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1"I am sure I shall be miserable if we do not. If I can but be near you, I shall be satisfied. But this is idle talking!
2i will not allow myself to think of such things, till we have your father's answer. Morland says that by sending it
3to-night to Salisbury, we may have it to-morrow. To-morrow? I know I shall never have courage to open the letter. I know
4it will be the death of me." A reverie succeeded this conviction--and when Isabella spoke again, it was to resolve on
5the quality of her wedding-gown. Their conference was put an end to by the anxious young lover himself, who came to
6breathe his parting sigh before he set off for Wiltshire. Catherine wished to congratulate him, but knew not what to
7say, and her eloquence was only in her eyes. From them, however, the eight parts of speech shone out most expressively,
8and James could combine them with ease. Impatient for the realization of all that he hoped at home, his adieus were not
9long; and they would have been yet shorter, had he not been frequently detained by the urgent entreaties of his fair one
10that he would go. Twice was he called almost from the door by her eagerness to have him gone. "Indeed, Morland, I must
11drive you away. Consider how far you have to ride. I cannot bear to see you linger so. For heaven's sake, waste no more
12time. There, go, go--I insist on it." The two friends, with hearts now more united than ever, were inseparable for the
13day; and in schemes of sisterly happiness the hours flew along. Mrs. Thorpe and her son, who were acquainted with
14everything, and who seemed only to want Mr. Morland's consent, to consider Isabella's engagement as the most fortunate
15circumstance imaginable for their family, were allowed to join their counsels, and add their quota of significant looks
16and mysterious expressions to fill up the measure of curiosity to be raised in the unprivileged younger sisters. To
17Catherine's simple feelings, this odd sort of reserve seemed neither kindly meant, nor consistently supported; and its
18unkindness she would hardly have forborne pointing out, had its inconsistency been less their friend; but Anne and Maria
19soon set her heart at ease by the sagacity of their "I know what"; and the evening was spent in a sort of war of wit, a
20display of family ingenuity, on one side in the mystery of an affected secret, on the other of undefined discovery, all
21equally acute. Catherine was with her friend again the next day, endeavouring to support her spirits and while away the
22many tedious hours before the delivery of the letters; a needful exertion, for as the time of reasonable expectation
23drew near, Isabella became more and more desponding, and before the letter arrived, had worked herself into a state of
24real distress. But when it did come, where could distress be found? "I have had no difficulty in gaining the consent of
25my kind parents, and am promised that everything in their power shall be done to forward my happiness," were the first
26three lines, and in one moment all was joyful security. The brightest glow was instantly spread over Isabella's
27features, all care and anxiety seemed removed, her spirits became almost too high for control, and she called herself
28without scruple the happiest of mortals. Mrs. Thorpe, with tears of joy, embraced her daughter, her son, her visitor,
29and could have embraced half the inhabitants of Bath with satisfaction. Her heart was overflowing with tenderness. It
30was "dear John" and "dear Catherine" at every word; "dear Anne and dear Maria" must immediately be made sharers in their
31felicity; and two "dears" at once before the name of Isabella were not more than that beloved child had now well earned.
32John himself was no skulker in joy. He not only bestowed on Mr. Morland the high commendation of being one of the finest
33fellows in the world, but swore off many sentences in his praise. The letter, whence sprang all this felicity, was
34short, containing little more than this assurance of success; and every particular was deferred till James could write
35again. But for particulars Isabella could well afford to wait. The needful was comprised in Mr. Morland's promise; his
36honour was pledged to make everything easy; and by what means their income was to be formed, whether landed property
37were to be resigned, or funded money made over, was a matter in which her disinterested spirit took no concern. She knew
38enough to feel secure of an honourable and speedy establishment, and her imagination took a rapid flight over its
39attendant felicities. She saw herself at the end of a few weeks, the gaze and admiration of every new acquaintance at
40Fullerton, the envy of every valued old friend in Putney, with a carriage at her command, a new name on her tickets, and
41a brilliant exhibition of hoop rings on her finger. When the contents of the letter were ascertained, John Thorpe, who
42had only waited its arrival to begin his journey to London, prepared to set off. "Well, Miss Morland," said he, on
43finding her alone in the parlour, "I am come to bid you good-bye." Catherine wished him a good journey. Without
44appearing to hear her, he walked to the window, fidgeted about, hummed a tune, and seemed wholly self-occupied. "Shall
45not you be late at Devizes?" said Catherine. He made no answer; but after a minute's silence burst out with, "A famous
46good thing this marrying scheme, upon my soul! a clever fancy of Morland's and Belle's. What do you think of it, Miss
47Morland? I say it is no bad notion." "I am sure I think it a very good one." "Do you? That's honest, by heavens! i am
48glad you are no enemy to matrimony, however. Did you ever hear the old song, 'Going to One Wedding Brings on Another?' I
49say, you will come to Belle's wedding, I hope." "Yes; I have promised your sister to be with her, if possible." "And
50then you know"--twisting himself about and forcing a foolish laugh--"I say, then you know, we may try the truth of this
51same old song." "May we? But I never sing. Well, I wish you a good journey. I dine with Miss Tilney to-day, and must now
52be going home." "Nay, but there is no such confounded hurry. Who knows when we may be together again? Not but that I
53shall be down again by the end of a fortnight, and a devilish long fortnight it will appear to me." "Then why do you
54stay away so long?" replied Catherine--finding that he waited for an answer. "That is kind of you, however--kind and
55good-natured. I shall not forget it in a hurry. But you have more good nature and all that, than anybody living, I
56believe. A monstrous deal of good nature, and it is not only good nature, but you have so much, so much of everything;
57and then you have such--upon my soul, I do not know anybody like you." "Oh! dear, there are a great many people like me,
58I dare say, only a great deal better. Good morning to you." "But I say, Miss Morland, I shall come and pay my respects
59at Fullerton before it is long, if not disagreeable." "Pray do. My father and mother will be very glad to see you." "And
60I hope--I hope, Miss Morland, you will not be sorry to see me." "Oh! dear, not at all. There are very few people I am
61sorry to see. Company is always cheerful." "That is just my way of thinking. Give me but a little cheerful company, let
62me only have the company of the people I love, let me only be where I like and with whom I like, and the devil take the
63rest, say I. And I am heartily glad to hear you say the same. But I have a notion, Miss Morland, you and I think pretty
64much alike upon most matters." "Perhaps we may; but it is more than I ever thought of. And as to most matters, to say
65the truth, there are not many that I know my own mind about." "By Jove, no more do I. It is not my way to bother my
66brains with what does not concern me. My notion of things is simple enough. Let me only have the girl I like, say I,
67with a comfortable house over my head, and what care I for all the rest? Fortune is nothing. I am sure of a good income
68of my own; and if she had not a penny, why, so much the better."
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