Нортенгерське абатство
Chapter 20
Hadtheirpartybeenperfectlyagreeable,thedelaywouldhavebeennothing;butGeneralTilney,thoughsocharmingaman,seemedalwaysacheckuponhischildren’sspirits,andscarcelyanythingwassaidbutbyhimself;theobservationofwhich,withhisdiscontentatwhatevertheinnafforded,andhisangryimpatienceatthewaiters,madeCatherinegroweverymomentmoreinaweofhim,andappearedtolengthenthetwohoursintofour.Atlast,however,theorderofreleasewasgiven;andmuchwasCatherinethensurprisedbythegeneral’sproposalofhertakinghisplaceinhisson’scurriclefortherestofthejourney:“thedaywasfine,andhewasanxiousforherseeingasmuchofthecountryaspossible.”
TheremembranceofMr.Allen’sopinion,respectingyoungmen’sopencarriages,madeherblushatthementionofsuchaplan,andherfirstthoughtwastodeclineit;buthersecondwasofgreaterdeferenceforGeneralTilney’sjudgment;hecouldnotproposeanythingimproperforher;and,inthecourseofafewminutes,shefoundherselfwithHenryinthecurricle,ashappyabeingaseverexisted.Averyshorttrialconvincedherthatacurriclewastheprettiestequipageintheworld;thechaiseandfourwheeledoffwithsomegrandeur,tobesure,butitwasaheavyandtroublesomebusiness,andshecouldnoteasilyforgetitshavingstoppedtwohoursatPettyFrance.Halfthetimewouldhavebeenenoughforthecurricle,andsonimblywerethelighthorsesdisposedtomove,that,hadnotthegeneralchosentohavehisowncarriageleadtheway,theycouldhavepasseditwitheaseinhalfaminute.
