Нортенгерське абатство
Chapter 30
Thattheywerefalse,thegeneralhadlearntfromtheverypersonwhohadsuggestedthem,fromThorpehimself,whomhehadchancedtomeetagainintown,andwho,undertheinfluenceofexactlyoppositefeelings,irritatedbyCatherine’srefusal,andyetmorebythefailureofaveryrecentendeavourtoaccomplishareconciliationbetweenMorlandandIsabella,convincedthattheywereseparatedforever,andspurningafriendshipwhichcouldbenolongerserviceable,hastenedtocontradictallthathehadsaidbeforetotheadvantageoftheMorlands—confessedhimselftohavebeentotallymistakeninhisopinionoftheircircumstancesandcharacter,misledbytherhodomontadeofhisfriendtobelievehisfatheramanofsubstanceandcredit,whereasthetransactionsofthetwoorthreelastweeksprovedhimtobeneither;foraftercomingeagerlyforwardonthefirstovertureofamarriagebetweenthefamilies,withthemostliberalproposals,hehad,onbeingbroughttothepointbytheshrewdnessoftherelator,beenconstrainedtoacknowledgehimselfincapableofgivingtheyoungpeopleevenadecentsupport.Theywere,infact,anecessitousfamily;numerous,too,almostbeyondexample;bynomeansrespectedintheirownneighbourhood,ashehadlatelyhadparticularopportunitiesofdiscovering;aimingatastyleoflifewhichtheirfortunecouldnotwarrant;seekingtobetterthemselvesbywealthyconnections;aforward,bragging,schemingrace.
TheterrifiedgeneralpronouncedthenameofAllenwithaninquiringlook;andheretooThorpehadlearnthiserror.
