Chương Chương 4 · 第4章

With more than usual eagerness did Catherine hasten to the pump-room

the next day, secure within herself of seeing Mr. Tilney there before

the morning were over, and ready to meet him with a smile; but no smile

was demanded—Mr. Tilney did not appear. Every creature in Bath, except

himself, was to be seen in the room at different periods of the

fashionable hours; crowds of people were every moment passing in and

out, up the steps and down; people whom nobody cared about, and nobody

wanted to see; and he only was absent. “What a delightful place Bath

is,” said Mrs. Allen as they sat down near the great clock, after

parading the room till they were tired; “and how pleasant it would be

if we had any acquaintance here.”

This sentiment had been uttered so often in vain that Mrs. Allen had no

particular reason to hope it would be followed with more advantage now;

but we are told to “despair of nothing we would attain,” as “unwearied

diligence our point would gain”; and the unwearied diligence with which

she had every day wished for the same thing was at length to have its

just reward, for hardly had she been seated ten minutes before a lady

of about her own age, who was sitting by her, and had been looking at

her attentively for several minutes, addressed her with great

complaisance in these words: “I think, madam, I cannot be mistaken; it

is a long time since I had the pleasure of seeing you, but is not your

name Allen?” This question answered, as it readily was, the stranger

pronounced hers to be Thorpe; and Mrs. Allen immediately recognized the

features of a former schoolfellow and intimate, whom she had seen only

once since their respective marriages, and that many years ago. Their

joy on this meeting was very great, as well it might, since they had

been contented to know nothing of each other for the last fifteen

years. Compliments on good looks now passed; and, after observing how

time had slipped away since they were last together, how little they

had thought of meeting in Bath, and what a pleasure it was to see an

old friend, they proceeded to make inquiries and give intelligence as

to their families, sisters, and cousins, talking both together, far

more ready to give than to receive information, and each hearing very

little of what the other said. Mrs. Thorpe, however, had one great

advantage as a talker, over Mrs. Allen, in a family of children; and

when she expatiated on the talents of her sons, and the beauty of her

daughters, when she related their different situations and views—that

John was at Oxford, Edward at Merchant Taylors’, and William at sea—and

all of them more beloved and respected in their different station than

any other three beings ever were, Mrs. Allen had no similar information

to give, no similar triumphs to press on the unwilling and unbelieving

ear of her friend, and was forced to sit and appear to listen to all

these maternal effusions, consoling herself, however, with the

discovery, which her keen eyes soon made, that the lace on Mrs. Thorpe’s

pelisse was not half so handsome as that on her own.

“Here come my dear girls,” cried Mrs. Thorpe, pointing at three

smart-looking females who, arm in arm, were then moving towards her.

“My dear Mrs. Allen, I long to introduce them; they will be so

delighted to see you: the tallest is Isabella, my eldest; is not she a

fine young woman? The others are very much admired too, but I believe

Isabella is the handsomest.”

The Miss Thorpes were introduced; and Miss Morland, who had been for a

short time forgotten, was introduced likewise. The name seemed to

strike them all; and, after speaking to her with great civility, the

eldest young lady observed aloud to the rest, “How excessively like her

brother Miss Morland is!”

“The very picture of him indeed!” cried the mother—and “I should have

known her anywhere for his sister!” was repeated by them all, two or

three times over. For a moment Catherine was surprised; but Mrs. Thorpe

and her daughters had scarcely begun the history of their acquaintance

with Mr. James Morland, before she remembered that her eldest brother

had lately formed an intimacy with a young man of his own college, of

the name of Thorpe; and that he had spent the last week of the

Christmas vacation with his family, near London.

The whole being explained, many obliging things were said by the Miss

Thorpes of their wish of being better acquainted with her; of being

considered as already friends, through the friendship of their

brothers, etc., which Catherine heard with pleasure, and answered with

all the pretty expressions she could command; and, as the first proof

of amity, she was soon invited to accept an arm of the eldest Miss

Thorpe, and take a turn with her about the room. Catherine was

delighted with this extension of her Bath acquaintance, and almost

forgot Mr. Tilney while she talked to Miss Thorpe. Friendship is

certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.

Their conversation turned upon those subjects, of which the free

discussion has generally much to do in perfecting a sudden intimacy

between two young ladies: such as dress, balls, flirtations, and

quizzes. Miss Thorpe, however, being four years older than Miss

Morland, and at least four years better informed, had a very decided

advantage in discussing such points; she could compare the balls of

Bath with those of Tunbridge, its fashions with the fashions of London;

could rectify the opinions of her new friend in many articles of

tasteful attire; could discover a flirtation between any gentleman and

lady who only smiled on each other; and point out a quiz through the

thickness of a crowd. These powers received due admiration from

Catherine, to whom they were entirely new; and the respect which they

naturally inspired might have been too great for familiarity, had not

the easy gaiety of Miss Thorpe’s manners, and her frequent expressions

of delight on this acquaintance with her, softened down every feeling

of awe, and left nothing but tender affection. Their increasing

attachment was not to be satisfied with half a dozen turns in the

pump-room, but required, when they all quitted it together, that Miss

Thorpe should accompany Miss Morland to the very door of Mr. Allen’s

house; and that they should there part with a most affectionate and

lengthened shake of hands, after learning, to their mutual relief, that

they should see each other across the theatre at night, and say their

prayers in the same chapel the next morning. Catherine then ran

directly upstairs, and watched Miss Thorpe’s progress down the street

from the drawing-room window; admired the graceful spirit of her walk,

the fashionable air of her figure and dress; and felt grateful, as well

she might, for the chance which had procured her such a friend.

Mrs. Thorpe was a widow, and not a very rich one; she was a

good-humoured, well-meaning woman, and a very indulgent mother. Her

eldest daughter had great personal beauty, and the younger ones, by

pretending to be as handsome as their sister, imitating her air, and

dressing in the same style, did very well.

This brief account of the family is intended to supersede the necessity

of a long and minute detail from Mrs. Thorpe herself, of her past

adventures and sufferings, which might otherwise be expected to occupy

the three or four following chapters; in which the worthlessness of

lords and attorneys might be set forth, and conversations, which had

passed twenty years before, be minutely repeated.