close to her door made her start; it seemed as if someone

was touching the very doorway--and in another moment



a slight motion of the lock proved that some hand must

be on it. She trembled a little at the idea of anyone's



approaching so cautiously; but resolving not to be again

overcome by trivial appearances of alarm, or misled



by a raised imagination, she stepped quietly forward,

and opened the door. Eleanor, and only Eleanor, stood there.



Catherine's spirits, however, were tranquillized but for

an instant, for Eleanor's cheeks were pale, and her manner



greatly agitated. Though evidently intending to come in,

it seemed an effort to enter the room, and a still



greater to speak when there. Catherine, supposing some

uneasiness on Captain Tilney's account, could only



express her concern by silent attention, obliged her

to be seated, rubbed her temples with lavender-water,



and hung over her with affectionate solicitude.

"My dear Catherine, you must not--you must not indeed--"



were Eleanor's first connected words. "I am quite well.

This kindness distracts me--I cannot bear it--I come



to you on such an errand!"

"Errand! To me!"



"How shall I tell you! Oh! How shall I tell you!"

A new idea now darted into Catherine's mind,



and turning as pale as her friend, she exclaimed,

"'Tis a messenger from Woodston!"



"You are mistaken, indeed," returned Eleanor, looking at

her most compassionately; "it is no one from Woodston.



It is my father himself." Her voice faltered, and her eyes

were turned to the ground as she mentioned his name.



His unlooked-for return was enough in itself to make

Catherine's heart sink, and for a few moments she



hardly supposed there were anything worse to be told.

She said nothing; and Eleanor, endeavouring to collect



herself and speak with firmness, but with eyes still

cast down, soon went on. "You are too good, I am sure,



to think the worse of me for the part I am obliged

to perform. I am indeed a most unwillingmessenger.



After what has so lately passed, so lately been

settled between us--how joyfully, how thankfully on my



side!--as to your continuing here as I hoped for many,

many weeks longer, how can I tell you that your kindness



is not to be accepted--and that the happiness your

company has hitherto given us is to be repaid by-- But



I must not trust myself with words. My dear Catherine,

we are to part. My father has recollected an engagement



that takes our whole family away on Monday. We are going

to Lord Longtown's, near Hereford, for a fortnight.



Explanation and apology are equally impossible. I cannot

attempt either."



"My dear Eleanor," cried Catherine, suppressing her

feelings as well as she could, "do not be so distressed.



A second engagement must give way to a first. I am very,

very sorry we are to part--so soon, and so suddenly too;



but I am not offended, indeed I am not. I can finish my

visit here, you know, at any time; or I hope you will come



to me. Can you, when you return from this lord's, come

to Fullerton?"



"It will not be in my power, Catherine."

"Come when you can, then."



Eleanor made no answer; and Catherine's thoughts

recurring to something more directly interesting,



she added, thinkng aloud, "Monday--so soon as Monday;

and you all go. Well, I am certain of-- I shall be able



to take leave, however. I need not go till just before

you do, you know. Do not be distressed, Eleanor, I can



go on Monday very well. My father and mother's having

no notice of it is of very little consequence.



The general will send a servant with me, I dare say,

half the way--and then I shall soon be at Salisbury,



and then I am only nine miles from home."

"Ah, Catherine! Were it settled so, it would be



somewhat less intolerable, though in such common attentions

you would have received but half what you ought.



But--how can I tell you?--tomorrow morning is fixed for your

• disappointment [,disə´pɔintmənt] n.失望；挫折 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• agreeable [ə´gri:əbəl] a.适合的；符合的 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)


• humour [´hju:mə] n.幽默，诙谐 (初中英语单词)


• thoroughly [´θʌrəli] ad.完全地，彻底地 (初中英语单词)


• sensible [´sensəbəl] a.感觉得到的 (初中英语单词)


• release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)


• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为….所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)


• consideration [kən,sidə´reiʃən] n.考虑；原因；体谅 (初中英语单词)


• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


• obligation [,ɔbli´geiʃən] n.义务；职责；合约 (初中英语单词)


• generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)


• hasten [´heisən] vt.催促；促进 vi.赶紧 (初中英语单词)


• likewise [´laikwaiz] ad.同样地；也，又 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)


• occupation [,ɔkju´peiʃən] a.职业的；军事占领的 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)


• accordingly [ə´kɔ:diŋli] ad.因此；从而；依照 (初中英语单词)


• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)


• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)


• approve [ə´pru:v] v.赞成；同意；批准 (初中英语单词)


• ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)


• behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)


• gallery [´gæləri] n.画廊；美术馆；长廊 (初中英语单词)


• imagination [i,mædʒi´neiʃən] n.想象(力) (初中英语单词)


• instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)


• evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• messenger [´mesindʒə] n.使者；送信人 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


• lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)


• engagement [in´geidʒmənt] n.婚约；雇用；受聘 (初中英语单词)


• restraint [ri´streint] n.抑制；管束；克制 (高中英语单词)


• perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)


• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)


• pleasantly [´plezntli] ad.令人愉快地；舒适地 (高中英语单词)


• comfortably [´kʌmfətəbli] ad.舒适地 (高中英语单词)


• thickness [´θiknis] n.厚；浓；粗；稠密 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• eldest [´eldist] a.最年长的 (高中英语单词)


• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)


• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)


• motion [´məuʃən] n.手势 vt.打手势 (高中英语单词)


• cautiously [´kɔ:ʃəsli] ad.小心地；谨慎地 (高中英语单词)


• affectionate [ə´fekʃənit] a.亲爱的 (高中英语单词)


• mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)


• hitherto [,hiðə´tu:] ad.至今，迄今 (高中英语单词)


• integrity [in´tegriti] n.完整；完善；正直 (英语四级单词)


• accessible [ək´sesəbəl] a.易接近的；可到达的 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• experimental [ik,speri´mentl] a.实验的 (英语四级单词)


• expedient [ik´spi:diənt] a.合适的 n.权宜之计 (英语四级单词)


• uneasiness [ʌn´i:zinis] n.不安，担忧；不自在 (英语四级单词)


• injunction [in´dʒʌŋkʃən] n.指令；法院禁令 (英语四级单词)


• intimacy [´intiməsi] n.亲密；熟悉；秘密 (英语四级单词)


• materially [mə´tiəriəli] ad.物质上；有形地 (英语四级单词)


• touching [´tʌtʃiŋ] a.动人的 prep.提到 (英语四级单词)


• trivial [´triviəl] a.琐碎的；不重要的 (英语四级单词)


• firmness [´fə:mnis] n.坚定；坚硬；稳定 (英语四级单词)


• unwilling [ʌn´wiliŋ] a.不愿意的；不情愿的 (英语四级单词)


• joyfully [´dʒɔifuli] ad.高兴地，快乐地 (英语四级单词)


• apology [ə´pɔlədʒi] n.道歉(的话)；辩解 (英语四级单词)


• intolerable [in´tɔlərəb(ə)l] a.无法忍受的 (英语四级单词)


• intrusion [in´tru:ʒən] n.侵入；打扰；强加 (英语六级单词)


• earnestness [´ə:nistnis] n.认真，急切；坚定 (英语六级单词)