MissTilney,understandinginpartherfriend’scuriositytoseethehouse,soonrevivedthesubject;andherfatherbeing,contrarytoCatherine’sexpectations,unprovidedwithanypretenceforfurtherdelay,beyondthatofstoppingfiveminutestoorderrefreshmentstobeintheroombytheirreturn,wasatlastreadytoescortthem.
Theysetforward;and,withagrandeurofair,adignifiedstep,whichcaughttheeye,butcouldnotshakethedoubtsofthewell–readCatherine,heledthewayacrossthehall,throughthecommondrawing–roomandoneuselessantechamber,intoaroommagnificentbothinsizeandfurniture—therealdrawing–room,usedonlywithcompanyofconsequence.
—wasallthatCatherinehadtosay,forherindiscriminatingeyescarcelydiscernedthecolourofthesatin;andallminutenessofpraise,allpraisethathadmuchmeaning,wassuppliedbythegeneral:thecostlinessoreleganceofanyroom’sfitting–upcouldbenothingtoher;shecaredfornofurnitureofamoremoderndatethanthefifteenthcentury.
Whenthegeneralhadsatisfiedhisowncuriosity,inacloseexaminationofeverywell–knownornament,theyproceededintothelibrary,anapartment,initsway,ofequalmagnificence,exhibitingacollectionofbooks,onwhichanhumblemanmighthavelookedwithpride.
Catherineheard,admired,andwonderedwithmoregenuinefeelingthanbefore—gatheredallthatshecouldfromthisstorehouseofknowledge,byrunningoverthetitlesofhalfashelf,andwasreadytoproceed.
Largeaswasthebuilding,shehadalreadyvisitedthegreatestpart;though,onbeingtoldthat,withtheadditionofthekitchen,thesixorsevenroomsshehadnowseensurroundedthreesidesofthecourt,shecouldscarcelybelieveit,orovercomethesuspicionoftherebeingmanychamberssecreted.
Itwassomerelief,however,thattheyweretoreturntotheroomsincommonuse,bypassingthroughafewoflessimportance,lookingintothecourt,which,withoccasionalpassages,notwhollyunintricate,connectedthedifferentsides;andshewasfurthersoothedinherprogressbybeingtoldthatshewastreadingwhathadoncebeenacloister,havingtracesofcellspointedout,andobservingseveraldoorsthatwereneitheropenednorexplainedtoher—byfindingherselfsuccessivelyinabilliard–room,andinthegeneral’sprivateapartment,withoutcomprehendingtheirconnection,orbeingabletoturnarightwhensheleftthem;andlastly,bypassingthroughadarklittleroom,owningHenry’sauthority,andstrewedwithhislitterofbooks,guns,andgreatcoats.
Fromthedining–room,ofwhich,thoughalreadyseen,andalwaystobeseenatfiveo’clock,thegeneralcouldnotforgothepleasureofpacingoutthelength,forthemorecertaininformationofMissMorland,astowhatsheneitherdoubtednorcaredfor,theyproceededbyquickcommunicationtothekitchen—theancientkitchenoftheconvent,richinthemassywallsandsmokeofformerdays,andinthestovesandhotclosetsofthepresent.
Thegeneral’simprovinghandhadnotloiteredhere:everymoderninventiontofacilitatethelabourofthecookshadbeenadoptedwithinthis,theirspacioustheatre;and,whenthegeniusofothershadfailed,hisownhadoftenproducedtheperfectionwanted.
Withthewallsofthekitchenendedalltheantiquityoftheabbey;thefourthsideofthequadranglehaving,onaccountofitsdecayingstate,beenremovedbythegeneral’sfather,andthepresenterectedinitsplace.Allthatwasvenerableceasedhere.
Thenewbuildingwasnotonlynew,butdeclareditselftobeso;intendedonlyforoffices,andenclosedbehindbystable–yards,nouniformityofarchitecturehadbeenthoughtnecessary.
Catherinecouldhaveravedatthehandwhichhadsweptawaywhatmusthavebeenbeyondthevalueofalltherest,forthepurposesofmeredomesticeconomy;andwouldwillinglyhavebeensparedthemortificationofawalkthroughscenessofallen,hadthegeneralallowedit;butifhehadavanity,itwasinthearrangementofhisoffices;andashewasconvincedthat,toamindlikeMissMorland’s,aviewoftheaccommodationsandcomforts,bywhichthelaboursofherinferiorsweresoftened,mustalwaysbegratifying,heshouldmakenoapologyforleadingheron.
Theytookaslightsurveyofall;andCatherinewasimpressed,beyondherexpectation,bytheirmultiplicityandtheirconvenience.
ThepurposesforwhichafewshapelesspantriesandacomfortlesssculleryweredeemedsufficientatFullerton,wereherecarriedoninappropriatedivisions,commodiousandroomy.
Wherevertheywent,somepattenedgirlstoppedtocurtsy,orsomefootmanindishabillesneakedoff.Yetthiswasanabbey!
Howinexpressiblydifferentinthesedomesticarrangementsfromsuchasshehadreadabout—fromabbeysandcastles,inwhich,thoughcertainlylargerthanNorthanger,allthedirtyworkofthehousewastobedonebytwopairoffemalehandsattheutmost.
HowtheycouldgetthroughitallhadoftenamazedMrs.Allen;and,whenCatherinesawwhatwasnecessaryhere,shebegantobeamazedherself.
Theyreturnedtothehall,thatthechiefstaircasemightbeascended,andthebeautyofitswood,andornamentsofrichcarvingmightbepointedout:havinggainedthetop,theyturnedinanoppositedirectionfromthegalleryinwhichherroomlay,andshortlyenteredoneonthesameplan,butsuperiorinlengthandbreadth.
Shewashereshownsuccessivelyintothreelargebed–chambers,withtheirdressing–rooms,mostcompletelyandhandsomelyfittedup;everythingthatmoneyandtastecoulddo,togivecomfortandelegancetoapartments,hadbeenbestowedonthese;and,beingfurnishedwithinthelastfiveyears,theywereperfectinallthatwouldbegenerallypleasing,andwantinginallthatcouldgivepleasuretoCatherine.
Astheyweresurveyingthelast,thegeneral,afterslightlynamingafewofthedistinguishedcharactersbywhomtheyhadattimesbeenhonoured,turnedwithasmilingcountenancetoCatherine,andventuredtohopethathenceforwardsomeoftheirearliesttenantsmightbe“ourfriendsfromFullerton.”
Shefelttheunexpectedcompliment,anddeeplyregrettedtheimpossibilityofthinkingwellofamansokindlydisposedtowardsherself,andsofullofcivilitytoallherfamily.
Thegallerywasterminatedbyfoldingdoors,whichMissTilney,advancing,hadthrownopen,andpassedthrough,andseemedonthepointofdoingthesamebythefirstdoortotheleft,inanotherlongreachofgallery,whenthegeneral,comingforwards,calledherhastily,and,asCatherinethought,ratherangrilyback,demandingwhethersheweregoing?—Andwhatwastheremoretobeseen?
MissTilneydrewbackdirectly,andtheheavydoorswerecloseduponthemortifiedCatherine,who,havingseen,inamomentaryglancebeyondthem,anarrowerpassage,morenumerousopenings,andsymptomsofawindingstaircase,believedherselfatlastwithinthereachofsomethingworthhernotice;andfelt,assheunwillinglypacedbackthegallery,thatshewouldratherbeallowedtoexaminethatendofthehousethanseeallthefineryofalltherest.
Somethingwascertainlytobeconcealed;herfancy,thoughithadtrespassedlatelyonceortwice,couldnotmisleadherhere;andwhatthatsomethingwas,ashortsentenceofMissTilney’s,astheyfollowedthegeneralatsomedistancedownstairs,seemedtopointout:“Iwasgoingtotakeyouintowhatwasmymother’sroom—theroominwhichshedied—“wereallherwords;butfewastheywere,theyconveyedpagesofintelligencetoCatherine.
Itwasnowonderthatthegeneralshouldshrinkfromthesightofsuchobjectsasthatroommustcontain;aroominallprobabilityneverenteredbyhimsincethedreadfulscenehadpassed,whichreleasedhissufferingwife,andlefthimtothestingsofconscience.
Sheventured,whennextalonewithEleanor,toexpressherwishofbeingpermittedtoseeit,aswellasalltherestofthatsideofthehouse;andEleanorpromisedtoattendherthere,whenevertheyshouldhaveaconvenienthour.
Catherineunderstoodher:thegeneralmustbewatchedfromhome,beforethatroomcouldbeentered.“Itremainsasitwas,Isuppose?”saidshe,inatoneoffeeling.
“Shehasbeendeadthesenineyears.”Andnineyears,Catherineknew,wasatrifleoftime,comparedwithwhatgenerallyelapsedafterthedeathofaninjuredwife,beforeherroomwasputtorights.
“No,”saidMissTilney,sighing;“Iwasunfortunatelyfromhome.Herillnesswassuddenandshort;and,beforeIarriveditwasallover.”
Catherine’sbloodrancoldwiththehorridsuggestionswhichnaturallysprangfromthesewords.Coulditbepossible?CouldHenry’sfather—?
And,whenshesawhimintheevening,whilesheworkedwithherfriend,slowlypacingthedrawing–roomforanhourtogetherinsilentthoughtfulness,withdowncasteyesandcontractedbrow,shefeltsecurefromallpossibilityofwronginghim.
Whatcouldmoreplainlyspeakthegloomyworkingsofamindnotwhollydeadtoeverysenseofhumanity,initsfearfulreviewofpastscenesofguilt?Unhappyman!
Andtheanxiousnessofherspiritsdirectedhereyestowardshisfiguresorepeatedly,astocatchMissTilney’snotice.
“Somuchtheworse!”thoughtCatherine;suchill–timedexercisewasofapiecewiththestrangeunseasonablenessofhismorningwalks,andbodednothinggood.
Afteranevening,thelittlevarietyandseeminglengthofwhichmadeherpeculiarlysensibleofHenry’simportanceamongthem,shewasheartilygladtobedismissed;thoughitwasalookfromthegeneralnotdesignedforherobservationwhichsenthisdaughtertothebell.
“Ihavemanypamphletstofinish,”saidhetoCatherine,“beforeIcanclosemyeyes,andperhapsmaybeporingovertheaffairsofthenationforhoursafteryouareasleep.
Butneitherthebusinessalleged,northemagnificentcompliment,couldwinCatherinefromthinkingthatsomeverydifferentobjectmustoccasionsoseriousadelayofproperrepose.
Theremustbesomedeepercause:somethingwastobedonewhichcouldbedoneonlywhilethehouseholdslept;andtheprobabilitythatMrs.Tilneyyetlived,shutupforcausesunknown,andreceivingfromthepitilesshandsofherhusbandanightlysupplyofcoarsefood,wastheconclusionwhichnecessarilyfollowed.
Shockingaswastheidea,itwasatleastbetterthanadeathunfairlyhastened,as,inthenaturalcourseofthings,shemusterelongbereleased.
Thesuddennessofherreputedillness,theabsenceofherdaughter,andprobablyofherotherchildren,atthetime—allfavouredthesuppositionofherimprisonment.
Inrevolvingthesematters,whilesheundressed,itsuddenlystruckherasnotunlikelythatshemightthatmorninghavepassedneartheveryspotofthisunfortunatewoman’sconfinement—mighthavebeenwithinafewpacesofthecellinwhichshelanguishedoutherdays;forwhatpartoftheabbeycouldbemorefittedforthepurposethanthatwhichyetborethetracesofmonasticdivision?
Inthehigh–archedpassage,pavedwithstone,whichalreadyshehadtroddenwithpeculiarawe,shewellrememberedthedoorsofwhichthegeneralhadgivennoaccount.Towhatmightnotthosedoorslead?
Insupportoftheplausibilityofthisconjecture,itfurtheroccurredtoherthattheforbiddengallery,inwhichlaytheapartmentsoftheunfortunateMrs.Tilney,mustbe,ascertainlyashermemorycouldguideher,exactlyoverthissuspectedrangeofcells,andthestaircasebythesideofthoseapartmentsofwhichshehadcaughtatransientglimpse,communicatingbysomesecretmeanswiththosecells,mightwellhavefavouredthebarbarousproceedingsofherhusband.
Catherinesometimesstartedattheboldnessofherownsurmises,andsometimeshopedorfearedthatshehadgonetoofar;buttheyweresupportedbysuchappearancesasmadetheirdismissalimpossible.
Thesideofthequadrangle,inwhichshesupposedtheguiltyscenetobeacting,being,accordingtoherbelief,justoppositeherown,itstruckherthat,ifjudiciouslywatched,someraysoflightfromthegeneral’slampmightglimmerthroughthelowerwindows,ashepassedtotheprisonofhiswife;and,twicebeforeshesteppedintobed,shestolegentlyfromherroomtothecorrespondingwindowinthegallery,toseeifitappeared;butallabroadwasdark,anditmustyetbetooearly.
Share this article to
FINISH