登陆注册
5215400000029

第29章

The morrow brought a very sober-looking morning, the sun making only a few efforts to appear, and Catherine augured from it everything most favourable to her wishes.

A bright morning so early in the year, she allowed, would generally turn to rain, but a cloudy one foretold improvement as the day advanced. She applied to Mr. Allen for confirmation of her hopes, but Mr. Allen, not having his own skies and barometer about him, declined giving any absolute promise of sunshine.

She applied to Mrs. Allen, and Mrs. Allen's opinion was more positive. "She had no doubt in the world of its being a very fine day, if the clouds would only go off, and the sun keep out."At about eleven o'clock, however, a few specks of small rain upon the windows caught Catherine's watchful eye, and "Oh! dear, I do believe it will be wet," broke from her in a most desponding tone.

"I thought how it would be," said Mrs. Allen.

"No walk for me today," sighed Catherine; "but perhaps it may come to nothing, or it may hold up before twelve.""Perhaps it may, but then, my dear, it will be so dirty.""Oh! That will not signify; I never mind dirt.""No," replied her friend very placidly, "I know you never mind dirt."After a short pause, "It comes on faster and faster!"said Catherine, as she stood watching at a window.

"So it does indeed. If it keeps raining, the streets will be very wet.""There are four umbrellas up already. How I hate the sight of an umbrella!""They are disagreeable things to carry. I would much rather take a chair at any time.""It was such a nice-looking morning! I felt so convinced it would be dry!""Anybody would have thought so indeed. There will be very few people in the pump-room, if it rains all the morning. I hope Mr. Allen will put on his greatcoat when he goes, but I dare say he will not, for he had rather do anything in the world than walk out in a greatcoat;I wonder he should dislike it, it must be so comfortable."The rain continued--fast, though not heavy.

Catherine went every five minutes to the clock, threatening on each return that, if it still kept on raining another five minutes, she would give up the matter as hopeless. The clock struck twelve, and it still rained.

"You will not be able to go, my dear."

"I do not quite despair yet. I shall not give it up till a quarter after twelve. This is just the time of day for it to clear up, and I do think it looks a little lighter. There, it is twenty minutes after twelve, and now I shall give it up entirely.

Oh! That we had such weather here as they had at Udolpho, or at least in Tuscany and the south of France!--the night that poor St. Aubin died!--such beautiful weather!"At half past twelve, when Catherine's anxious attention to the weather was over and she could no longer claim any merit from its amendment, the sky began voluntarily to clear. A gleam of sunshine took her quite by surprise;she looked round; the clouds were parting, and she instantly returned to the window to watch over and encourage the happy appearance. Ten minutes more made it certain that a bright afternoon would succeed, and justified the opinion of Mrs. Allen, who had "always thought it would clear up."But whether Catherine might still expect her friends, whether there had not been too much rain for Miss Tilney to venture, must yet be a question.

It was too dirty for Mrs. Allen to accompany her husband to the pump-room; he accordingly set off by himself, and Catherine had barely watched him down the street when her notice was claimed by the approach of the same two open carriages, containing the same three people that had surprised her so much a few mornings back.

"Isabella, my brother, and Mr. Thorpe, I declare!

They are coming for me perhaps--but I shall not go--Icannot go indeed, for you know Miss Tilney may still call."Mrs. Allen agreed to it. John Thorpe was soon with them, and his voice was with them yet sooner, for on the stairs he was calling out to Miss Morland to be quick.

"Make haste! Make haste!" as he threw open the door.

"Put on your hat this moment--there is no time to be lost--we are going to Bristol. How d'ye do, Mrs. Allen?""To Bristol! Is not that a great way off? But, however, I cannot go with you today, because I am engaged;I expect some friends every moment." This was of course vehemently talked down as no reason at all; Mrs. Allen was called on to second him, and the two others walked in, to give their assistance. "My sweetest Catherine, is not this delightful? We shall have a most heavenly drive.

You are to thank your brother and me for the scheme;it darted into our heads at breakfast-time, I verily believe at the same instant; and we should have been off two hours ago if it had not been for this detestable rain.

But it does not signify, the nights are moonlight, and we shall do delightfully. Oh! I am in such ecstasies at the thoughts of a little country air and quiet! So much better than going to the Lower Rooms. We shall drive directly to Clifton and dine there; and, as soon as dinner is over, if there is time for it, go on to Kingsweston.""I doubt our being able to do so much," said Morland.

"You croaking fellow!" cried Thorpe. "We shall be able to do ten times more. Kingsweston! Aye, and Blaize Castle too, and anything else we can hear of;but here is your sister says she will not go.""Blaize Castle!" cried Catherine. "What is that'?""The finest place in England--worth going fifty miles at any time to see.""What, is it really a castle, an old castle?""The oldest in the kingdom."

"But is it like what one reads of?"

"Exactly--the very same."

"But now really--are there towers and long galleries?""By dozens."

"Then I should like to see it; but I cannot--Icannot go.

"Not go! My beloved creature, what do you mean'?""I cannot go, because"--looking down as she spoke, fearful of Isabella's smile--"I expect Miss Tilney and her brother to call on me to take a country walk.

同类推荐
  • 温室经疏

    温室经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说婆罗门子命终爱念不离经

    佛说婆罗门子命终爱念不离经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Charmed Life

    A Charmed Life

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Double Barrelled Detective

    Double Barrelled Detective

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道法宗旨图衍义

    道法宗旨图衍义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 仙医宠妃:腹黑太子是我的

    仙医宠妃:腹黑太子是我的

    那一世,青屿山上的她生来便是仙,却被凡身蕴育,法力被封印;太白虚上已飞升上神的他,闻见了她初临世时被取下的一撮婴发,从此梦中便有了她的音容。隔世再见时,受师尊之命下凡替她历飞升天劫……从此,太白虚上,再添一位“师叔”,已位列上神的他,默默守护师尊的隐世关门弟子,小师叔?对你的情隐于唇齿,藏于心间,只要你还在,只要我还存于天地间,谁理仙礼教数…
  • 鬼斧神工的世界建筑

    鬼斧神工的世界建筑

    埃及的金字塔、中国的长城、中国的兵马俑、中国的悬空寺、北京故宫等等这些世界的古代经典奇迹,是我们世界人们中的经典,全书中介绍了不同时期的建筑,有“上古建筑”、“中古建筑”等等。
  • 我在深渊做领主

    我在深渊做领主

    一个死亡的灵魂在经过深渊的时候,被一位深渊领主抓住,投入了嘴中。但没想到这家伙竟然还会反抗,最后略微脑残的深渊领主只能将他同化!深渊领主发现了一个空间通道,他将同化的那个灵魂的意志注入到了一具投影内,让他去探查那座世界!但没想到,那个世界竟然是神灵在深渊布置的前哨站……多位面的世界架构,主要描写投影!主要西幻,架构中有东方世界,文体两开花!剧情全是yy。本书是黑暗幻想,可能引起不适。本书属于慢热,请耐心一点!如果跳着看的话,会很累!所以还是躺着为好!(再说一遍,本书不适合跳着看)诸位多投投推荐票,多多给作者一点建议和点点评,谢谢。
  • 两汉刊误补遗

    两汉刊误补遗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说腹中女听经

    佛说腹中女听经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 忆时流年

    忆时流年

    一只玻璃千纸鹤,一场成长带来的伤痛。那时的我们是否做错了什么?
  • 外星殿下的宠妃:相亲相到外星人

    外星殿下的宠妃:相亲相到外星人

    大龄剩女遭遇外星王储,看剩女如何玩转外星宫廷。苏三三,小名小三,大龄剩女,永城一家小医药制剂公司的文员,终日为五斗米折腰,在经历了惨痛的、血泪淋淋的一百次相亲后,终于遇到了自己梦中的白马王子——流年!流年,市医院的外科副主任,海归,年轻有为,文质彬彬,不但学识渊博而且非常富有,像他这样优秀的男人居然拜倒在苏三三的石榴裙下,这让苏三三对着突如其来的爱情既忐忑不安又热血沸腾。两人开始交往,然而苏三三心中的忐忑不安却越来越强烈,终于这种不安得到了证实,流年根本就不是地球人,人家是外星人,而且还是卡扎星系的皇位继承人!他来地球的真正目的也不是为了寻找自己未来的皇后,是为了挫败一起惊天惨绝人寰的阴谋。这让苏三三欲哭无泪!苏三三该何去何从?因为某种原因而接近苏三三的流年王子会不会最终爱上苏三三?流年所在的星系的皇室尤其是流年的母后能不能接受一个被他们成为没有头脑、品种恶劣的种族的女孩做未来卡扎星系的王后?那天大的阴谋能否被流年阻止?更多精彩内容尽在《相亲相到外星人——穿越光年之恋》
  • 呼唤清风

    呼唤清风

    《呼唤清风》尤以为“清风”呐喊的篇什多些,故而作者许咨新把书名取为《呼唤清风》,也表达了本书的倾情关注,寄托了笔者的真诚愿望。全书分为三辑,共99篇。“清风篇”,以反腐倡廉为主题,劲吹清正廉洁之风的杂文、时评。“随想篇”,多为贴近社会、贴近群众、贴近生活有感而发、不妨一说的杂谈、随感。“拾贝篇”,则为杂文、随笔、散文及数篇初涉文学的萌芽之作。
  • 斗武乾坤

    斗武乾坤

    【火爆玄幻】没有什么事情,是一个响指解决不了的,如果有,那就两个响指!张陌凡得逆天机遇,修炼无敌功法,觉醒五个斗魂,开启了一条碾压无数天才,主宰万古乾坤之路
  • 民女逆袭:封妃路漫漫

    民女逆袭:封妃路漫漫

    他是天子最喜欢的儿子没有之一,他最不喜欢一类人的就是:王妃。他爹和他哥哥非要塞给他那么一个人,真心无奈。不过要做他的王妃,要做好不受宠爱的思想准备,必要的时候还要有杀人放火、谋朝篡位的勇气哦……“这位小姑娘你叫什么名字?听说是十万两买回来的,这里是许王府,我的家,一纸卖身契在我手,你想要嚣张,得问过我!”……当她唯一的希望被击碎,誓要报仇,但“若牵连了王爷可怎么是好?”……“不就是杀个人,我许鑫泽还不至于窝囊至此,大不了谋个朝!”……诶,可是怎么被朝廷追兵追得连顿好饭都吃不上了……