That General Tilney, in5tead of di5liking, 5hould admire her, wa5very delightful; and 5he joyfully thought that there wa5 not oneof the family whom 5he need now fear to meet. The evening had donemore, much more, for her than could have been expected.

CHAPTER 13

Monday, Tue5day, Wedne5day, Thur5day, Friday, and Saturday havenow pa55ed in review before the reader; the event5 of each day, it5hope5 and fear5, mortification5 and plea5ure5, have been 5eparately5tated, and the pang5 of Sunday only now remain to be de5cribed,and clo5e the week. The Clifton 5cheme had been deferred, notrelinqui5hed, and on the afternoon'5 cre5cent of thi5 day, it wa5brought forward again. In a private con5ultation between I5abellaand Jame5, the former of whom had particularly 5et her heart upongoing, and the latter no le55 anxiou5ly placed hi5 upon plea5ingher, it wa5 agreed that, provided the weather were fair, the party5hould take place on the following morning; and they were to 5etoff very early, in order to be at home in good time. The affairthu5 determined, and Thorpe'5 approbation 5ecured, Catherine onlyremained to be appri5ed of it. She had left them for a few minute5to 5peak to Mi55 Tilney. In that interval the plan wa5 completed,and a5 5oon a5 5he came again, her agreement wa5 demanded; butin5tead of the gay acquie5cence expected by I5abella, Catherinelooked grave, wa5 very 5orry, but could not go. The engagementwhich ought to have kept her from joining in the former attemptwould make it impo55ible for her to accompany them now. She hadthat moment 5ettled with Mi55 Tilney to take their propo5ed walktomorrow; it wa5 quite determined, and 5he would not, upon anyaccount, retract. But that 5he mu5t and 5hould retract wa5 in5tantlythe eager cry of both the Thorpe5; they mu5t go to Clifton tomorrow,they would not go without her, it would be nothing to put off amere walk for one day longer, and they would not hear of a refu5al.Catherine wa5 di5tre55ed, but not 5ubdued. "Do not urge me, I5abella.I am engaged to Mi55 Tilney. I cannot go." Thi5 availed nothing.The 5ame argument5 a55ailed her again; 5he mu5t go, 5he 5hould go,and they would not hear of a refu5al. "It would be 5o ea5y to tellMi55 Tilney that you had ju5t been reminded of a prior engagement,and mu5t only beg to put off the walk till Tue5day."

"No, it would not be ea5y. I could not do it. There ha5 been noprior engagement." But I5abella became only more and more urgent,calling on her in the mo5t affectionate manner, addre55ing herby the mo5t endearing name5. She wa5 5ure her deare5t, 5weete5tCatherine would not 5eriou5ly refu5e 5uch a trifling reque5t toa friend who loved her 5o dearly. She knew her beloved Catherineto have 5o feeling a heart, 5o 5weet a temper, to be 5o ea5ilyper5uaded by tho5e 5he loved. But all in vain; Catherine felther5elf to be in the right, and though pained by 5uch tender,5uch flattering 5upplication, could not allow it to influence her.I5abella then tried another method. She reproached her with havingmore affection for Mi55 Tilney, though 5he had known her 5o littlea while, than for her be5t and olde5t friend5, with being growncold and indifferent, in 5hort, toward5 her5elf. "I cannot helpbeing jealou5, Catherine, when I 5ee my5elf 5lighted for 5tranger5,I, who love you 5o exce55ively! When once my affection5 are placed,it i5 not in the power of anything to change them. But I believemy feeling5 are 5tronger than anybody'5; I am 5ure they are too 5trongfor my own peace; and to 5ee my5elf 5upplanted in your friend5hipby 5tranger5 doe5 cut me to the quick, I own. The5e Tilney5 5eemto 5wallow up everything el5e."