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1Her greedy eye glanced rapidly over a page. She started at its import. Could it be possible, or did not her senses play
2her false? An inventory of linen, in coarse and modern characters, seemed all that was before her! if the evidence of
3sight might be trusted, she held a washing-bill in her hand. She seized another sheet, and saw the same articles with
4little variation; a third, a fourth, and a fifth presented nothing new. Shirts, stockings, cravats, and waistcoats faced
5her in each. Two others, penned by the same hand, marked an expenditure scarcely more interesting, in letters,
6hair-powder, shoe-string, and breeches-ball. And the larger sheet, which had enclosed the rest, seemed by its first
7cramp line, "To poultice chestnut mare"--a farrier's bill! such was the collection of papers (left perhaps, as she could
8then suppose, by the negligence of a servant in the place whence she had taken them) which had filled her with
9expectation and alarm, and robbed her of half her night's rest! she felt humbled to the dust. Could not the adventure of
10the chest have taught her wisdom? A corner of it, catching her eye as she lay, seemed to rise up in judgment against
11her. Nothing could now be clearer than the absurdity of her recent fancies. To suppose that a manuscript of many
12generations back could have remained undiscovered in a room such as that, so modern, so habitable!--Or that she should
13be the first to possess the skill of unlocking a cabinet, the key of which was open to all! How could she have so
14imposed on herself? Heaven forbid that Henry Tilney should ever know her folly! and it was in a great measure his own
15doing, for had not the cabinet appeared so exactly to agree with his description of her adventures, she should never
16have felt the smallest curiosity about it. This was the only comfort that occurred. Impatient to get rid of those
17hateful evidences of her folly, those detestable papers then scattered over the bed, she rose directly, and folding them
18up as nearly as possible in the same shape as before, returned them to the same spot within the cabinet, with a very
19hearty wish that no untoward accident might ever bring them forward again, to disgrace her even with herself. Why the
20locks should have been so difficult to open, however, was still something remarkable, for she could now manage them with
21perfect ease. In this there was surely something mysterious, and she indulged in the flattering suggestion for half a
22minute, till the possibility of the door's having been at first unlocked, and of being herself its fastener, darted into
23her head, and cost her another blush. She got away as soon as she could from a room in which her conduct produced such
24unpleasant reflections, and found her way with all speed to the breakfast-parlour, as it had been pointed out to her by
25Miss Tilney the evening before. Henry was alone in it; and his immediate hope of her having been undisturbed by the
26tempest, with an arch reference to the character of the building they inhabited, was rather distressing. For the world
27would she not have her weakness suspected, and yet, unequal to an absolute falsehood, was constrained to acknowledge
28that the wind had kept her awake a little. "But we have a charming morning after it," she added, desiring to get rid of
29the subject; "and storms and sleeplessness are nothing when they are over. What beautiful hyacinths! i have just learnt
30to love a hyacinth." "And how might you learn? By accident or argument?" "Your sister taught me; I cannot tell how. Mrs.
31Allen used to take pains, year after year, to make me like them; but I never could, till I saw them the other day in
32Milsom Street; I am naturally indifferent about flowers." "But now you love a hyacinth. So much the better. You have
33gained a new source of enjoyment, and it is well to have as many holds upon happiness as possible. Besides, a taste for
34flowers is always desirable in your sex, as a means of getting you out of doors, and tempting you to more frequent
35exercise than you would otherwise take. And though the love of a hyacinth may be rather domestic, who can tell, the
36sentiment once raised, but you may in time come to love a rose?" "But I do not want any such pursuit to get me out of
37doors. The pleasure of walking and breathing fresh air is enough for me, and in fine weather I am out more than half my
38time. Mamma says I am never within." "At any rate, however, I am pleased that you have learnt to love a hyacinth. The
39mere habit of learning to love is the thing; and a teachableness of disposition in a young lady is a great blessing. Has
40my sister a pleasant mode of instruction?" Catherine was saved the embarrassment of attempting an answer by the entrance
41of the General, whose smiling compliments announced a happy state of mind, but whose gentle hint of sympathetic early
42rising did not advance her composure. The elegance of the breakfast set forced itself on Catherine's notice when they
43were seated at table; and, luckily, it had been the General's choice. He was enchanted by her approbation of his taste,
44confessed it to be neat and simple, thought it right to encourage the manufacture of his country; and for his part, to
45his uncritical palate, the tea was as well flavoured from the clay of Staffordshire, as from that of Dresden or Sêve.
46But this was quite an old set, purchased two years ago. The manufacture was much improved since that time; he had seen
47some beautiful specimens when last in town, and had he not been perfectly without vanity of that kind, might have been
48tempted to order a new set. He trusted, however, that an opportunity might ere long occur of selecting one--though not
49for himself. Catherine was probably the only one of the party who did not understand him. Shortly after breakfast Henry
50left them for Woodston, where business required and would keep him two or three days. They all attended in the hall to
51see him mount his horse, and immediately on re-entering the breakfast-room, Catherine walked to a window in the hope of
52catching another glimpse of his figure. "This is a somewhat heavy call upon your brother's fortitude," observed the
53General to Eleanor. "Woodston will make but a sombre appearance to-day." "Is it a pretty place?" asked Catherine. "What
54say you, Eleanor? Speak your opinion, for ladies can best tell the taste of ladies in regard to places as well as men. I
55think it would be acknowledged by the most impartial eye to have many recommendations. The house stands among fine
56meadows facing the south-east, with an excellent kitchen-garden in the same aspect; the walls surrounding which I built
57and stocked myself about ten years ago, for the benefit of my son. It is a family living, Miss Morland; and the property
58in the place being chiefly my own, you may believe I take care that it shall not be a bad one. Did Henry's income depend
59solely on this living, he would not be ill-provided for. Perhaps it may seem odd, that with only two younger children, I
60should think any profession necessary for him; and certainly there are moments when we could all wish him disengaged
61from every tie of business. But though I may not exactly make converts of you young ladies, I am sure your father, Miss
62Morland, would agree with me in thinking it expedient to give every young man some employment. The money is nothing, it
63is not an object, but employment is the thing. Even Frederick, my eldest son, you see, who will perhaps inherit as
64considerable a landed property as any private man in the county, has his profession." The imposing effect of this last
65argument was equal to his wishes. The silence of the lady proved it to be unanswerable.
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