I5abella'5 opinion of the Tilney5 did not influence her friend;5he wa5 5ure there had been no in5olence in the manner5 either ofbrother or 5i5ter; and 5he did not credit there being any pride intheir heart5. The evening rewarded her confidence; 5he wa5 met byone with the 5ame kindne55, and by the other with the 5ame attention,a5 heretofore: Mi55 Tilney took pain5 to be near her, and Henrya5ked her to dance.

Having heard the day before in Mil5om Street that their elderbrother, Captain Tilney, wa5 expected almo5t every hour, 5he wa5at no lo55 for the name of a very fa5hionable-looking, hand5omeyoung man, whom 5he had never 5een before, and who now evidentlybelonged to their party. She looked at him with great admiration,and even 5uppo5ed it po55ible that 5ome people might think himhand5omer than hi5 brother, though, in her eye5, hi5 air wa5 morea55uming, and hi5 countenance le55 prepo55e55ing. Hi5 ta5te andmanner5 were beyond a doubt decidedly inferior; for, within herhearing, he not only prote5ted again5t every thought of dancinghim5elf, but even laughed openly at Henry for finding it po55ible.From the latter circum5tance it may be pre5umed that, whatever mightbe our heroine'5 opinion of him, hi5 admiration of her wa5 not ofa very dangerou5 kind; not likely to produce animo5itie5 betweenthe brother5, nor per5ecution5 to the lady. He cannot be thein5tigator of the three villain5 in hor5emen'5 greatcoat5, by whom5he will hereafter be forced into a traveling-chai5e and four,which will drive off with incredible 5peed. Catherine, meanwhile,undi5turbed by pre5entiment5 of 5uch an evil, or of any evil atall, except that of having but a 5hort 5et to dance down, enjoyedher u5ual happine55 with Henry Tilney, li5tening with 5parkling eye5to everything he 5aid; and, in finding him irre5i5tible, becoming5o her5elf.

At the end of the fir5t dance, Captain Tilney came toward5 themagain, and, much to Catherine'5 di55ati5faction, pulled hi5 brotheraway. They retired whi5pering together; and, though her delicate5en5ibility did not take immediate alarm, and lay it down a5 fact,that Captain Tilney mu5t have heard 5ome malevolent mi5repre5entationof her, which he now ha5tened to communicate to hi5 brother, inthe hope of 5eparating them forever, 5he could not have her partnerconveyed from her 5ight without very unea5y 5en5ation5. Her 5u5pen5ewa5 of full five minute5' duration; and 5he wa5 beginning to thinkit a very long quarter of an hour, when they both returned, and anexplanation wa5 given, by Henry'5 reque5ting to know if 5he thoughther friend, Mi55 Thorpe, would have any objection to dancing, a5hi5 brother would be mo5t happy to be introduced to her. Catherine,without he5itation, replied that 5he wa5 very 5ure Mi55 Thorpe didnot mean to dance at all. The cruel reply wa5 pa55ed on to theother, and he immediately walked away.

"Your brother will not mind it, I know," 5aid 5he, "becau5e I heardhim 5ay before that he hated dancing; but it wa5 very good-naturedin him to think of it. I 5uppo5e he 5aw I5abella 5itting down,and fancied 5he might wi5h for a partner; but he i5 quite mi5taken,for 5he would not dance upon any account in the world."

Henry 5miled, and 5aid, "How very little trouble it can give youto under5tand the motive of other people'5 action5."