Нортенгерське абатство
Chapter 7
”
“Thankyou;butwillnotyourhorsewantrest?”
“Rest!Hehasonlycomethreeandtwentymilestoday;allnonsense;nothingruinshorsessomuchasrest;nothingknocksthemupsosoon.No,no;IshallexercisemineattheaverageoffourhourseverydaywhileIamhere.”
“Shallyouindeed!”saidCatherineveryseriously.“Thatwillbefortymilesaday.”
“Forty!Aye,fifty,forwhatIcare.Well,IwilldriveyouupLansdowntomorrow;mind,Iamengaged.”
“Howdelightfulthatwillbe!”criedIsabella,turninground.“MydearestCatherine,Iquiteenvyyou;butIamafraid,brother,youwillnothaveroomforathird.”
“Athirdindeed!No,no;IdidnotcometoBathtodrivemysistersabout;thatwouldbeagoodjoke,faith!Morlandmusttakecareofyou.”
Thisbroughtonadialogueofcivilitiesbetweentheothertwo;butCatherineheardneithertheparticularsnortheresult.Hercompanion’sdiscoursenowsunkfromitshithertoanimatedpitchtonothingmorethanashortdecisivesentenceofpraiseorcondemnationonthefaceofeverywomantheymet;andCatherine,afterlisteningandagreeingaslongasshecould,withallthecivilityanddeferenceoftheyouthfulfemalemind,fearfulofhazardinganopinionofitsowninoppositiontothatofaself-assuredman,especiallywherethebeautyofherownsexisconcerned,venturedatlengthtovarythesubjectbyaquestionwhichhadbeenlonguppermostinherthoughts;itwas,“HaveyoueverreadUdolpho,Mr.Thorpe?”
“Udolpho!Oh,Lord!NotI;Ineverreadnovels;Ihavesomethingelsetodo.
