Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Three

An hour passed, and the general had not returned.During this time, his young guest was thinking about it, and he really didn't have a good impression of his personality.Procrastinatingly saying that he can't reach it, and wandering around alone, it shows that he is restless or has a disturbed conscience.Finally he showed up.No matter how gloomy his thoughts were, he was still able to put on a smile.Miss Tilney, who had some idea of ​​her friend's curiosity, knew that she wanted to see the house, and at once resumed the matter.To Catherine's surprise, the general couldn't find any excuse for further delay. He just paused for five minutes, ordered refreshments for them to go back to the house, and then prepared to accompany them around.

Several people set off.The general is majestic and majestic. Although he is very eye-catching, it cannot dispel Catherine's doubts about him, who is familiar with legendary novels.He led the way through the foyer, past the common drawing room and a half-built vestibule, and into a large stately and richly furnished room.This is the formal living room, which is only used to receive dignitaries and distinguished guests.The drawing-room was very grand, very rich, very charming.That was all Catherine could say, for she was so dazzled that she could hardly distinguish the colors of the satin.All the nuanced compliments, all the meaningful compliments, all came from the mouth of the general.In any room, the luxury and refinement of the furniture was unimportant to Catherine, who did not care much for furniture later than the fifteenth century.The general satisfied his curiosity by examining each familiar ornament with great care.Then, everyone went to the study.This room, likewise, contained a collection of books which the humble man might have been proud of.

Catherine listened, admired, and marveled, with more sincere affection than before, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible from this treasure house of knowledge, browsing the titles of half a shelf, and then prepared to go.But the suite she was thinking of didn't come.Although this building is huge, she has already seen most of it.She heard that the six or seven houses she had seen, including the kitchen, surrounded the three sides of the yard, but she couldn't believe it, and couldn't dispel her doubts in her heart. She always felt that there were still many secret rooms.However, she was relieved that they had to go back to the common house and pass through some inconspicuous rooms, all of which opened out on to the courtyard, where there were occasional winding passages that separated the Join the sides.

On the way, she was even more relieved to hear that the place where she stepped was once the cloister of the monastery, and the master showed her the remains of some secret rooms, and she saw some doors, which the master neither opened nor asked her. explain.She walked into the billiard room and the general's private room one after another, but couldn't figure out how they communicated, and turned in the wrong direction when she left.Finally through a dimly lit cabin, Henry's den, where his books, shotgun, and overcoats were cluttered. The dining room has been seen, and it is seen every five o'clock.But the General, in order to let Miss Morland know better, measured its length with his feet with great interest, but Catherine was neither suspicious nor interested in it.They took a short cut to the kitchen.It was the old kitchen of the monastery, with the thick walls and fumes of yesteryear and the modern stove and oven.The general's repair skills didn't falter here.In this vast world of chefs, all modern equipment is still used to improve the working conditions of chefs.Where others can't do anything, he often solves things perfectly with his own talent.His contribution here alone ensures that he will always be the best among the benefactors of this monastery.

All the monuments of the monastery end at the four walls of the kitchen.The house on the fourth side of the quadrangle was demolished by the general's father long ago because it was on the verge of collapse, and the current house was built.All the antique things have disappeared here.A new house is not just new, but also flaunts its newness.Because it was only intended to be used as a servant's house, and there is a stable behind it, the integration of architectural forms was not considered.Catherine was really going to be furious. Someone had destroyed what should have been the most valuable monument in the temple just to save the family expenses.Had the general allowed it, she would have preferred not to take a walk in this ruined place, than to feel pain in her heart.However, if the general has vanity, it is reflected in his arrangements for the servants.He believed that to the mind of Miss Moran it would be very pleasant to see the comforts and conveniences which would relieve the labor of servants, so he could lead her on without any need Apologize to her.They took a brief look at all the facilities, and to Catherine's surprise, they were so numerous and convenient that they left a deep impression on her.

In Fullerton, a couple of disfigured pantry cabinets and an uncomfortable sink solved the problem.But here it all takes place in just a few decent rooms, both convenient and spacious.The constant stream of servants surprised her as much as the number of servants.Wherever they went, maids in galoshes stopped to salute, while menservants in civilian clothes sneaked away.However, this is a temple!This arrangement of household chores was so different from what she had seen in the books that it was indescribable: although the monastery and castle in the books were undoubtedly larger than Northanger Abbey, all chores in the house were performed by at most two maids. It often amazed Mrs. Allen how they could finish it.But when Catherine found that so many people were needed here, she was surprised again.

They returned to the hall so that they could climb the main staircase and show the visitors its fine wood and rich carvings.When they reached the top of the building, they didn't go to the corridor where Catherine's bedroom was located, but turned in the opposite direction and quickly entered another corridor.This corridor had the same pattern as that one, only longer and wider.Here she saw three large bedrooms one after another, together with their respective dressing rooms, each of which was extremely well furnished and extremely gorgeous.It has all the comfort and elegance that money and taste can give a home.Because they were all decorated in the past five years.There were all the things that the average person liked, but nothing that interested Catherine.

After viewing the last bedroom, the general casually listed a few famous people who visited from time to time, and then turned to Catherine with a smile and a bold hope.From now on, among the first guests to come here, there may be friends of Fullerton.Catherine could not help being flattered, and felt that she had despised one who had been so kind to her, and so kind to all her family. At the end of the corridor was a folding door. Miss Tilney stepped forward to open the door and walked in. There was another long corridor inside. She seemed to be about to break into the first door on the left, but the general stepped forward. Come, call her hastily (catherine thinks he looks annoyed), and ask her where she is going?What else is there to see?Hasn't Miss Moran seen everything worth seeing?After running back and forth for a long time, didn't she think that her friend might want a snack?

Miss Tilney drew back immediately, and the heavy folding door closed again.But it was too late, and the sad Catherine hurried ahead of the closing door, took the opportunity to glance inside, saw countless doors open in a narrow passage, and vaguely saw a spiral staircase, and believed that she had finally arrived. It's time to see something worth seeing.As she walked wearily back down the corridor, she felt that she would rather see this end of the house than visit the rest of the splendor if she were allowed to.The general clearly didn't want her to see it, which aroused her curiosity even more.There must be something hiding here.Although her imagination has crossed the track once or twice recently, she can't be wrong this time.What is hidden here?

When they followed the general downstairs, Miss Tilney saw the general was far away from them, so she took the opportunity to say: "I wanted to take you to my mother's room, which is the room where she died. , Catherine felt meaningful after hearing it.No wonder the general dared not look at what was in that house.Nine times out of ten, he had not been in that room since the dreadful event had relieved his wife from the pain of his conscience and made him suffer. Catherine took the next opportunity of being alone with Elinor, and ventured to express her wish to be allowed to see that room, and the rest of the house beyond.Eleanor promised to take her when it was convenient.Catherine knew what she meant: to enter that room only when the General was not at home.I suppose the house is still the same?She said in a sad tone.

Yes, exactly as is. How long has it been since your mother died? nine years. Catherine knew that it usually took many years after the death of a tortured wife for her house to be tidied up; I really want you to guard her until she dies, right? No, Miss Tilney said with a sigh: I was not at home, unfortunately.The mother's illness came suddenly and briefly.Before I got home, everything was over. When Catherine heard this, some terrible associations naturally appeared in her heart, and she couldn't help feeling horrified.is it possible?Could it be that Henry's father would?Yet how many precedents prove that even the worst suspicions are justified.In the evening, Catherine and her friends were working together, and saw the general pacing slowly in the drawing room, with his eyes downcast and his brows furrowed, in thought for a whole hour.Catherine felt now that she would never do him wrong.It was the air of Montney! (Translator's Note: Montney: A very savage gangster in "Udolph's Mystery".) What better way to show a person who is not yet completely dehumanized than to think of the evil scenes of the past? Its gloomy psychological!Poor man!Catherine, in her anxiety, cast her eyes so often upon the General that Miss Tilney's attention was attracted.My father, she whispered.There is nothing strange about walking around the house like this often. This is even worse!This untimely pacing of his, which coincided with his strange, untimely morning walk, was by no means a good sign, Catherine thought. The dullness of the evening, and what seemed to be a long one, made Catherine especially aware of Henry's importance among them.Later, when she could go, she was genuinely glad, though she overheard that it was the general who had given his daughter the wink to ring the bell.However, the butler was about to light a candle for his master when the general stopped him.It turned out that he wasn't planning to go to rest right away.I have a lot of pamphlets to read, he said to Catherine, before I go to sleep.Maybe after you go to sleep, I'll spend a few hours studying the affairs of state.Is there a more appropriate division of labor between the two of us than this?My eyes are getting tired and blind for the benefit of others, but your eyes are resting, resting so naughty. But neither his mention of his business nor his excellent compliment could sway Catherine from the idea that the general's long delay of normal sleep must have had a very different motive.It is unlikely that the family will be kept awake for hours by some boring pamphlet after they have gone to sleep.There must be a deeper reason for this: he must have something to do, and he can't do it until the whole family is asleep.Catherine must then come to the conclusion that Mrs. Tilney was probably still alive, imprisoned for unknown reasons, and receiving a little crumbs every night from her heartless husband.Horrible as it was, the thought was at least better than an unrighteously hastened death, since, according to the natural course of events, she would soon be set free.It is said that her sudden illness, the absence of her daughter, and possibly the other two children, all help to suggest that the theory of her incarceration may be correct.The reason for the imprisonment｜—maybe jealousy, or unprovoked cruelty remains to be clarified. While Catherine was undressing and pondering these questions, it suddenly occurred to her that she might have walked past the place where the unfortunate woman was imprisoned in the morning, and was only a few steps away from the cell where she was dying, because there were still remains of the monastery building. Traces, what better place to imprison than in Northanger Abbey?And the stone-vaulted corridor, which she had walked frightfully through, still remembered the doors, although the general had not explained them.Where can these doors not pass through?In order to prove that her speculation was unreasonable, she further thought that the corridor where Mrs. Tilney's house was located was listed as a restricted area. According to her memory, this corridor should be located just above the row of suspicious secret rooms.The flight of stairs beside those rooms, which Catherine had glanced at briefly, must have had secret passages leading to the chambers below, which might have facilitated the brutality of General Tilney.Mrs. Tilney may have been carried downstairs after being deliberately stupefied. Catherine was sometimes taken aback by her bold speculations, sometimes she wished she had gone too far, and at the same time was afraid of going too far.But on the surface, these speculations were so reasonable, she couldn't dismiss them. She believed that the general's criminal activities took place on that side of the quadrangle, which was directly opposite hers.So she realized that, if she looked carefully, the general's light might be shining through the downstairs window when he went to see his wife in the cell.Twice before going to bed, she slipped quietly out of the room and went to the corresponding window in the corridor to see if there was a light.But it was dark outside, and it must have been too early.And from the sound of going up the stairs, she believed that the servant must not be asleep. Before midnight, she expected to see nothing interesting, but at midnight, when the clock struck twelve and everything was still, if the darkness didn't frighten her, she would like to sneak out to see it again.But Catherine had been asleep for half an hour when the clock struck twelve.