Mrs. Allen used to take
pains, year after year, to make me like them; but I never could, till I
saw them the other day in Milsom Street; I am naturally indifferent
about flowers.”

“But now you love a hyacinth. So much the better. You have gained a new
source of enjoyment, and it is well to have as many holds upon
happiness as possible. Besides, a taste for flowers is always desirable
in your sex, as a means of getting you out of doors, and tempting you
to more frequent exercise than you would otherwise take. And though the
love of a hyacinth may be rather domestic, who can tell, the sentiment
once raised, but you may in time come to love a rose?”

“But I do not want any such pursuit to get me out of doors. The
pleasure of walking and breathing fresh air is enough for me, and in
fine weather I am out more than half my time. Mamma says I am never
within.”

“At any rate, however, I am pleased that you have learnt to love a
hyacinth. The mere habit of learning to love is the thing; and a
teachableness of disposition in a young lady is a great blessing. Has
my sister a pleasant mode of instruction?”

Catherine was saved the embarrassment of attempting an answer by the
entrance of the General, whose smiling compliments announced a happy
state of mind, but whose gentle hint of sympathetic early rising did
not advance her composure. The elegance of the breakfast set forced itself on Catherine’s notice
when they were seated at table; and, luckily, it had been the General’s
choice. He was enchanted by her approbation of his taste, confessed it
to be neat and simple, thought it right to encourage the manufacture of
his country; and for his part, to his uncritical palate, the tea was as
well flavoured from the clay of Staffordshire, as from that of Dresden
or Sêve. But this was quite an old set, purchased two years ago. The
manufacture was much improved since that time; he had seen some
beautiful specimens when last in town, and had he not been perfectly
without vanity of that kind, might have been tempted to order a new
set. He trusted, however, that an opportunity might ere long occur of
selecting one—though not for himself. Catherine was probably the only
one of the party who did not understand him. Shortly after breakfast Henry left them for Woodston, where business
required and would keep him two or three days. They all attended in the
hall to see him mount his horse, and immediately on re-entering the
breakfast-room, Catherine walked to a window in the hope of catching
another glimpse of his figure. “This is a somewhat heavy call upon your
brother’s fortitude,” observed the General to Eleanor. “Woodston will
make but a sombre appearance to-day.”

“Is it a pretty place?” asked Catherine. “What say you, Eleanor? Speak your opinion, for ladies can best tell
the taste of ladies in regard to places as well as men. I think it
would be acknowledged by the most impartial eye to have many
recommendations. The house stands among fine meadows facing the
south-east, with an excellent kitchen-garden in the same aspect; the
walls surrounding which I built and stocked myself about ten years ago,
for the benefit of my son. It is a family living, Miss Morland; and the
property in the place being chiefly my own, you may believe I take care
that it shall not be a bad one. Did Henry’s income depend solely on
this living, he would not be ill-provided for. Perhaps it may seem odd,
that with only two younger children, I should think any profession
necessary for him; and certainly there are moments when we could all
wish him disengaged from every tie of business. But though I may not
exactly make converts of you young ladies, I am sure your father, Miss
Morland, would agree with me in thinking it expedient to give every
young man some employment. The money is nothing, it is not an object,
but employment is the thing. Even Frederick, my eldest son, you see,
who will perhaps inherit as considerable a landed property as any
private man in the county, has his profession.”

The imposing effect of this last argument was equal to his wishes. The
silence of the lady proved it to be unanswerable. Something had been said the evening before of her being shown over the
house, and he now offered himself as her conductor; and though
Catherine had hoped to explore it accompanied only by his daughter, it
was a proposal of too much happiness in itself, under any
circumstances, not to be gladly accepted; for she had been already
eighteen hours in the abbey, and had seen only a few of its rooms. The
netting-box, just leisurely drawn forth, was closed with joyful haste,
and she was ready to attend him in a moment. “And when they had gone
over the house, he promised himself moreover the pleasure of
accompanying her into the shrubberies and garden.” She curtsied her
acquiescence. “But perhaps it might be more agreeable to her to make
those her first object. The weather was at present favourable, and at
this time of year the uncertainty was very great of its continuing so. Which would she prefer? He was equally at her service. Which did his
daughter think would most accord with her fair friend’s wishes? But he
thought he could discern. Yes, he certainly read in Miss Morland’s eyes
a judicious desire of making use of the present smiling weather. But
when did she judge amiss? The abbey would be always safe and dry. He
yielded implicitly, and would fetch his hat and attend them in a
moment.” He left the room, and Catherine, with a disappointed, anxious
face, began to speak of her unwillingness that he should be taking them
out of doors against his own inclination, under a mistaken idea of
pleasing her; but she was stopped by Miss Tilney’s saying, with a
little confusion, “I believe it will be wisest to take the morning
while it is so fine; and do not be uneasy on my father’s account; he
always walks out at this time of day.”

Catherine did not exactly know how this was to be understood. Why was
Miss Tilney embarrassed? Could there be any unwillingness on the
General’s side to show her over the abbey? The proposal was his own. And was not it odd that he should _always_ take his walk so early? Neither her father nor Mr. Allen did so. It was certainly very
provoking. She was all impatience to see the house, and had scarcely
any curiosity about the grounds. If Henry had been with them indeed! But now she should not know what was picturesque when she saw it. Such
were her thoughts, but she kept them to herself, and put on her bonnet
in patient discontent. She was struck, however, beyond her expectation, by the grandeur of the
abbey, as she saw it for the first time from the lawn. The whole
building enclosed a large court; and two sides of the quadrangle, rich
in Gothic ornaments, stood forward for admiration. The remainder was
shut off by knolls of old trees, or luxuriant plantations, and the
steep woody hills rising behind, to give it shelter, were beautiful
even in the leafless month of March.