So far her improvement was sufficient and in many other points she came on exceedingly well;for though she could not write sonnets,she brought herself to read them;and though there seemed no chance of her throwing a whole party into raptures by a prelude on the pianoforte,of her own composition,she could listen to other people's performance with very little fatigue.Her greatest deficiency was in the pencil she had no notion of drawing not enough even to attempt a sketch of her lover's profile,that she might be detected in the design.There she fell miserably short of the true heroic height.At present she did not know her own poverty,for she had no lover to portray.She had reached the age of seventeen,without having seen one amiable youth who could call forth her sensibility;without having inspired one real passion,and without having excited even any admiration but what was very moderate and very transient.This was strange indeed!But strange things may be generally accounted for if their cause be fairly searched out.There was not one lord in the neighbourhood;no not even a baronet.There was not one family among their acquaintance who had reared and supported a boy accidentally found at their door not one young man whose origin was unknown.Her father had no ward,and the squire of the parish no children.
But when a young lady is to be a heroine,the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her.Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way.
Mr Allen,who owned the chief of the property about Fullerton,the village in Wiltshire where the Morlands lived,was ordered to Bath for the benefit of a gouty constitution； and his lady,a good humoured woman,fond of Miss Morland,and probably aware that if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village,she must seek them abroad,invited her to go with them.Mr and Mrs Morland were all compliance,and Catherine all happiness.
Chapter 2
In addition to what has been already said of Catherine Morland's personal and mental endowments,when about to be launched into all the difficulties and dangers of a six weeks'residence in Bath,it may be stated,for the reader's more certain information,lest the following pages should otherwise fail of giving any idea of what her character is meant to be；that her heart was affectionate,her disposition cheerful and open,without conceit or affectation of any kind her manners just removed from the awkwardness and shyness of a girl;her person pleasing,and,when in good looks,pretty and her mind about as ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is.
When the hour of departure drew near,the maternal anxiety of Mrs Morland will be naturally supposed to be most severe.A thousand alarming presentiments of evil to her beloved Catherine from this terrific separation must oppress her heart with sadness,and drown her in tears for the last day or two of their being together;and advice of the most important and applicable nature must of course flow from her wise lips in their parting conference in her closet.Cautions against the violence of such noblemen and baronets as delight in forcing young ladies away to some remote farm house,must,at such a moment,relieve the fullness of her heart.Who would not think so?But Mrs Morland knew so little of lords and baronets,that she entertained no notion of their general mischievousness,and was wholly unsuspicious of danger to her daughter from their machinations.Her cautions were confined to the following points.‘I beg,Catherine,you will always wrap yourself up very warm about the throat,when you come from the Rooms at night;and I wish you would try to keep some account of the money you spend; I will give you this little book on purpose.’
Sally,or rather Sarah，(for what young lady of common gentility will reach the age of sixteen without altering her name as far as she can?)must from situation be at this time the intimate friend and confidante of her sister.It is remarkable,however,that she neither insisted on Catherine's writing by every post,nor exacted her promise of transmitting the character of every new acquaintance,nor a detail of every interesting conversation that Bath might produce.Everything indeed relative to this important journey was done,on the part of the Morlands,with a degree of moderation and composure,which seemed rather consistent with the common feelings of common life,than with the refined susceptibilities,the tender emotions which the first separation of a heroine from her family ought always to excite.Her father,instead of giving her an unlimited order on his banker,or even putting an hundred pounds bank bill into her hands,gave her only ten guineas,and promised her more when she wanted it.
Under these unpromising auspices,the parting took place,and the journey began.It was performed with suitable quietness and uneventful safety.Neither robbers nor tempests befriended them,nor one lucky overturn to introduce them to the hero.Nothing more alarming occurred than a fear on Mrs Allen's side,of having once left her clogs behind her at an inn,and that fortunately proved to be groundless.
They arrived at Bath.Catherine was all eager delight; her eyes were here,there,everywhere,as they approached its fine and striking environs,and afterwards drove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel.She was come to be happy,and she felt happy already.
They were soon settled in comfortable lodgings in Pulteney Street.