Mr.andMrs.Morland’ssurpriseonbeingappliedtobyMr.Tilneyfortheirconsenttohismarryingtheirdaughterwas,forafewminutes,considerable,ithavingneverenteredtheirheadstosuspectanattachmentoneitherside;butasnothing,afterall,couldbemorenaturalthanCatherine’sbeingbeloved,theysoonlearnttoconsideritwithonlythehappyagitationofgratifiedpride,and,asfarastheyalonewereconcerned,hadnotasingleobjectiontostart.
Hispleasingmannersandgoodsensewereself–evidentrecommendations;andhavingneverheardevilofhim,itwasnottheirwaytosupposeanyevilcouldbetold.
“Catherinewouldmakeasad,heedlessyounghousekeepertobesure,”washermother’sforebodingremark;butquickwastheconsolationoftherebeingnothinglikepractice.
Therewasbutoneobstacle,inshort,tobementioned;buttillthatonewasremoved,itmustbeimpossibleforthemtosanctiontheengagement.
Theirtempersweremild,buttheirprinciplesweresteady,andwhilehisparentsoexpresslyforbadetheconnection,theycouldnotallowthemselvestoencourageit.
Thatthegeneralshouldcomeforwardtosolicitthealliance,orthatheshouldevenveryheartilyapproveit,theywerenotrefinedenoughtomakeanyparadingstipulation;butthedecentappearanceofconsentmustbeyielded,andthatonceobtained—andtheirownheartsmadethemtrustthatitcouldnotbeverylongdenied—theirwillingapprobationwasinstantlytofollow.
Ofaveryconsiderablefortune,hissonwas,bymarriagesettlements,eventuallysecure;hispresentincomewasanincomeofindependenceandcomfort,andundereverypecuniaryview,itwasamatchbeyondtheclaimsoftheirdaughter.
Theyfeltandtheydeplored—buttheycouldnotresentit;andtheyparted,endeavouringtohopethatsuchachangeinthegeneral,aseachbelievedalmostimpossible,mightspeedilytakeplace,tounitethemagaininthefullnessofprivilegedaffection.
Henryreturnedtowhatwasnowhisonlyhome,towatchoverhisyoungplantations,andextendhisimprovementsforhersake,towhoseshareinthemhelookedanxiouslyforward;andCatherineremainedatFullertontocry.
Mr.andMrs.Morlandneverdid—theyhadbeentookindtoexactanypromise;andwheneverCatherinereceivedaletter,as,atthattime,happenedprettyoften,theyalwayslookedanotherway.
Theanxiety,whichinthisstateoftheirattachmentmustbetheportionofHenryandCatherine,andofallwholovedeither,astoitsfinalevent,canhardlyextend,Ifear,tothebosomofmyreaders,whowillseeinthetell–talecompressionofthepagesbeforethem,thatweareallhasteningtogethertoperfectfelicity.
Themeansbywhichtheirearlymarriagewaseffectedcanbetheonlydoubt:whatprobablecircumstancecouldworkuponatemperlikethegeneral’s?
Thecircumstancewhichchieflyavailedwasthemarriageofhisdaughterwithamanoffortuneandconsequence,whichtookplaceinthecourseofthesummer—anaccessionofdignitythatthrewhimintoafitofgoodhumour,fromwhichhedidnotrecovertillafterEleanorhadobtainedhisforgivenessofHenry,andhispermissionforhim“tobeafoolifhelikedit!”
ThemarriageofEleanorTilney,herremovalfromalltheevilsofsuchahomeasNorthangerhadbeenmadebyHenry’sbanishment,tothehomeofherchoiceandthemanofherchoice,isaneventwhichIexpecttogivegeneralsatisfactionamongallheracquaintance.
Iknownoonemoreentitled,byunpretendingmerit,orbetterpreparedbyhabitualsuffering,toreceiveandenjoyfelicity.
Herpartialityforthisgentlemanwasnotofrecentorigin;andhehadbeenlongwithheldonlybyinferiorityofsituationfromaddressingher.
Hisunexpectedaccessiontotitleandfortunehadremovedallhisdifficulties;andneverhadthegenerallovedhisdaughtersowellinallherhoursofcompanionship,utility,andpatientenduranceaswhenhefirsthailedher“YourLadyship!”
Herhusbandwasreallydeservingofher;independentofhispeerage,hiswealth,andhisattachment,beingtoaprecisionthemostcharmingyoungmanintheworld.
Anyfurtherdefinitionofhismeritsmustbeunnecessary;themostcharmingyoungmanintheworldisinstantlybeforetheimaginationofusall.
Concerningtheoneinquestion,therefore,Ihaveonlytoadd—awarethattherulesofcompositionforbidtheintroductionofacharacternotconnectedwithmyfable—thatthiswastheverygentlemanwhosenegligentservantleftbehindhimthatcollectionofwashing–bills,resultingfromalongvisitatNorthanger,bywhichmyheroinewasinvolvedinoneofhermostalarmingadventures.
Theinfluenceoftheviscountandviscountessintheirbrother’sbehalfwasassistedbythatrightunderstandingofMr.Morland’scircumstanceswhich,assoonasthegeneralwouldallowhimselftobeinformed,theywerequalifiedtogive.
IttaughthimthathehadbeenscarcelymoremisledbyThorpe’sfirstboastofthefamilywealththanbyhissubsequentmaliciousoverthrowofit;thatinnosenseofthewordweretheynecessitousorpoor,andthatCatherinewouldhavethreethousandpounds.
Thiswassomaterialanamendmentofhislateexpectationsthatitgreatlycontributedtosmooththedescentofhispride;andbynomeanswithoutitseffectwastheprivateintelligence,whichhewasatsomepainstoprocure,thattheFullertonestate,beingentirelyatthedisposalofitspresentproprietor,wasconsequentlyopentoeverygreedyspeculation.
Onthestrengthofthis,thegeneral,soonafterEleanor’smarriage,permittedhissontoreturntoNorthanger,andthencemadehimthebearerofhisconsent,verycourteouslywordedinapagefullofemptyprofessionstoMr.Morland.
Theeventwhichitauthorizedsoonfollowed:HenryandCatherineweremarried,thebellsrang,andeverybodysmiled;and,asthistookplacewithinatwelvemonthfromthefirstdayoftheirmeeting,itwillnotappear,afterallthedreadfuldelaysoccasionedbythegeneral’scruelty,thattheywereessentiallyhurtbyit.
Tobeginperfecthappinessattherespectiveagesoftwenty–sixandeighteenistodoprettywell;andprofessingmyselfmoreoverconvincedthatthegeneral’sunjustinterference,sofarfrombeingreallyinjurioustotheirfelicity,wasperhapsratherconducivetoit,byimprovingtheirknowledgeofeachother,andaddingstrengthtotheirattachment,Ileaveittobesettled,bywhomsoeveritmayconcern,whetherthetendencyofthisworkbealtogethertorecommendparentaltyranny,orrewardfilialdisobedience.
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