Нортенгерское аббатство
Chapter 2
IhavebeensayinghowgladIshouldbeiftheSkinnerswereherethiswinterinsteadoflast;oriftheParryshadcome,astheytalkedofonce,shemighthavedancedwithGeorgeParry.Iamsosorryshehasnothadapartner!”
“WeshalldobetteranothereveningIhope,”wasMr.Allen’sconsolation.
Thecompanybegantodispersewhenthedancingwasover—enoughtoleavespacefortheremaindertowalkaboutinsomecomfort;andnowwasthetimeforaheroine,whohadnotyetplayedaverydistinguishedpartintheeventsoftheevening,tobenoticedandadmired.Everyfiveminutes,byremovingsomeofthecrowd,gavegreateropeningsforhercharms.Shewasnowseenbymanyyoungmenwhohadnotbeennearherbefore.Notone,however,startedwithrapturouswonderonbeholdingher,nowhisperofeagerinquiryranroundtheroom,norwassheoncecalledadivinitybyanybody.YetCatherinewasinverygoodlooks,andhadthecompanyonlyseenherthreeyearsbefore,theywouldnowhavethoughtherexceedinglyhandsome.
Shewaslookedat,however,andwithsomeadmiration;for,inherownhearing,twogentlemenpronouncedhertobeaprettygirl.Suchwordshadtheirdueeffect;sheimmediatelythoughttheeveningpleasanterthanshehadfounditbefore—herhumblevanitywascontented—shefeltmoreobligedtothetwoyoungmenforthissimplepraisethanatrue-qualityheroinewouldhavebeenforfifteensonnetsincelebrationofhercharms,andwenttoherchairingoodhumourwitheverybody,andperfectlysatisfiedwithhershareofpublicattention.
