Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons by Jane Austen, Vera Nazarian Page A

my dearest Catherine, for heaven’s sake, and stand by me.” And off they went, to regain their former place.
    John Thorpe, in the meanwhile, had walked away in search of their drinks and never actually made it back. Thus, Catherine was happily willing to give Mr. Tilney an opportunity of repeating the agreeable and flattering dance request. She made her way to Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Thorpe as fast as she could, followed by a cloud of bright twinkling angels floating overhead like a sizeable candelabra. She hoped to find him still with them—but the hope proved to be fruitless.
    “Well, my dear,” said Mrs. Thorpe, impatient for praise of her son, “I hope you have had an agreeable partner.”
    “Very agreeable, madam,” replied Catherine politely, recalling excessive heat and secret codes.
    “I am glad of it. John has charming spirits, has not he?”
    The angels made flutterings of alarm, reminding Catherine she was never good at deception, nor should she aspire to be.
    “Did you meet Mr. Tilney, my dear?” said Mrs. Allen, opportunely changing the subject.
    “No, where is he?”
    “He was with us just now, and said he was so tired of lounging about, that he was resolved to go and dance; so I thought perhaps he would ask you, if he met with you.”
    “Where can he be?” said Catherine, looking round; but she had not looked round long before she saw him leading a young lady to the dance. At this sight, Catherine felt something that was quite possibly a bit of discomfort, or maybe a little twinge in her heart.
    “Oh, dear child, take cheer! Surely the gentleman will make his way here eventually and ask you!” It was Terence, or possibly Clarence, expressing sympathy from a sleeve near her right ear.
    “Then you decidedly approve of this gentleman?” whispered Catherine, glad to have at least someone to share her observations of Mr. Tilney, and hiding her animated outburst under the flutterings of her fan. “Admit it, you do approve! ”
    The angel responded with a happiest nod.
    “A prune, my dear?” meanwhile said Mrs. Allen. “What prune? Oh, I dare say, yes, I do recall that one terribly overcooked prune in the plum pudding we dined on earlier, was it not? I even mentioned to Mr. Allen, I did, how overcooked it was.”
    “Yes, yes, that is exactly what I was saying.” Catherine hurriedly coughed for good measure.
    And then Mrs. Allen noticed Mr. Tilney dancing. “Ah! He has got a partner; I wish he had asked you.” And after a short silence, she added, “he is a very agreeable young man.”
    “Indeed he is, Mrs. Allen,” said Mrs. Thorpe, smiling complacently; “I must say it, though I am his mother, that there is not a more agreeable young man in the world.”
    This inapplicable answer might have been too much for the comprehension of many; but it did not puzzle Mrs. Allen, for after only a moment’s consideration, she whispered to Catherine, “I dare say she thought I was speaking of her son!”
    Recalling inferno, Catherine politely remained silent.
    Indeed, she was disappointed and vexed. She seemed to have missed by so little the very object she had had in view. And Catherine was not inclined to a very gracious reply, when a heat wave and John Thorpe came up to her soon afterwards and said (that is, John Thorpe spoke; the heat wave merely scalded everything around them in a thoroughly disagreeable manner), “Well, Miss Morland, I suppose you and I are to stand up and jig it together again.”
    “Oh, no; I am much obliged to you, our two dances are over; and, besides, I am tired, and do not mean to dance any more.” Catherine spoke thus not only because she remembered the angelic instruction never to agree directly with anything the two nephilim asked of her, but also because she was peeved.
    “Do not you? Then let us walk about decrypting secret locations of certain secret valuable items and quiz people. Come along with me, and I will show you the four greatest quizzers in the room; my