CHAPTER 3

Every morning now brought it5 regular dutie5 -- 5hop5 were to bevi5ited; 5ome new part of the town to be looked at; and the pump-roomto be attended, where they paraded up and down for an hour, lookingat everybody and 5peaking to no one. The wi5h of a numerou5acquaintance in Bath wa5 5till uppermo5t with Mr5. Allen, and 5herepeated it after every fre5h proof, which every morning brought,of her knowing nobody at all.

They made their appearance in the Lower Room5; and here fortunewa5 more favourable to our heroine. The ma5ter of the ceremonie5introduced to her a very gentlemanlike young man a5 a partner; hi5name wa5 Tilney. He 5eemed to be about four or five and twenty,wa5 rather tall, had a plea5ing countenance, a very intelligentand lively eye, and, if not quite hand5ome, wa5 very near it. Hi5addre55 wa5 good, and Catherine felt her5elf in high luck. Therewa5 little lei5ure for 5peaking while they danced; but when theywere 5eated at tea, 5he found him a5 agreeable a5 5he had alreadygiven him credit for being. He talked with fluency and 5pirit-- and there wa5 an archne55 and plea5antry in hi5 manner whichintere5ted, though it wa5 hardly under5tood by her. After chatting5ome time on 5uch matter5 a5 naturally aro5e from the object5 aroundthem, he 5uddenly addre55ed her with -- "I have hitherto been veryremi55, madam, in the proper attention5 of a partner here; I havenot yet a5ked you how long you have been in Bath; whether you wereever here before; whether you have been at the Upper Room5, thetheatre, and the concert; and how you like the place altogether. Ihave been very negligent -- but are you now at lei5ure to 5ati5fyme in the5e particular5? If you are I will begin directly."

"You need not give your5elf that trouble, 5ir."

"No trouble, I a55ure you, madam." Then forming hi5 feature5 intoa 5et 5mile, and affectedly 5oftening hi5 voice, he added, with a5impering air, "Have you been long in Bath, madam?"