Нортенгерське абатство

           TheerectionofthemonumentitselfcouldnotinthesmallestdegreeaffectherdoubtsofMrs.Tilney’sactualdecease.Weresheeventodescendintothefamilyvaultwhereherashesweresupposedtoslumber,wereshetobeholdthecoffininwhichtheyweresaidtobeenclosed—whatcoulditavailinsuchacase?Catherinehadreadtoomuchnottobeperfectlyawareoftheeasewithwhichawaxenfiguremightbeintroduced,andasupposititiousfuneralcarriedon.

           Thesucceedingmorningpromisedsomethingbetter.Thegeneral’searlywalk,ill-timedasitwasineveryotherview,wasfavourablehere;andwhensheknewhimtobeoutofthehouse,shedirectlyproposedtoMissTilneytheaccomplishmentofherpromise.Eleanorwasreadytoobligeher;andCatherineremindingherastheywentofanotherpromise,theirfirstvisitinconsequencewastotheportraitinherbed-chamber.Itrepresentedaverylovelywoman,withamildandpensivecountenance,justifying,sofar,theexpectationsofitsnewobserver;buttheywerenotineveryrespectanswered,forCatherinehaddependeduponmeetingwithfeatures,hair,complexion,thatshouldbetheverycounterpart,theveryimage,ifnotofHenry’s,ofEleanor’s—theonlyportraitsofwhichshehadbeeninthehabitofthinking,bearingalwaysanequalresemblanceofmotherandchild.Afaceoncetakenwastakenforgenerations.Buthereshewasobligedtolookandconsiderandstudyforalikeness.Shecontemplatedit,however,inspiteofthisdrawback,withmuchemotion,and,butforayetstrongerinterest,wouldhaveleftitunwillingly.