章节正文
too much. Let us drop the subject."
Catherine, in some amazement, complied, and after
remaining a few moments silent, was on the point of
reverting to what interested her at that time rather more
than anything else in the world, Laurentina's skeleton,
when her friend prevented her, by saying, "For heaven's
sake! Let us move away from this end of the room.
Do you know, there are two odious young men who have been
staring at me this half hour. They really put me quite
out of countenance. Let us go and look at the arrivals.
They will hardly follow us there."
Away they walked to the book; and while Isabella
examined the names, it was Catherine's employment to watch
the proceedings of these alarming young men.
"They are not coming this way, are they? I hope they
are not so impertinent as to follow us. Pray let me know
if they are coming. I am determined I will not look up."
In a few moments Catherine, with unaffected pleasure,
assured her that she need not be longer uneasy, as the
gentlemen had just left the pump-room.
"And which way are they gone?" said Isabella,
turning hastily round. "One was a very good-looking
young man."
"They went towards the church-yard."
"Well, I am amazingly glad I have got rid of them!
And now, what say you to going to Edgar's Buildings
with me, and looking at my new hat? You said you should
like to see it."
Catherine readily agreed. "Only," she added,
"perhaps we may overtake the two young men."
"Oh! Never mind that. If we make haste, we shall
pass by them presently, and I am dying to show you my hat."
"But if we only wait a few minutes, there will be
no danger of our seeing them at all."
"I shall not pay them any such compliment, I assure you.
I have no notion of treating men with such respect.
That is the way to spoil them."
Catherine had nothing to oppose against such reasoning;
and therefore, to show the independence of Miss Thorpe,
and her resolution of humbling the sex, they set off
immediately as fast as they could walk, in pursuit of the
two young men.
CHAPTER 7
Half a minute conducted them through the pump-yard
to the archway, opposite Union Passage; but here they
were stopped. Everybody acquainted with Bath may remember
the difficulties of crossing Cheap Street at this point;
it is indeed a street of so impertinent a nature,
so unfortunately connected with the great London
and Oxford roads, and the principal inn of the city,
that a day never passes in which parties of ladies,
however important their business, whether in quest
of pastry, millinery, or even (as in the present case)
of young men, are not detained on one side or other
by carriages, horsemen, or carts. This evil had been felt
and lamented, at least three times a day, by Isabella
since her residence in Bath; and she was now fated
to feel and lament it once more, for at the very moment
of coming opposite to Union Passage, and within view of
the two gentlemen who were proceeding through the crowds,
and threading the gutters of that interesting alley,
they were prevented crossing by the approach of a gig,
driven along on bad pavement by a most knowing-looking
coachman with all the vehemence that could most fitly
endanger the lives of himself, his companion, and his horse.
"Oh, these odious gigs!" said Isabella, looking up.
"How I detest them." But this detestation, though so just,
was of short duration, for she looked again and exclaimed,
"Delightful! Mr. Morland and my brother!"
"Good heaven! 'Tis James!" was uttered at the same
moment by Catherine; and, on catching the young men's eyes,
the horse was immediately checked with a violence
which almost threw him on his haunches, and the servant
having now scampered up, the gentlemen jumped out,
and the equipage was delivered to his care.
Catherine, by whom this meeting was wholly unexpected,
received her brother with the liveliest pleasure; and he,
being of a very amiabledisposition, and sincerely attached
to her, gave every proof on his side of equal satisfaction,
which he could have leisure to do, while the bright eyes
of Miss Thorpe were incessantly challenging his notice;
and to her his devoirs were speedily paid, with a mixture
of joy and embarrassment which might have informed Catherine,
had she been more expert in the development of other
people's feelings, and less simply engrossed by her own,
that her brother thought her friend quite as pretty as she
could do herself.
John Thorpe, who in the meantime had been giving
orders about the horses, soon joined them, and from him she
directly received the amends which were her due; for while
he slightly and carelessly touched the hand of Isabella,
on her he bestowed a whole scrape and half a short bow.
He was a stout young man of middling height, who, with a
plain face and ungraceful form, seemed fearful of being
too handsome unless he wore the dress of a groom,
and too much like a gentleman unless he were easy where he
ought to be civil, and impudent where he might be allowed
to be easy. He took out his watch: "How long do you
think we have been running it from Tetbury, Miss Morland?"
"I do not know the distance." Her brother told
her that it was twenty-three miles.
"Three and twenty!" cried Thorpe. "Five and twenty if it
is an inch." Morland remonstrated, pleaded the authority
of road-books, innkeepers, and milestones; but his friend
disregarded them all; he had a surer test of distance.
"I know it must be five and twenty," said he, "by the
time we have been doing it. It is now half after one;
we drove out of the inn-yard at Tetbury as the town clock
struck eleven; and I defy any man in England to make
my horse go less than ten miles an hour in harness;
that makes it exactly twenty-five."
"You have lost an hour," said Morland; "it was only
ten o'clock when we came from Tetbury."
"Ten o'clock! It was eleven, upon my soul! I counted
every stroke. This brother of yours would persuade me
out of my senses, Miss Morland; do but look at my horse;
did you ever see an animal so made for speed in your life?"
(The servant had just mounted the carriage and was driving off.)
"Such true blood! Three hours and and a half indeed coming
only three and twenty miles! Look at that creature,
and suppose it possible if you can."
"He does look very hot, to be sure."
"Hot! He had not turned a hair till we came to
Walcot Church; but look at his forehand; look at his loins;
only see how he moves; that horse cannot go less than
ten miles an hour: tie his legs and he will get on.
What do you think of my gig, Miss Morland? A neat one,
is not it? Well hung; town-built; I have not had it a month.
It was built for a Christchurch man, a friend of mine,
a very good sort of fellow; he ran it a few weeks, till,
I believe, it was convenient to have done with it.
I happened just then to be looking out for some light
thing of the kind, though I had pretty well determined on
a curricle too; but I chanced to meet him on Magdalen Bridge,
as he was driving into Oxford, last term: 'Ah! Thorpe,'
said he, 'do you happen to want such a little thing
as this? It is a capital one of the kind, but I am
cursed tired of it.' 'Oh! D--,' said I; 'I am your man;
what do you ask?' And how much do you think he did,
Miss Morland?"
"I am sure I cannot guess at all."
"Curricle-hung, you see; seat, trunk, sword-case,
splashing-board, lamps, silver moulding, all you
see complete; the iron-work as good as new, or better.
He asked fifty guineas; I closed with him directly,
threw down the money, and the carriage was mine."
"And I am sure," said Catherine, "I know so little
of such things that I cannot judge whether it was cheap
or dear."
"Neither one nor t'other; I might have got it for less,
I dare say; but I hate haggling, and poor Freeman wanted cash."
"That was very good-natured of you," said Catherine,
quite pleased.
"Oh! D-- it, when one has the means of doing a kind
thing by a friend, I hate to be pitiful."
An inquiry now took place into the intended movements
of the young ladies; and, on finding whither they were going,
it was decided that the gentlemen should accompany them
to Edgar's Buildings, and pay their respects to Mrs. Thorpe.
James and Isabella led the way; and so well satisfied
was the latter with her lot, so contentedly was she
endeavouring to ensure a pleasant walk to him who brought
the double recommendation of being her brother's friend,
and her friend's brother, so pure and uncoquettish
were her feelings, that, though they overtook and
passed the two offending young men in Milsom Street,
she was so far from seeking to attract their notice,
that she looked back at them only three times.
John Thorpe kept of course with Catherine, and, after a
few minutes' silence, renewed the conversation about his gig.
"You will find, however, Miss Morland, it would be reckoned
a cheap thing by some people, for I might have sold it
for ten guineas more the next day; Jackson, of Oriel,
bid me sixty at once; Morland was with me at the time."
"Yes," said Morland, who overheard this; "but you
forget that your horse was included."
"My horse! Oh, d-- it! I would not sell my horse
for a hundred. Are you fond of an open carriage,
Miss Morland?"
"Yes, very; I have hardly ever an opportunity
of being in one; but I am particularly fond of it."
"I am glad of it; I will drive you out in mine
every day."
"Thank you," said Catherine, in some distress,
from a doubt of the propriety of accepting such an offer.
"I will drive you up Lansdown Hill tomorrow."
"Thank you; but will not your horse want rest?"
"Rest! He has only come three and twenty miles today;
all nonsense; nothing ruins horses so much as rest;
nothing knocks them up so soon. No, no; I shall exercise
mine at the average of four hours every day while I
am here."
"Shall you indeed!" said Catherine very seriously.
"That will be forty miles a day."
"Forty! Aye, fifty, for what I care. Well, I will
drive you up Lansdown tomorrow; mind, I am engaged."
"How delightful that will be!" cried Isabella,
turning round. "My dearest Catherine, I quite envy you;
but I am afraid, brother, you will not have room for
a third."
"A third indeed! No, no; I did not come to Bath
Catherine, in some amazement, complied, and after
remaining a few moments silent, was on the point of
reverting to what interested her at that time rather more
than anything else in the world, Laurentina's skeleton,
when her friend prevented her, by saying, "For heaven's
sake! Let us move away from this end of the room.
Do you know, there are two odious young men who have been
staring at me this half hour. They really put me quite
out of countenance. Let us go and look at the arrivals.
They will hardly follow us there."
Away they walked to the book; and while Isabella
examined the names, it was Catherine's employment to watch
the proceedings of these alarming young men.
"They are not coming this way, are they? I hope they
are not so impertinent as to follow us. Pray let me know
if they are coming. I am determined I will not look up."
In a few moments Catherine, with unaffected pleasure,
assured her that she need not be longer uneasy, as the
gentlemen had just left the pump-room.
"And which way are they gone?" said Isabella,
turning hastily round. "One was a very good-looking
young man."
"They went towards the church-yard."
"Well, I am amazingly glad I have got rid of them!
And now, what say you to going to Edgar's Buildings
with me, and looking at my new hat? You said you should
like to see it."
Catherine readily agreed. "Only," she added,
"perhaps we may overtake the two young men."
"Oh! Never mind that. If we make haste, we shall
pass by them presently, and I am dying to show you my hat."
"But if we only wait a few minutes, there will be
no danger of our seeing them at all."
"I shall not pay them any such compliment, I assure you.
I have no notion of treating men with such respect.
That is the way to spoil them."
Catherine had nothing to oppose against such reasoning;
and therefore, to show the independence of Miss Thorpe,
and her resolution of humbling the sex, they set off
immediately as fast as they could walk, in pursuit of the
two young men.
CHAPTER 7
Half a minute conducted them through the pump-yard
to the archway, opposite Union Passage; but here they
were stopped. Everybody acquainted with Bath may remember
the difficulties of crossing Cheap Street at this point;
it is indeed a street of so impertinent a nature,
so unfortunately connected with the great London
and Oxford roads, and the principal inn of the city,
that a day never passes in which parties of ladies,
however important their business, whether in quest
of pastry, millinery, or even (as in the present case)
of young men, are not detained on one side or other
by carriages, horsemen, or carts. This evil had been felt
and lamented, at least three times a day, by Isabella
since her residence in Bath; and she was now fated
to feel and lament it once more, for at the very moment
of coming opposite to Union Passage, and within view of
the two gentlemen who were proceeding through the crowds,
and threading the gutters of that interesting alley,
they were prevented crossing by the approach of a gig,
driven along on bad pavement by a most knowing-looking
coachman with all the vehemence that could most fitly
endanger the lives of himself, his companion, and his horse.
"Oh, these odious gigs!" said Isabella, looking up.
"How I detest them." But this detestation, though so just,
was of short duration, for she looked again and exclaimed,
"Delightful! Mr. Morland and my brother!"
"Good heaven! 'Tis James!" was uttered at the same
moment by Catherine; and, on catching the young men's eyes,
the horse was immediately checked with a violence
which almost threw him on his haunches, and the servant
having now scampered up, the gentlemen jumped out,
and the equipage was delivered to his care.
Catherine, by whom this meeting was wholly unexpected,
received her brother with the liveliest pleasure; and he,
being of a very amiabledisposition, and sincerely attached
to her, gave every proof on his side of equal satisfaction,
which he could have leisure to do, while the bright eyes
of Miss Thorpe were incessantly challenging his notice;
and to her his devoirs were speedily paid, with a mixture
of joy and embarrassment which might have informed Catherine,
had she been more expert in the development of other
people's feelings, and less simply engrossed by her own,
that her brother thought her friend quite as pretty as she
could do herself.
John Thorpe, who in the meantime had been giving
orders about the horses, soon joined them, and from him she
directly received the amends which were her due; for while
he slightly and carelessly touched the hand of Isabella,
on her he bestowed a whole scrape and half a short bow.
He was a stout young man of middling height, who, with a
plain face and ungraceful form, seemed fearful of being
too handsome unless he wore the dress of a groom,
and too much like a gentleman unless he were easy where he
ought to be civil, and impudent where he might be allowed
to be easy. He took out his watch: "How long do you
think we have been running it from Tetbury, Miss Morland?"
"I do not know the distance." Her brother told
her that it was twenty-three miles.
"Three and twenty!" cried Thorpe. "Five and twenty if it
is an inch." Morland remonstrated, pleaded the authority
of road-books, innkeepers, and milestones; but his friend
disregarded them all; he had a surer test of distance.
"I know it must be five and twenty," said he, "by the
time we have been doing it. It is now half after one;
we drove out of the inn-yard at Tetbury as the town clock
struck eleven; and I defy any man in England to make
my horse go less than ten miles an hour in harness;
that makes it exactly twenty-five."
"You have lost an hour," said Morland; "it was only
ten o'clock when we came from Tetbury."
"Ten o'clock! It was eleven, upon my soul! I counted
every stroke. This brother of yours would persuade me
out of my senses, Miss Morland; do but look at my horse;
did you ever see an animal so made for speed in your life?"
(The servant had just mounted the carriage and was driving off.)
"Such true blood! Three hours and and a half indeed coming
only three and twenty miles! Look at that creature,
and suppose it possible if you can."
"He does look very hot, to be sure."
"Hot! He had not turned a hair till we came to
Walcot Church; but look at his forehand; look at his loins;
only see how he moves; that horse cannot go less than
ten miles an hour: tie his legs and he will get on.
What do you think of my gig, Miss Morland? A neat one,
is not it? Well hung; town-built; I have not had it a month.
It was built for a Christchurch man, a friend of mine,
a very good sort of fellow; he ran it a few weeks, till,
I believe, it was convenient to have done with it.
I happened just then to be looking out for some light
thing of the kind, though I had pretty well determined on
a curricle too; but I chanced to meet him on Magdalen Bridge,
as he was driving into Oxford, last term: 'Ah! Thorpe,'
said he, 'do you happen to want such a little thing
as this? It is a capital one of the kind, but I am
cursed tired of it.' 'Oh! D--,' said I; 'I am your man;
what do you ask?' And how much do you think he did,
Miss Morland?"
"I am sure I cannot guess at all."
"Curricle-hung, you see; seat, trunk, sword-case,
splashing-board, lamps, silver moulding, all you
see complete; the iron-work as good as new, or better.
He asked fifty guineas; I closed with him directly,
threw down the money, and the carriage was mine."
"And I am sure," said Catherine, "I know so little
of such things that I cannot judge whether it was cheap
or dear."
"Neither one nor t'other; I might have got it for less,
I dare say; but I hate haggling, and poor Freeman wanted cash."
"That was very good-natured of you," said Catherine,
quite pleased.
"Oh! D-- it, when one has the means of doing a kind
thing by a friend, I hate to be pitiful."
An inquiry now took place into the intended movements
of the young ladies; and, on finding whither they were going,
it was decided that the gentlemen should accompany them
to Edgar's Buildings, and pay their respects to Mrs. Thorpe.
James and Isabella led the way; and so well satisfied
was the latter with her lot, so contentedly was she
endeavouring to ensure a pleasant walk to him who brought
the double recommendation of being her brother's friend,
and her friend's brother, so pure and uncoquettish
were her feelings, that, though they overtook and
passed the two offending young men in Milsom Street,
she was so far from seeking to attract their notice,
that she looked back at them only three times.
John Thorpe kept of course with Catherine, and, after a
few minutes' silence, renewed the conversation about his gig.
"You will find, however, Miss Morland, it would be reckoned
a cheap thing by some people, for I might have sold it
for ten guineas more the next day; Jackson, of Oriel,
bid me sixty at once; Morland was with me at the time."
"Yes," said Morland, who overheard this; "but you
forget that your horse was included."
"My horse! Oh, d-- it! I would not sell my horse
for a hundred. Are you fond of an open carriage,
Miss Morland?"
"Yes, very; I have hardly ever an opportunity
of being in one; but I am particularly fond of it."
"I am glad of it; I will drive you out in mine
every day."
"Thank you," said Catherine, in some distress,
from a doubt of the propriety of accepting such an offer.
"I will drive you up Lansdown Hill tomorrow."
"Thank you; but will not your horse want rest?"
"Rest! He has only come three and twenty miles today;
all nonsense; nothing ruins horses so much as rest;
nothing knocks them up so soon. No, no; I shall exercise
mine at the average of four hours every day while I
am here."
"Shall you indeed!" said Catherine very seriously.
"That will be forty miles a day."
"Forty! Aye, fifty, for what I care. Well, I will
drive you up Lansdown tomorrow; mind, I am engaged."
"How delightful that will be!" cried Isabella,
turning round. "My dearest Catherine, I quite envy you;
but I am afraid, brother, you will not have room for
a third."
"A third indeed! No, no; I did not come to Bath
- amazement [ə´meizmənt]
n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词) - countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)
- employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)
- hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)
- readily [´redili] ad.乐意地；容易地 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- independence [,indi´pendəns] n.独立，自主，自立 (初中英语单词)
- resolution [,rezə´lu:ʃən] n.决心；坚决；果断 (初中英语单词)
- pursuit [pə´sju:t] n.追踪；追击；事务 (初中英语单词)
- principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)
- residence [´rezidəns] n.居住(期间)；住宅 (初中英语单词)
- companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)
- wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)
- disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)
- expert [´ekspə:t] n.&a.专家；内行 (初中英语单词)
- meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
- slightly [´slaitli] ad.轻微地；细长的 (初中英语单词)
- height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)
- fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- persuade [pə´sweid] v.(被)说服；使相信 (初中英语单词)
- carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)
- convenient [kən´vi:niənt] a.方便的 (初中英语单词)
- inquiry [in´kwaiəri] n.询问；质询；调查 (初中英语单词)
- delightful [di´laitful] a.讨人喜欢的 (初中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- uneasy [ʌn´i:zi] a.不安的；不自在的 (高中英语单词)
- overtake [,əuvə´teik] vt.追上；赶上 (高中英语单词)
- seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
- compliment [´kɔmplimənt] n.敬意 vt.赞美；祝贺 (高中英语单词)
- unfortunately [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunitli] ad.不幸；不朽；可惜 (高中英语单词)
- oxford [´ɔksfəd] n.牛津 (高中英语单词)
- pastry [´peistri] n.面制糕点 (高中英语单词)
- lament [lə´ment] v.哀悼 n.哀悼；恸哭 (高中英语单词)
- proceeding [prə´si:diŋ] n.程序；进程；行动 (高中英语单词)
- pavement [´peivmənt] n.路面；铺筑材料 (高中英语单词)
- sincerely [sin´siəli] ad.真诚地；诚恳地 (高中英语单词)
- leisure [´leʒə] n.空闲；悠闲；安定 (高中英语单词)
- carelessly [´kɛəlisli] ad.粗心地；疏忽地 (高中英语单词)
- moulding [´məuldiŋ] n.模制 (高中英语单词)
- freeman [´fri:mən] n.自由民；荣誉市民 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
- recommendation [,rekəmen´deiʃən] n.推荐；劝告 (高中英语单词)
- nonsense [´nɔnsəns] n.胡说 int.胡说!废话 (高中英语单词)
- odious [´əudiəs] a.可憎的；丑恶的 (英语四级单词)
- detest [di´test] vt.痛恨，憎恶 (英语四级单词)
- amiable [´eimiəbəl] a.亲切的，温和的 (英语四级单词)
- speedily [´spi:dili] ad.迅速地 (英语四级单词)
- embarrassment [im´bærəsmənt] n.窘迫；困惑；为难 (英语四级单词)
- scrape [skreip] v.&n.刮，削，擦；搔 (英语四级单词)
- good-natured [´gud-´neitʃəd] a.脾气好的，温厚的 (英语四级单词)
- overtook [,əuvə´tuk] overtake的过去式 (英语四级单词)
- amazingly [ə´meiziŋli] ad.惊人地；惊奇地 (英语六级单词)
- vehemence [´vi:iməns] n.激烈，猛烈；热烈 (英语六级单词)
- duration [djuə´reiʃən] n.持久；持续期间 (英语六级单词)
- incessantly [in´sesntli] ad.不断地，不停地 (英语六级单词)
- amends [ə´mendz] n.赔偿；赔罪 (英语六级单词)
- propriety [prə´praiəti] n.正当；合适；礼貌 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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