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of walking with her till Tuesday. She said very well, Tuesday was
just as convenient to her; so there is an end of all our difficulties.
A pretty good thought of mine -- hey?"
Isabella's countenance was once more all smiles and good humour,
and James too looked happy again.
"A most heavenly thought indeed! Now, my sweet Catherine, all our
distresses are over; you are honourably acquitted, and we shall
have a most delightful party."
"This will not do," said Catherine; "I cannot submit to this. I
must run after Miss Tilney directly and set her right."
Isabella, however, caught hold of one hand, Thorpe of the other,
and remonstrances poured in from all three. Even James was quite
angry. When everything was settled, when Miss Tilney herself said
that Tuesday would suit her as well, it was quite ridiculous, quite
absurd, to make any further objection.
"I do not care. Mr. Thorpe had no business to invent any such
message. If I had thought it right to put it off, I could have
spoken to Miss Tilney myself. This is only doing it in a ruder
way; and how do I know that Mr. Thorpe has -- He may be mistaken
again perhaps; he led me into one act of rudeness by his mistake
on Friday. Let me go, Mr. Thorpe; Isabella, do not hold me."
Thorpe told her it would be in vain to go after the Tilneys; they
were turning the corner into Brock Street, when he had overtaken
them, and were at home by this time.
"Then I will go after them," said Catherine; "wherever they are
I will go after them. It does not signify talking. If I could
not be persuaded into doing what I thought wrong, I never will be
tricked into it." And with these words she broke away and hurried
off. Thorpe would have darted after her, but Morland withheld him.
"Let her go, let her go, if she will go. She is as obstinate as -- "
Thorpe never finished the simile, for it could hardly have been a
proper one.
Away walked Catherine in great agitation, as fast as the crowd would
permit her, fearful of being pursued, yet determined to persevere.
As she walked, she reflected on what had passed. It was painful
to her to disappoint and displease them, particularly to displease
her brother; but she could not repent her resistance. Setting her
own inclination apart, to have failed a second time in her engagement
to Miss Tilney, to have retracted a promise voluntarily made only
five minutes before, and on a false pretence too, must have been
wrong. She had not been withstanding them on selfish principles
alone, she had not consulted merely her own gratification; that
might have been ensured in some degree by the excursion itself,
by seeing Blaize Castle; no, she had attended to what was due to
others, and to her own character in their opinion. Her conviction
of being right, however, was not enough to restore her composure;
till she had spoken to Miss Tilney she could not be at ease; and
quickening her pace when she got clear of the Crescent, she almost
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