Shehopedtobemorefortunatethenextday;andwhenherwishesforfineweatherwereansweredbyseeingabeautifulmorning,shehardlyfeltadoubtofit;forafineSundayinBathemptieseveryhouseofitsinhabitants,andalltheworldappearsonsuchanoccasiontowalkaboutandtelltheiracquaintancewhatacharmingdayitis.
Assoonasdivineservicewasover,theThorpesandAllenseagerlyjoinedeachother;andafterstayinglongenoughinthepump–roomtodiscoverthatthecrowdwasinsupportable,andthattherewasnotagenteelfacetobeseen,whicheverybodydiscoverseverySundaythroughouttheseason,theyhastenedawaytotheCrescent,tobreathethefreshairofbettercompany.
HereCatherineandIsabella,arminarm,againtastedthesweetsoffriendshipinanunreservedconversation;theytalkedmuch,andwithmuchenjoyment;butagainwasCatherinedisappointedinherhopeofreseeingherpartner.
Hewasnowheretobemetwith;everysearchforhimwasequallyunsuccessful,inmorningloungesoreveningassemblies;neitherattheUppernorLowerRooms,atdressedorundressedballs,washeperceivable;noramongthewalkers,thehorsemen,orthecurricle–driversofthemorning.
Thissortofmysteriousness,whichisalwayssobecominginahero,threwafreshgraceinCatherine’simaginationaroundhispersonandmanners,andincreasedheranxietytoknowmoreofhim.
Itwasasubject,however,inwhichsheoftenindulgedwithherfairfriend,fromwhomshereceivedeverypossibleencouragementtocontinuetothinkofhim;andhisimpressiononherfancywasnotsufferedthereforetoweaken.
Isabellawasverysurethathemustbeacharmingyoungman,andwasequallysurethathemusthavebeendelightedwithherdearCatherine,andwouldthereforeshortlyreturn.
Shelikedhimthebetterforbeingaclergyman,“forshemustconfessherselfverypartialtotheprofession”;andsomethinglikeasighescapedherasshesaidit.
PerhapsCatherinewaswronginnotdemandingthecauseofthatgentleemotion—butshewasnotexperiencedenoughinthefinesseoflove,orthedutiesoffriendship,toknowwhendelicateraillerywasproperlycalledfor,orwhenaconfidenceshouldbeforced.
Shehadfoundsomeacquaintance,hadbeensoluckytooastofindinthemthefamilyofamostworthyoldfriend;and,asthecompletionofgoodfortune,hadfoundthesefriendsbynomeanssoexpensivelydressedasherself.
andshewasaseagerinpromotingtheintercourseofthetwofamilies,asheryoungchargeandIsabellathemselvescouldbe;neversatisfiedwiththedayunlessshespentthechiefofitbythesideofMrs.Thorpe,inwhattheycalledconversation,butinwhichtherewasscarcelyeveranyexchangeofopinion,andnotoftenanyresemblanceofsubject,forMrs.Thorpetalkedchieflyofherchildren,andMrs.Allenofhergowns.
TheprogressofthefriendshipbetweenCatherineandIsabellawasquickasitsbeginninghadbeenwarm,andtheypassedsorapidlythrougheverygradationofincreasingtendernessthattherewasshortlynofreshproofofittobegiventotheirfriendsorthemselves.
TheycalledeachotherbytheirChristianname,werealwaysarminarmwhentheywalked,pinnedupeachother’strainforthedance,andwerenottobedividedintheset;andifarainymorningdeprivedthemofotherenjoyments,theywerestillresoluteinmeetingindefianceofwetanddirt,andshutthemselvesup,toreadnovelstogether.
Yes,novels;forIwillnotadoptthatungenerousandimpoliticcustomsocommonwithnovel–writers,ofdegradingbytheircontemptuouscensuretheveryperformances,tothenumberofwhichtheyarethemselvesadding—joiningwiththeirgreatestenemiesinbestowingtheharshestepithetsonsuchworks,andscarcelyeverpermittingthemtobereadbytheirownheroine,who,ifsheaccidentallytakeupanovel,issuretoturnoveritsinsipidpageswithdisgust.
Iftheheroineofonenovelbenotpatronizedbytheheroineofanother,fromwhomcansheexpectprotectionandregard?Icannotapproveofit.
Letusleaveittothereviewerstoabusesucheffusionsoffancyattheirleisure,andovereverynewnoveltotalkinthreadbarestrainsofthetrashwithwhichthepressnowgroans.
Althoughourproductionshaveaffordedmoreextensiveandunaffectedpleasurethanthoseofanyotherliterarycorporationintheworld,nospeciesofcompositionhasbeensomuchdecried.
Andwhiletheabilitiesofthenine–hundredthabridgeroftheHistoryofEngland,orofthemanwhocollectsandpublishesinavolumesomedozenlinesofMilton,Pope,andPrior,withapaperfromtheSpectator,andachapterfromSterne,areeulogizedbyathousandpens—thereseemsalmostageneralwishofdecryingthecapacityandundervaluingthelabourofthenovelist,andofslightingtheperformanceswhichhaveonlygenius,wit,andtastetorecommendthem.
“Iamnonovel–reader—Iseldomlookintonovels—DonotimaginethatIoftenreadnovels—Itisreallyverywellforanovel.”Suchisthecommoncant.“Andwhatareyoureading,Miss—?”“Oh!Itisonlyanovel!”
“ItisonlyCecilia,orCamilla,orBelinda”;or,inshort,onlysomeworkinwhichthegreatestpowersofthemindaredisplayed,inwhichthemostthoroughknowledgeofhumannature,thehappiestdelineationofitsvarieties,theliveliesteffusionsofwitandhumour,areconveyedtotheworldinthebest–chosenlanguage.
Now,hadthesameyoungladybeenengagedwithavolumeoftheSpectator,insteadofsuchawork,howproudlywouldshehaveproducedthebook,andtolditsname;thoughthechancesmustbeagainstherbeingoccupiedbyanypartofthatvoluminouspublication,ofwhicheitherthematterormannerwouldnotdisgustayoungpersonoftaste:thesubstanceofitspaperssooftenconsistinginthestatementofimprobablecircumstances,unnaturalcharacters,andtopicsofconversationwhichnolongerconcernanyoneliving;andtheirlanguage,too,frequentlysocoarseastogivenoveryfavourableideaoftheagethatcouldendureit.
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