Нортенгерское аббатство

           “Believeme,”&c.

           Catherinehadnotreadthreelinesbeforehersuddenchangeofcountenance,andshortexclamationsofsorrowingwonder,declaredhertobereceivingunpleasantnews;andHenry,earnestlywatchingherthroughthewholeletter,sawplainlythatitendednobetterthanitbegan.Hewasprevented,however,fromevenlookinghissurprisebyhisfather’sentrance.Theywenttobreakfastdirectly;butCatherinecouldhardlyeatanything.Tearsfilledhereyes,andevenrandownhercheeksasshesat.Theletterwasonemomentinherhand,theninherlap,andtheninherpocket;andshelookedasifsheknewnotwhatshedid.Thegeneral,betweenhiscocoaandhisnewspaper,hadluckilynoleisurefornoticingher;buttotheothertwoherdistresswasequallyvisible.Assoonasshedaredleavethetableshehurriedawaytoherownroom;butthehousemaidswerebusyinit,andshewasobligedtocomedownagain.Sheturnedintothedrawing-roomforprivacy,butHenryandEleanorhadlikewiseretreatedthither,andwereatthatmomentdeepinconsultationabouther.Shedrewback,tryingtobegtheirpardon,butwas,withgentleviolence,forcedtoreturn;andtheotherswithdrew,afterEleanorhadaffectionatelyexpressedawishofbeingofuseorcomforttoher.

           Afterhalfanhour’sfreeindulgenceofgriefandreflection,Catherinefeltequaltoencounteringherfriends;butwhethersheshouldmakeherdistressknowntothemwasanotherconsideration.Perhaps,ifparticularlyquestioned,shemightjustgiveanidea—justdistantlyhintatit—butnotmore.