Austen Said:

“you have been at least three hours getting ready. I was afraid you were ill. What a delightful ball we had last night. I have a thousand things to say to you; but make haste and get in, for I long to be off.”

“What a sweet girl she is! I quite dote on her.”

“Oh! Mr. Allen, you mean. Yes, I believe, he is very rich.”

“No — not any.”

“My godfather! No.”

“Yes, very much.”

“His bottle a day! No. Why should you think of such a thing? He is a very temperate man, and you could not fancy him in liquor last night?”

“I cannot believe it.”

“And yet I have heard that there is a great deal of wine drunk in Oxford.”

“Yes, it does give a notion,”

“and that is, that you all drink a great deal more wine than I thought you did. However, I am sure James does not drink so much.”

“You do not really think, Mr. Thorpe,”

“that James’s gig will break down?”

“Good heavens!”

“Then pray let us turn back; they will certainly meet with an accident if we go on. Do let us turn back, Mr. Thorpe; stop and speak to my brother, and tell him how very unsafe it is.”

he must know the carriage to be in fact perfectly safe,

“Past three o’clock!”

“Yes, ma’am, I thank you; we could not have had a nicer day.”

“You have seen Mrs. Thorpe, then?”

“Did you see anybody else of our acquaintance?”

“Did you indeed? And did they speak to you?”

“And what did she tell you of them?”

“Did she tell you what part of Gloucestershire they come from?”

“And are Mr. and Mrs. Tilney in Bath?”

“And is Mr. Tilney, my partner, the only son?”

“Oh, heavens! My beloved Catherine, have I got you at last?”

“Now, Mr. Morland,”

“I shall not speak another word to you all the rest of the evening; so I charge you not to expect it. My sweetest Catherine, how have you been this long age? But I need not ask you, for you look delightfully. You really have done your hair in a more heavenly style than ever; you mischievous creature, do you want to attract everybody? I assure you, my brother is quite in love with you already; and as for Mr. Tilney — but that is a settled thing — even your modesty cannot doubt his attachment now; his coming back to Bath makes it too plain. Oh! What would not I give to see him! I really am quite wild with impatience.

My mother says

you know; you must introduce him to me. Is he in the house now? Look about, for heaven’s sake! I assure you, I can hardly exist till I see him.”

“No,”

“he is not here; I cannot see him anywhere.”

“Oh, horrid! Am I never to be acquainted with him? How do you like my gown? I think it does not look amiss; the sleeves were entirely my own thought. Do you know, I get so immoderately sick of Bath; your brother and I were agreeing this morning that, though it is vastly well to be here for a few weeks, we would not live here for millions. We soon found out that our tastes were exactly alike in preferring the country to every other place; really, our opinions were so exactly the same, it was quite ridiculous! There was not a single point in which we differed; I would not have had you by for the world; you are such a sly thing, I am sure you would have made some droll remark or other about it.”

“No, indeed I should not.”

“Oh, yes you would indeed; I know you better than you know yourself. You would have told us that we seemed born for each other, or some nonsense of that kind, which would have distressed me beyond conception; my cheeks would have been as red as your roses; I would not have had you by for the world.”

“Indeed you do me injustice; I would not have made so improper a remark upon any account; and besides, I am sure it would never have entered my head.”

“How well your brother dances!”

“He must have thought it very odd to hear me say I was engaged the other evening, when he saw me sitting down. But I really had been engaged the whole day to Mr. Thorpe.”

“You cannot think,”

“how surprised I was to see him again. I felt so sure of his being quite gone away.”

“That never occurred to me; and of course, not seeing him anywhere, I thought he must be gone. Was not the young lady he danced with on Monday a Miss Smith?”

“I dare say she was very glad to dance. Do you think her pretty?”

“He never comes to the pump-room, I suppose?”

“I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing you again soon,”

“Shall you be at the cotillion ball tomorrow?

“I am glad of it, for we shall all be there.”

“Do not be frightened, my dear Catherine,”

“but I am really going to dance with your brother again. I declare positively it is quite shocking. I tell him he ought to be ashamed of himself, but you and John must keep us in countenance. Make haste, my dear creature, and come to us. John is just walked off, but he will be back in a moment.”

her folly, in supposing that among such a crowd they should even meet with the Tilneys in any reasonable time,

To escape,