northanger abbey-第36节

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spirits　were　immediately　assisted　by　the　cheerful　blaze



of　a　wood　fire。　　〃How　much　better　is　this；〃　said　she；



as　she　walked　to　the　fender〃how　much　better　to　find　a　fire



ready　lit；　than　to　have　to　wait　shivering　in　the　cold



till　all　the　family　are　in　bed；　as　so　many　poor　girls



have　been　obliged　to　do；　and　then　to　have　a　faithful　old



servant　frightening　one　by　coming　in　with　a　faggot！　How



glad　I　am　that　Northanger　is　what　it　is！　If　it　had　been



like　some　other　places；　I　do　not　know　that；　in　such　a　night



as　this；　I　could　have　answered　for　my　courage：　but　now；



to　be　sure；　there　is　nothing　to　alarm　one。〃







　　　　　She　looked　round　the　room。　　The　window　curtains　seemed



in　motion。　　It　could　be　nothing　but　the　violence　of　the



wind　penetrating　through　the　divisions　of　the　shutters；



and　she　stepped　boldly　forward；　carelessly　humming　a　tune；



to　assure　herself　of　its　being　so；　peeped　courageously



behind　each　curtain；　saw　nothing　on　either　low　window　seat



to　scare　her；　and　on　placing　a　hand　against　the　shutter；



felt　the　strongest　conviction　of　the　wind's　force。　



A　glance　at　the　old　chest；　as　she　turned　away　from



this　examination；　was　not　without　its　use；　she　scorned



the　causeless　fears　of　an　idle　fancy；　and　began　with　a



most　happy　indifference　to　prepare　herself　for　bed。　



〃She　should　take　her　time；　she　should　not　hurry　herself；



she　did　not　care　if　she　were　the　last　person　up　in　the　house。　



But　she　would　not　make　up　her　fire；　that　would　seem　cowardly；



as　if　she　wished　for　the　protection　of　light　after　she



were　in　bed。〃　The　fire　therefore　died　away；　and　Catherine；



having　spent　the　best　part　of　an　hour　in　her　arrangements；



was　beginning　to　think　of　stepping　into　bed；　when；　on　giving



a　parting　glance　round　the　room；　she　was　struck　by　the



appearance　of　a　high；　old…fashioned　black　cabinet；　which；



though　in　a　situation　conspicuous　enough；　had　never　caught



her　notice　before。　　Henry's　words；　his　description　of　the



ebony　cabinet　which　was　to　escape　her　observation　at　first；



immediately　rushed　across　her；　and　though　there　could



be　nothing　really　in　it；　there　was　something　whimsical；



it　was　certainly　a　very　remarkable　coincidence！　She



took　her　candle　and　looked　closely　at　the　cabinet。　



It　was　not　absolutely　ebony　and　gold；　but　it　was　japan；



black　and　yellow　japan　of　the　handsomest　kind；　and　as　she



held　her　candle；　the　yellow　had　very　much　the　effect



of　gold。　　The　key　was　in　the　door；　and　she　had　a　strange



fancy　to　look　into　it；　not；　however；　with　the　smallest



expectation　of　finding　anything；　but　it　was　so　very　odd；



after　what　Henry　had　said。　　In　short；　she　could　not



sleep　till　she　had　examined　it。　　So；　placing　the　candle



with　great　caution　on　a　chair；　she　seized　the　key　with　a



very　tremulous　hand　and　tried　to　turn　it；　but　it　resisted



her　utmost　strength。　　Alarmed；　but　not　discouraged；



she　tried　it　another　way；　a　bolt　flew；　and　she　believed



herself　successful；　but　how　strangely　mysterious！



The　door　was　still　immovable。　　She　paused　a　moment



in　breathless　wonder。　　The　wind　roared　down　the　chimney；



the　rain　beat　in　torrents　against　the　windows；　and　everything



seemed　to　speak　the　awfulness　of　her　situation。　



To　retire　to　bed；　however；　unsatisfied　on　such　a　point；



would　be　vain；　since　sleep　must　be　impossible　with　the



consciousness　of　a　cabinet　so　mysteriously　closed　in　her



immediate　vicinity。　　Again；　therefore；　she　applied　herself



to　the　key；　and　after　moving　it　in　every　possible　way



for　some　instants　with　the　determined　celerity　of　hope's



last　effort；　the　door　suddenly　yielded　to　her　hand：　her



heart　leaped　with　exultation　at　such　a　victory；　and　having



thrown　open　each　folding　door；　the　second　being　secured



only　by　bolts　of　less　wonderful　construction　than　the　lock；



though　in　that　her　eye　could　not　discern　anything　unusual；



a　double　range　of　small　drawers　appeared　in　view；



with　some　larger　drawers　above　and　below　them；　and　in



the　centre；　a　small　door；　closed　also　with　a　lock　and　key；



secured　in　all　probability　a　cavity　of　importance。　







　　　　　Catherine's　heart　beat　quick；　but　her　courage　did



not　fail　her。　　With　a　cheek　flushed　by　hope；　and　an　eye



straining　with　curiosity；　her　fingers　grasped　the　handle



of　a　drawer　and　drew　it　forth。　　It　was　entirely　empty。　



With　less　alarm　and　greater　eagerness　she　seized　a　second；



a　third；　a　fourth；　each　was　equally　empty。　　Not　one　was



left　unsearched；　and　in　not　one　was　anything　found。　



Well　read　in　the　art　of　concealing　a　treasure；　the　possibility



of　false　linings　to　the　drawers　did　not　escape　her；



and　she　felt　round　each　with　anxious　acuteness　in　vain。　



The　place　in　the　middle　alone　remained　now　unexplored；



and　though　she　had　〃never　from　the　first　had　the　smallest



idea　of　finding　anything　in　any　part　of　the　cabinet；



and　was　not　in　the　least　disappointed　at　her　ill　success



thus　far；　it　would　be　foolish　not　to　examine　it　thoroughly



while　she　was　about　it。〃　It　was　some　time　however　before



she　could　unfasten　the　door；　the　same　difficulty　occurring



in　the　management　of　this　inner　lock　as　of　the　outer；



but　at　length　it　did　open；　and　not　vain；　as　hitherto；



was　her　search；　her　quick　eyes　directly　fell　on　a　roll



of　paper　pushed　back　into　the　further　part　of　the　cavity；



apparently　for　concealment；　and　her　feelings　at　that



moment　were　indescribable。　　Her　heart　fluttered；



her　knees　trembled；　and　her　cheeks　grew　pale。　　She　seized；



with　an　unsteady　hand；　the　precious　manuscript；　for　half



a　glance　sufficed　to　ascertain　written　characters；



and　while　she　acknowledged　with　awful　sensations　this



striking　exemplification　of　what　Henry　had　foretold；



resolved　instantly　to　peruse　every　line　before　she　attempted



to　rest。　







　　　　　The　dimness　of　the　light　her　candle　emitted　made



her　turn　to　it　with　alarm；　but　there　was　no　danger



of　its　sudden　extinction；　it　had　yet　some　hours　to　burn；



and　that　she　might　not　have　any　greater　difficulty



in　distinguishing　the　writing　than　what　its　ancient　date



might　occasion；　she　hastily　snuffed　it。　　Alas！　It　was　snuffed



and　extinguished　in　one。　　A　lamp　could　not　have　expired



with　more　awful　effect。　　Catherine；　for　a　few　moments；



was　motionless　with　horror。　　It　was　done　completely；



not　a　remnant　of　light　in　the　wick　could　give　hope



to　the　rekindling　breath。　　Darkness　impenetrable　and



immovable　filled　the　room。　　A　violent　gust　of　wind；



rising　with　sudden　fury；　added　fresh　horror　to　the　moment。　



Catherine　trembled　from　head　to　foot。　　In　the　pause



which　succeeded；　a　sound　like　receding　footsteps　and　the



closing　of　a　distant　door　struck　on　her　affrighted　ear。　



Human　nature　could　support　no　more。　　A　cold　sweat　stood



on　her　forehead；　the　manuscript　fell　from　her　hand；



and　groping　her　way　to　the　bed；　she　jumped　hastily　in；



and　sought　some　suspension　of　agony　by　creeping　far



underneath　the　clothes。　　To　close　her　eyes　in　sleep



that　night；　she　felt　must　be　entirely　out　of　the　question。　



With　a　curiosity　so　justly　awakened；　and　feelings　in　every



way　so　agitated；　repose　must　be　absolutely　impossible。　



The　storm　too　abroad　so　dreadful！　She　had　not　been　used



to　feel　alarm　from　wind；　but　now　every　blast　seemed　fraught



with　awful　intelligence。　　The　manuscript　so　wonderfully　found；



so　wonderfully　accomplishing　the　morning's　prediction；



how　was　it　to　be　accounted　for？　What　could　it　contain？　To



whom　could　it　relate？　By　what　means　could　it　have　been



so　long　concealed？　And　how　singularly　strange　that　it



should　fall　to　her　lot　to　discover　it！　Till　she　had　made



herself　mistress　of　its　contents；　however；　she　could



have　neither　repose　nor　comfort；　and　with　the　sun's　first



rays　she　was　determined　to　peruse　it。　　But　many　were　the



tedious　hours　which　must　yet　intervene。　　She　shuddered；



tossed　about　in　her　bed；　and　envied　every　quiet　sleeper。　



The　storm　still　raged；　and　various　were　the　noises；



more　terrific　even　than　the　wind；　which　struck　at　intervals



on　her　startled　ear。　　The　very　curtains　of　her　bed　seemed



at　one　moment　in　motion；　and　at　another　the　lock　of　her　door



was　agitated；　as　if　by　the　attempt　of　somebody　to　enter。　



Hollow　murmurs　seemed　to　creep　along　the　gallery；　and　more　than



once　her　blood　was　chilled　by　the　sound　of　distant　moans。　



Hour　after　hour　passed　away；　and　the　wearied　Catherine



had　heard　three　proclaimed　by　all　the　clocks　in　the　house



before　the　tempest　subsided　or　she　unknowingly　fell



fast　aslee