Chapter 6

by Jane Austen

　　The following conversation, which took placebetween the two friends in the pump-room one morning,after an acquaintance of eight or nine days, is givenas a specimen of their very warm attachment, and ofthe delicacy, discretion, originality of thought, and literarytaste which marked the reasonableness of that attachment.

　　They met by appointment; and as Isabella had arrivednearly five minutes before her friend, her first addressnaturally was, "My dearest creature, what can have madeyou so late? I have been waiting for you at least this age!"

　　"Have you, indeed! I am very sorry for it; but reallyI thought I was in very good time. It is but just one.I hope you have not been here long?"

　　"Oh! These ten ages at least. I am sure I havebeen here this half hour. But now, let us go and sitdown at the other end of the room, and enjoy ourselves.I have an hundred things to say to you. In thefirst place, I was so afraid it would rain this morning,just as I wanted to set off; it looked very showery,and that would have thrown me into agonies! Do you know,I saw the prettiest hat you can imagine, in a shopwindow in Milsom Street just now--very like yours,only with coquelicot ribbons instead of green; I quitelonged for it. But, my dearest Catherine, what have youbeen doing with yourself all this morning? Have you goneon with Udolpho?"

　　"Yes, I have been reading it ever since I woke;and I am got to the black veil."

　　"Are you, indeed? How delightful! Oh! I would nottell you what is behind the black veil for the world!Are not you wild to know?"

　　"Oh! Yes, quite; what can it be? But do not tellme--I would not be told upon any account. I know it mustbe a skeleton, I am sure it is Laurentina's skeleton.Oh! I am delighted with the book! I should like to spendmy whole life in reading it. I assure you, if it hadnot been to meet you, I would not have come away from itfor all the world."

　　"Dear creature! How much I am obliged to you;and when you have finished Udolpho, we will read theItalian together; and I have made out a list of tenor twelve more of the same kind for you."

　　"Have you, indeed! How glad I am! What are they all?"

　　"I will read you their names directly; here they are,in my pocketbook. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont,Mysterious Warnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest,Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine, and Horrid Mysteries.Those will last us some time."

　　"Yes, pretty well; but are they all horrid, are yousure they are all horrid?"

　　"Yes, quite sure; for a particular friend of mine,a Miss Andrews, a sweet girl, one of the sweetest creaturesin the world, has read every one of them. I wish youknew Miss Andrews, you would be delighted with her.She is netting herself the sweetest cloak you can conceive.I think her as beautiful as an angel, and I am so vexedwith the men for not admiring her! I scold them all amazinglyabout it."

　　"Scold them! Do you scold them for not admiring her?"

　　"Yes, that I do. There is nothing I would not dofor those who are really my friends. I have no notionof loving people by halves; it is not my nature.My attachments are always excessively strong. I toldCaptain Hunt at one of our assemblies this winter that if hewas to tease me all night, I would not dance with him,unless he would allow Miss Andrews to be as beautiful asan angel. The men think us incapable of real friendship,you know, and I am determined to show them the difference.Now, if I were to hear anybody speak slightingly of you,I should fire up in a moment: but that is not at all likely,for you are just the kind of girl to be a great favouritewith the men."

　　"Oh, dear!" cried Catherine, colouring. "How canyou say so?"

　　"I know you very well; you have so much animation,which is exactly what Miss Andrews wants, for I mustconfess there is something amazingly insipid about her.Oh! I must tell you, that just after we parted yesterday,I saw a young man looking at you so earnestly--I amsure he is in love with you." Catherine coloured,and disclaimed again. Isabella laughed. "It is very true,upon my honour, but I see how it is; you are indifferentto everybody's admiration, except that of one gentleman,who shall be nameless. Nay, I cannot blame you"--speakingmore seriously--"your feelings are easily understood.Where the heart is really attached, I know very well how littleone can be pleased with the attention of anybody else.Everything is so insipid, so uninteresting, that does notrelate to the beloved object! I can perfectly comprehendyour feelings."

　　"But you should not persuade me that I think so verymuch about Mr. Tilney, for perhaps I may never see him again."

　　"Not see him again! My dearest creature, do not talkof it. I am sure you would be miserable if you thought so!"

　　"No, indeed, I should not. I do not pretend to saythat I was not very much pleased with him; but while Ihave Udolpho to read, I feel as if nobody could makeme miserable. Oh! The dreadful black veil! My dear Isabella,I am sure there must be Laurentina's skeleton behind it."

　　"It is so odd to me, that you should never haveread Udolpho before; but I suppose Mrs. Morland objectsto novels."

　　"No, she does not. She very often reads Sir CharlesGrandison herself; but new books do not fall in our way."

　　"Sir Charles Grandison! That is an amazing horrid book,is it not? I remember Miss Andrews could not get throughthe first volume."

　　"It is not like Udolpho at all; but yet I think itis very entertaining."

　　"Do you indeed! You surprise me; I thought ithad not been readable. But, my dearest Catherine,have you settled what to wear on your head tonight? I amdetermined at all events to be dressed exactly like you.The men take notice of that sometimes, you know."

　　"But it does not signify if they do," said Catherine,very innocently.

　　"Signify! Oh, heavens! I make it a rule never to mindwhat they say. They are very often amazingly impertinentif you do not treat them with spirit, and make them keeptheir distance."

　　"Are they? Well, I never observed that. They alwaysbehave very well to me."

　　"Oh! They give themselves such airs. They arethe most conceited creatures in the world, and thinkthemselves of so much importance! By the by, though Ihave thought of it a hundred times, I have always forgotto ask you what is your favourite complexion in a man.Do you like them best dark or fair?"

　　"I hardly know. I never much thought about it.Something between both, I think. Brown--not fair,and--and not very dark."

　　"Very well, Catherine. That is exactly he. I havenot forgot your description of Mr. Tilney--'a brown skin,with dark eyes, and rather dark hair.' Well, my tasteis different. I prefer light eyes, and as to complexion--doyou know--I like a sallow better than any other.You must not betray me, if you should ever meet with oneof your acquaintance answering that description."

　　"Betray you! What do you mean?"

　　"Nay, do not distress me. I believe I have saidtoo much. Let us drop the subject."

　　Catherine, in some amazement, complied, and afterremaining a few moments silent, was on the point ofreverting to what interested her at that time rather morethan anything else in the world, Laurentina's skeleton,when her friend prevented her, by saying, "For heaven'ssake! Let us move away from this end of the room.Do you know, there are two odious young men who have beenstaring at me this half hour. They really put me quiteout of countenance. Let us go and look at the arrivals.They will hardly follow us there."

　　Away they walked to the book; and while Isabellaexamined the names, it was Catherine's employment to watchthe proceedings of these alarming young men.

　　"They are not coming this way, are they? I hope theyare not so impertinent as to follow us. Pray let me knowif they are coming. I am determined I will not look up."

　　In a few moments Catherine, with unaffected pleasure,assured her that she need not be longer uneasy, as thegentlemen had just left the pump-room.

　　"And which way are they gone?" said Isabella,turning hastily round. "One was a very good-lookingyoung man."

　　"They went towards the church-yard."

　　"Well, I am amazingly glad I have got rid of them!And now, what say you to going to Edgar's Buildingswith me, and looking at my new hat? You said you shouldlike to see it."

　　Catherine readily agreed. "Only," she added,"perhaps we may overtake the two young men."

　　"Oh! Never mind that. If we make haste, we shallpass by them presently, and I am dying to show you my hat."

　　"But if we only wait a few minutes, there will beno danger of our seeing them at all."

　　"I shall not pay them any such compliment, I assure you.I have no notion of treating men with such respect.That is the way to spoil them."

　　Catherine had nothing to oppose against such reasoning;and therefore, to show the independence of Miss Thorpe,and her resolution of humbling the sex, they set offimmediately as fast as they could walk, in pursuit of thetwo young men.