirty。〃
  〃Oh！　That　will　not　signify；　I　never　mind　dirt。〃
  〃No；〃　replied　her　friend　very　placidly；　〃I　know　you
  never　mind　dirt。〃
  After　a　short　pause；　〃It　comes　on　faster　and　faster！〃
  said　Catherine；　as　she　stood　watching　at　a　window。
  〃So　it　does　indeed。　　If　it　keeps　raining；　the　streets
  will　be　very　wet。〃
  〃There　are　four　umbrellas　up　already。　　How　I　hate
  the　sight　of　an　umbrella！〃
  〃They　are　disagreeable　things　to　carry。　　I　would
  much　rather　take　a　chair　at　any　time。〃
  〃It　was　such　a　nice…looking　morning！　I　felt
  so　convinced　it　would　be　dry！〃
  〃Anybody　would　have　thought　so　indeed。　　There　will
  be　very　few　people　in　the　pump…room；　if　it　rains　all
  the　morning。　　I　hope　Mr。　Allen　will　put　on　his　greatcoat
  when　he　goes；　but　I　dare　say　he　will　not；　for　he　had　rather
  do　anything　in　the　world　than　walk　out　in　a　greatcoat；
  I　wonder　he　should　dislike　it；　it　must　be　so　comfortable。〃
  The　rain　continuedfast；　though　not　heavy。
  Catherine　went　every　five　minutes　to　the　clock；
  threatening　on　each　return　that；　if　it　still　kept　on
  raining　another　five　minutes；　she　would　give　up　the　matter
  as　hopeless。　　The　clock　struck　twelve；　and　it　still　rained。
  〃You　will　not　be　able　to　go；　my　dear。〃
  〃I　do　not　quite　despair　yet。　　I　shall　not　give
  it　up　till　a　quarter　after　twelve。　　This　is　just
  the　time　of　day　for　it　to　clear　up；　and　I　do　think　it
  looks　a　little　lighter。　　There；　it　is　twenty　minutes
  after　twelve；　and　now　I　shall　give　it　up　entirely。
  Oh！　That　we　had　such　weather　here　as　they　had　at　Udolpho；
  or　at　least　in　Tuscany　and　the　south　of　France！the
  night　that　poor　St。　Aubin　died！such　beautiful　weather！〃
  At　half　past　twelve；　when　Catherine's　anxious　attention
  to　the　weather　was　over　and　she　could　no　longer　claim
  any　merit　from　its　amendment；　the　sky　began　voluntarily
  to　clear。　　A　gleam　of　sunshine　took　her　quite　by　surprise；
  she　looked　round；　the　clouds　were　parting；　and　she　instantly
  returned　to　the　window　to　watch　over　and　encourage　the
  happy　appearance。　　Ten　minutes　more　made　it　certain　that　a
  bright　afternoon　would　succeed；　and　justified　the　opinion
  of　Mrs。　Allen；　who　had　〃always　thought　it　would　clear　up。〃
  But　whether　Catherine　might　still　expect　her　friends；
  whether　there　had　not　been　too　much　rain　for　Miss　Tilney
  to　venture；　must　yet　be　a　question。
  It　was　too　dirty　for　Mrs。　Allen　to　accompany　her
  husband　to　the　pump…room；　he　accordingly　set　off　by　himself；
  and　Catherine　had　barely　watched　him　down　the　street
  when　her　notice　was　claimed　by　the　approach　of　the　same
  two　open　carriages；　containing　the　same　three　people
  that　had　surprised　her　so　much　a　few　mornings　back。
  〃Isabella；　my　brother；　and　Mr。　Thorpe；　I　declare！
  They　are　coming　for　me　perhapsbut　I　shall　not　goI
  cannot　go　indeed；　for　you　know　Miss　Tilney　may　still　call。〃
  Mrs。　Allen　agreed　to　it。　　John　Thorpe　was　soon　with　them；
  and　his　voice　was　with　them　yet　sooner；　for　on　the
  stairs　he　was　calling　out　to　Miss　Morland　to　be　quick。
  〃Make　haste！　Make　haste！〃　as　he　threw　open　the　door。
  〃Put　on　your　hat　this　momentthere　is　no　time　to　be　lostwe
  are　going　to　Bristol。　　How　d'ye　do；　Mrs。　Allen？〃
  〃To　Bristol！　Is　not　that　a　great　way　off？　But；
  however；　I　cannot　go　with　you　today；　because　I　am　engaged；
  I　expect　some　friends　every　moment。〃　This　was　of　course
  vehemently　talked　down　as　no　reason　at　all；　Mrs。　Allen
  was　called　on　to　second　him；　and　the　two　others　walked　in；
  to　give　their　assistance。　　〃My　sweetest　Catherine；　is　not
  this　delightful？　We　shall　have　a　most　heavenly　drive。
  You　are　to　thank　your　brother　and　me　for　the　scheme；
  it　darted　into　our　heads　at　breakfast…time；　I　verily
  believe　at　the　same　instant；　and　we　should　have　been　off
  two　hours　ago　if　it　had　not　been　for　this　detestable　rain。
  But　it　does　not　signify；　the　nights　are　moonlight；　and　we
  shall　do　delightfully。　　Oh！　I　am　in　such　ecstasies　at　the
  thoughts　of　a　little　country　air　and　quiet！　So　much　better
  than　going　to　the　Lower　Rooms。　　We　shall　drive　directly
  to　Clifton　and　dine　there；　and；　as　soon　as　dinner　is　over；
  if　there　is　time　for　it；　go　on　to　Kingsweston。〃
  〃I　doubt　our　being　able　to　do　so　much；〃　said　Morland。
  〃You　croaking　fellow！〃　cried　Thorpe。　　〃We　shall
  be　able　to　do　ten　times　more。　　Kingsweston！　Aye；
  and　Blaize　Castle　too；　and　anything　else　we　can　hear　of；
  but　here　is　your　sister　says　she　will　not　go。〃
  〃Blaize　Castle！〃　cried　Catherine。　　〃What　is　that'？〃
  〃The　finest　place　in　Englandworth　going　fifty
  miles　at　any　time　to　see。〃
  〃What；　is　it　really　a　castle；　an　old　castle？〃
  〃The　oldest　in　the　kingdom。〃
  〃But　is　it　like　what　one　reads　of？〃
  〃Exactlythe　very　same。〃
  〃But　now　reallyare　there　towers　and　long　galleries？〃
  〃By　dozens。〃
  〃Then　I　should　like　to　see　it；　but　I　cannotI
  cannot　go。
  〃Not　go！　My　beloved　creature；　what　do　you　mean'？〃
  〃I　cannot　go；　because〃looking　down　as　she　spoke；
  fearful　of　Isabella's　smile〃I　expect　Miss　Tilney
  and　her　brother　to　call　on　me　to　take　a　country　walk。
  They　promised　to　come　at　twelve；　only　it　rained；　but　now；
  as　it　is　so　fine；　I　dare　say　they　will　be　here　soon。〃
  〃Not　they　indeed；〃　cried　Thorpe；　〃for；　as　we　turned
  into　Broad　Street；　I　saw　themdoes　he　not　drive　a　phaeton
  with　bright　chestnuts？〃
  〃I　do　not　know　indeed。〃
  〃Yes；　I　know　he　does；　I　saw　him。　　You　are　talking
  of　the　man　you　danced　with　last　night；　are　not　you？〃
  〃Yes。
  〃Well；　I　saw　him　at　that　moment
  turn　up　the　Lansdown　Road；　driving　a　smart…looking　girl。〃
  〃Did　you　indeed？〃
  〃Did　upon　my　soul；　knew　him　again　directly；　and　he
  seemed　to　have　got　some　very　pretty　cattle　too。〃
  〃It　is　very　odd！　But　I　suppose　they　thought　it　would
  be　too　dirty　for　a　walk。〃
  〃And　well　they　might；　for　I　never　saw　so　much　dirt
  in　my　life。　　Walk！　You　could　no　more　walk　than　you
  could　fly！　It　has　not　been　so　dirty　the　whole　winter；
  it　is　ankle…deep　everywhere。〃
  Isabella　corroborated　it：　〃My　dearest　Catherine；
  you　cannot　form　an　idea　of　the　dirt；　come；　you　must　go；
  you　cannot　refuse　going　now。〃
  〃I　should　like　to　see　the　castle；　but　may　we　go
  all　over　it？　May　we　go　up　every　staircase；　and　into　every
  suite　of　rooms？〃
  〃Yes；　yes；　every　hole　and　corner。〃
  〃But　then；　if　they　should　only　be　gone　out　for
  an　hour　till　it　is　dryer；　and　call　by　and　by？〃
  〃Make　yourself　easy；　there　is　no　danger　of　that；
  for　I　heard　Tilney　hallooing　to　a　man　who　was　just　passing
  by　on　horseback；　that　they　were　going　as　far　as　Wick　Rocks。〃
  〃Then　I　will。　　Shall　I　go；　Mrs。　Allen？〃
  〃Just　as　you　please；　my　dear。〃
  〃Mrs。　Allen；　you　must　persuade　her　to　go；〃
  was　the　general　cry。　　Mrs。　Allen　was　not　inattentive
  to　it：　〃Well；　my　dear；〃　said　she；　〃suppose　you　go。〃
  And　in　two　minutes　they　were　off。
  Catherine's　feelings；　as　she　got　into　the　carriage；
  were　in　a　very　unsettled　state；　divided　between　regret
  for　the　loss　of　one　great　pleasure；　and　the　hope　of　soon
  enjoying　another；　almost　its　equal　in　degree；　however　unlike
  in　kind。　　She　could　not　think　the　Tilneys　had　acted　quite
  well　by　her；　in　so　readily　giving　up　their　engagement；
  without　sending　her　any　message　of　excuse。　　It　was　now
  but　an　hour　later　than　the　time　fixed　on　for　the　beginning
  of　their　walk；　and；　in　spite　of　what　she　had　heard　of　the
  prodigious　accumulation　of　dirt　in　the　course　of　that　hour；
  she　could　not　from　her　own　observation　help　thinking
  that　they　might　have　gone　with　very　little　inconvenience。
  To　feel　herself　slighted　by　them　was　very　painful。
  On　the　other　hand；　the　delight　of　exploring　an　edifice
  like　Udolpho；　as　her　fancy　represented　Blaize　Castle　to　be；
  was　such　a　counterpoise　of　good　as　might　console　her　for
  almost　anything。
  They　passed　briskly　down　Pulteney　Street；　and　through
  Laura　Place；　without　the　exchange　of　many　words。
  Thor