In chapter 8, Catherine finally gets her tour of Northanger Abbey. Nothing was as she expected. Instead, it was filled with servants, modern furniture and styling, and most of all it was clean, tidy, and bright – not dark and creepy as she had expected.
On this tour, Catherine also receives knowledge of Miss Tilney's mothers' death 9 years earlier. Catherine immediately begins to suspect the General of foul play.
Chapter 7 dawned the first morning of Catherine Morland's stay at Northanger Abbey. After breakfast, the General decides to give her a tour of the grounds with Eleanor.
After walking for awhile, the party came across Miss Tilney's favorite walk. "It was a narrow winding path through a thick grove of old Scotch firs; and Catherine, struck by is gloomy aspect, and eager to enter it,, could not, even by the General's disapprobation, be kept from stepping forward" (Austen 148). The path was lovely, Catherine loved it and walked along with Eleanor for awhile as she reminisced walking this same path with her deceased mother.
Catherine was especially anxious to get a tour of the Abbey itself. This particular adventure, however, was continuously postponed.
Chapter 6 describes Catherine's first night at Northanger Abbey. "A moment's glance was enough to satisfy Catherine that her apartment was very unlike the one which Henry had endeavored to alarm her by the description of" (Austen 135). Instead of having a creepy room full of webs, dust, and trap doors, her guest room is beautiful, very light due to the large window, and extremely clean. The only interesting item in the room at first is a trunk at the end of the bed. Catherine thinks, at first, that it could be housing something scary… but then she opened it and only found spare blankets.
That night, during a loud storm, as she was preparing for bed "she scorned the causeless fears of an idle fancy, and began with a most happy indifference to prepare herself for bed" (Austen 139). As she looked around the room reassuring herself that there was nothing scary in the room, her eyes fixated on a cabinet she had previously overlooked. "It was so very odd, after what Henry had said… she could not sleep till she had examined it" (Austen 139). Catherine had a very difficult time opening the cabinet, but when she was finally able to look inside it only contained a few receipts.
"Hour after hour passed away, and the wearied Catherine had heard three proclaimed by all the clocks in the house before the tempest subsided, or she unknowingly fell fast asleep" (Austen 141).
In
In Chapter 5 Catherine finally leaves Bath is pursuit of Northanger Abbey with the Tilney's. On the way however, she is disappointed by the news that Henry does not live their all the time due to his owning his own estate – Woodston.
As they are discussing the house and it's connection to the novels that Catherine enjoys so much, Henry Tilney begins to imagine Catherine's first night in her room at the Abbey, and enjoys explaining how it may be to her. Drawing on images and phrases from the novels he had read, and his own imagination, Henry weaves a tale of horror and intrigue that has Catherine on the edge of her seat in the carriage. "Henry was too much amused by the interest he had raised, to be able to carry it farther; he could no longer command solemnity either of subject or voice, and was obliged to entreat her to use her own fancy in the perusal of Matilda's woes" (Austen 132).
Slightly disappointed at her arrival to the Abbey, Catherine noticed the lack of horrific icons and cobwebbed corners of the house. Instead, Catherine found the house to be modern, bright, and cheerful.
In chapter 4 continued to watch Isabella interact with Captain Tilney.
"When Catherine saw [Isabella Thorpe] in public, admitting Captain Tilney's attentions as readily as they were offered, and allowing him almost an equal share with James in her notice and smiles, the alteration became too positive to be passed over. ... James was the sufferer. She saw him grave and uneasy; and however careless of his present comfort the woman might be who had given him her heart, to her it was always an object" (Austen 122).
Finally, when Catherine could no longer stand to see her brother upset, she went to Henry Tilney and asked him to speak to his brother on her behalf. She wanted Mr. Tilney to stop lavishing his attentions on Isabella.
Henry Tilney refuses the request, however, insisting that it is as much Isabella's fault as it is the Captains. "No man is offended by another man's admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment" (Austen 124). "You have no doubt of the mutual attachment of your brother and your friend; therefore, that real jealousy never can exist between them; depend upon it that no disagreement between them can be of any duration" (Austen 125).
Catherine admitted he to be wiser, and followed his instruction of disregarding the situation.
In Chapter 3 Catherine begins to see another side of Isabella that she does not like. Henry Tilney's older brother, Captain Tilney continues to flirt with Isabella and she returns his attentions, even though she is engaged to James Morland.
Of course, Isabella refuses to acknowledge that she is at fault: "I certainly cannot return his affection, and as certainly never meant to encourage it" (Austen 118).
When they are at the Pump-Rooms, Captain Tilney arrives and distracts Isabella from talking to Catherine at any length. Catherine is sitting next to Isabella and overhears everything they are saying. "Quite out of countenance [she] could listen no longer. Amazed that Isabella could endure it, and jealous for her brother, she rose up, and saying she should join Mrs. Allen, proposed their walking" (Austen 120). Isabella pretends not to hear her suggestion for walking, so Catherine leaves on her own angry for her brother.
Chapter 2 brings delightful news to Catherine Morland. Eleanor Tilney wants her to come for a prolonged visit to Northanger Abbey, her home in Gloucestershire. "Northanger Abbey! – These were thrilling words, and wound up Catherine's feelings to the highest point of extasy" (Austen 113).
Catherine was excited to spend an extended amount of time with Eleanor and Henry Tilney. She wasn't as keen for the General's company, but as he had personally invited her, she was still thrilled beyond words. In a short amount of time, the necessary arrangements were made and Catherine could focus on how she felt about the ordeal.
"She was to be their chosen visitor, she was to be for weeks under the same roof with the person whose society she mostly prized – and, in addition to all the rest, this roof was to be the roof of an abbey! – Her passion for ancient edifices was next in degree to her passion for Henry Tilney – and castles and abbeys made usually the charm of those reveries which his image did not fill" (Austen 114).
