The Allens had now entered on the sixth week of their stay in Bath; and whether it should be the last was for some time a question, to which Catherine listened with a beating heart. To have her acquaintance with the Tilneys end so soon was an evil which nothing could counterbalance. Her whole happiness seemed at stake, while the affair was in suspense1, and everything secured when it was determined2 that the lodgings3 should be taken for another fortnight. What this additional fortnight was to produce to her beyond the pleasure of sometimes seeing Henry Tilney made but a small part of Catherine's speculation4. Once or twice indeed, since James's engagement had taught her what could be done, she had got so far as to indulge in a secret "perhaps," but in general the felicity of being with him for the present bounded her views: the present was now comprised in another three weeks, and her happiness being certain for that period, the rest of her life was at such a distance as to excite but little interest. In the course of the morning which saw this business arranged, she visited Miss Tilney, and poured forth5 her joyful6 feelings. It was doomed7 to be a day of trial. No sooner had she expressed her delight in Mr. Allen's lengthened8 stay than Miss Tilney told her of her father's having just determined upon quitting Bath by the end of another week. Here was a blow! The past suspense of the morning had been ease and quiet to the present disappointment. Catherine's countenance9 fell, and in a voice of most sincere concern she echoed Miss Tilney's concluding words, "By the end of another week!"
"Yes, my father can seldom be prevailed on to give the waters what I think a fair trial. He has been disappointed of some friends' arrival whom he expected to meet here, and as he is now pretty well, is in a hurry to get home."
"I am very sorry for it," said Catherine dejectedly; "if I had known this before -- "
"Perhaps," said Miss Tilney in an embarrassed manner, "you would be so good -- it would make me very happy if -- "
The entrance of her father put a stop to the civility, which Catherine was beginning to hope might introduce a desire of their corresponding. After addressing her with his usual politeness, he turned to his daughter and said, "Well, Eleanor, may I congratulate you on being successful in your application to your fair friend?"
"I was just beginning to make the request, sir, as you came in."
"Well, proceed by all means. I know how much your heart is in it. My daughter, Miss Morland," he continued, without leaving his daughter time to speak, "has been forming a very bold wish. We leave Bath, as she has perhaps told you, on Saturday se'nnight. A letter from my steward10 tells me that my presence is wanted at home; and being disappointed in my hope of seeing the Marquis of Longtown and General Courteney here, some of my very old friends, there is nothing to detain me longer in Bath. And could we carry our selfish point with you, we should leave it without a single regret. Can you, in short, be prevailed on to quit this scene of public triumph and oblige your friend Eleanor with your company in Gloucestershire? I am almost ashamed to make the request, though its presumption11 would certainly appear greater to every creature in Bath than yourself. Modesty12 such as yours -- but not for the world would I pain it by open praise. If you can be induced to honour us with a visit, you will make us happy beyond expression. 'Tis true, we can offer you nothing like the gaieties of this lively place; we can tempt13 you neither by amusement nor splendour, for our mode of living, as you see, is plain and unpretending; yet no endeavours shall be wanting on our side to make Northanger Abbey not wholly disagreeable."
Northanger Abbey! These were thrilling words, and wound up Catherine's feelings to the highest point of ecstasy14. Her grateful and gratified heart could hardly restrain its expressions within the language of tolerable calmness. To receive so flattering an invitation! To have her company so warmly solicited15! Everything honourable16 and soothing17, every present enjoyment18, and every future hope was contained in it; and her acceptance, with only the saving clause of Papa and Mamma's approbation19, was eagerly given. "I will write home directly," said she, "and if they do not object, as I dare say they will not -- "
General Tilney was not less sanguine20, having already waited on her excellent friends in Pulteney Street, and obtained their sanction of his wishes. "Since they can consent to part with you," said he, "we may expect philosophy from all the world."
Miss Tilney was earnest, though gentle, in her secondary civilities, and the affair became in a few minutes as nearly settled as this necessary reference to Fullerton would allow.
The circumstances of the morning had led Catherine's feelings through the varieties of suspense, security, and disappointment; but they were now safely lodged21 in perfect bliss22; and with spirits elated to rapture23, with Henry at her heart, and Northanger Abbey on her lips, she hurried home to write her letter. Mr. and Mrs. Morland, relying on the discretion24 of the friends to whom they had already entrusted25 their daughter, felt no doubt of the propriety26 of an acquaintance which had been formed under their eye, and sent therefore by return of post their ready consent to her visit in Gloucestershire. This indulgence, though not more than Catherine had hoped for, completed her conviction of being favoured beyond every other human creature, in friends and fortune, circumstance and chance. Everything seemed to cooperate for her advantage. By the kindness of her first friends, the Allens, she had been introduced into scenes where pleasures of every kind had met her. Her feelings, her preferences, had each known the happiness of a return. Wherever she felt attachment27, she had been able to create it. The affection of Isabella was to be secured to her in a sister. The Tilneys, they, by whom, above all, she desired to be favourably28 thought of, outstripped29 even her wishes in the flattering measures by which their intimacy30 was to be continued. She was to be their chosen visitor, she was to be for weeks under the same roof with the person whose society she mostly prized -- and, in addition to all the rest, this roof was to be the roof of an abbey! Her passion for ancient edifices31 was next in degree to her passion for Henry Tilney -- and castles and abbeys made usually the charm of those reveries which his image did not fill. To see and explore either the ramparts and keep of the one, or the cloisters32 of the other, had been for many weeks a darling wish, though to be more than the visitor of an hour had seemed too nearly impossible for desire. And yet, this was to happen. With all the chances against her of house, hall, place, park, court, and cottage, Northanger turned up an abbey, and she was to be its inhabitant. Its long, damp passages, its narrow cells and ruined chapel33, were to be within her daily reach, and she could not entirely34 subdue35 the hope of some traditional legends, some awful memorials of an injured and ill-fated nun36.
It was wonderful that her friends should seem so little elated by the possession of such a home, that the consciousness of it should be so meekly37 borne. The power of early habit only could account for it. A distinction to which they had been born gave no pride. Their superiority of abode38 was no more to them than their superiority of person.
Many were the inquiries39 she was eager to make of Miss Tilney; but so active were her thoughts, that when these inquiries were answered, she was hardly more assured than before, of Northanger Abbey having been a richly endowed convent at the time of the Reformation, of its having fallen into the hands of an ancestor of the Tilneys on its dissolution, of a large portion of the ancient building still making a part of the present dwelling40 although the rest was decayed, or of its standing41 low in a valley, sheltered from the north and east by rising woods of oak.
艾伦夫妇的巴思之行现已进入第六周。这会不会是最后一周，一时还不能确定。凯瑟琳听到这话，心里不觉扑扑直跳。她同蒂尔尼兄妹的交往这么快就要结束，这个损失是无论如何也无可弥补的。当事情悬而未决的时候．她的整个幸福似乎都受到了威胁；而当决定再续租两个星期的房子时，她心里才踏实下来。增加了这两个星期，凯瑟琳只想着可以时常看见亨利·蒂尔尼，至于还会带来什么好处，她却很少考虑。的确，自从詹姆斯的订婚开阔
了她的眼界以后．她有一两次居然沉迷于私下的“假想”之中。不过，一般说来，她的目光局限于眼下同亨利·蒂尔尼幸福地呆在一起。所谓的眼下现在还有三个星期，既然这段时间有了幸福的保证，她余下的一生又是那样遥远，根本激不起她的兴趣。就在作出这个决定的那天早晨，她拜访了蒂尔尼小姐，倾诉了自己的喜悦心情。但是这天注定是个熬煎人的日子。她刚对艾伦先生决定多呆些日子表示高兴，蒂尔尼小姐便告诉她，她父亲刚刚决定，再过一个星期就离开巴思。这真是当头一棒！同现在的失望相比，早晨的悬虑简直是既舒心，又平静。凯瑟琳脸色一沉，带着十分真诚而关切的语气，重复了一声蒂尔尼小姐的后面几个字：“再过一个星期！”。
“是的。我认为我父亲应该好好试试这里的矿泉水，可是他不肯听。他本来期望在这里会见几位朋友，扫兴的是朋友一直没来，既然他现在身体不错，便急着要回家。”
“真可惜，”凯瑟琳颓丧地说道。“我要是早知这样——”
“也许，”蒂尔尼小姐带着为难的神态说道，“你肯赏光——我一定会十分高兴，如果——”
凯瑟琳正期待蒂尔尼小姐客客气气地提出通信的愿望，不料蒂尔尼将军进屋打断了话头。他像平常一样客气地招呼过凯瑟琳之后，便转向他女儿，说道。“唔，埃丽诺，你来求你的漂亮朋友赏光。我可以祝贺你马到成功了吗？”
“爸爸，我正要开口说，你就进来了。”
“好吧，那就继续说吧。我知道你心里多想提这件事。莫兰小姐，”蒂尔尼将军继续说道，不给女儿说话的机会，“我女儿产生了一个冒昧的要求，也许她对你说过了，我们下星期六离开巴思。管家来信要我回去。我本想在这儿见几个老朋友---- 朗汤侯爵和考特尼将军，现在见不成了，我也就没有必要再呆在巴思。要是能劝说你答应我们的自私要求，我们走了也绝没有什么好遗憾的。简单说吧，你能不能离开这个旅游胜地，到格洛斯特郡和你的朋友埃丽诺做做伴？我简直不好意思提出这个要求，虽说你不会像巴思人那样觉得这很冒昧。像你这样谦逊的人——但是我决不想用公开的赞扬，来伤害你的谦逊。你要是肯屈尊光临的话，我们定会高兴得无法形容。确实，这是个繁华之地，我们家里找不到这样的乐趣。我们不能拿娱乐和豪华来吸引你。因为，如你所见，我们的生活方式是简单朴素的。不过，我们将尽力把诺桑觉寺搞得不那么十分令人讨厌。”
诺桑觉寺！这是多么令人激动的几个字啊，凯瑟琳心里兴奋到了极点。她简直按捺不住内心的喜悦，说话都平静不下来，人家这样赏脸来请她！这样热情地请她做伴！一切是那样体面，那样令人欣慰，眼前的一切喜悦，未来的一切希望。通通包含在其中。凯瑟琳迫不及待地接受了邀请，只提了一个保留条件。要得到爸爸妈妈的允许。“我马上就给家里写信，”她说，“他们要是不反对的话，我敢说他们不会反对——”
蒂尔尼将军曾到普尔蒂尼街拜访过凯瑟琳的贵友，艾伦夫妇已经答应了他的请求，因而他同样感到十分乐观。“既然艾伦夫妇都同意你去，”他说，“别人也会通情达理的”。
蒂尔尼小姐虽说比较温和，但是帮起腔来还是十分恳切。不一会儿工夫。事情已经谈妥，只等富勒顿方面批准。
这一上午的事情，使凯瑟琳心里尝到了悬虑、放心和失望的种种滋味，可是现在却安然沉浸在万分的喜悦之中。她带着欣喜若狂的心情，满脑子想着亨利，满嘴巴念叨着诺桑觉寺，急火火地往家写信。莫兰夫妇已经把女儿交给了朋友，相信他们都很谨慎。觉得在他们眼皮下结成的友谊肯定是正当的，于是便让原邮班捎来回信，欣然同意女儿去格洛斯特郡做客。这个恩惠虽说并未超出凯瑟琳的期望，但却使她百分之百地相信。她在亲朋与运气，境况与机遇上，比任何人都得天独厚。仿佛一切因素都在协力成全她似的。最初，承蒙她的朋友艾伦夫妇的美意，她接触了这些场面，尝到了各式各样的乐趣。她的每一种情感，每一种喜爱，都得到了愉快的报偿。她不管喜欢哪一个人，都能与其建立起亲密的友谊。伊莎贝拉对她的厚爱将以姑嫂关系固定下来。她最希望赢得蒂尔尼一家的垂爱，而蒂尔尼家则出乎意料地采取这个措施，致使他们的密切关系得以继续下去。她要成为他们的佳宾，跟她最喜欢接近的人在同一幢房子里住上几个星期。这还不算，这房子还是座寺院！她喜爱古老的建筑仅次于喜爱亨利·蒂尔尼。当她不想蒂尔尼的时候，古堡和寺院通常构成她梦幻中最有魅力的东西。几星期来，她一直心驰神往地希望能到那些古堡的壁垒高塔，或是寺院的回廊去看一看，考察考察，只要能去逛上一个钟头就不错了，希望再大似乎是不可能实现的。然而，事情居然就要发生了。她要见到的不是一般的住宅、府第、邸宅、庄园、宫廷、别墅，诺桑觉偏巧是个寺院，她要住到寺院里去。每天要接触潮湿的长廊、狭小的密室、倾圮的小教堂，她还情不自禁地希望听到一些沿袭已久的传说，见到一些关于虐待一位不幸修女的可怕记录。
令人惊奇的是。她的朋友们似乎并不因为有这样的家，而感到洋洋得意。他们一想到自己的家，总是表现得那样谦恭。这一点只有早先的习惯力量能够加以解释。他们出身贵门，却不恃贵骄人。住宅的优越和出身的优越一样，对他们都算不了什么。
凯瑟琳急切地问了蒂尔尼小姐许多问题。但是她思想过于活跃，蒂尔尼小姐回答了这些询问之后，她对诺桑觉寺的了解几乎不比以前更清楚，她还只是笼统地知道：该寺在宗教改革时期本是个财产富足的女修道院，改革运动消亡后落到蒂尔尼家族的一位远祖手里；过去的建筑有很大一部分保留下来，构成目前住宅的一部分，其余部分都倾圮了；寺院坐落在一道峡谷的低处，东面和北面存渐起的栎树林作屏樟。
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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solicited
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| v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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entrusted
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propriety
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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outstripped
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| v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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cloisters
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| n.（学院、修道院、教堂等建筑的）走廊( cloister的名词复数 )；回廊；修道院的生活；隐居v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的第三人称单数 ) | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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