Нортенгерське абатство
Chapter 21
Oftheformer,shespokealoudheradmiration;andthegeneral,withaverygraciouscountenance,acknowledgedthatitwasbynomeansanill-sizedroom,andfurtherconfessedthat,thoughascarelessonsuchsubjectsasmostpeople,hedidlookuponatolerablylargeeating-roomasoneofthenecessariesoflife;hesupposed,however,“thatshemusthavebeenusedtomuchbetter-sizedapartmentsatMr.Allen’s?”
“No,indeed,”wasCatherine’shonestassurance;“Mr.Allen’sdining-parlourwasnotmorethanhalfaslarge,”andshehadneverseensolargearoomasthisinherlife.Thegeneral’sgoodhumourincreased.Why,ashehadsuchrooms,hethoughtitwouldbesimplenottomakeuseofthem;but,uponhishonour,hebelievedtheremightbemorecomfortinroomsofonlyhalftheirsize.Mr.Allen’shouse,hewassure,mustbeexactlyofthetruesizeforrationalhappiness.
Theeveningpassedwithoutanyfurtherdisturbance,and,intheoccasionalabsenceofGeneralTilney,withmuchpositivecheerfulness.ItwasonlyinhispresencethatCatherinefeltthesmallestfatiguefromherjourney;andeventhen,eveninmomentsoflanguororrestraint,asenseofgeneralhappinesspreponderated,andshecouldthinkofherfriendsinBathwithoutonewishofbeingwiththem.
Thenightwasstormy;thewindhadbeenrisingatintervalsthewholeafternoon;andbythetimethepartybrokeup,itblewandrainedviolently.
