Thefollowingconversation,whichtookplacebetweenthetwofriendsinthepump–roomonemorning,afteranacquaintanceofeightorninedays,isgivenasaspecimenoftheirverywarmattachment,andofthedelicacy,discretion,originalityofthought,andliterarytastewhichmarkedthereasonablenessofthatattachment. Theymetbyappointment;andasIsabellahadarrivednearlyfiveminutesbeforeherfriend,herfirstaddressnaturallywas,“Mydearestcreature,whatcanhavemadeyousolate? Ihavebeenwaitingforyouatleastthisage!” “Haveyou,indeed!Iamverysorryforit;butreallyIthoughtIwasinverygoodtime.Itisbutjustone.Ihopeyouhavenotbeenherelong?” IamsureIhavebeenherethishalfhour. Butnow,letusgoandsitdownattheotherendoftheroom,andenjoyourselves.Ihaveanhundredthingstosaytoyou. Inthefirstplace,Iwassoafraiditwouldrainthismorning,justasIwantedtosetoff;itlookedveryshowery,andthatwouldhavethrownmeintoagonies! Doyouknow,Isawtheprettiesthatyoucanimagine,inashopwindowinMilsomStreetjustnow—verylikeyours,onlywithcoquelicotribbonsinsteadofgreen;Iquitelongedforit. But,mydearestCatherine,whathaveyoubeendoingwithyourselfallthismorning?HaveyougoneonwithUdolpho?” “Yes,IhavebeenreadingiteversinceIwoke;andIamgottotheblackveil.” “Areyou,indeed?Howdelightful!Oh!Iwouldnottellyouwhatisbehindtheblackveilfortheworld!Arenotyouwildtoknow?” “Oh!Yes,quite;whatcanitbe? Butdonottellme—Iwouldnotbetolduponanyaccount. Iknowitmustbeaskeleton,IamsureitisLaurentina’sskeleton.Oh!Iamdelightedwiththebook! Ishouldliketospendmywholelifeinreadingit. Iassureyou,ifithadnotbeentomeetyou,Iwouldnothavecomeawayfromitforalltheworld.” “Dearcreature!HowmuchIamobligedtoyou;andwhenyouhavefinishedUdolpho,wewillreadtheItaliantogether;andIhavemadeoutalistoftenortwelvemoreofthesamekindforyou.” “Haveyou,indeed!HowgladIam!Whataretheyall?” “Iwillreadyoutheirnamesdirectly;heretheyare,inmypocketbook. CastleofWolfenbach,Clermont,MysteriousWarnings,NecromanceroftheBlackForest,MidnightBell,OrphanoftheRhine,andHorridMysteries.Thosewilllastussometime.” “Yes,prettywell;butaretheyallhorrid,areyousuretheyareallhorrid?” “Yes,quitesure;foraparticularfriendofmine,aMissAndrews,asweetgirl,oneofthesweetestcreaturesintheworld,hasreadeveryoneofthem. IwishyouknewMissAndrews,youwouldbedelightedwithher. Sheisnettingherselfthesweetestcloakyoucanconceive. Ithinkherasbeautifulasanangel,andIamsovexedwiththemenfornotadmiringher!Iscoldthemallamazinglyaboutit.” “Scoldthem!Doyouscoldthemfornotadmiringher?” “Yes,thatIdo.ThereisnothingIwouldnotdoforthosewhoarereallymyfriends. Ihavenonotionoflovingpeoplebyhalves;itisnotmynature. Myattachmentsarealwaysexcessivelystrong. ItoldCaptainHuntatoneofourassembliesthiswinterthatifhewastoteasemeallnight,Iwouldnotdancewithhim,unlesshewouldallowMissAndrewstobeasbeautifulasanangel. Thementhinkusincapableofrealfriendship,youknow,andIamdeterminedtoshowthemthedifference. Now,ifIweretohearanybodyspeakslightinglyofyou,Ishouldfireupinamoment:butthatisnotatalllikely,foryouarejustthekindofgirltobeagreatfavouritewiththemen.” “Oh,dear!”criedCatherine,colouring.“Howcanyousayso?” “Iknowyouverywell;youhavesomuchanimation,whichisexactlywhatMissAndrewswants,forImustconfessthereissomethingamazinglyinsipidabouther.Oh! Imusttellyou,thatjustafterwepartedyesterday,Isawayoungmanlookingatyousoearnestly—Iamsureheisinlovewithyou.” Catherinecoloured,anddisclaimedagain.Isabellalaughed. “Itisverytrue,uponmyhonour,butIseehowitis;youareindifferenttoeverybody’sadmiration,exceptthatofonegentleman,whoshallbenameless. Nay,Icannotblameyou”—speakingmoreseriously—“yourfeelingsareeasilyunderstood. Wheretheheartisreallyattached,Iknowverywellhowlittleonecanbepleasedwiththeattentionofanybodyelse. Everythingissoinsipid,souninteresting,thatdoesnotrelatetothebelovedobject! Icanperfectlycomprehendyourfeelings.” “ButyoushouldnotpersuademethatIthinksoverymuchaboutMr.Tilney,forperhapsImayneverseehimagain.” “Notseehimagain!Mydearestcreature,donottalkofit.Iamsureyouwouldbemiserableifyouthoughtso!” “No,indeed,Ishouldnot.IdonotpretendtosaythatIwasnotverymuchpleasedwithhim;butwhileIhaveUdolphotoread,Ifeelasifnobodycouldmakememiserable.Oh!Thedreadfulblackveil! MydearIsabella,IamsuretheremustbeLaurentina’sskeletonbehindit.” “Itissooddtome,thatyoushouldneverhavereadUdolphobefore;butIsupposeMrs.Morlandobjectstonovels.” “No,shedoesnot.SheveryoftenreadsSirCharlesGrandisonherself;butnewbooksdonotfallinourway.” “SirCharlesGrandison!Thatisanamazinghorridbook,isitnot?IrememberMissAndrewscouldnotgetthroughthefirstvolume.” “ItisnotlikeUdolphoatall;butyetIthinkitisveryentertaining.” “Doyouindeed!Yousurpriseme;Ithoughtithadnotbeenreadable. But,mydearestCatherine,haveyousettledwhattowearonyourheadtonight? Iamdeterminedatalleventstobedressedexactlylikeyou. Thementakenoticeofthatsometimes,youknow.” “Butitdoesnotsignifyiftheydo,”saidCatherine,veryinnocently. “Signify!Oh,heavens!Imakeitarulenevertomindwhattheysay.Theyareveryoftenamazinglyimpertinentifyoudonottreatthemwithspirit,andmakethemkeeptheirdistance.” “Arethey?Well,Ineverobservedthat.Theyalwaysbehaveverywelltome.” “Oh!Theygivethemselvessuchairs. Theyarethemostconceitedcreaturesintheworld,andthinkthemselvesofsomuchimportance! Bytheby,thoughIhavethoughtofitahundredtimes,Ihavealwaysforgottoaskyouwhatisyourfavouritecomplexioninaman.Doyoulikethembestdarkorfair?” “Ihardlyknow.Inevermuchthoughtaboutit.Somethingbetweenboth,Ithink.Brown—notfair,and—andnotverydark.” “Verywell,Catherine.Thatisexactlyhe. IhavenotforgotyourdescriptionofMr.Tilney—‘abrownskin,withdarkeyes,andratherdarkhair.’Well,mytasteisdifferent. Ipreferlighteyes,andastocomplexion—doyouknow—Ilikeasallowbetterthananyother. Youmustnotbetrayme,ifyoushouldevermeetwithoneofyouracquaintanceansweringthatdescription.” “Betrayyou!Whatdoyoumean?” “Nay,donotdistressme.IbelieveIhavesaidtoomuch.Letusdropthesubject.” Catherine,insomeamazement,complied,andafterremainingafewmomentssilent,wasonthepointofrevertingtowhatinterestedheratthattimerathermorethananythingelseintheworld,Laurentina’sskeleton,whenherfriendpreventedher,bysaying,“Forheaven’ssake! Letusmoveawayfromthisendoftheroom. Doyouknow,therearetwoodiousyoungmenwhohavebeenstaringatmethishalfhour. Theyreallyputmequiteoutofcountenance.Letusgoandlookatthearrivals.Theywillhardlyfollowusthere.” Awaytheywalkedtothebook;andwhileIsabellaexaminedthenames,itwasCatherine’semploymenttowatchtheproceedingsofthesealarmingyoungmen. “Theyarenotcomingthisway,arethey?Ihopetheyarenotsoimpertinentastofollowus.Prayletmeknowiftheyarecoming.IamdeterminedIwillnotlookup.” InafewmomentsCatherine,withunaffectedpleasure,assuredherthatsheneednotbelongeruneasy,asthegentlemenhadjustleftthepump–room. “Andwhichwayaretheygone?”saidIsabella,turninghastilyround.“Onewasaverygood–lookingyoungman.” “Theywenttowardsthechurch–yard.” “Well,IamamazinglygladIhavegotridofthem!Andnow,whatsayyoutogoingtoEdgar’sBuildingswithme,andlookingatmynewhat?Yousaidyoushouldliketoseeit.” Catherinereadilyagreed.“Only,”sheadded,“perhapswemayovertakethetwoyoungmen.” “Oh!Nevermindthat.Ifwemakehaste,weshallpassbythempresently,andIamdyingtoshowyoumyhat.” “Butifweonlywaitafewminutes,therewillbenodangerofourseeingthematall.” “Ishallnotpaythemanysuchcompliment,Iassureyou.Ihavenonotionoftreatingmenwithsuchrespect.Thatisthewaytospoilthem.” Catherinehadnothingtoopposeagainstsuchreasoning;andtherefore,toshowtheindependenceofMissThorpe,andherresolutionofhumblingthesex,theysetoffimmediatelyasfastastheycouldwalk,inpursuitofthetwoyoungmen. 
