Austen Said:

This was the last sentence by which he could weary Catherine’s attention, for he was just then borne off by the resistless pressure of a long string of passing ladies.

Her partner now drew near, and said,

Mr. Tilney was very much amused.

he repeated.

Here their conversation closed, the demands of the dance becoming now too importunate for a divided attention.

Soon after their reaching the bottom of the set, Catherine perceived herself to be earnestly regarded by a gentleman who stood among the lookers-on, immediately behind her partner. He was a very handsome man, of a commanding aspect, past the bloom, but not past the vigour of life; and with his eye still directed towards her, she saw him presently address Mr. Tilney in a familiar whisper. Confused by his notice, and blushing from the fear of its being excited by something wrong in her appearance, she turned away her head.

But while she did so, the gentleman retreated, and her partner, coming nearer, said,

Catherine’s answer was only

was her secret remark.

In chatting with Miss Tilney before the evening concluded, a new source of felicity arose to her. She had never taken a country walk since her arrival in Bath. Miss Tilney, to whom all the commonly frequented environs were familiar, spoke of them in terms which made her all eagerness to know them too; and on

her openly fearing that

it was proposed by the brother and sister that

she cried,

This was readily agreed to, with only

a proviso of Miss Tilney’s, that

which

Catherine was sure

At twelve o’clock, they were to call for her in Pulteney Street; and

was her parting speech to her new friend.

Of her other, her older, her more established friend, Isabella, of whose fidelity and worth she had enjoyed a fortnight’s experience, she scarcely saw anything during the evening. Yet, though longing to make her acquainted with her happiness, she cheerfully submitted to the wish of Mr. Allen, which took them rather early away, and her spirits danced within her, as she danced in her chair all the way home.

The morrow brought a very sober-looking morning, the sun making only a few efforts to appear, and Catherine augured from it everything most favourable to her wishes.

she allowed,

She applied to Mr. Allen for confirmation of her hopes, but Mr. Allen, not having his own skies and barometer about him, declined giving any absolute promise of sunshine. She applied to Mrs. Allen, and Mrs. Allen’s opinion was more positive.

At about eleven o’clock, however, a few specks of small rain upon the windows caught Catherine’s watchful eye, and

broke from her in a most desponding tone.

said Mrs. Allen.

sighed Catherine;

replied her friend very placidly,

said Catherine, as she stood watching at a window.

The rain continued — fast, though not heavy.

Catherine

went every five minutes to the clock,

threatening on each return that,

The clock struck twelve, and it still rained.

At half past twelve, when Catherine’s anxious attention to the weather was over and she could no longer claim any merit from its amendment, the sky began voluntarily to clear. A gleam of sunshine took her quite by surprise; she looked round; the clouds were parting, and she instantly returned to the window to watch over and encourage the happy appearance. Ten minutes more made it certain that a bright afternoon would succeed, and justified the opinion of Mrs. Allen, who had

But whether Catherine might still expect her friends, whether there had not been too much rain for Miss Tilney to venture, must yet be a question.

It was too dirty for Mrs. Allen to accompany her husband to the pump-room; he accordingly set off by himself, and Catherine had barely watched him down the street when her notice was claimed by the approach of the same two open carriages, containing the same three people that had surprised her so much a few mornings back.

Mrs. Allen agreed to it. John Thorpe was soon with them, and his voice was with them yet sooner, for on the stairs he was calling out to Miss Morland to be quick.

as he threw open the door.

This was of course vehemently talked down as no reason at all; Mrs. Allen was called on to second him, and the two others walked in, to give their assistance.

said Morland.

cried Thorpe.

cried Catherine.

— looking down as she spoke, fearful of Isabella’s smile —

cried Thorpe;

Isabella corroborated it:

was the general cry.

Mrs. Allen was not inattentive to it:

said she,

And in two minutes they were off.