Northanger Abbey Chapter 12 Summary

  • Catherine goes to call on the Tilneys in order to apologize for the mix up yesterday.
  • She asks to see Miss Tilney but the butler tells her she isn't at home.
  • But, as Catherine is leaving, she sees Eleanor leaving the house with her dad. Harsh. Catherine feels dissed and is very upset.
  • Catherine blames herself for the whole business though and decides that Eleanor is responding to Catherine's original rudeness.
  • Catherine goes to the theater that night with the Thorpes and spies the Tilneys.
  • Henry spots her and bows coolly. Catherine is miserable.
  • She plans to find the Tilneys after the play in order to beg forgiveness and to explain herself.
  • After the play, Henry comes over to her and Mrs. Allen to say hello. Catherine gives a very jumbled apology, but Henry gets the gist of what happened. He quickly forgives her.
  • Catherine asks if Eleanor is mad at her, and Henry explains that she had just been called away with her dad right as Catherine called, so she wasn't able to see her.
  • Catherine asks if Henry is mad at her, and he denies that he looked angry or felt angry at all.
  • Henry hangs out for awhile.
  • Catherine notices that John Thorpe is talking to General Tilney, which is weird. She asks Henry how they know each other, and Henry says his father knows a lot of people and he's not really sure.
  • John Thorpe arrives to see Catherine out and brags about knowing General Tilney. He says he saw him at the billiard-room and then tells Catherine a billiard story.
  • John says the General thinks she's the finest girl in Bath. Catherine is astonished.