EXTRACT 3 - Northanger Abbey

we're gonna find someone that deserves better and she's
gonna be inversed in a gothic novel
Chapter 1
She also has a heroine- like style
the last line referring that, she's
described as an average person
No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her in-
fancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her
situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her
own person and disposition, were all equally against her.
Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected, or
poor, and a very respectable man, though his name was
Richard — and he had never been handsome. He had a con-
siderable independence besides two good livings — and
he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daugh-
ters. Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with
a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a good
constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was born;
and instead of dying in bringing the latter into the world,
as anybody might expect, she still lived on — lived to have
six children more — to see them growing up around her,
and to enjoy excellent health herself. A family of ten chil-
dren will be always called a fine family, where there are
heads and arms and legs enough for the number; but the
Morlands had little other right to the word, for they were
in general very plain, and Catherine, for many years of her
life, as plain as any. She had a thin awkward figure, a sal-
low skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features
— so much for her person; and not less unpropitious for
heroism seemed her mind. She was fond of all boy’s plays,
4
This character is someone that enjoys listening
Northanger Abbey
music but she cannot produce it
Women's roles about the dinamic with her daughter, the
daughter is not good at learning and she doesnt force her to
learn
and greatly preferred cricket not merely to dolls, but to the
more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse,
feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush. Indeed she
had no taste for a garden; and if she gathered flowers at all,
it was chiefly for the pleasure of mischief — at least so it was
conjectured from her always preferring those which she was
forbidden to take. Such were her propensities — her abili-
ties were quite as extraordinary. She never could learn or
understand anything before she was taught; and sometimes
not even then, for she was often inattentive, and occasion-
ally stupid. Her mother was three months in teaching her
only to repeat the ‘Beggar’s Petition”; and after all, her next
sister, Sally, could say it better than she did. Not that Cath-
erine was always stupid — by no means; she learnt the fable
of ‘The Hare and Many Friends’ as quickly as any girl in
England. Her mother wished her to learn music; and Cath-
erine was sure she should like it, for she was very fond of
tinkling the keys of the old forlorn spinner; so, at eight years
old she began. She learnt a year, and could not bear it; and
Mrs. Morland, who did not insist on her daughters being
accomplished in spite of incapacity or distaste, allowed her
to leave off. The day which dismissed the music-master was
one of the happiest of Catherine’s life. Her taste for draw-
ing was not superior; though whenever she could obtain the
outside of a letter from her mother or seize upon any other
odd piece of paper, she did what she could in that way, by
drawing houses and trees, hens and chickens, all very much
like one another. Writing and accounts she was taught by
her father; French by her mother: her proficiency in either
5
Here the 4th line says that the Author is
kinda talking with us and there is an intrusive
narrator here, to create complicity with the
Chapter 2 reader
In addition to what has been already said of Catherine

Morland’s personal and mental endowments, when about
to be launched into all the difficulties and dangers of a six
weeks’ residence in Bath, it may be stated, for the reader’s
more certain information, lest the following pages should
otherwise fail of giving any idea of what her character is
meant to be, that her heart was affectionate; her disposi-
tion cheerful and open, without conceit or affectation of
any kind — her manners just removed from the awkward-
ness and shyness of a girl; her person pleasing, and, when in
good looks, pretty — and her mind about as ignorant and
uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is.
When the hour of departure drew near, the maternal
anxiety of Mrs. Morland will be naturally supposed to be
most severe. A thousand alarming presentiments of evil to
her beloved Catherine from this terrific separation must op-
press her heart with sadness, and drown her in tears for the
last day or two of their being together; and advice of the
most important and applicable nature must of course flow
from her wise lips in their parting conference in her closet.
Cautions against the violence of such noblemen and baron-
ets as delight in forcing young ladies away to some remote
farm-house, must, at such a moment, relieve the fulness
of her heart. Who would not think so? But Mrs. Morland
10 Northanger Abbey
She's gonna have an advanture and she mocks and

speaks about dangers (mockery of gothic fiction)
She's treated as a heroine, it's challenging here the figure of a
normal mother
We got references to the journey here
knew so little of lords and baronets, that she entertained
no notion of their general mischievousness, and was wholly
unsuspicious of danger to her daughter from their machina-
tions. Her cautions were confined to the following points. ‘I
beg, Catherine, you will always wrap yourself up very warm
about the throat, when you come from the rooms at night;
The and I wish you would try to keep some account of the mon-
narratorey you spend; I will give you this little book on purpose. ‘
always Sally, or rather Sarah (for what young lady of common
intrudesgentility will reach the age of sixteen without altering her
in name as far as she can?), must from situation be at this time
the the intimate friend and confidante of her sister. It is re-
narrativemarkable, however, that she neither insisted on Catherine’s
writing by every post, nor exacted her promise of transmit-
ting the character of every new acquaintance, nor a detail
of every interesting conversation that Bath might produce.
Everything indeed relative to this important journey was
done, on the part of the Morlands, with a degree of mod-
eration and composure, which seemed rather consistent
with the common feelings of common life, than with the
refined susceptibilities, the tender emotions which the first
separation of a heroine from her family ought always to ex-
cite. Her father, instead of giving her an unlimited order on
his banker, or even putting an hundred pounds bank-bill
into her hands, gave her only ten guineas, and promised her
more when she wanted it.
Under these unpromising auspices, the parting took
place, and the journey began. It was performed with suit-
able quietness and uneventful safety. Neither robbers nor
11
The Journey has some safety and she has a conversation with
Timmy tourney, so she's critizizing this heroine
‘Yes — I like it very well.’
‘Now I must give one smirk, and then we may be ratio-
nal again.’ Catherine turned away her head, not knowing
whether she might venture to laugh. ‘I see what you think
of me,’ said he gravely — ‘I shall make but a poor figure in
your journal tomorrow.’
‘My journal!’ There is also direct influence from francis Bourney
‘Yes, I know exactly what you will say: Friday, went to
the Lower Rooms; wore my sprigged muslin robe with blue
trimmings — plain black shoes — appeared to much ad-
vantage; 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 conversation with him —
seems a most extraordinary genius — hope I may know
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 am not
sitting by you. These are points in which a doubt is equally
possible. Not keep a journal! How are your absent cous-
ins to understand the tenour of your life in Bath without
one? How are the civilities and compliments of every day
to be related as they ought to be, unless noted down every
evening in a journal? How are your various dresses to be
remembered, and the particular state of your complexion,
Evelina what shes doing everytoime is record everything in a jourtnal/book
20 Northanger Abbey
This is challenging the stereotypicsl moves and theough Henry we can see both
of these characters and stereotypes of women
Mrs Allen was obsessed with fashion and the expectations are fulfilled in another
character, not catherine (Try to memorize this name)
and curl of your hair to be described in all their diversi-

ties, without having constant recourse to a journal? My dear
madam, I am not so ignorant of young ladies’ ways as you
wish to believe me; it is this delightful habit of journaling
which largely contributes to form the easy style of writing
for which ladies are so generally celebrated. Everybody al-
lows that the talent of writing agreeable letters is peculiarly
female. Nature may have done something, but I am sure
it must be essentially assisted by the practice of keeping a
journal.’ They have a little debate between who writes better letters and they think that
woman have more talent to writing letters
‘I have sometimes thought,’ said Catherine, doubtingly,
‘whether ladies do write so much better letters than gen-
tlemen! That is — I should not think the superiority was
always on our side.’ In the way catherine replies we can appreciate the fact that she's
challenging everything
‘As far as I have had opportunity of judging, it appears
to me that the usual style of letter-writing among women is
faultless, except in three particulars.’
‘And what are they?’
‘A general deficiency of subject, a total inattention to
stops, and a very frequent ignorance of grammar.’
‘Upon my word! I need not have been afraid of disclaim-
ing the compliment. You do not think too highly of us in
that way.’ She's got her opinion in the making and she's beinmg manipulated by henry, she's
starting to realize about the stereotypes that men put on women
‘I should no more lay it down as a general rule that wom-
en write better letters than men, than that they sing better
duets, or draw better landscapes. In every power, of which
taste is the foundation, excellence is pretty fairly divided be-
tween the sexes.’
They were interrupted by Mrs. Allen: ‘My dear Cathe-
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they have lots of gossip here
expressions she could command; and, as the first proof of

amity, she was soon invited to accept an arm of the eldest
Miss Thorpe, and take a turn with her about the room.
Catherine was delighted with this extension of her Bath ac-
quaintance, and almost forgot Mr. Tilney while she talked
to Miss Thorpe. Friendship is certainly the finest balm for
The author is playing with supernatural elemnts,
the pangs of disappointed love. whih in a way, she's also critizizing and looking up to
Isabella who's a manipulative, high-class lady
Their conversation turned upon those subjects, of which
the free discussion has generally much to do in perfecting a
sudden intimacy between two young ladies: such as dress,
balls, flirtations, and quizzes. Miss Thorpe, however, being
four years older than Miss Morland, and at least four years
better informed, had a very decided advantage in discuss-
ing such points; she could compare the balls of Bath with
those of Tunbridge, its fashions with the fashions of Lon-
don; could rectify the opinions of her new friend in many
articles of tasteful attire; could discover a flirtation between
any gentleman and lady who only smiled on each other; and
point out a quiz through the thickness of a crowd. These
powers received due admiration from Catherine, to whom
they were entirely new; and the respect which they natu-
rally inspired might have been too great for familiarity, had
not the easy gaiety of Miss Thorpe’s manners, and her fre-
quent expressions of delight on this acquaintance with her,
softened down every feeling of awe, and left nothing but
tender affection. Their increasing attachment was not to be
satisfied with half a dozen turns in the pump-room, but re-
quired, when they all quitted it together, that Miss Thorpe
should accompany Miss Morland to the very door of Mr.
She still has no idea ofthe true nature of the society she lives in, she's overall still naive to everything, as
well as she's developing her own personal view of some matters (even though Claire gets influenced by
men a lot), Jane Austen was innovative, but not too innovative in terms of women's independency of the
28 etc etc6-6
man Northanger Abbey
The idea of the feminine heroine is here present, since Catherine is curious about what's
happenning in the outside world, even though she tries to know it, as it's typical of women in that
era, through books
Allen’s house; and that they should there part with a most
affectionate and lengthened shake of hands, after learning,
to their mutual relief, that they should see each other across
the theatre at night, and say their prayers in the same cha-
pel the next morning. Catherine then ran directly upstairs,
and watched Miss Thorpe’s progress down the street from
the drawing-room window; admired the graceful spirit of
her walk, the fashionable air of her figure and dress; and felt
grateful, as well she might, for the chance which had pro-
cured her such a friend.
Mrs. Thorpe was a widow, and not a very rich one; she
was a good-humoured, well-meaning woman, and a very
indulgent mother. Her eldest daughter had great personal
beauty, and the younger ones, by pretending to be as hand-
some as their sister, imitating her air, and dressing in the
same style, did very well.
This brief account of the family is intended to supersede
the necessity of a long and minute detail from Mrs. Thorpe
herself, of her past adventures and sufferings, which might
otherwise be expected to occupy the three or four following
chapters; in which the worthlessness of lords and attorn-
ies might be set forth, and conversations, which had passed
twenty years before, be minutely repeated.
29
This is abt what catherine and Isabella like doing together, our characters are readers and they depend on the
raelity they percieve (which is mentioned that they percieve it through books, mostly Gothic Novels, which is
what they understood of their reality)
friend; and, as the completion of good fortune, had found

these friends by no means so expensively dressed as her-
self. Her daily expressions were no longer, ‘I wish we had
some acquaintance in Bath!’ They were changed into, ‘How
Virginia is glad I am we have met with Mrs. Thorpe!’ and she was as
here some of eager in promoting the intercourse of the two families, as
challenging
the old
"stereotypes"
her young charge and Isabella themselves could be; never
that women satisfied with the day unless she spent the chief of it by the
had during the era
Jane's womenside of Mrs. Thorpe, in what they called conversation, but in
are innovative
but they do which there was scarcely ever any exchange of opinion, and
a point where not often any resemblance of subject, for Mrs. Thorpe talk-
not reach
this women
have a full
ed chiefly of her children, and Mrs. Allen of her gowns.
independence
of the man,
The progress of the friendship between Catherine and Is-
she'll always abella was quick as its beginning had been warm, and they
depend on him
in a way passed so rapidly through every gradation of increasing
tenderness that there was shortly no fresh proof of it to be The
given to their friends or themselves. They called each oth- mention
of the
er by their Christian name, were always arm in arm when novels
wirthin
they walked, pinned up each other’s train for the dance, and novels
were not to be divided in the set; and if a rainy morning de- (In this
case
prived them of other enjoyments, they were still resolute in based
on
meeting in defiance of wet and dirt, and shut themselves Gothic
Fiction,
up, to read novels together. Yes, novels; for I will not adopt which is
what
that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with Jane
novel-writers, of degrading by their contemptuous censure mainly
focused
the very performances, to the number of which they are on)
themselves adding — joining with their greatest enemies in

bestowing the harshest epithets on such works, and scarcely
ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who,
Jane Austen is mocking the ideals that novels aren't as worthy as poetry and that novels were
undermined/being mocked at the time being (especially mocing the predictability of many gothic
32novels, since most of them have a very predictable ending) Northanger Abbey
Again, here there are always mentions of the female heroine, especially in the books that both women in the novel
read
if she accidentally take up a novel, is sure to turn over its in- Again, she's
sipid pages with disgust. Alas! If the heroine of one novel be mocking
here the
not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can heroine
she expect protection and regard? I cannot approve of it. Let figures
most
of
us leave it to the reviewers to abuse such effusions of fancy

at their leisure, and over every new novel to talk in thread-
bare strains of the trash with which the press now groans.
Let us not desert one another; we are an injured body. Al-
though our productions have afforded more extensive and
unaffected pleasure than those of any other literary corpo-
ration in the world, no species of composition has been so
much decried. From pride, ignorance, or fashion, our foes
are almost as many as our readers. And while the abilities
of the nine-hundredth abridger of the History of England,
or of the man who collects and publishes in a volume some
dozen lines of Milton, Pope, and Prior, with a paper from
the Spectator, and a chapter from Sterne, are eulogized by
a thousand pens — there seems almost a general wish of
decrying the capacity and undervaluing the labour of the
novelist, and of slighting the performances which have only
genius, wit, and taste to recommend them. ‘I am no novel-
reader — I seldom look into novels — Do not imagine that
I often read novels — It is really very well for a novel.’ Such
is the common cant. ‘And what are you reading, Miss —
?’ ‘Oh! It is only a novel!’ replies the young lady, while she
lays down her book with affected indifference, or momen-
tary shame. ‘It is only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda”; or, in
short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the
mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge
Here it says that writers/novelists are undermined
of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties,
the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to
the world in the best-chosen language. Now, had the same
young lady been engaged with a volume of the Spectator, in-
stead of such a work, how proudly would she have produced
the book, and told its name; though the chances must be
against her being occupied by any part of that voluminous
publication, of which either the matter or manner would not
disgust a young person of taste: the substance of its papers
so often consisting in the statement of improbable circum-
stances, unnatural characters, and topics of conversation
which no longer concern anyone living; and their language,
too, frequently so coarse as to give no very favourable idea
of the age that could endure it.
34 Northanger Abbey
Chapter 6
Conversation between Isabella and catherine with Udolpho. the main thing
jane Austen gives importance to the novel of the mysteries of udolpho, to which Austen gives
importance, as well as giving importance to gothic novels, which is uncommon
The following conversation, which took place between

the two friends in the pump-room one morning, after an
acquaintance of eight or nine days, is given as a specimen of
their very warm attachment, and of the delicacy, discretion,
originality of thought, and literary taste which marked the
reasonableness of that attachment.
They met by appointment; and as Isabella had arrived
nearly five minutes before her friend, her first address natu-
rally was, ‘My dearest creature, what can have made you so
late? I have been waiting for you at least this age!’
‘Have you, indeed! I am very sorry for it; but really I
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 have been here
this half hour. But now, let us go and sit down at the other
end of the room, and enjoy ourselves. I have an hundred
things to say to you. In the first 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
shop window in Milsom Street just now — very like yours,
only with coquelicot ribbons instead of green; I quite longed
for it. But, my dearest Catherine, what have you been do-
ing with yourself all this morning? Have you gone on with

Udolpho?’
‘Yes, I have been reading it ever since I woke; and I am
Referring, again to another Gorhic novel in this fragment (Udolpho
got to the black veil.’ is very mentioned in jane Austen0's novel, especially this one)
‘Are you, indeed? How delightful! Oh! I would not tell
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 tell me — I
would not be told upon any account. I know it must be a
skeleton, I am sure it is Laurentina’s skeleton. Oh! I am de-
lighted with the book! I should like to spend my whole life
in reading it. I assure you, if it had not been to meet you, I
would not have come away from it for all the world.’
‘Dear creature! How much I am obliged to you; and
when you have finished Udolpho, we will read the Italian
together; and I have made out a list of ten or 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, Mysteri-
ous 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 you sure they
are all horrid?’
‘Yes, quite sure; for a particular friend of mine, a Miss
Andrews, a sweet girl, one of the sweetest creatures in the
world, has read every one of them. I wish you knew Miss
Andrews, you would be delighted with her. She is netting
herself the sweetest cloak you can conceive. I think her as
36 Northanger Abbey
Thorpe. James and Isabella led the way; and so well satisfied
was the latter with her lot, so contentedly was she endeav-
ouring to ensure a pleasant walk to him who brought the
double recommendation of being her brother’s friend, and
her friend’s brother, so pure and uncoquettish were her
feelings, that, though they overtook and passed the two of-
fending young men in Milsom Street, she was so far from
seeking to attract their notice, that she looked back at them
only three times.
John Thorpe kept of course with Catherine, and, after a
few minutes’ silence, renewed the conversation about his gig.
‘You will find, however, Miss Morland, it would be reckoned
a cheap thing by some people, for I might have sold it for ten
guineas more the next day; Jackson, of Oriel, bid me sixty at
once; Morland was with me at the time.’
‘Yes,’ said Morland, who overheard this; ‘but you forget
that your horse was included.’
‘My horse! Oh, d — it! I would not sell my horse for a hun-
dred. Are you fond of an open carriage, Miss Morland?’
‘Yes, very; I have hardly ever an opportunity of being in
The overall "standard of women vs rebellious
one; but I am particularly fond of it.’women"(We also have to remember that Jane
never lost the ideal of women, they were given.)
‘I am glad of it; I will drive you out in mine every day.’
‘Thank you,’ said Catherine, in some distress, from a
doubt of the propriety of accepting such an offer.
‘I will drive you up Lansdown Hill tomorrow.’
‘Thank you; but will not your horse want rest?’
‘Rest! He has only come three and twenty miles today;
all nonsense; nothing ruins horses so much as rest; nothing
knocks them up so soon. No, no; I shall exercise mine at the
46 Northanger Abbey
This is a contrast of women wanting to keep ther lack o confidence, reference to stereotypes, Udolpho
seems to be still here
average of four hours every day while I am here.’

‘Shall you indeed!’ said Catherine very seriously. ‘That
will be forty miles a day.’
‘Forty! Aye, fifty, for what I care. Well, I will drive you up
Lansdown tomorrow; mind, I am engaged.’
‘How delightful that will be!’ cried Isabella, turning
round. ‘My dearest Catherine, I quite envy you; but I am
afraid, brother, you will not have room for a third.’
‘A third indeed! No, no; I did not come to Bath to drive
my sisters about; that would be a good joke, faith! Morland
must take care of you.’ Jane Austen manipulates the characters into making us hate the
books and she portrays our possible opinion on novels and their
This brought on a dialogue
charactersof civilities between the other
two; but Catherine heard neither the particulars nor the re-
sult. Her companion’s discourse now sunk from its hitherto
animated pitch to nothing more than a short decisive sen-
tence of praise or condemnation on the face of every woman
they met; and Catherine, after listening and agreeing as long
as she could, with all the civility and deference of the youth-
ful female mind, fearful of hazarding an opinion of its own
in opposition to that of a self-assured man, especially where
the beauty of her own sex is concerned, ventured at length to
vary the subject by a question which had been long upper-
most in her thoughts; it was, ‘Have you ever read Udolpho,
Mr. Thorpe?’
‘Udolpho! Oh, Lord! Not I; I never read novels; I have
something else to do.’
Catherine, humbled and ashamed, was going to apolo-
gize for her question, but he prevented her by saying, ‘Novels
are all so full of nonsense and stuff; there has not been a
47
There's also some kind of criticism toward many novels here too, especially toward gothic novels
tolerably decent one come out since Tom Jones, except The
Monk; I read that t’other day; but as for all the others, they
are the stupidest things in creation.’
‘I think you must like Udolpho, if you were to read it; it is
so very interesting.’
‘Not I, faith! No, if I read any, it shall be Mrs. Radcliffe’s;
her novels are amusing enough; they are worth reading;
some fun and nature in them.’
‘Udolpho was written by Mrs. Radcliffe,’ said Catherine,
with some hesitation, from the fear of mortifying him.
‘No sure; was it? Aye, I remember, so it was; I was think-
ing of that other stupid book, written by that woman they
make such a fuss about, she who married the French emi-
grant.’ Again here we can appreciate criticism of the Gothic novel, telling that it is
always the same and the predictability that these have
‘I suppose you mean Camilla?’
‘Yes, that’s the book; such unnatural stuff! An old man
playing at see-saw, I took up the first volume once and looked
it over, but I soon found it would not do; indeed I guessed
what sort of stuff it must be before I saw it: as soon as I heard
she had married an emigrant, I was sure I should never be
able to get through it.’ At first she praises the novel and later she demotes/lowers the
‘I have never read it.’ level of the novel by critizizing it, so basically this is a
contradiction
‘You had no loss, I assure you; it is the horridest nonsense
you can imagine; there is nothing in the world in it but an
old man’s playing at see-saw and learning Latin; upon my
soul there is not.’
This critique, the justness of which was unfortunately
lost on poor Catherine, brought them to the door of Mrs.
Thorpe’s lodgings, and the feelings of the discerning and un-
48 Northanger Abbey
prejudiced reader of Camilla gave way to the feelings of the
dutiful and affectionate son, as they met Mrs. Thorpe, who
had descried them from above, in the passage. ‘Ah, Mother!
How do you do?’ said he, giving her a hearty shake of the
hand. ‘Where did you get that quiz of a hat? It makes you
look like an old witch. Here is Morland and I come to stay a
few days with you, so you must look out for a couple of good
beds somewhere near.’ And this address seemed to satisfy
all the fondest wishes of the mother’s heart, for she received
him with the most delighted and exulting affection. On his
two younger sisters he then bestowed an equal portion of his
fraternal tenderness, for he asked each of them how they did,
and observed that they both looked very ugly.
These manners did not please Catherine; but he was
James’s friend and Isabella’s brother; and her judgment
was further bought off by Isabella’s assuring her, when they
withdrew to see the new hat, that John thought her the most
charming girl in the world, and by John’s engaging her be-
fore they parted to dance with him that evening. Had she
been older or vainer, such attacks might have done little; but,
where youth and diffidence are united, it requires uncom-
mon steadiness of reason to resist the attraction of being
called the most charming girl in the world, and of being so
very early engaged as a partner; and the consequence was
that, when the two Morlands, after sitting an hour with the
Thorpes, set off to walk together to Mr. Allen’s, and James,
as the door was closed on them, said, ‘Well, Catherine, how
do you like my friend Thorpe?’ instead of answering, as she
probably would have done, had there been no friendship and
Mysterious ambience/trying to add a bit of the sublime during the last lines of this paragraph? 49
Udolpho is constantly in the novel, she percieves the world as ashe has experienced as she visions
an abbey through her way of seeing everythng
Chapter 14
The next morning was fair, and Catherine almost expect-

ed another attack from the assembled party. With Mr. Allen
to support her, she felt no dread of the event: but she would
gladly be spared a contest, where victory itself was pain-
ful, and was heartily rejoiced therefore at neither seeing nor
Here there hearing anything of them. The Tilneys called for her at the
again of the appointed time; and no new difficulty arising, no sudden

are mentions
heroine Jane recollection, no unexpected summons, no impertinent in-

Austen
represents trusion to disconcert their measures, my heroine was most
her female
characters, unnaturally able to fulfil her engagement, though it was
breaking
some of the made with the hero himself. They determined on walking
but not every round Beechen Cliff, that noble hill whose beautiful verdure
social norms,
norm, some and hanging coppice render it so striking an object from al-
are still left
most every opening in Bath.
‘I never look at it,’ said Catherine, as they walked along
the side of the river, ‘without thinking of the south of
France.’
‘You have been abroad then?’ said Henry, a little sur-
prised.
‘Oh! No, I only mean what I have read about. It always
puts me in mind of the country that Emily and her father
travelled through, in The Mysteries of Udolpho. But you
never read novels, I dare say?’
‘Why not?’
118 Northanger Abbey

Critizizing those kinds of novels again? (reffering to gothic novels, which men in this
novel critizize a lot)
‘Because they are not clever enough for you — gentlemen
read better books.’
‘The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not plea-
sure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. I have read
all Mrs. Radcliffe’s works, and most of them with great plea-
sure. The Mysteries of Udolpho, when I had once begun it,
I could not lay down again; I remember finishing it in two
days — my hair standing on end the whole time.’
‘Yes,’ added Miss Tilney, ‘and I remember that you un-
Women dertook to read it aloud to me, and that when I was called
away for only five minutes to answer a note, instead of wait-
defending themselves??
ing for me, you took the volume into the Hermitage Walk,
and I was obliged to stay till you had finished it.’
‘Thank you, Eleanor — a most honourable testimony.
You see, Miss Morland, the injustice of your suspicions.
Here was I, in my eagerness to get on, refusing to wait only
five minutes for my sister, breaking the promise I had made
of reading it aloud, and keeping her in suspense at a most
interesting part, by running away with the volume, which,
you are to observe, was her own, particularly her own. I am
proud when I reflect on it, and I think it must establish me
in your good opinion.’
Women
here also ‘I am very glad to hear it indeed, and now I shall never
have their
own opinion be ashamed of liking Udolpho myself. But I really thought
on matters, before, young men despised novels amazingly.’
even though
they always ‘It is amazingly; it may well suggest amazement if they
need to have
the aprooval do — for they read nearly as many as women. I myself have
of a man, step
by step read hundreds and hundreds. Do not imagine that you can
women have
cope with me in a knowledge of Julias and Louisas. If we
more recogntion
119
proceed to particulars, and engage in the never-ceasing in-
quiry of ‘Have you read this?’ and ‘Have you read that?’ I
shall soon leave you as far behind me as — what shall I say?
— I want an appropriate simile. — as far as your friend Em-
ily herself left poor Valancourt when she went with her aunt
into Italy. Consider how many years I have had the start of
you. I had entered on my studies at Oxford, while you were
a good little girl working your sampler at home!’
‘Not very good, I am afraid. But now really, do not you
think Udolpho the nicest book in the world?’
‘The nicest — by which I suppose you mean the neatest.
That must depend upon the binding.’
‘Henry,’ said Miss Tilney, ‘you are very impertinent. Miss
Morland, he is treating you exactly as he does his sister. He
is forever finding fault with me, for some incorrectness of
language, and now he is taking the same liberty with you.
The word ‘nicest,’ as you used it, did not suit him; and you
had better change it as soon as you can, or we shall be over-
powered with Johnson and Blair all the rest of the way.’
‘I am sure,’ cried Catherine, ‘I did not mean to say any-
thing wrong; but it is a nice book, and why should not I call
it so?’ Basically
novel
she's showcasing fem power here, feminine figures ae the mainn focus of this
‘Very true,’ said Henry, ‘and this is a very nice day, and
we are taking a very nice walk, and you are two very nice
young ladies. Oh! It is a very nice word indeed! It does for
everything. Originally perhaps it was applied only to ex-
press neatness, propriety, delicacy, or refinement — people
were nice in their dress, in their sentiments, or their choice.
But now every commendation on every subject is comprised

in that one word.’
‘While, in fact,’ cried his sister, ‘it ought only to be ap-
plied to you, without any commendation at all. You are
more nice than wise. Come, Miss Morland, let us leave him
to meditate over our faults in the utmost propriety of dic-
tion, while we praise Udolpho in whatever terms we like
best. It is a most interesting work. You are fond of that kind
of reading?’
‘To say the truth, I do not much like any other.’
‘Indeed!’
‘That is, I can read poetry and plays, and things of that
sort, and do not dislike travels. But history, real solemn his-
tory, I cannot be interested in. Can you?’
‘Yes, I am fond of history.’
‘I wish I were too. I read it a little as a duty, but it tells me
nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels
of popes and kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page;
the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at
all — it is very tiresome: and yet I often think it odd that it
should be so dull, for a great deal of it must be invention.
The speeches that are put into the heroes’ mouths, their
thoughts and designs — the chief of all this must be inven-
tion, and invention is what delights me in other books.’
‘Historians, you think,’ said Miss Tilney, ‘are not happy
in their flights of fancy. They display imagination without
raising interest. I am fond of history — and am very well
contented to take the false with the true. In the principal
facts they have sources of intelligence in former histories
and records, which may be as much depended on, I con-
121
clude, as anything that does not actually pass under one’s
own observation; and as for the little embellishments you
speak of, they are embellishments, and I like them as such.
If a speech be well drawn up, I read it with pleasure, by
whomsoever it may be made — and probably with much
greater, if the production of Mr. Hume or Mr. Robertson,
than if the genuine words of Caractacus, Agricola, or Al-
fred the Great.’
‘You are fond of history! And so are Mr. Allen and my fa-
ther; and I have two brothers who do not dislike it. So many
instances within my small circle of friends is remarkable! At
this rate, I shall not pity the writers of history any longer. If
people like to read their books, it is all very well, but to be
at so much trouble in filling great volumes, which, as I used
to think, nobody would willingly ever look into, to be la-
bouring only for the torment of little boys and girls, always
struck me as a hard fate; and though I know it is all very
right and necessary, I have often wondered at the person’s
courage that could sit down on purpose to do it.’
‘That little boys and girls should be tormented,’ said Hen-
ry, ‘is what no one at all acquainted with human nature in
a civilized state can deny; but in behalf of our most distin-
guished historians, I must observe that they might well be
offended at being supposed to have no higher aim, and that
by their method and style, they are perfectly well qualified
to torment readers of the most advanced reason and mature
time of life. I use the verb ‘to torment,’ as I observed to be
your own method, instead of ‘to instruct,’ supposing them
to be now admitted as synonymous.’

‘You think me foolish to call instruction a torment, but if
you had been as much used as myself to hear poor little chil-
dren first learning their letters and then learning to spell, if
you had ever seen how stupid they can be for a whole morn-
ing together, and how tired my poor mother is at the end of
it, as I am in the habit of seeing almost every day of my life
at home, you would allow that ‘to torment’ and ‘to instruct’
might sometimes be used as synonymous words.’
‘Very probably. But historians are not accountable for the
difficulty of learning to read; and even you yourself, who
do not altogether seem particularly friendly to very severe,
very intense application, may perhaps be brought to ac-
knowledge that it is very well worth-while to be tormented
for two or three years of one’s life, for the sake of being able
to read all the rest of it. Consider — if reading had not been
taught, Mrs. Radcliffe would have written in vain — or per-
haps might not have written at all.’
Catherine assented — and a very warm panegyric from
her on that lady’s merits closed the subject. The Tilneys were
soon engaged in another on which she had nothing to say.
They were viewing the country with the eyes of persons ac-
customed to drawing, and decided on its capability of being
formed into pictures, with all the eagerness of real taste.
Here Catherine was quite lost. She knew nothing of draw-
ing — nothing of taste: and she listened to them with an
attention which brought her little profit, for they talked in
phrases which conveyed scarcely any idea to her. The little
which she could understand, however, appeared to contra-
dict the very few notions she had entertained on the matter
before.
123
Chapter 16
The main focus of the novel is mainly that of women and the roles they have in society (as well as the
women having some "adventures" or heroine woman, as well as trying to focus on themes treated
before (such are gothic elements, nature, supernatural elements, sublime etc etc))
Catherine’s expectations of pleasure from her visit in

Milsom Street were so very high that disappointment was
inevitable; and accordingly, though she was most politely
received by General Tilney, and kindly welcomed by his
daughter, though Henry was at home, and no one else of
the party, she found, on her return, without spending many
hours in the examination of her feelings, that she had gone
to her appointment preparing for happiness which it had not
afforded. Instead of finding herself improved in acquain-
tance with Miss Tilney, from the intercourse of the day, she
seemed hardly so intimate with her as before; instead of see-
ing Henry Tilney to greater advantage than ever, in the ease
of a family party, he had never said so little, nor been so lit-
tle agreeable; and, in spite of their father’s great civilities to
her — in spite of his thanks, invitations, and compliments
— it had been a release to get away from him. It puzzled her
to account for all this. It could not be General Tilney’s fault.
That he was perfectly agreeable and good-natured, and al-
together a very charming man, did not admit of a doubt, for
he was tall and handsome, and Henry’s father. He could not
be accountable for his children’s want of spirits, or for her
want of enjoyment in his company. The former she hoped
at last might have been accidental, and the latter she could
only attribute to her own stupidity. Isabella, on hearing the
137
particulars of the visit, gave a different explanation: ‘It was
all pride, pride, insufferable haughtiness and pride! She had
long suspected the family to be very high, and this made it
certain. Such insolence of behaviour as Miss Tilney’s she
had never heard of in her life! Not to do the honours of her
house with common good breeding! To behave to her guest
with such superciliousness! Hardly even to speak to her!’
‘But it was not so bad as that, Isabella; there was no su-
perciliousness; she was very civil.’
‘Oh! Don’t defend her! And then the brother, he, who
had appeared so attached to you! Good heavens! Well, some
people’s feelings are incomprehensible. And so he hardly
looked once at you the whole day?’
‘I do not say so; but he did not seem in good spirits.’
‘How contemptible! Of all things in the world inconstan-
cy is my aversion. Let me entreat you never to think of him
again, my dear Catherine; indeed he is unworthy of you.’
‘Unworthy! I do not suppose he ever thinks of me.’
‘That is exactly what I say; he never thinks of you. Such
fickleness! Oh! How different to your brother and to mine! I
really believe John has the most constant heart.’
‘But as for General Tilney, I assure you it would be im-
possible for anybody to behave to me with greater civility
and attention; it seemed to be his only care to entertain and
make me happy.’
‘Oh! I know no harm of him; I do not suspect him of
pride. I believe he is a very gentleman-like man. John thinks
very well of him, and John’s judgment — ‘
‘Well, I shall see how they behave to me this evening; we

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 al-
low.
The circumstances of the morning had led Catherine’s
feelings through the varieties of suspense, security, and
disappointment; but they were now safely lodged in per-
fect bliss; and with spirits elated to rapture, 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 discretion of the friends to whom they had already en-
trusted their daughter, felt no doubt of the propriety 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 feel-
ings, her preferences, had each known the happiness of a
return. Wherever she felt attachment, 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 favourably thought of, outstripped even her wishes in
the flattering measures by which their intimacy 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 soci-
ety she mostly prized — and, in addition to all the rest, this
roof was to be the roof of an abbey! Her passion for ancient
edifices 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 ei-
ther the ramparts and keep of the one, or the cloisters 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 chapel, were to be within her daily reach, and
she could not entirely subdue the hope of some traditional
legends, some awful memorials of an injured and ill-fated
nun.
It was wonderful that her friends should seem so little
elated by the possession of such a home, that the conscious-
ness of it should be so meekly 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 abode was
no more to them than their superiority of person.
Many were the inquiries she was eager to make of Miss
Tilney; but so active were her thoughts, that when these in-
quiries 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
151
into the hands of an ancestor of the Tilneys on its dissolu-
tion, of a large portion of the ancient building still making a
part of the present dwelling although the rest was decayed,
or of its standing low in a valley, sheltered from the north
and east by rising woods of oak.

of which, with his discontent at whatever the inn afforded,
and his angry impatience at the waiters, made Catherine
grow every moment more in awe of him, and appeared to
lengthen the two hours into four. At last, however, the order
of release was given; and much was Catherine then sur-
prised by the general’s proposal of her taking his place in
his son’s curricle for the rest of the journey: ‘the day was
fine, and he was anxious for her seeing as much of the coun-
try as possible.’
The remembrance of Mr. Allen’s opinion, respecting
young men’s open carriages, made her blush at the mention
of such a plan, and her first thought was to decline it; but her
second was of greater deference for General Tilney’s judg-
ment; he could not propose anything improper for her; and,
in the course of a few minutes, she found herself with Henry
in the curricle, as happy a being as ever existed. A very short
trial convinced her that a curricle was the prettiest equipage
in the world; the chaise and four wheeled off with some
grandeur, to be sure, but it was a heavy and troublesome
business, and she could not easily forget its having stopped
two hours at Petty France. Half the time would have been
enough for the curricle, and so nimbly were the light horses
disposed to move, that, had not the general chosen to have
his own carriage lead the way, they could have passed it with
ease in half a minute. But the merit of the curricle did not all
belong to the horses; Henry drove so well — so quietly —
without making any disturbance, without parading to her,
or swearing at them: so different from the only gentleman-
coachman whom it was in her power to compare him with!

And then his hat sat so well, and the innumerable capes of
his greatcoat looked so becomingly important! To be driven
by him, next to being dancing with him, was certainly the
greatest happiness in the world. In addition to every other
delight, she had now that of listening to her own praise; of
being thanked at least, on his sister’s account, for her kind-
ness in thus becoming her visitor; of hearing it ranked as
real friendship, and described as creating real gratitude. His
sister, he said, was uncomfortably circumstanced — she had
no female companion — and, in the frequent absence of her
father, was sometimes without any companion at all.
‘But how can that be?’ said Catherine. ‘Are not you with
her?’
‘Northanger is not more than half my home; I have an es-
tablishment at my own house in Woodston, which is nearly
twenty miles from my father’s, and some of my time is nec-
essarily spent there.’
‘How sorry you must be for that!’
‘I am always sorry to leave Eleanor.’
‘Yes; but besides your affection for her, you must be so
fond of the abbey! After being used to such a home as the
abbey, an ordinary parsonage-house must be very disagree-
able.’
He smiled, and said, ‘You have formed a very favourable
idea of the abbey.’
‘To be sure, I have. Is not it a fine old place, just like what
one reads about?’
‘And are you prepared to encounter all the horrors that a
building such as ‘what one reads about’ may produce? Have
171
you a stout heart? Nerves fit for sliding panels and tapes-
try?’
‘Oh! yes — I do not think I should be easily frightened,
because there would be so many people in the house — and
besides, it has never been uninhabited and left deserted for
years, and then the family come back to it unawares, with-
out giving any notice, as generally happens.’
‘No, certainly. We shall not have to explore our way into
a hall dimly lighted by the expiring embers of a wood fire
— nor be obliged to spread our beds on the floor of a room
without windows, doors, or furniture. But you must be
aware that when a young lady is (by whatever means) in-
troduced into a dwelling of this kind, she is always lodged
apart from the rest of the family. While they snugly repair
to their own end of the house, she is formally conducted
by Dorothy, the ancient housekeeper, up a different stair-
case, and along many gloomy passages, into an apartment
never used since some cousin or kin died in it about twenty
years before. Can you stand such a ceremony as this? Will
not your mind misgive you when you find yourself in this
gloomy chamber — too lofty and extensive for you, with
only the feeble rays of a single lamp to take in its size — its
walls hung with tapestry exhibiting figures as large as life,
and the bed, of dark green stuff or purple velvet, present-
ing even a funereal appearance? Will not your heart sink
within you?’
‘Oh! But this will not happen to me, I am sure.’
‘How fearfully will you examine the furniture of your
apartment! And what will you discern? Not tables, toilettes,

wardrobes, or drawers, but on one side perhaps the remains
of a broken lute, on the other a ponderous chest which no
efforts can open, and over the fireplace the portrait of some
handsome warrior, whose features will so incomprehensi-
bly strike you, that you will not be able to withdraw your
eyes from it. Dorothy, meanwhile, no less struck by your
appearance, gazes on you in great agitation, and drops a
few unintelligible hints. To raise your spirits, moreover, she
gives you reason to suppose that the part of the abbey you
inhabit is undoubtedly haunted, and informs you that you
will not have a single domestic within call. With this part-
ing cordial she curtsies off — you listen to the sound of her
receding footsteps as long as the last echo can reach you
— and when, with fainting spirits, you attempt to fasten
your door, you discover, with increased alarm, that it has
no lock.’
‘Oh! Mr. Tilney, how frightful! This is just like a book!
But it cannot really happen to me. I am sure your house-
keeper is not really Dorothy. Well, what then?’
‘Nothing further to alarm perhaps may occur the first
night. After surmounting your unconquerable horror of
the bed, you will retire to rest, and get a few hours’ unquiet
slumber. But on the second, or at farthest the third night
after your arrival, you will probably have a violent storm.
Peals of thunder so loud as to seem to shake the edifice to
its foundation will roll round the neighbouring mountains
— and during the frightful gusts of wind which accompa-
ny it, you will probably think you discern (for your lamp is
not extinguished) one part of the hanging more violently
173
agitated than the rest. Unable of course to repress your cu-
riosity in so favourable a moment for indulging it, you will
instantly arise, and throwing your dressing-gown around
you, proceed to examine this mystery. After a very short
search, you will discover a division in the tapestry so art-
fully constructed as to defy the minutest inspection, and on
opening it, a door will immediately appear — which door,
being only secured by massy bars and a padlock, you will,
after a few efforts, succeed in opening — and, with your
lamp in your hand, will pass through it into a small vaulted
room.’
‘No, indeed; I should be too much frightened to do any
such thing.’
‘What! Not when Dorothy has given you to understand
that there is a secret subterraneous communication between
your apartment and the chapel of St. Anthony, scarcely two
miles off? Could you shrink from so simple an adventure?
No, no, you will proceed into this small vaulted room, and
through this into several others, without perceiving any-
thing very remarkable in either. In one perhaps there may
be a dagger, in another a few drops of blood, and in a third
the remains of some instrument of torture; but there be-
ing nothing in all this out of the common way, and your
lamp being nearly exhausted, you will return towards your
own apartment. In repassing through the small vaulted
room, however, your eyes will be attracted towards a large,
old-fashioned cabinet of ebony and gold, which, though
narrowly examining the furniture before, you had passed
unnoticed. Impelled by an irresistible presentiment, you

will eagerly advance to it, unlock its folding doors, and
search into every drawer — but for some time without dis-
covering anything of importance — perhaps nothing but a
considerable hoard of diamonds. At last, however, by touch-
ing a secret spring, an inner compartment will open — a roll
of paper appears — you seize it — it contains many sheets
of manuscript — you hasten with the precious treasure into
your own chamber, but scarcely have you been able to deci-
pher ‘Oh! Thou — whomsoever thou mayst be, into whose
hands these memoirs of the wretched Matilda may fall’ —
when your lamp suddenly expires in the socket, and leaves
you in total darkness.’
‘Oh! No, no — do not say so. Well, go on.’
But Henry was too much amused by the interest he had
raised to be able to carry it farther; he could no longer com-
mand solemnity either of subject or voice, and was obliged
to entreat her to use her own fancy in the perusal of Mat-
ilda’s woes. Catherine, recollecting herself, grew ashamed
of her eagerness, and began earnestly to assure him that her
attention had been fixed without the smallest apprehension
of really meeting with what he related. ‘Miss Tilney, she was
sure, would never put her into such a chamber as he had de-
scribed! She was not at all afraid.’
As they drew near the end of their journey, her impa-
tience for a sight of the abbey — for some time suspended
by his conversation on subjects very different — returned in
full force, and every bend in the road was expected with sol-
emn awe to afford a glimpse of its massy walls of grey stone,
rising amidst a grove of ancient oaks, with the last beams
175
of the sun playing in beautiful splendour on its high Gothic
windows. But so low did the building stand, that she found
herself passing through the great gates of the lodge into the
very grounds of Northanger, without having discerned even
an antique chimney.
She knew not that she had any right to be surprised, but
there was a something in this mode of approach which she
certainly had not expected. To pass between lodges of a
modern appearance, to find herself with such ease in the
very precincts of the abbey, and driven so rapidly along a
smooth, level road of fine gravel, without obstacle, alarm, or
solemnity of any kind, struck her as odd and inconsistent.
She was not long at leisure, however, for such consider-
ations. A sudden scud of rain, driving full in her face, made
it impossible for her to observe anything further, and fixed
all her thoughts on the welfare of her new straw bonnet;
and she was actually under the abbey walls, was springing,
with Henry’s assistance, from the carriage, was beneath the
shelter of the old porch, and had even passed on to the hall,
where her friend and the general were waiting to welcome
her, without feeling one awful foreboding of future misery
to herself, or one moment’s suspicion of any past scenes of
horror being acted within the solemn edifice. The breeze
had not seemed to waft the sighs of the murdered to her; it
had wafted nothing worse than a thick mizzling rain; and
having given a good shake to her habit, she was ready to
be shown into the common drawing-room, and capable of
considering where she was.
An abbey! Yes, it was delightful to be really in an abbey!

But she doubted, as she looked round the room, whether
anything within her observation would have given her the
consciousness. The furniture was in all the profusion and
elegance of modern taste. The fireplace, where she had ex-
pected the ample width and ponderous carving of former
times, was contracted to a Rumford, with slabs of plain
though handsome marble, and ornaments over it of the
prettiest English china. The windows, to which she looked
with peculiar dependence, from having heard the general
talk of his preserving them in their Gothic form with rev-
erential care, were yet less what her fancy had portrayed.
To be sure, the pointed arch was preserved — the form of
them was Gothic — they might be even casements — but
every pane was so large, so clear, so light! To an imagination
which had hoped for the smallest divisions, and the heaviest
stone-work, for painted glass, dirt, and cobwebs, the differ-
ence was very distressing.
The general, perceiving how her eye was employed, be-
gan to talk of the smallness of the room and simplicity of the
furniture, where everything, being for daily use, pretended
only to comfort, etc.; flattering himself, however, that there
were some apartments in the Abbey not unworthy her no-
tice — and was proceeding to mention the costly gilding of
one in particular, when, taking out his watch, he stopped
short to pronounce it with surprise within twenty minutes
of five! This seemed the word of separation, and Catherine
found herself hurried away by Miss Tilney in such a manner
as convinced her that the strictest punctuality to the family
hours would be expected at Northanger.
177
Returning through the large and lofty hall, they ascended
a broad staircase of shining oak, which, after many flights
and many landing-places, brought them upon a long, wide
gallery. On one side it had a range of doors, and it was light-
ed on the other by windows which Catherine had only time
to discover looked into a quadrangle, before Miss Tilney led
the way into a chamber, and scarcely staying to hope she
would find it comfortable, left her with an anxious entreaty
that she would make as little alteration as possible in her
dress.

room as one of the necessaries of life; he supposed, however,
‘that she must have been used to much better-sized apart-
ments at Mr. Allen’s?’
I think that here we
have a subtle
‘No, indeed,’ was Catherine’s honest assurance; ‘Mr. Al-
introcution
to the role
len’s dining-parlour was not more than half as large,’ and
that the womanshe had never seen so large a room as this in her life. The
has in this
era. general’s good humour increased. Why, as he had such
rooms, he thought it would be simple not to make use of
them; but, upon his honour, he believed there might be
more comfort in rooms of only half their size. Mr. Allen’s
house, he was sure, must be exactly of the true size for ra-
tional happiness.
The evening passed without any further disturbance,
and, in the occasional absence of General Tilney, with much
positive cheerfulness. It was only in his presence that Cath-
erine felt the smallest fatigue from her journey; and even
then, even in moments of languor or restraint, a sense of
general happiness preponderated, and she could think of
her friends in Bath without one wish of being with them.
GOTHIC
The night was stormy; the wind had been rising at inter-
ELEMENT vals the whole afternoon; and by the time the party broke
RIGHT HERE
POOKIE up, it blew and rained violently. Catherine, as she crossed
WOOKIE
BEAR the hall, listened to the tempest with sensations of awe; and,
when she heard it rage round a corner of the ancient build-
ing and close with sudden fury a distant door, felt for the
first time that she was really in an abbey. Yes, these were
characteristic sounds; they brought to her recollection a
countless variety of dreadful situations and horrid scenes,
which such buildings had witnessed, and such storms ush-
183
We're also being involved in this expectations and rhis is kinda creepy
At the same
time, appart ered in; and most heartily did she rejoice in the happier
from the goth
elements here
circumstances attending her entrance within walls so sol-
there is alsoemn! She had nothing to dread from midnight assassins or
the ideal of a
heroine, who drunken gallants. Henry had certainly been only in jest in
is curious to
explore aboutwhat he had told her that morning. In a house so furnished,
everything
and so guarded, she could have nothing to explore or to suf-
fer, and might go to her bedroom as securely as if it had
been her own chamber at Fullerton. Thus wisely fortifying
her mind, as she proceeded upstairs, she was enabled, espe-
cially on perceiving that Miss Tilney slept only two doors
from her, to enter her room with a tolerably stout heart; and
her spirits were immediately assisted by the cheerful blaze
of a wood fire. ‘How much better is this,’ said she, as she The idea
of the "
walked to the fender — ‘how much better to find a fire ready hero
woman"
lit, than to have to wait shivering in the cold till all the fam- is also
ily are in bed, as so many poor girls have been obliged to present
here
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 as-
sure 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

Again, in the description of the wind we can tell thet there's some sublimity added as well as also gothic
elements here
conviction of the wind’s force. A glance at the old chest, as

she turned away from this examination, was not without
She's playing henry's game
and feeding
her fear its use; she scorned the causeless fears of an idle fancy, and
she hasn't made any discovery
but she began with a most happy indifference to prepare herself for
has been
told by 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.
someone else, a crirticism of how women could see life
But she would not make up her fire; that would seem cow-
ardly, 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 nev-
er 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 whimsi-
cal, it was certainly a very remarkable coincidence! She took
her candle and looked closely at the cabinet. It was not ab-
Intrusive narrator??
solutely 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
185
Again, there is a description of gothic fiction (This fragment of the novel specifically has loads of gothic
references, which showcase the hate and the attempt to parody these novels that Jane AUsten has
attempted to make in this novel)
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 immov-
able. 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 awful-
ness of her situation. To retire to bed, however, unsatisfied
on such a point, would be vain, since sleep must be impos-
sible with the consciousness of a cabinet so mysteriously
closed in her immediate vicinity. Again, therefore, she ap-
plied 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 prob-
ability 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

This is horror and gothic elements, they have found the manuscript here , ehich was difficult to read. This is
kind of mocking the gothic fiction, there are many gothic elements overall here, as well as the word horror
appearing in this fragment
not escape her, and she felt round each with anxious acute-
ness 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 cabi-
net, 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 conceal-
ment, 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 sen-
sations 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 sud-
den 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 hasti-
ly snuffed it. Alas! It was snuffed and extinguished in one. A
lamp could not have expired with more awful effect. Cathe-
rine, for a few moments, was motionless with horror. It was
done completely; not a remnant of light in the wick could
187
give hope to the rekindling breath. Darkness impenetrable
and immovable filled the room. A violent gust of wind, ris-
ing 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 clos-
ing 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 entire-
ly out of the question. With a curiosity so justly awakened,
and feelings in every way so agitated, repose must be ab-
solutely 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 manu-
script 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 sin-
gularly 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 star-
tled 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 af-
ter 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 asleep.
189
ted up; everything that money and taste could do, to give
comfort and elegance to apartments, had been bestowed on
these; and, being furnished within the last five years, they
were perfect in all that would be generally pleasing, and
wanting in all that could give pleasure to Catherine. As they
were surveying the last, the general, after slightly naming
a few of the distinguished characters by whom they had at
times been honoured, turned with a smiling countenance to
Catherine, and ventured to hope that henceforward some of
their earliest tenants might be ‘our friends from Fullerton.’
She felt the unexpected compliment, and deeply regret-
ted the impossibility of thinking well of a man so kindly
disposed towards herself, and so full of civility to all her
family.
The gallery was terminated by folding doors, which Miss
Tilney, advancing, had thrown open, and passed through,
and seemed on the point of doing the same by the first door
to the left, in another long reach of gallery, when the gen-
eral, coming forwards, called her hastily, and, as Catherine
thought, rather angrily back, demanding whether she were
going? — And what was there more to be seen? — Had not
Miss Morland already seen all that could be worth her no-
tice? — And did she not suppose her friend might be glad
of some refreshment after so much exercise? Miss Tilney
drew back directly, and the heavy doors were closed upon
the mortified Catherine, who, having seen, in a momentary
glance beyond them, a narrower passage, more numerous
openings, and symptoms of a winding staircase, believed
herself at last within the reach of something worth her no-
207
tice; and felt, as she unwillingly paced back the gallery, that
she would rather be allowed to examine that end of the
house than see all the finery of all the rest. The general’s
evident desire of preventing such an examination was an
additional stimulant. Something was certainly to be con-
cealed; her fancy, though it had trespassed lately once or
twice, could not mislead her here; and what that something
was, a short sentence of Miss Tilney’s, as they followed the
general at some distance downstairs, seemed to point out: ‘I
was going to take you into what was my mother’s room —
the room in which she died — ‘ were all her words; but few
as they were, they conveyed pages of intelligence to Cath-
erine. It was no wonder that the general should shrink from
the sight of such objects as that room must contain; a room
in all probability never entered by him since the dreadful
scene had passed, which released his suffering wife, and left
him to the stings of conscience.
She ventured, when next alone with Eleanor, to express
her wish of being permitted to see it, as well as all the rest of
that side of the house; and Eleanor promised to attend her
there, whenever they should have a convenient hour. Cath-
erine understood her: the general must be watched from
home, before that room could be entered. ‘It remains as it
was, I suppose?’ said she, in a tone of feeling.
‘Yes, entirely.’
‘And how long ago may it be that your mother died?’
‘She has been dead these nine years.’ And nine years,
Catherine knew, was a trifle of time, compared with what
generally elapsed after the death of an injured wife, before

who had persevered in every possible vice, going on from
crime to crime, murdering whomsoever they chose, with-
out any feeling of humanity or remorse; till a violent death
or a religious retirement closed their black career. The erec-
tion of the monument itself could not in the smallest degree
affect her doubts of Mrs. Tilney’s actual decease. Were she
even to descend into the family vault where her ashes were
supposed to slumber, were she to behold the coffin in which
they were said to be enclosed — what could it avail in such a
case? Catherine had read too much not to be perfectly aware
of the ease with which a waxen figure might be introduced,
and a supposititious funeral carried on.
The succeeding morning promised something better.
The general’s early walk, ill-timed as it was in every other
view, was favourable here; and when she knew him to be out
of the house, she directly proposed to Miss Tilney the ac-
complishment of her promise. Eleanor was ready to oblige
her; and Catherine reminding her as they went of another
promise, their first visit in consequence was to the portrait
in her bed-chamber. It represented a very lovely woman,
with a mild and pensive countenance, justifying, so far, the
expectations of its new observer; but they were not in every
respect answered, for Catherine had depended upon meet-
ing with features, hair, complexion, that should be the very
counterpart, the very image, if not of Henry’s, of Eleanor’s
— the only portraits of which she had been in the habit of
thinking, bearing always an equal resemblance of moth-
er and child. A face once taken was taken for generations.
But here she was obliged to look and consider and study

for a likeness. She contemplated it, however, in spite of this
drawback, with much emotion, and, but for a yet stronger
interest, would have left it unwillingly.
Her agitation as they entered the great gallery was too
much for any endeavour at discourse; she could only look
at her companion. Eleanor’s countenance was dejected,
yet sedate; and its composure spoke her inured to all the
gloomy objects to which they were advancing. Again she
passed through the folding doors, again her hand was upon
the important lock, and Catherine, hardly able to breathe,
was turning to close the former with fearful caution, when
the figure, the dreaded figure of the general himself at the
further end of the gallery, stood before her! The name of ‘El-
eanor’ at the same moment, in his loudest tone, resounded
through the building, giving to his daughter the first inti-
mation of his presence, and to Catherine terror upon terror.
An attempt at concealment had been her first instinctive
movement on perceiving him, yet she could scarcely hope
to have escaped his eye; and when her friend, who with an
apologizing look darted hastily by her, had joined and dis-
appeared with him, she ran for safety to her own room, and,
locking herself in, believed that she should never have cour-
age to go down again. She remained there at least an hour,
in the greatest agitation, deeply commiserating the state
of her poor friend, and expecting a summons herself from
the angry general to attend him in his own apartment. No
summons, however, arrived; and at last, on seeing a carriage
drive up to the abbey, she was emboldened to descend and
meet him under the protection of visitors. The breakfast-
215
room was gay with company; and she was named to them by
the general as the friend of his daughter, in a complimenta-
ry style, which so well concealed his resentful ire, as to make
her feel secure at least of life for the present. And Eleanor,
with a command of countenance which did honour to her
concern for his character, taking an early occasion of saying
to her, ‘My father only wanted me to answer a note,’ she be-
gan to hope that she had either been unseen by the general,
or that from some consideration of policy she should be al-
lowed to suppose herself so. Upon this trust she dared still
to remain in his presence, after the company left them, and
nothing occurred to disturb it.
In the course of this morning’s reflections, she came to
a resolution of making her next attempt on the forbidden
door alone. It would be much better in every respect that El-
eanor should know nothing of the matter. To involve her in
the danger of a second detection, to court her into an apart-
ment which must wring her heart, could not be the office
of a friend. The general’s utmost anger could not be to her-
self what it might be to a daughter; and, besides, she thought
the examination itself would be more satisfactory if made
without any companion. It would be impossible to explain
to Eleanor the suspicions, from which the other had, in all
likelihood, been hitherto happily exempt; nor could she
therefore, in her presence, search for those proofs of the gen-
eral’s cruelty, which however they might yet have escaped
discovery, she felt confident of somewhere drawing forth,
in the shape of some fragmented journal, continued to the
last gasp. Of the way to the apartment she was now perfectly

mistress; and as she wished to get it over before Henry’s re-
turn, who was expected on the morrow, there was no time to
be lost. The day was bright, her courage high; at four o’clock,
the sun was now two hours above the horizon, and it would
be only her retiring to dress half an hour earlier than usual.
It was done; and Catherine found herself alone in the gal-
lery before the clocks had ceased to strike. It was no time
for thought; she hurried on, slipped with the least possible
noise through the folding doors, and without stopping to
look or breathe, rushed forward to the one in question. The
lock yielded to her hand, and, luckily, with no sullen sound
that could alarm a human being. On tiptoe she entered; the
room was before her; but it was some minutes before she
could advance another step. She beheld what fixed her to the
spot and agitated every feature. She saw a large, well-pro-
portioned apartment, an handsome dimity bed, arranged as
unoccupied with an housemaid’s care, a bright Bath stove,
mahogany wardrobes, and neatly painted chairs, on which
the warm beams of a western sun gaily poured through two
sash windows! Catherine had expected to have her feelings
worked, and worked they were. Astonishment and doubt
first seized them; and a shortly succeeding ray of common
sense added some bitter emotions of shame. She could not
be mistaken as to the room; but how grossly mistaken in
everything else! — in Miss Tilney’s meaning, in her own
calculation! This apartment, to which she had given a date
so ancient, a position so awful, proved to be one end of what
the general’s father had built. There were two other doors in
the chamber, leading probably into dressing-closets; but she
217
had no inclination to open either. Would the veil in which
Mrs. Tilney had last walked, or the volume in which she
had last read, remain to tell what nothing else was allowed
to whisper? No: whatever might have been the general’s
crimes, he had certainly too much wit to let them sue for de-
tection. She was sick of exploring, and desired but to be safe
in her own room, with her own heart only privy to its folly;
and she was on the point of retreating as softly as she had
entered, when the sound of footsteps, she could hardly tell
where, made her pause and tremble. To be found there, even
by a servant, would be unpleasant; but by the general (and
he seemed always at hand when least wanted), much worse!
She listened — the sound had ceased; and resolving not to
lose a moment, she passed through and closed the door. At
that instant a door underneath was hastily opened; some-
one seemed with swift steps to ascend the stairs, by the head
of which she had yet to pass before she could gain the gal-
lery. She had no power to move. With a feeling of terror not
very definable, she fixed her eyes on the staircase, and in a
few moments it gave Henry to her view. ‘Mr. Tilney!’ she ex-
claimed in a voice of more than common astonishment. He
looked astonished too. ‘Good God!’ she continued, not at-
tending to his address. ‘How came you here? How came you
up that staircase?’
‘How came I up that staircase!’ he replied, greatly sur-
prised. ‘Because it is my nearest way from the stable-yard to
my own chamber; and why should I not come up it?’
Catherine recollected herself, blushed deeply, and could
say no more. He seemed to be looking in her countenance

for that explanation which her lips did not afford. She moved
on towards the gallery. ‘And may I not, in my turn,’ said he,
as he pushed back the folding doors, ‘ask how you came
here? This passage is at least as extraordinary a road from
the breakfast-parlour to your apartment, as that staircase
can be from the stables to mine.’
‘I have been,’ said Catherine, looking down, ‘to see your
mother’s room.’
‘My mother’s room! Is there anything extraordinary to
be seen there?’
‘No, nothing at all. I thought you did not mean to come
back till tomorrow.’
‘I did not expect to be able to return sooner, when I went
away; but three hours ago I had the pleasure of finding noth-
ing to detain me. You look pale. I am afraid I alarmed you
by running so fast up those stairs. Perhaps you did not know
— you were not aware of their leading from the offices in
common use?’
‘No, I was not. You have had a very fine day for your
ride.’
‘Very; and does Eleanor leave you to find your way into all
the rooms in the house by yourself?’
‘Oh! No; she showed me over the greatest part on Satur-
day — and we were coming here to these rooms — but only’
— dropping her voice — ‘your father was with us.’
‘And that prevented you,’ said Henry, earnestly regarding
her. ‘Have you looked into all the rooms in that passage?’
‘No, I only wanted to see — Is not it very late? I must go
and dress.’
219
‘It is only a quarter past four’ showing his watch — ‘and
you are not now in Bath. No theatre, no rooms to prepare for.
Half an hour at Northanger must be enough.’
She could not contradict it, and therefore suffered her-
self to be detained, though her dread of further questions
made her, for the first time in their acquaintance, wish to
leave him. They walked slowly up the gallery. ‘Have you had
any letter from Bath since I saw you?’
‘No, and I am very much surprised. Isabella promised so
faithfully to write directly.’
‘Promised so faithfully! A faithful promise! That puzzles
me. I have heard of a faithful performance. But a faith-
ful promise — the fidelity of promising! It is a power little
worth knowing, however, since it can deceive and pain you.
My mother’s room is very commodious, is it not? Large and
cheerful-looking, and the dressing-closets so well disposed!
It always strikes me as the most comfortable apartment in
the house, and I rather wonder that Eleanor should not take
it for her own. She sent you to look at it, I suppose?’
‘No.’
‘It has been your own doing entirely?’ Catherine said
nothing. After a short silence, during which he had closely
observed her, he added, ‘As there is nothing in the room in
itself to raise curiosity, this must have proceeded from a sen-
timent of respect for my mother’s character, as described by
Eleanor, which does honour to her memory. The world, I be-
lieve, never saw a better woman. But it is not often that virtue
can boast an interest such as this. The domestic, unpretend-
ing merits of a person never known do not often create that

kind of fervent, venerating tenderness which would prompt
a visit like yours. Eleanor, I suppose, has talked of her a great
deal?’
‘Yes, a great deal. That is — no, not much, but what she
did say was very interesting. Her dying so suddenly’ (slowly,
and with hesitation it was spoken), ‘and you — none of you
being at home — and your father, I thought — perhaps had
not been very fond of her.’
‘And from these circumstances,’ he replied (his quick eye
fixed on hers), ‘you infer perhaps the probability of some
negligence — some’ — (involuntarily she shook her head)
— ‘or it may be — of something still less pardonable.’ She
raised her eyes towards him more fully than she had ever
done before. ‘My mother’s illness,’ he continued, ‘the seizure
which ended in her death, was sudden. The malady itself, one
from which she had often suffered, a bilious fever — its cause
therefore constitutional. On the third day, in short, as soon
as she could be prevailed on, a physician attended her, a very
respectable man, and one in whom she had always placed
great confidence. Upon his opinion of her danger, two others
were called in the next day, and remained in almost constant
attendance for four and twenty hours. On the fifth day she
died. During the progress of her disorder, Frederick and I
(we were both at home) saw her repeatedly; and from our
own observation can bear witness to her having received ev-
ery possible attention which could spring from the affection
of those about her, or which her situation in life could com-
mand. Poor Eleanor was absent, and at such a distance as to
return only to see her mother in her coffin.’
221
‘But your father,’ said Catherine, ‘was he afflicted?’
‘For a time, greatly so. You have erred in supposing him
not attached to her. He loved her, I am persuaded, as well as
it was possible for him to — we have not all, you know, the
same tenderness of disposition — and I will not pretend to
say that while she lived, she might not often have had much
to bear, but though his temper injured her, his judgment
never did. His value of her was sincere; and, if not perma-
nently, he was truly afflicted by her death.’
‘I am very glad of it,’ said Catherine; ‘it would have been
very shocking!’
‘If I understand you rightly, you had formed a surmise
of such horror as I have hardly words to — Dear Miss Mor-
land, consider the dreadful nature of the suspicions you have
entertained. What have you been judging from? Remember
the country and the age in which we live. Remember that
we are English, that we are Christians. Consult your own
understanding, your own sense of the probable, your own
observation of what is passing around you. Does our edu-
cation prepare us for such atrocities? Do our laws connive
at them? Could they be perpetrated without being known,
in a country like this, where social and literary intercourse
is on such a footing, where every man is surrounded by a
neighbourhood of voluntary spies, and where roads and
newspapers lay everything open? Dearest Miss Morland,
what ideas have you been admitting?’
They had reached the end of the gallery, and with tears of
shame she ran off to her own room.

Chapter 29
Catherine was too wretched to be fearful. The journey

in itself had no terrors for her; and she began it without ei-
ther dreading its length or feeling its solitariness. Leaning
back in one comer of the carriage, in a violent burst of tears,
she was conveyed some miles beyond the walls of the abbey
before she raised her head; and the highest point of ground
within the park was almost closed from her view before she
was capable of turning her eyes towards it. Unfortunately,
the road she now travelled was the same which only ten
days ago she had so happily passed along in going to and
from Woodston; and, for fourteen miles, every bitter feeling
was rendered more severe by the review of objects on which
she had first looked under impressions so different. Every
mile, as it brought her nearer Woodston, added to her suf-
ferings, and when within the distance of five, she passed the
turning which led to it, and thought of Henry, so near, yet
so unconscious, her grief and agitation were excessive.
The day which she had spent at that place had been one
of the happiest of her life. It was there, it was on that day,
that the general had made use of such expressions with re-
gard to Henry and herself, had so spoken and so looked as
to give her the most positive conviction of his actually wish-
ing their marriage. Yes, only ten days ago had he elated her
by his pointed regard — had he even confused her by his
261
too significant reference! And now — what had she done, or
what had she omitted to do, to merit such a change?
The only offence against him of which she could accuse
herself had been such as was scarcely possible to reach his
knowledge. Henry and her own heart only were privy to the
shocking suspicions which she had so idly entertained; and
equally safe did she believe her secret with each. Designed-
ly, at least, Henry could not have betrayed her. If, indeed, by
any strange mischance his father should have gained intel-
ligence of what she had dared to think and look for, of her
causeless fancies and injurious examinations, she could not
wonder at any degree of his indignation. If aware of her hav-
ing viewed him as a murderer, she could not wonder at his
even turning her from his house. But a justification so full
of torture to herself, she trusted, would not be in his power.
Anxious as were all her conjectures on this point, it was
not, however, the one on which she dwelt most. There was
a thought yet nearer, a more prevailing, more impetuous
concern. How Henry would think, and feel, and look, when
he returned on the morrow to Northanger and heard of
her being gone, was a question of force and interest to rise
over every other, to be never ceasing, alternately irritating
and soothing; it sometimes suggested the dread of his calm
acquiescence, and at others was answered by the sweetest
confidence in his regret and resentment. To the general, of
course, he would not dare to speak; but to Eleanor — what
might he not say to Eleanor about her?
In this unceasing recurrence of doubts and inquiries, on
any one article of which her mind was incapable of more

than momentary repose, the hours passed away, and her
journey advanced much faster than she looked for. The press-
ing anxieties of thought, which prevented her from noticing
anything before her, when once beyond the neighbourhood
of Woodston, saved her at the same time from watching her
progress; and though no object on the road could engage a
moment’s attention, she found no stage of it tedious. From
this, she was preserved too by another cause, by feeling no
eagerness for her journey’s conclusion; for to return in such
a manner to Fullerton was almost to destroy the pleasure
of a meeting with those she loved best, even after an ab-
sence such as hers — an eleven weeks’ absence. What had
she to say that would not humble herself and pain her fam-
ily, that would not increase her own grief by the confession
of it, extend an useless resentment, and perhaps involve the
innocent with the guilty in undistinguishing ill will? She
could never do justice to Henry and Eleanor’s merit; she felt
it too strongly for expression; and should a dislike be taken
against them, should they be thought of unfavourably, on
their father’s account, it would cut her to the heart.
With these feelings, she rather dreaded than sought for
the first view of that well-known spire which would an-
nounce her within twenty miles of home. Salisbury she had
known to be her point on leaving Northanger; but after the
first stage she had been indebted to the post-masters for the
names of the places which were then to conduct her to it;
so great had been her ignorance of her route. She met with
nothing, however, to distress or frighten her. Her youth, civil
manners, and liberal pay procured her all the attention that
263
a traveller like herself could require; and stopping only to
change horses, she travelled on for about eleven hours with-
out accident or alarm, and between six and seven o’clock in
the evening found herself entering Fullerton.
A heroine returning, at the close of her career, to her na-
tive village, in all the triumph of recovered reputation, and
all the dignity of a countess, with a long train of noble re-
lations in their several phaetons, and three waiting-maids
in a travelling chaise and four, behind her, is an event on
which the pen of the contriver may well delight to dwell; it
gives credit to every conclusion, and the author must share
in the glory she so liberally bestows. But my affair is widely
different; I bring back my heroine to her home in solitude
and disgrace; and no sweet elation of spirits can lead me
into minuteness. A heroine in a hack post-chaise is such a
blow upon sentiment, as no attempt at grandeur or pathos
can withstand. Swiftly therefore shall her post-boy drive
through the village, amid the gaze of Sunday groups, and
speedy shall be her descent from it.
But, whatever might be the distress of Catherine’s mind,
as she thus advanced towards the parsonage, and whatever
the humiliation of her biographer in relating it, she was pre-
paring enjoyment of no everyday nature for those to whom
she went; first, in the appearance of her carriage — and sec-
ondly, in herself. The chaise of a traveller being a rare sight
in Fullerton, the whole family were immediately at the win-
dow; and to have it stop at the sweep-gate was a pleasure
to brighten every eye and occupy every fancy — a pleasure
quite unlooked for by all but the two youngest children, a

EXTRACT 3 - Northanger Abbey

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we're gonna find someone that deserves better and she's

gonna be inversed in a gothic novel

In addition to what has been already said of Catherine

She's gonna have an advanture and she mocks and

and curl of your hair to be described in all their diversi-

Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 21

expressions she could command; and, as the first proof of

friend; and, as the completion of good fortune, had found

themselves adding — joining with their greatest enemies in

us leave it to the reviewers to abuse such effusions of fancy

The following conversation, which took place between

Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 35

average of four hours every day while I am here.’

The next morning was fair, and Catherine almost expect-

again of the appointed time; and no new difficulty arising, no sudden

heroine Jane recollection, no unexpected summons, no impertinent in-

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Catherine’s expectations of pleasure from her visit in

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conviction of the wind’s force. A glance at the old chest, as

utmost strength. Alarmed, but not discouraged, she tried it

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Catherine was too wretched to be fearful. The journey

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