English
Everymorningnowbroughtitsregularduties—shopsweretobevisited;somenewpartofthetowntobelookedat;andthepump–roomtobeattended,wheretheyparadedupanddownforanhour,lookingateverybodyandspeakingtonoone.
ThewishofanumerousacquaintanceinBathwasstilluppermostwithMrs.Allen,andsherepeateditaftereveryfreshproof,whicheverymorningbrought,ofherknowingnobodyatall.
TheymadetheirappearanceintheLowerRooms;andherefortunewasmorefavourabletoourheroine.
Themasteroftheceremoniesintroducedtoheraverygentlemanlikeyoungmanasapartner;hisnamewasTilney.
Heseemedtobeaboutfourorfiveandtwenty,wasrathertall,hadapleasingcountenance,averyintelligentandlivelyeye,and,ifnotquitehandsome,wasverynearit.
Hisaddresswasgood,andCatherinefeltherselfinhighluck.
Therewaslittleleisureforspeakingwhiletheydanced;butwhentheywereseatedattea,shefoundhimasagreeableasshehadalreadygivenhimcreditforbeing.
Hetalkedwithfluencyandspirit—andtherewasanarchnessandpleasantryinhismannerwhichinterested,thoughitwashardlyunderstoodbyher.
Afterchattingsometimeonsuchmattersasnaturallyarosefromtheobjectsaroundthem,hesuddenlyaddressedherwith—“Ihavehithertobeenveryremiss,madam,intheproperattentionsofapartnerhere;IhavenotyetaskedyouhowlongyouhavebeeninBath;whetheryouwereeverherebefore;whetheryouhavebeenattheUpperRooms,thetheatre,andtheconcert;andhowyouliketheplacealtogether.
Ihavebeenverynegligent—butareyounowatleisuretosatisfymeintheseparticulars?IfyouareIwillbegindirectly.”
“Youneednotgiveyourselfthattrouble,sir.”
“Notrouble,Iassureyou,madam.”Thenforminghisfeaturesintoasetsmile,andaffectedlysofteninghisvoice,headded,withasimperingair,“HaveyoubeenlonginBath,madam?”
“Aboutaweek,sir,”repliedCatherine,tryingnottolaugh.
“Really!”withaffectedastonishment.
“Whyshouldyoubesurprised,sir?”
“Why,indeed!”saidhe,inhisnaturaltone.
“Butsomeemotionmustappeartoberaisedbyyourreply,andsurpriseismoreeasilyassumed,andnotlessreasonablethananyother.Nowletusgoon.Wereyouneverherebefore,madam?”
“Never,sir.”
“Indeed!HaveyouyethonouredtheUpperRooms?”
“Yes,sir,IwastherelastMonday.”
“Haveyoubeentothetheatre?”
“Yes,sir,IwasattheplayonTuesday.”
“Totheconcert?”
“Yes,sir,onWednesday.”
“AndareyoualtogetherpleasedwithBath?”
“Yes—Ilikeitverywell.”
“NowImustgiveonesmirk,andthenwemayberationalagain.”
Catherineturnedawayherhead,notknowingwhethershemightventuretolaugh.
“Iseewhatyouthinkofme,”saidhegravely—“Ishallmakebutapoorfigureinyourjournaltomorrow.”
“Myjournal!”
“Yes,Iknowexactlywhatyouwillsay:Friday,wenttotheLowerRooms;woremyspriggedmuslinrobewithbluetrimmings—plainblackshoes—appearedtomuchadvantage;butwasstrangelyharassedbyaqueer,half–wittedman,whowouldmakemedancewithhim,anddistressedmebyhisnonsense.”
“IndeedIshallsaynosuchthing.”
“ShallItellyouwhatyououghttosay?”
“Ifyouplease.”
“Idancedwithaveryagreeableyoungman,introducedbyMr.King;hadagreatdealofconversationwithhim—seemsamostextraordinarygenius—hopeImayknowmoreofhim.
That,madam,iswhatIwishyoutosay.”
“But,perhaps,Ikeepnojournal.”
“Perhapsyouarenotsittinginthisroom,andIamnotsittingbyyou.
Thesearepointsinwhichadoubtisequallypossible.Notkeepajournal!
HowareyourabsentcousinstounderstandthetenourofyourlifeinBathwithoutone?
Howarethecivilitiesandcomplimentsofeverydaytoberelatedastheyoughttobe,unlessnoteddowneveryeveninginajournal?
Howareyourvariousdressestoberemembered,andtheparticularstateofyourcomplexion,andcurlofyourhairtobedescribedinalltheirdiversities,withouthavingconstantrecoursetoajournal?
Mydearmadam,Iamnotsoignorantofyoungladies’waysasyouwishtobelieveme;itisthisdelightfulhabitofjournalingwhichlargelycontributestoformtheeasystyleofwritingforwhichladiesaresogenerallycelebrated.
Everybodyallowsthatthetalentofwritingagreeablelettersispeculiarlyfemale.
Naturemayhavedonesomething,butIamsureitmustbeessentiallyassistedbythepracticeofkeepingajournal.”
“Ihavesometimesthought,”saidCatherine,doubtingly,“whetherladiesdowritesomuchbetterlettersthangentlemen!Thatis—Ishouldnotthinkthesuperioritywasalwaysonourside.”
“AsfarasIhavehadopportunityofjudging,itappearstomethattheusualstyleofletter–writingamongwomenisfaultless,exceptinthreeparticulars.”
“Andwhatarethey?”
“Ageneraldeficiencyofsubject,atotalinattentiontostops,andaveryfrequentignoranceofgrammar.”
“Uponmyword!Ineednothavebeenafraidofdisclaimingthecompliment.Youdonotthinktoohighlyofusinthatway.”
“Ishouldnomorelayitdownasageneralrulethatwomenwritebetterlettersthanmen,thanthattheysingbetterduets,ordrawbetterlandscapes.
Ineverypower,ofwhichtasteisthefoundation,excellenceisprettyfairlydividedbetweenthesexes.”
TheywereinterruptedbyMrs.Allen:“MydearCatherine,”saidshe,“dotakethispinoutofmysleeve;Iamafraidithastornaholealready;Ishallbequitesorryifithas,forthisisafavouritegown,thoughitcostbutnineshillingsayard.”
“ThatisexactlywhatIshouldhaveguessedit,madam,”saidMr.Tilney,lookingatthemuslin.
“Doyouunderstandmuslins,sir?”
“Particularlywell;Ialwaysbuymyowncravats,andamallowedtobeanexcellentjudge;andmysisterhasoftentrustedmeinthechoiceofagown.
Iboughtoneforhertheotherday,anditwaspronouncedtobeaprodigiousbargainbyeveryladywhosawit.
Igavebutfiveshillingsayardforit,andatrueIndianmuslin.”
Mrs.Allenwasquitestruckbyhisgenius.
“Mencommonlytakesolittlenoticeofthosethings,”saidshe;“IcannevergetMr.Allentoknowoneofmygownsfromanother.
Youmustbeagreatcomforttoyoursister,sir.”
“IhopeIam,madam.”
“Andpray,sir,whatdoyouthinkofMissMorland’sgown?”
“Itisverypretty,madam,”saidhe,gravelyexaminingit;“butIdonotthinkitwillwashwell;Iamafraiditwillfray.”
“Howcanyou,”saidCatherine,laughing,“beso—“Shehadalmostsaid“strange.”
“Iamquiteofyouropinion,sir,”repliedMrs.Allen;“andsoItoldMissMorlandwhensheboughtit.”
“Butthenyouknow,madam,muslinalwaysturnstosomeaccountorother;MissMorlandwillgetenoughoutofitforahandkerchief,oracap,oracloak.Muslincanneverbesaidtobewasted.
Ihaveheardmysistersaysofortytimes,whenshehasbeenextravagantinbuyingmorethanshewanted,orcarelessincuttingittopieces.”
“Bathisacharmingplace,sir;therearesomanygoodshopshere.
Wearesadlyoffinthecountry;notbutwhatwehaveverygoodshopsinSalisbury,butitissofartogo—eightmilesisalongway;Mr.Allensaysitisnine,measurednine;butIamsureitcannotbemorethaneight;anditissuchafag—Icomebacktiredtodeath.
Now,hereonecanstepoutofdoorsandgetathinginfiveminutes.”
Mr.Tilneywaspoliteenoughtoseeminterestedinwhatshesaid;andshekepthimonthesubjectofmuslinstillthedancingrecommenced.
Catherinefeared,asshelistenedtotheirdiscourse,thatheindulgedhimselfalittletoomuchwiththefoiblesofothers.
“Whatareyouthinkingofsoearnestly?”
saidhe,astheywalkedbacktotheballroom;“notofyourpartner,Ihope,for,bythatshakeofthehead,yourmeditationsarenotsatisfactory.”
Catherinecoloured,andsaid,“Iwasnotthinkingofanything.”
“Thatisartfulanddeep,tobesure;butIhadratherbetoldatoncethatyouwillnottellme.”
“Wellthen,Iwillnot.”
“Thankyou;fornowweshallsoonbeacquainted,asIamauthorizedtoteaseyouonthissubjectwheneverwemeet,andnothingintheworldadvancesintimacysomuch.”
Theydancedagain;and,whentheassemblyclosed,parted,onthelady’ssideatleast,withastronginclinationforcontinuingtheacquaintance.
Whethershethoughtofhimsomuch,whileshedrankherwarmwineandwater,andpreparedherselfforbed,astodreamofhimwhenthere,cannotbeascertained;butIhopeitwasnomorethaninaslightslumber,oramorningdozeatmost;forifitbetrue,asacelebratedwriterhasmaintained,thatnoyoungladycanbejustifiedinfallinginlovebeforethegentleman’sloveisdeclared,itmustbeveryimproperthatayoungladyshoulddreamofagentlemanbeforethegentlemanisfirstknowntohavedreamtofher.
HowproperMr.TilneymightbeasadreameroraloverhadnotyetperhapsenteredMr.Allen’shead,butthathewasnotobjectionableasacommonacquaintanceforhisyoungchargehewasoninquirysatisfied;forhehadearlyintheeveningtakenpainstoknowwhoherpartnerwas,andhadbeenassuredofMr.Tilney’sbeingaclergyman,andofaveryrespectablefamilyinGloucestershire.
Share this article to
FINISH