Chapter 3

by Jane Austen

　　Every morning now brought its regular duties--shops wereto be visited; some new part of the town to be looked at;and the pump-room to be attended, where they paraded upand down for an hour, looking at everybody and speakingto no one. The wish of a numerous acquaintance in Bathwas still uppermost with Mrs. Allen, and she repeated itafter every fresh proof, which every morning brought,of her knowing nobody at all.

　　They made their appearance in the Lower Rooms;and here fortune was more favourable to our heroine.The master of the ceremonies introduced to her a verygentlemanlike young man as a partner; his name was Tilney.He seemed to be about four or five and twenty, was rather tall,had a pleasing countenance, a very intelligent andlively eye, and, if not quite handsome, was very near it.His address was good, and Catherine felt herself in high luck.There was little leisure for speaking while they danced;but when they were seated at tea, she found him asagreeable as she had already given him credit for being.He talked with fluency and spirit--and there was an archnessand pleasantry in his manner which interested, though itwas hardly understood by her. After chatting some timeon such matters as naturally arose from the objectsaround them, he suddenly addressed her with--"I havehitherto been very remiss, madam, in the proper attentionsof a partner here; I have not yet asked you how long youhave been in Bath; whether you were ever here before;whether you have been at the Upper Rooms, the theatre,and the concert; and how you like the place altogether.I have been very negligent--but are you now at leisureto satisfy me in these particulars? If you are I willbegin directly."

　　"You need not give yourself that trouble, sir."

　　"No trouble, I assure you, madam." Then forminghis features into a set smile, and affectedly softeninghis voice, he added, with a simpering air, "Have youbeen long in Bath, madam?"

　　"About a week, sir," replied Catherine, trying notto laugh.

　　"Really!" with affected astonishment.

　　"Why should you be surprised, sir?"

　　"Why, indeed!" said he, in his natural tone."But some emotion must appear to be raised by your reply,and surprise is more easily assumed, and not lessreasonable than any other. Now let us go on. Were younever here before, madam?"

　　"Never, sir."

　　"Indeed! Have you yet honoured the Upper Rooms?"

　　"Yes, sir, I was there last Monday."

　　"Have you been to the theatre?"

　　"Yes, sir, I was at the play on Tuesday."

　　"To the concert?"

　　"Yes, sir, on Wednesday."

　　"And are you altogether pleased with Bath?"

　　"Yes--I like it very well."

　　"Now I must give one smirk, and then we may berational again." Catherine turned away her head,not knowing whether she might venture to laugh."I see what you think of me," said he gravely--"Ishall make but a poor figure in your journal tomorrow."

　　"My journal!" "Yes, I know exactly what you willsay: Friday, went to the Lower Rooms; wore my spriggedmuslin robe with blue trimmings--plain black shoes--appearedto much advantage; but was strangely harassed by a queer,half-witted man, who would make me dance with him,and distressed me by his nonsense."

　　"Indeed I shall say no such thing."

　　"Shall I tell you what you ought to say?"

　　"If you please."

　　"I danced with a very agreeable young man,introduced by Mr. King; had a great deal of conversationwith him--seems a most extraordinary genius--hope I mayknow more of him. That, madam, is what I wish you to say."

　　"But, perhaps, I keep no journal."

　　"Perhaps you are not sitting in this room, and I amnot sitting by you. These are points in which a doubt isequally possible. Not keep a journal! How are your absentcousins to understand the tenour of your life in Bathwithout one? How are the civilities and compliments ofevery day to be related as they ought to be, unless noteddown every evening in a journal? How are your variousdresses to be remembered, and the particular state ofyour complexion, and curl of your hair to be describedin all their diversities, without having constant recourseto a journal? My dear madam, I am not so ignorant ofyoung ladies' ways as you wish to believe me; it is thisdelightful habit of journaling which largely contributesto form the easy style of writing for which ladies areso generally celebrated. Everybody allows that the talentof writing agreeable letters is peculiarly female.Nature may have done something, but I am sure it mustbe essentially assisted by the practice of keeping a journal."

　　"I have sometimes thought," said Catherine, doubtingly,"whether ladies do write so much better letters than gentlemen!That is--I should not think the superiority was always on our side."

　　"As far as I have had opportunity of judging,it appears to me that the usual style of letter-writingamong women is faultless, except in three particulars."

　　"And what are they?"

　　"A general deficiency of subject, a total inattentionto stops, and a very frequent ignorance of grammar."

　　"Upon my word! I need not have been afraid of disclaimingthe compliment. You do not think too highly of us in that way."

　　"I should no more lay it down as a general rule thatwomen write better letters than men, than that they singbetter duets, or draw better landscapes. In every power,of which taste is the foundation, excellence is prettyfairly divided between the sexes."

　　They were interrupted by Mrs. Allen: "My dear Catherine,"said she, "do take this pin out of my sleeve; I am afraid ithas torn a hole already; I shall be quite sorry if it has,for this is a favourite gown, though it cost but nineshillings a yard."

　　"That is exactly what I should have guessedit, madam," said Mr. Tilney, looking at the muslin.

　　"Do you understand muslins, sir?"

　　"Particularly well; I always buy my own cravats,and am allowed to be an excellent judge; and mysister has often trusted me in the choice of a gown.I bought one for her the other day, and it was pronouncedto be a prodigious bargain by every lady who saw it.I gave but five shillings a yard for it, and a trueIndian muslin."

　　Mrs. Allen was quite struck by his genius. "Men commonlytake so little notice of those things," said she; "I cannever get Mr. Allen to know one of my gowns from another.You must be a great comfort to your sister, sir."

　　"I hope I am, madam."

　　"And pray, sir, what do you think of Miss Morland's gown?"

　　"It is very pretty, madam," said he, gravely examining it;"but I do not think it will wash well; I am afraid it will fray."

　　"How can you," said Catherine, laughing, "be so--"She had almost said "strange."

　　"I am quite of your opinion, sir," replied Mrs. Allen;"and so I told Miss Morland when she bought it."

　　"But then you know, madam, muslin always turnsto some account or other; Miss Morland will get enoughout of it for a handkerchief, or a cap, or a cloak.Muslin can never be said to be wasted. I have heard mysister say so forty times, when she has been extravagantin buying more than she wanted, or careless in cutting itto pieces."

　　"Bath is a charming place, sir; there are so manygood shops here. We are sadly off in the country;not but what we have very good shops in Salisbury,but it is so far to go--eight miles is a long way;Mr. Allen says it is nine, measured nine; but I am sure itcannot be more than eight; and it is such a fag--I comeback tired to death. Now, here one can step out of doorsand get a thing in five minutes."

　　Mr. Tilney was polite enough to seem interestedin what she said; and she kept him on the subject ofmuslins till the dancing recommenced. Catherine feared,as she listened to their discourse, that he indulgedhimself a little too much with the foibles of others."What are you thinking of so earnestly?" said he,as they walked back to the ballroom; "not of your partner,I hope, for, by that shake of the head, your meditationsare not satisfactory."

　　Catherine coloured, and said, "I was not thinkingof anything."

　　"That is artful and deep, to be sure; but I hadrather be told at once that you will not tell me."

　　"Well then, I will not."

　　"Thank you; for now we shall soon be acquainted,as I am authorized to tease you on this subject wheneverwe meet, and nothing in the world advances intimacyso much."

　　They danced again; and, when the assembly closed,parted, on the lady's side at least, with a stronginclination for continuing the acquaintance. Whether shethought of him so much, while she drank her warm wineand water, and prepared herself for bed, as to dream of himwhen there, cannot be ascertained; but I hope it was nomore than in a slight slumber, or a morning doze at most;for if it be true, as a celebrated writer has maintained,that no young lady can be justified in falling in lovebefore the gentleman's love is declared, it must be veryimproper that a young lady should dream of a gentlemanbefore the gentleman is first known to have dreamt of her.How proper Mr. Tilney might be as a dreamer or a loverhad not yet perhaps entered Mr. Allen's head, but that hewas not objectionable as a common acquaintance for hisyoung charge he was on inquiry satisfied; for he had earlyin the evening taken pains to know who her partner was,and had been assured of Mr. Tilney's being a clergyman,and of a very respectable family in Gloucestershire.