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diff --git a/946-0.txt b/946-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9e13c0d --- /dev/null +++ b/946-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2548 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 946 *** + + + + +LADY SUSAN + +by Jane Austen + + + + +CONTENTS + + I + II + III + IV + V + VI + VII + VIII + IX + X + XI + XII + XIII + XIV + XV + XVI + XVII + XVIII + XIX + XX + XXI + XXII + XXIII + XXIV + XXV + XXVI + XXVII + XXVIII + XXIX + XXX + XXXI + XXXII + XXXIII + XXXIV + XXXV + XXXVI + XXXVII + XXXVIII + XXXIX + XL + XLI + CONCLUSION + + + + +I + + +_Lady Susan Vernon to Mr. Vernon._ + + +Langford, Dec. + + +MY DEAR BROTHER,—I can no longer refuse myself the pleasure of +profiting by your kind invitation when we last parted of spending some +weeks with you at Churchhill, and, therefore, if quite convenient to +you and Mrs. Vernon to receive me at present, I shall hope within a few +days to be introduced to a sister whom I have so long desired to be +acquainted with. My kind friends here are most affectionately urgent +with me to prolong my stay, but their hospitable and cheerful +dispositions lead them too much into society for my present situation +and state of mind; and I impatiently look forward to the hour when I +shall be admitted into your delightful retirement. + +I long to be made known to your dear little children, in whose hearts I +shall be very eager to secure an interest. I shall soon have need for +all my fortitude, as I am on the point of separation from my own +daughter. The long illness of her dear father prevented my paying her +that attention which duty and affection equally dictated, and I have +too much reason to fear that the governess to whose care I consigned +her was unequal to the charge. I have therefore resolved on placing her +at one of the best private schools in town, where I shall have an +opportunity of leaving her myself in my way to you. I am determined, +you see, not to be denied admittance at Churchhill. It would indeed +give me most painful sensations to know that it were not in your power +to receive me. + +Your most obliged and affectionate sister, +S. VERNON. + + + + +II + + +_Lady Susan Vernon to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Langford. + + +You were mistaken, my dear Alicia, in supposing me fixed at this place +for the rest of the winter: it grieves me to say how greatly you were +mistaken, for I have seldom spent three months more agreeably than +those which have just flown away. At present, nothing goes smoothly; +the females of the family are united against me. You foretold how it +would be when I first came to Langford, and Mainwaring is so uncommonly +pleasing that I was not without apprehensions for myself. I remember +saying to myself, as I drove to the house, “I like this man, pray +Heaven no harm come of it!” But I was determined to be discreet, to +bear in mind my being only four months a widow, and to be as quiet as +possible: and I have been so, my dear creature; I have admitted no +one’s attentions but Mainwaring’s. I have avoided all general +flirtation whatever; I have distinguished no creature besides, of all +the numbers resorting hither, except Sir James Martin, on whom I +bestowed a little notice, in order to detach him from Miss Mainwaring; +but, if the world could know my motive _there_ they would honour me. I +have been called an unkind mother, but it was the sacred impulse of +maternal affection, it was the advantage of my daughter that led me on; +and if that daughter were not the greatest simpleton on earth, I might +have been rewarded for my exertions as I ought. + +Sir James did make proposals to me for Frederica; but Frederica, who +was born to be the torment of my life, chose to set herself so +violently against the match that I thought it better to lay aside the +scheme for the present. I have more than once repented that I did not +marry him myself; and were he but one degree less contemptibly weak I +certainly should: but I must own myself rather romantic in that +respect, and that riches only will not satisfy me. The event of all +this is very provoking: Sir James is gone, Maria highly incensed, and +Mrs. Mainwaring insupportably jealous; so jealous, in short, and so +enraged against me, that, in the fury of her temper, I should not be +surprized at her appealing to her guardian, if she had the liberty of +addressing him: but there your husband stands my friend; and the +kindest, most amiable action of his life was his throwing her off for +ever on her marriage. Keep up his resentment, therefore, I charge you. +We are now in a sad state; no house was ever more altered; the whole +party are at war, and Mainwaring scarcely dares speak to me. It is time +for me to be gone; I have therefore determined on leaving them, and +shall spend, I hope, a comfortable day with you in town within this +week. If I am as little in favour with Mr. Johnson as ever, you must +come to me at 10 Wigmore street; but I hope this may not be the case, +for as Mr. Johnson, with all his faults, is a man to whom that great +word “respectable” is always given, and I am known to be so intimate +with his wife, his slighting me has an awkward look. + +I take London in my way to that insupportable spot, a country village; +for I am really going to Churchhill. Forgive me, my dear friend, it is +my last resource. Were there another place in England open to me I +would prefer it. Charles Vernon is my aversion; and I am afraid of his +wife. At Churchhill, however, I must remain till I have something +better in view. My young lady accompanies me to town, where I shall +deposit her under the care of Miss Summers, in Wigmore street, till she +becomes a little more reasonable. She will made good connections there, +as the girls are all of the best families. The price is immense, and +much beyond what I can ever attempt to pay. + +Adieu, I will send you a line as soon as I arrive in town. + +Yours ever, +S. VERNON. + + + + +III + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill. + + +My dear Mother,—I am very sorry to tell you that it will not be in our +power to keep our promise of spending our Christmas with you; and we +are prevented that happiness by a circumstance which is not likely to +make us any amends. Lady Susan, in a letter to her brother-in-law, has +declared her intention of visiting us almost immediately; and as such a +visit is in all probability merely an affair of convenience, it is +impossible to conjecture its length. I was by no means prepared for +such an event, nor can I now account for her ladyship’s conduct; +Langford appeared so exactly the place for her in every respect, as +well from the elegant and expensive style of living there, as from her +particular attachment to Mr. Mainwaring, that I was very far from +expecting so speedy a distinction, though I always imagined from her +increasing friendship for us since her husband’s death that we should, +at some future period, be obliged to receive her. Mr. Vernon, I think, +was a great deal too kind to her when he was in Staffordshire; her +behaviour to him, independent of her general character, has been so +inexcusably artful and ungenerous since our marriage was first in +agitation that no one less amiable and mild than himself could have +overlooked it all; and though, as his brother’s widow, and in narrow +circumstances, it was proper to render her pecuniary assistance, I +cannot help thinking his pressing invitation to her to visit us at +Churchhill perfectly unnecessary. Disposed, however, as he always is to +think the best of everyone, her display of grief, and professions of +regret, and general resolutions of prudence, were sufficient to soften +his heart and make him really confide in her sincerity; but, as for +myself, I am still unconvinced, and plausibly as her ladyship has now +written, I cannot make up my mind till I better understand her real +meaning in coming to us. You may guess, therefore, my dear madam, with +what feelings I look forward to her arrival. She will have occasion for +all those attractive powers for which she is celebrated to gain any +share of my regard; and I shall certainly endeavour to guard myself +against their influence, if not accompanied by something more +substantial. She expresses a most eager desire of being acquainted with +me, and makes very gracious mention of my children but I am not quite +weak enough to suppose a woman who has behaved with inattention, if not +with unkindness, to her own child, should be attached to any of mine. +Miss Vernon is to be placed at a school in London before her mother +comes to us which I am glad of, for her sake and my own. It must be to +her advantage to be separated from her mother, and a girl of sixteen +who has received so wretched an education, could not be a very +desirable companion here. Reginald has long wished, I know, to see the +captivating Lady Susan, and we shall depend on his joining our party +soon. I am glad to hear that my father continues so well; and am, with +best love, &c., + +CATHERINE VERNON. + + + + +IV + + +_Mr. De Courcy to Mrs. Vernon._ + + +Parklands. + + +My dear Sister,—I congratulate you and Mr. Vernon on being about to +receive into your family the most accomplished coquette in England. As +a very distinguished flirt I have always been taught to consider her, +but it has lately fallen in my way to hear some particulars of her +conduct at Langford: which prove that she does not confine herself to +that sort of honest flirtation which satisfies most people, but aspires +to the more delicious gratification of making a whole family miserable. +By her behaviour to Mr. Mainwaring she gave jealousy and wretchedness +to his wife, and by her attentions to a young man previously attached +to Mr. Mainwaring’s sister deprived an amiable girl of her lover. + +I learnt all this from Mr. Smith, now in this neighbourhood (I have +dined with him, at Hurst and Wilford), who is just come from Langford +where he was a fortnight with her ladyship, and who is therefore well +qualified to make the communication. + +What a woman she must be! I long to see her, and shall certainly accept +your kind invitation, that I may form some idea of those bewitching +powers which can do so much—engaging at the same time, and in the same +house, the affections of two men, who were neither of them at liberty +to bestow them—and all this without the charm of youth! I am glad to +find Miss Vernon does not accompany her mother to Churchhill, as she +has not even manners to recommend her; and, according to Mr. Smith’s +account, is equally dull and proud. Where pride and stupidity unite +there can be no dissimulation worthy notice, and Miss Vernon shall be +consigned to unrelenting contempt; but by all that I can gather Lady +Susan possesses a degree of captivating deceit which it must be +pleasing to witness and detect. I shall be with you very soon, and am +ever, + +Your affectionate brother, +R. DE COURCY. + + + + +V + + +_Lady Susan Vernon to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Churchhill. + + +I received your note, my dear Alicia, just before I left town, and +rejoice to be assured that Mr. Johnson suspected nothing of your +engagement the evening before. It is undoubtedly better to deceive him +entirely, and since he will be stubborn he must be tricked. I arrived +here in safety, and have no reason to complain of my reception from Mr. +Vernon; but I confess myself not equally satisfied with the behaviour +of his lady. She is perfectly well-bred, indeed, and has the air of a +woman of fashion, but her manners are not such as can persuade me of +her being prepossessed in my favour. I wanted her to be delighted at +seeing me. I was as amiable as possible on the occasion, but all in +vain. She does not like me. To be sure, when we consider that I _did_ +take some pains to prevent my brother-in-law’s marrying her, this want +of cordiality is not very surprizing, and yet it shows an illiberal and +vindictive spirit to resent a project which influenced me six years +ago, and which never succeeded at last. + +I am sometimes disposed to repent that I did not let Charles buy Vernon +Castle, when we were obliged to sell it; but it was a trying +circumstance, especially as the sale took place exactly at the time of +his marriage; and everybody ought to respect the delicacy of those +feelings which could not endure that my husband’s dignity should be +lessened by his younger brother’s having possession of the family +estate. Could matters have been so arranged as to prevent the necessity +of our leaving the castle, could we have lived with Charles and kept +him single, I should have been very far from persuading my husband to +dispose of it elsewhere; but Charles was on the point of marrying Miss +De Courcy, and the event has justified me. Here are children in +abundance, and what benefit could have accrued to me from his +purchasing Vernon? My having prevented it may perhaps have given his +wife an unfavourable impression, but where there is a disposition to +dislike, a motive will never be wanting; and as to money matters it has +not withheld him from being very useful to me. I really have a regard +for him, he is so easily imposed upon! The house is a good one, the +furniture fashionable, and everything announces plenty and elegance. +Charles is very rich I am sure; when a man has once got his name in a +banking-house he rolls in money; but they do not know what to do with +it, keep very little company, and never go to London but on business. +We shall be as stupid as possible. I mean to win my sister-in-law’s +heart through the children; I know all their names already, and am +going to attach myself with the greatest sensibility to one in +particular, a young Frederic, whom I take on my lap and sigh over for +his dear uncle’s sake. + +Poor Mainwaring! I need not tell you how much I miss him, how +perpetually he is in my thoughts. I found a dismal letter from him on +my arrival here, full of complaints of his wife and sister, and +lamentations on the cruelty of his fate. I passed off the letter as his +wife’s, to the Vernons, and when I write to him it must be under cover +to you. + +Ever yours, +S. VERNON. + + + + +VI + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Mr. De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill. + + +Well, my dear Reginald, I have seen this dangerous creature, and must +give you some description of her, though I hope you will soon be able +to form your own judgment. She is really excessively pretty; however +you may choose to question the allurements of a lady no longer young, I +must, for my own part, declare that I have seldom seen so lovely a +woman as Lady Susan. She is delicately fair, with fine grey eyes and +dark eyelashes; and from her appearance one would not suppose her more +than five and twenty, though she must in fact be ten years older. I was +certainly not disposed to admire her, though always hearing she was +beautiful; but I cannot help feeling that she possesses an uncommon +union of symmetry, brilliancy, and grace. Her address to me was so +gentle, frank, and even affectionate, that, if I had not known how much +she has always disliked me for marrying Mr. Vernon, and that we had +never met before, I should have imagined her an attached friend. One is +apt, I believe, to connect assurance of manner with coquetry, and to +expect that an impudent address will naturally attend an impudent mind; +at least I was myself prepared for an improper degree of confidence in +Lady Susan; but her countenance is absolutely sweet, and her voice and +manner winningly mild. I am sorry it is so, for what is this but +deceit? Unfortunately, one knows her too well. She is clever and +agreeable, has all that knowledge of the world which makes conversation +easy, and talks very well, with a happy command of language, which is +too often used, I believe, to make black appear white. She has already +almost persuaded me of her being warmly attached to her daughter, +though I have been so long convinced to the contrary. She speaks of her +with so much tenderness and anxiety, lamenting so bitterly the neglect +of her education, which she represents however as wholly unavoidable, +that I am forced to recollect how many successive springs her ladyship +spent in town, while her daughter was left in Staffordshire to the care +of servants, or a governess very little better, to prevent my believing +what she says. + +If her manners have so great an influence on my resentful heart, you +may judge how much more strongly they operate on Mr. Vernon’s generous +temper. I wish I could be as well satisfied as he is, that it was +really her choice to leave Langford for Churchhill; and if she had not +stayed there for months before she discovered that her friend’s manner +of living did not suit her situation or feelings, I might have believed +that concern for the loss of such a husband as Mr. Vernon, to whom her +own behaviour was far from unexceptionable, might for a time make her +wish for retirement. But I cannot forget the length of her visit to the +Mainwarings, and when I reflect on the different mode of life which she +led with them from that to which she must now submit, I can only +suppose that the wish of establishing her reputation by following +though late the path of propriety, occasioned her removal from a family +where she must in reality have been particularly happy. Your friend Mr. +Smith’s story, however, cannot be quite correct, as she corresponds +regularly with Mrs. Mainwaring. At any rate it must be exaggerated. It +is scarcely possible that two men should be so grossly deceived by her +at once. + +Yours, &c., +CATHERINE VERNON + + + + +VII + + +_Lady Susan Vernon to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Churchhill. + + +My dear Alicia,—You are very good in taking notice of Frederica, and I +am grateful for it as a mark of your friendship; but as I cannot have +any doubt of the warmth of your affection, I am far from exacting so +heavy a sacrifice. She is a stupid girl, and has nothing to recommend +her. I would not, therefore, on my account, have you encumber one +moment of your precious time by sending for her to Edward Street, +especially as every visit is so much deducted from the grand affair of +education, which I really wish to have attended to while she remains at +Miss Summers’s. I want her to play and sing with some portion of taste +and a good deal of assurance, as she has my hand and arm and a +tolerable voice. I was so much indulged in my infant years that I was +never obliged to attend to anything, and consequently am without the +accomplishments which are now necessary to finish a pretty woman. Not +that I am an advocate for the prevailing fashion of acquiring a perfect +knowledge of all languages, arts, and sciences. It is throwing time +away to be mistress of French, Italian, and German: music, singing, and +drawing, &c., will gain a woman some applause, but will not add one +lover to her list—grace and manner, after all, are of the greatest +importance. I do not mean, therefore, that Frederica’s acquirements +should be more than superficial, and I flatter myself that she will not +remain long enough at school to understand anything thoroughly. I hope +to see her the wife of Sir James within a twelvemonth. You know on what +I ground my hope, and it is certainly a good foundation, for school +must be very humiliating to a girl of Frederica’s age. And, by-the-by, +you had better not invite her any more on that account, as I wish her +to find her situation as unpleasant as possible. I am sure of Sir James +at any time, and could make him renew his application by a line. I +shall trouble you meanwhile to prevent his forming any other attachment +when he comes to town. Ask him to your house occasionally, and talk to +him of Frederica, that he may not forget her. Upon the whole, I commend +my own conduct in this affair extremely, and regard it as a very happy +instance of circumspection and tenderness. Some mothers would have +insisted on their daughter’s accepting so good an offer on the first +overture; but I could not reconcile it to myself to force Frederica +into a marriage from which her heart revolted, and instead of adopting +so harsh a measure merely propose to make it her own choice, by +rendering her thoroughly uncomfortable till she does accept him—but +enough of this tiresome girl. You may well wonder how I contrive to +pass my time here, and for the first week it was insufferably dull. +Now, however, we begin to mend, our party is enlarged by Mrs. Vernon’s +brother, a handsome young man, who promises me some amusement. There is +something about him which rather interests me, a sort of sauciness and +familiarity which I shall teach him to correct. He is lively, and seems +clever, and when I have inspired him with greater respect for me than +his sister’s kind offices have implanted, he may be an agreeable flirt. +There is exquisite pleasure in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a +person predetermined to dislike acknowledge one’s superiority. I have +disconcerted him already by my calm reserve, and it shall be my +endeavour to humble the pride of these self important De Courcys still +lower, to convince Mrs. Vernon that her sisterly cautions have been +bestowed in vain, and to persuade Reginald that she has scandalously +belied me. This project will serve at least to amuse me, and prevent my +feeling so acutely this dreadful separation from you and all whom I +love. + +Yours ever, +S. VERNON. + + + + +VIII + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill. + + +My dear Mother,—You must not expect Reginald back again for some time. +He desires me to tell you that the present open weather induces him to +accept Mr. Vernon’s invitation to prolong his stay in Sussex, that they +may have some hunting together. He means to send for his horses +immediately, and it is impossible to say when you may see him in Kent. +I will not disguise my sentiments on this change from you, my dear +mother, though I think you had better not communicate them to my +father, whose excessive anxiety about Reginald would subject him to an +alarm which might seriously affect his health and spirits. Lady Susan +has certainly contrived, in the space of a fortnight, to make my +brother like her. In short, I am persuaded that his continuing here +beyond the time originally fixed for his return is occasioned as much +by a degree of fascination towards her, as by the wish of hunting with +Mr. Vernon, and of course I cannot receive that pleasure from the +length of his visit which my brother’s company would otherwise give me. +I am, indeed, provoked at the artifice of this unprincipled woman; what +stronger proof of her dangerous abilities can be given than this +perversion of Reginald’s judgment, which when he entered the house was +so decidedly against her! In his last letter he actually gave me some +particulars of her behaviour at Langford, such as he received from a +gentleman who knew her perfectly well, which, if true, must raise +abhorrence against her, and which Reginald himself was entirely +disposed to credit. His opinion of her, I am sure, was as low as of any +woman in England; and when he first came it was evident that he +considered her as one entitled neither to delicacy nor respect, and +that he felt she would be delighted with the attentions of any man +inclined to flirt with her. Her behaviour, I confess, has been +calculated to do away with such an idea; I have not detected the +smallest impropriety in it—nothing of vanity, of pretension, of levity; +and she is altogether so attractive that I should not wonder at his +being delighted with her, had he known nothing of her previous to this +personal acquaintance; but, against reason, against conviction, to be +so well pleased with her, as I am sure he is, does really astonish me. +His admiration was at first very strong, but no more than was natural, +and I did not wonder at his being much struck by the gentleness and +delicacy of her manners; but when he has mentioned her of late it has +been in terms of more extraordinary praise; and yesterday he actually +said that he could not be surprised at any effect produced on the heart +of man by such loveliness and such abilities; and when I lamented, in +reply, the badness of her disposition, he observed that whatever might +have been her errors they were to be imputed to her neglected education +and early marriage, and that she was altogether a wonderful woman. This +tendency to excuse her conduct or to forget it, in the warmth of +admiration, vexes me; and if I did not know that Reginald is too much +at home at Churchhill to need an invitation for lengthening his visit, +I should regret Mr. Vernon’s giving him any. Lady Susan’s intentions +are of course those of absolute coquetry, or a desire of universal +admiration; I cannot for a moment imagine that she has anything more +serious in view; but it mortifies me to see a young man of Reginald’s +sense duped by her at all. + +I am, &c., +CATHERINE VERNON. + + + + +IX + + +_Mrs. Johnson to Lady S. Vernon._ + + +Edward Street. + + +My dearest Friend,—I congratulate you on Mr. De Courcy’s arrival, and I +advise you by all means to marry him; his father’s estate is, we know, +considerable, and I believe certainly entailed. Sir Reginald is very +infirm, and not likely to stand in your way long. I hear the young man +well spoken of; and though no one can really deserve you, my dearest +Susan, Mr. De Courcy may be worth having. Mainwaring will storm of +course, but you easily pacify him; besides, the most scrupulous point +of honour could not require you to wait for _his_ emancipation. I have +seen Sir James; he came to town for a few days last week, and called +several times in Edward Street. I talked to him about you and your +daughter, and he is so far from having forgotten you, that I am sure he +would marry either of you with pleasure. I gave him hopes of +Frederica’s relenting, and told him a great deal of her improvements. I +scolded him for making love to Maria Mainwaring; he protested that he +had been only in joke, and we both laughed heartily at her +disappointment; and, in short, were very agreeable. He is as silly as +ever. + +Yours faithfully, +ALICIA. + + + + +X + + +_Lady Susan Vernon to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Churchhill. + + +I am much obliged to you, my dear Friend, for your advice respecting +Mr. De Courcy, which I know was given with the full conviction of its +expediency, though I am not quite determined on following it. I cannot +easily resolve on anything so serious as marriage; especially as I am +not at present in want of money, and might perhaps, till the old +gentleman’s death, be very little benefited by the match. It is true +that I am vain enough to believe it within my reach. I have made him +sensible of my power, and can now enjoy the pleasure of triumphing over +a mind prepared to dislike me, and prejudiced against all my past +actions. His sister, too, is, I hope, convinced how little the +ungenerous representations of anyone to the disadvantage of another +will avail when opposed by the immediate influence of intellect and +manner. I see plainly that she is uneasy at my progress in the good +opinion of her brother, and conclude that nothing will be wanting on +her part to counteract me; but having once made him doubt the justice +of her opinion of me, I think I may defy her. It has been delightful to +me to watch his advances towards intimacy, especially to observe his +altered manner in consequence of my repressing by the cool dignity of +my deportment his insolent approach to direct familiarity. My conduct +has been equally guarded from the first, and I never behaved less like +a coquette in the whole course of my life, though perhaps my desire of +dominion was never more decided. I have subdued him entirely by +sentiment and serious conversation, and made him, I may venture to say, +at least half in love with me, without the semblance of the most +commonplace flirtation. Mrs. Vernon’s consciousness of deserving every +sort of revenge that it can be in my power to inflict for her +ill-offices could alone enable her to perceive that I am actuated by +any design in behaviour so gentle and unpretending. Let her think and +act as she chooses, however. I have never yet found that the advice of +a sister could prevent a young man’s being in love if he chose. We are +advancing now to some kind of confidence, and in short are likely to be +engaged in a sort of platonic friendship. On my side you may be sure of +its never being more, for if I were not attached to another person as +much as I can be to anyone, I should make a point of not bestowing my +affection on a man who had dared to think so meanly of me. Reginald has +a good figure and is not unworthy the praise you have heard given him, +but is still greatly inferior to our friend at Langford. He is less +polished, less insinuating than Mainwaring, and is comparatively +deficient in the power of saying those delightful things which put one +in good humour with oneself and all the world. He is quite agreeable +enough, however, to afford me amusement, and to make many of those +hours pass very pleasantly which would otherwise be spent in +endeavouring to overcome my sister-in-law’s reserve, and listening to +the insipid talk of her husband. Your account of Sir James is most +satisfactory, and I mean to give Miss Frederica a hint of my intentions +very soon. + +Yours, &c., +S. VERNON. + + + + +XI + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill + + +I really grow quite uneasy, my dearest mother, about Reginald, from +witnessing the very rapid increase of Lady Susan’s influence. They are +now on terms of the most particular friendship, frequently engaged in +long conversations together; and she has contrived by the most artful +coquetry to subdue his judgment to her own purposes. It is impossible +to see the intimacy between them so very soon established without some +alarm, though I can hardly suppose that Lady Susan’s plans extend to +marriage. I wish you could get Reginald home again on any plausible +pretence; he is not at all disposed to leave us, and I have given him +as many hints of my father’s precarious state of health as common +decency will allow me to do in my own house. Her power over him must +now be boundless, as she has entirely effaced all his former +ill-opinion, and persuaded him not merely to forget but to justify her +conduct. Mr. Smith’s account of her proceedings at Langford, where he +accused her of having made Mr. Mainwaring and a young man engaged to +Miss Mainwaring distractedly in love with her, which Reginald firmly +believed when he came here, is now, he is persuaded, only a scandalous +invention. He has told me so with a warmth of manner which spoke his +regret at having believed the contrary himself. How sincerely do I +grieve that she ever entered this house! I always looked forward to her +coming with uneasiness; but very far was it from originating in anxiety +for Reginald. I expected a most disagreeable companion for myself, but +could not imagine that my brother would be in the smallest danger of +being captivated by a woman with whose principles he was so well +acquainted, and whose character he so heartily despised. If you can get +him away it will be a good thing. + +Yours, &c., +CATHERINE VERNON. + + + + +XII + + +_Sir Reginald De Courcy to his Son._ + + +Parklands. + + +I know that young men in general do not admit of any enquiry even from +their nearest relations into affairs of the heart, but I hope, my dear +Reginald, that you will be superior to such as allow nothing for a +father’s anxiety, and think themselves privileged to refuse him their +confidence and slight his advice. You must be sensible that as an only +son, and the representative of an ancient family, your conduct in life +is most interesting to your connections; and in the very important +concern of marriage especially, there is everything at stake—your own +happiness, that of your parents, and the credit of your name. I do not +suppose that you would deliberately form an absolute engagement of that +nature without acquainting your mother and myself, or at least, without +being convinced that we should approve of your choice; but I cannot +help fearing that you may be drawn in, by the lady who has lately +attached you, to a marriage which the whole of your family, far and +near, must highly reprobate. Lady Susan’s age is itself a material +objection, but her want of character is one so much more serious, that +the difference of even twelve years becomes in comparison of small +amount. Were you not blinded by a sort of fascination, it would be +ridiculous in me to repeat the instances of great misconduct on her +side so very generally known. + +Her neglect of her husband, her encouragement of other men, her +extravagance and dissipation, were so gross and notorious that no one +could be ignorant of them at the time, nor can now have forgotten them. +To our family she has always been represented in softened colours by +the benevolence of Mr. Charles Vernon, and yet, in spite of his +generous endeavours to excuse her, we know that she did, from the most +selfish motives, take all possible pains to prevent his marriage with +Catherine. + +My years and increasing infirmities make me very desirous of seeing you +settled in the world. To the fortune of a wife, the goodness of my own +will make me indifferent, but her family and character must be equally +unexceptionable. When your choice is fixed so that no objection can be +made to it, then I can promise you a ready and cheerful consent; but it +is my duty to oppose a match which deep art only could render possible, +and must in the end make wretched. It is possible her behaviour may +arise only from vanity, or the wish of gaining the admiration of a man +whom she must imagine to be particularly prejudiced against her; but it +is more likely that she should aim at something further. She is poor, +and may naturally seek an alliance which must be advantageous to +herself; you know your own rights, and that it is out of my power to +prevent your inheriting the family estate. My ability of distressing +you during my life would be a species of revenge to which I could +hardly stoop under any circumstances. + +I honestly tell you my sentiments and intentions: I do not wish to work +on your fears, but on your sense and affection. It would destroy every +comfort of my life to know that you were married to Lady Susan Vernon; +it would be the death of that honest pride with which I have hitherto +considered my son; I should blush to see him, to hear of him, to think +of him. I may perhaps do no good but that of relieving my own mind by +this letter, but I felt it my duty to tell you that your partiality for +Lady Susan is no secret to your friends, and to warn you against her. I +should be glad to hear your reasons for disbelieving Mr. Smith’s +intelligence; you had no doubt of its authenticity a month ago. If you +can give me your assurance of having no design beyond enjoying the +conversation of a clever woman for a short period, and of yielding +admiration only to her beauty and abilities, without being blinded by +them to her faults, you will restore me to happiness; but, if you +cannot do this, explain to me, at least, what has occasioned so great +an alteration in your opinion of her. + +I am, &c., &c, +REGINALD DE COURCY + + + + +XIII + + +_Lady De Courcy to Mrs. Vernon._ + + +Parklands. + + +My dear Catherine,—Unluckily I was confined to my room when your last +letter came, by a cold which affected my eyes so much as to prevent my +reading it myself, so I could not refuse your father when he offered to +read it to me, by which means he became acquainted, to my great +vexation, with all your fears about your brother. I had intended to +write to Reginald myself as soon as my eyes would let me, to point out, +as well as I could, the danger of an intimate acquaintance, with so +artful a woman as Lady Susan, to a young man of his age, and high +expectations. I meant, moreover, to have reminded him of our being +quite alone now, and very much in need of him to keep up our spirits +these long winter evenings. Whether it would have done any good can +never be settled now, but I am excessively vexed that Sir Reginald +should know anything of a matter which we foresaw would make him so +uneasy. He caught all your fears the moment he had read your letter, +and I am sure he has not had the business out of his head since. He +wrote by the same post to Reginald a long letter full of it all, and +particularly asking an explanation of what he may have heard from Lady +Susan to contradict the late shocking reports. His answer came this +morning, which I shall enclose to you, as I think you will like to see +it. I wish it was more satisfactory; but it seems written with such a +determination to think well of Lady Susan, that his assurances as to +marriage, &c., do not set my heart at ease. I say all I can, however, +to satisfy your father, and he is certainly less uneasy since +Reginald’s letter. How provoking it is, my dear Catherine, that this +unwelcome guest of yours should not only prevent our meeting this +Christmas, but be the occasion of so much vexation and trouble! Kiss +the dear children for me. + +Your affectionate mother, +C. DE COURCY. + + + + +XIV + + +_Mr. De Courcy to Sir Reginald._ + + +Churchhill. + + +My dear Sir,—I have this moment received your letter, which has given +me more astonishment than I ever felt before. I am to thank my sister, +I suppose, for having represented me in such a light as to injure me in +your opinion, and give you all this alarm. I know not why she should +choose to make herself and her family uneasy by apprehending an event +which no one but herself, I can affirm, would ever have thought +possible. To impute such a design to Lady Susan would be taking from +her every claim to that excellent understanding which her bitterest +enemies have never denied her; and equally low must sink my pretensions +to common sense if I am suspected of matrimonial views in my behaviour +to her. Our difference of age must be an insuperable objection, and I +entreat you, my dear father, to quiet your mind, and no longer harbour +a suspicion which cannot be more injurious to your own peace than to +our understandings. I can have no other view in remaining with Lady +Susan, than to enjoy for a short time (as you have yourself expressed +it) the conversation of a woman of high intellectual powers. If Mrs. +Vernon would allow something to my affection for herself and her +husband in the length of my visit, she would do more justice to us all; +but my sister is unhappily prejudiced beyond the hope of conviction +against Lady Susan. From an attachment to her husband, which in itself +does honour to both, she cannot forgive the endeavours at preventing +their union, which have been attributed to selfishness in Lady Susan; +but in this case, as well as in many others, the world has most grossly +injured that lady, by supposing the worst where the motives of her +conduct have been doubtful. Lady Susan had heard something so +materially to the disadvantage of my sister as to persuade her that the +happiness of Mr. Vernon, to whom she was always much attached, would be +wholly destroyed by the marriage. And this circumstance, while it +explains the true motives of Lady Susan’s conduct, and removes all the +blame which has been so lavished on her, may also convince us how +little the general report of anyone ought to be credited; since no +character, however upright, can escape the malevolence of slander. If +my sister, in the security of retirement, with as little opportunity as +inclination to do evil, could not avoid censure, we must not rashly +condemn those who, living in the world and surrounded with temptations, +should be accused of errors which they are known to have the power of +committing. + +I blame myself severely for having so easily believed the slanderous +tales invented by Charles Smith to the prejudice of Lady Susan, as I am +now convinced how greatly they have traduced her. As to Mrs. +Mainwaring’s jealousy it was totally his own invention, and his account +of her attaching Miss Mainwaring’s lover was scarcely better founded. +Sir James Martin had been drawn in by that young lady to pay her some +attention; and as he is a man of fortune, it was easy to see _her_ +views extended to marriage. It is well known that Miss M. is absolutely +on the catch for a husband, and no one therefore can pity her for +losing, by the superior attractions of another woman, the chance of +being able to make a worthy man completely wretched. Lady Susan was far +from intending such a conquest, and on finding how warmly Miss +Mainwaring resented her lover’s defection, determined, in spite of Mr. +and Mrs. Mainwaring’s most urgent entreaties, to leave the family. I +have reason to imagine she did receive serious proposals from Sir +James, but her removing from Langford immediately on the discovery of +his attachment, must acquit her on that article with any mind of common +candour. You will, I am sure, my dear Sir, feel the truth of this, and +will hereby learn to do justice to the character of a very injured +woman. I know that Lady Susan in coming to Churchhill was governed only +by the most honourable and amiable intentions; her prudence and economy +are exemplary, her regard for Mr. Vernon equal even to _his_ deserts; +and her wish of obtaining my sister’s good opinion merits a better +return than it has received. As a mother she is unexceptionable; her +solid affection for her child is shown by placing her in hands where +her education will be properly attended to; but because she has not the +blind and weak partiality of most mothers, she is accused of wanting +maternal tenderness. Every person of sense, however, will know how to +value and commend her well-directed affection, and will join me in +wishing that Frederica Vernon may prove more worthy than she has yet +done of her mother’s tender care. I have now, my dear father, written +my real sentiments of Lady Susan; you will know from this letter how +highly I admire her abilities, and esteem her character; but if you are +not equally convinced by my full and solemn assurance that your fears +have been most idly created, you will deeply mortify and distress me. + +I am, &c., &c., +R. DE COURCY. + + + + +XV + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill + + +My dear Mother,—I return you Reginald’s letter, and rejoice with all my +heart that my father is made easy by it: tell him so, with my +congratulations; but, between ourselves, I must own it has only +convinced _me_ of my brother’s having no _present_ intention of +marrying Lady Susan, not that he is in no danger of doing so three +months hence. He gives a very plausible account of her behaviour at +Langford; I wish it may be true, but his intelligence must come from +herself, and I am less disposed to believe it than to lament the degree +of intimacy subsisting between them, implied by the discussion of such +a subject. I am sorry to have incurred his displeasure, but can expect +nothing better while he is so very eager in Lady Susan’s justification. +He is very severe against me indeed, and yet I hope I have not been +hasty in my judgment of her. Poor woman! though I have reasons enough +for my dislike, I cannot help pitying her at present, as she is in real +distress, and with too much cause. She had this morning a letter from +the lady with whom she has placed her daughter, to request that Miss +Vernon might be immediately removed, as she had been detected in an +attempt to run away. Why, or whither she intended to go, does not +appear; but, as her situation seems to have been unexceptionable, it is +a sad thing, and of course highly distressing to Lady Susan. Frederica +must be as much as sixteen, and ought to know better; but from what her +mother insinuates, I am afraid she is a perverse girl. She has been +sadly neglected, however, and her mother ought to remember it. Mr. +Vernon set off for London as soon as she had determined what should be +done. He is, if possible, to prevail on Miss Summers to let Frederica +continue with her; and if he cannot succeed, to bring her to Churchhill +for the present, till some other situation can be found for her. Her +ladyship is comforting herself meanwhile by strolling along the +shrubbery with Reginald, calling forth all his tender feelings, I +suppose, on this distressing occasion. She has been talking a great +deal about it to me. She talks vastly well; I am afraid of being +ungenerous, or I should say, _too_ well to feel so very deeply; but I +will not look for her faults; she may be Reginald’s wife! Heaven forbid +it! but why should I be quicker-sighted than anyone else? Mr. Vernon +declares that he never saw deeper distress than hers, on the receipt of +the letter; and is his judgment inferior to mine? She was very +unwilling that Frederica should be allowed to come to Churchhill, and +justly enough, as it seems a sort of reward to behaviour deserving very +differently; but it was impossible to take her anywhere else, and she +is not to remain here long. “It will be absolutely necessary,” said +she, “as you, my dear sister, must be sensible, to treat my daughter +with some severity while she is here; a most painful necessity, but I +will _endeavour_ to submit to it. I am afraid I have often been too +indulgent, but my poor Frederica’s temper could never bear opposition +well: you must support and encourage me; you must urge the necessity of +reproof if you see me too lenient.” All this sounds very reasonable. +Reginald is so incensed against the poor silly girl! Surely it is not +to Lady Susan’s credit that he should be so bitter against her +daughter; his idea of her must be drawn from the mother’s description. +Well, whatever may be his fate, we have the comfort of knowing that we +have done our utmost to save him. We must commit the event to a higher +power. + +Yours ever, &c., +CATHERINE VERNON. + + + + +XVI + + +_Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Churchhill. + + +Never, my dearest Alicia, was I so provoked in my life as by a letter +this morning from Miss Summers. That horrid girl of mine has been +trying to run away. I had not a notion of her being such a little devil +before, she seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness; but on receiving +the letter in which I declared my intention about Sir James, she +actually attempted to elope; at least, I cannot otherwise account for +her doing it. She meant, I suppose, to go to the Clarkes in +Staffordshire, for she has no other acquaintances. But she shall be +punished, she shall have him. I have sent Charles to town to make +matters up if he can, for I do not by any means want her here. If Miss +Summers will not keep her, you must find me out another school, unless +we can get her married immediately. Miss S. writes word that she could +not get the young lady to assign any cause for her extraordinary +conduct, which confirms me in my own previous explanation of it. +Frederica is too shy, I think, and too much in awe of me to tell tales, +but if the mildness of her uncle should get anything out of her, I am +not afraid. I trust I shall be able to make my story as good as hers. +If I am vain of anything, it is of my eloquence. Consideration and +esteem as surely follow command of language as admiration waits on +beauty, and here I have opportunity enough for the exercise of my +talent, as the chief of my time is spent in conversation. + +Reginald is never easy unless we are by ourselves, and when the weather +is tolerable, we pace the shrubbery for hours together. I like him on +the whole very well; he is clever and has a good deal to say, but he is +sometimes impertinent and troublesome. There is a sort of ridiculous +delicacy about him which requires the fullest explanation of whatever +he may have heard to my disadvantage, and is never satisfied till he +thinks he has ascertained the beginning and end of everything. This is +one sort of love, but I confess it does not particularly recommend +itself to me. I infinitely prefer the tender and liberal spirit of +Mainwaring, which, impressed with the deepest conviction of my merit, +is satisfied that whatever I do must be right; and look with a degree +of contempt on the inquisitive and doubtful fancies of that heart which +seems always debating on the reasonableness of its emotions. Mainwaring +is indeed, beyond all compare, superior to Reginald—superior in +everything but the power of being with me! Poor fellow! he is much +distracted by jealousy, which I am not sorry for, as I know no better +support of love. He has been teazing me to allow of his coming into +this country, and lodging somewhere near _incog_.; but I forbade +everything of the kind. Those women are inexcusable who forget what is +due to themselves, and the opinion of the world. + +Yours ever, +S. VERNON. + + + + +XVII + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill. + + +My dear Mother,—Mr. Vernon returned on Thursday night, bringing his +niece with him. Lady Susan had received a line from him by that day’s +post, informing her that Miss Summers had absolutely refused to allow +of Miss Vernon’s continuance in her academy; we were therefore prepared +for her arrival, and expected them impatiently the whole evening. They +came while we were at tea, and I never saw any creature look so +frightened as Frederica when she entered the room. Lady Susan, who had +been shedding tears before, and showing great agitation at the idea of +the meeting, received her with perfect self-command, and without +betraying the least tenderness of spirit. She hardly spoke to her, and +on Frederica’s bursting into tears as soon as we were seated, took her +out of the room, and did not return for some time. When she did, her +eyes looked very red and she was as much agitated as before. We saw no +more of her daughter. Poor Reginald was beyond measure concerned to see +his fair friend in such distress, and watched her with so much tender +solicitude, that I, who occasionally caught her observing his +countenance with exultation, was quite out of patience. This pathetic +representation lasted the whole evening, and so ostentatious and artful +a display has entirely convinced me that she did in fact feel nothing. +I am more angry with her than ever since I have seen her daughter; the +poor girl looks so unhappy that my heart aches for her. Lady Susan is +surely too severe, for Frederica does not seem to have the sort of +temper to make severity necessary. She looks perfectly timid, dejected, +and penitent. She is very pretty, though not so handsome as her mother, +nor at all like her. Her complexion is delicate, but neither so fair +nor so blooming as Lady Susan’s, and she has quite the Vernon cast of +countenance, the oval face and mild dark eyes, and there is peculiar +sweetness in her look when she speaks either to her uncle or me, for as +we behave kindly to her we have of course engaged her gratitude. + +Her mother has insinuated that her temper is intractable, but I never +saw a face less indicative of any evil disposition than hers; and from +what I can see of the behaviour of each to the other, the invariable +severity of Lady Susan and the silent dejection of Frederica, I am led +to believe as heretofore that the former has no real love for her +daughter, and has never done her justice or treated her affectionately. +I have not been able to have any conversation with my niece; she is +shy, and I think I can see that some pains are taken to prevent her +being much with me. Nothing satisfactory transpires as to her reason +for running away. Her kind-hearted uncle, you may be sure, was too +fearful of distressing her to ask many questions as they travelled. I +wish it had been possible for me to fetch her instead of him. I think I +should have discovered the truth in the course of a thirty-mile +journey. The small pianoforte has been removed within these few days, +at Lady Susan’s request, into her dressing-room, and Frederica spends +great part of the day there, practising as it is called; but I seldom +hear any noise when I pass that way; what she does with herself there I +do not know. There are plenty of books, but it is not every girl who +has been running wild the first fifteen years of her life, that can or +will read. Poor creature! the prospect from her window is not very +instructive, for that room overlooks the lawn, you know, with the +shrubbery on one side, where she may see her mother walking for an hour +together in earnest conversation with Reginald. A girl of Frederica’s +age must be childish indeed, if such things do not strike her. Is it +not inexcusable to give such an example to a daughter? Yet Reginald +still thinks Lady Susan the best of mothers, and still condemns +Frederica as a worthless girl! He is convinced that her attempt to run +away proceeded from no justifiable cause, and had no provocation. I am +sure I cannot say that it _had_, but while Miss Summers declares that +Miss Vernon showed no signs of obstinacy or perverseness during her +whole stay in Wigmore Street, till she was detected in this scheme, I +cannot so readily credit what Lady Susan has made him, and wants to +make me believe, that it was merely an impatience of restraint and a +desire of escaping from the tuition of masters which brought on the +plan of an elopement. O Reginald, how is your judgment enslaved! He +scarcely dares even allow her to be handsome, and when I speak of her +beauty, replies only that her eyes have no brilliancy! Sometimes he is +sure she is deficient in understanding, and at others that her temper +only is in fault. In short, when a person is always to deceive, it is +impossible to be consistent. Lady Susan finds it necessary that +Frederica should be to blame, and probably has sometimes judged it +expedient to accuse her of ill-nature and sometimes to lament her want +of sense. Reginald is only repeating after her ladyship. + +I remain, &c., &c., +CATHERINE VERNON. + + + + +XVIII + + +_From the same to the same._ + + +Churchhill. + + +My dear Mother,—I am very glad to find that my description of Frederica +Vernon has interested you, for I do believe her truly deserving of your +regard; and when I have communicated a notion which has recently struck +me, your kind impressions in her favour will, I am sure, be heightened. +I cannot help fancying that she is growing partial to my brother. I so +very often see her eyes fixed on his face with a remarkable expression +of pensive admiration. He is certainly very handsome; and yet more, +there is an openness in his manner that must be highly prepossessing, +and I am sure she feels it so. Thoughtful and pensive in general, her +countenance always brightens into a smile when Reginald says anything +amusing; and, let the subject be ever so serious that he may be +conversing on, I am much mistaken if a syllable of his uttering escapes +her. I want to make him sensible of all this, for we know the power of +gratitude on such a heart as his; and could Frederica’s artless +affection detach him from her mother, we might bless the day which +brought her to Churchhill. I think, my dear mother, you would not +disapprove of her as a daughter. She is extremely young, to be sure, +has had a wretched education, and a dreadful example of levity in her +mother; but yet I can pronounce her disposition to be excellent, and +her natural abilities very good. Though totally without +accomplishments, she is by no means so ignorant as one might expect to +find her, being fond of books and spending the chief of her time in +reading. Her mother leaves her more to herself than she did, and I have +her with me as much as possible, and have taken great pains to overcome +her timidity. We are very good friends, and though she never opens her +lips before her mother, she talks enough when alone with me to make it +clear that, if properly treated by Lady Susan, she would always appear +to much greater advantage. There cannot be a more gentle, affectionate +heart; or more obliging manners, when acting without restraint; and her +little cousins are all very fond of her. + +Your affectionate daughter, +C. VERNON + + + + +XIX + + +_Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Churchhill. + + +You will be eager, I know, to hear something further of Frederica, and +perhaps may think me negligent for not writing before. She arrived with +her uncle last Thursday fortnight, when, of course, I lost no time in +demanding the cause of her behaviour; and soon found myself to have +been perfectly right in attributing it to my own letter. The prospect +of it frightened her so thoroughly, that, with a mixture of true +girlish perverseness and folly, she resolved on getting out of the +house and proceeding directly by the stage to her friends, the Clarkes; +and had really got as far as the length of two streets in her journey +when she was fortunately missed, pursued, and overtaken. Such was the +first distinguished exploit of Miss Frederica Vernon; and, if we +consider that it was achieved at the tender age of sixteen, we shall +have room for the most flattering prognostics of her future renown. I +am excessively provoked, however, at the parade of propriety which +prevented Miss Summers from keeping the girl; and it seems so +extraordinary a piece of nicety, considering my daughter’s family +connections, that I can only suppose the lady to be governed by the +fear of never getting her money. Be that as it may, however, Frederica +is returned on my hands; and, having nothing else to employ her, is +busy in pursuing the plan of romance begun at Langford. She is actually +falling in love with Reginald De Courcy! To disobey her mother by +refusing an unexceptionable offer is not enough; her affections must +also be given without her mother’s approbation. I never saw a girl of +her age bid fairer to be the sport of mankind. Her feelings are +tolerably acute, and she is so charmingly artless in their display as +to afford the most reasonable hope of her being ridiculous, and +despised by every man who sees her. + +Artlessness will never do in love matters; and that girl is born a +simpleton who has it either by nature or affectation. I am not yet +certain that Reginald sees what she is about, nor is it of much +consequence. She is now an object of indifference to him, and she would +be one of contempt were he to understand her emotions. Her beauty is +much admired by the Vernons, but it has no effect on him. She is in +high favour with her aunt altogether, because she is so little like +myself, of course. She is exactly the companion for Mrs. Vernon, who +dearly loves to be firm, and to have all the sense and all the wit of +the conversation to herself: Frederica will never eclipse her. When she +first came I was at some pains to prevent her seeing much of her aunt; +but I have relaxed, as I believe I may depend on her observing the +rules I have laid down for their discourse. But do not imagine that +with all this lenity I have for a moment given up my plan of her +marriage. No; I am unalterably fixed on this point, though I have not +yet quite decided on the manner of bringing it about. I should not +chuse to have the business brought on here, and canvassed by the wise +heads of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon; and I cannot just now afford to go to +town. Miss Frederica must therefore wait a little. + +Yours ever, +S. VERNON. + + + + +XX + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill + + +We have a very unexpected guest with us at present, my dear Mother: he +arrived yesterday. I heard a carriage at the door, as I was sitting +with my children while they dined; and supposing I should be wanted, +left the nursery soon afterwards, and was half-way downstairs, when +Frederica, as pale as ashes, came running up, and rushed by me into her +own room. I instantly followed, and asked her what was the matter. +“Oh!” said she, “he is come—Sir James is come, and what shall I do?” +This was no explanation; I begged her to tell me what she meant. At +that moment we were interrupted by a knock at the door: it was +Reginald, who came, by Lady Susan’s direction, to call Frederica down. +“It is Mr. De Courcy!” said she, colouring violently. “Mamma has sent +for me; I must go.” We all three went down together; and I saw my +brother examining the terrified face of Frederica with surprize. In the +breakfast-room we found Lady Susan, and a young man of gentlemanlike +appearance, whom she introduced by the name of Sir James Martin—the +very person, as you may remember, whom it was said she had been at +pains to detach from Miss Mainwaring; but the conquest, it seems, was +not designed for herself, or she has since transferred it to her +daughter; for Sir James is now desperately in love with Frederica, and +with full encouragement from mamma. The poor girl, however, I am sure, +dislikes him; and though his person and address are very well, he +appears, both to Mr. Vernon and me, a very weak young man. Frederica +looked so shy, so confused, when we entered the room, that I felt for +her exceedingly. Lady Susan behaved with great attention to her +visitor; and yet I thought I could perceive that she had no particular +pleasure in seeing him. Sir James talked a great deal, and made many +civil excuses to me for the liberty he had taken in coming to +Churchhill—mixing more frequent laughter with his discourse than the +subject required—said many things over and over again, and told Lady +Susan three times that he had seen Mrs. Johnson a few evenings before. +He now and then addressed Frederica, but more frequently her mother. +The poor girl sat all this time without opening her lips—her eyes cast +down, and her colour varying every instant; while Reginald observed all +that passed in perfect silence. At length Lady Susan, weary, I believe, +of her situation, proposed walking; and we left the two gentlemen +together, to put on our pelisses. As we went upstairs Lady Susan begged +permission to attend me for a few moments in my dressing-room, as she +was anxious to speak with me in private. I led her thither accordingly, +and as soon as the door was closed, she said: “I was never more +surprized in my life than by Sir James’s arrival, and the suddenness of +it requires some apology to you, my dear sister; though to _me_, as a +mother, it is highly flattering. He is so extremely attached to my +daughter that he could not exist longer without seeing her. Sir James +is a young man of an amiable disposition and excellent character; a +little too much of the rattle, perhaps, but a year or two will rectify +_that:_ and he is in other respects so very eligible a match for +Frederica, that I have always observed his attachment with the greatest +pleasure; and am persuaded that you and my brother will give the +alliance your hearty approbation. I have never before mentioned the +likelihood of its taking place to anyone, because I thought that whilst +Frederica continued at school it had better not be known to exist; but +now, as I am convinced that Frederica is too old ever to submit to +school confinement, and have, therefore, begun to consider her union +with Sir James as not very distant, I had intended within a few days to +acquaint yourself and Mr. Vernon with the whole business. I am sure, my +dear sister, you will excuse my remaining silent so long, and agree +with me that such circumstances, while they continue from any cause in +suspense, cannot be too cautiously concealed. When you have the +happiness of bestowing your sweet little Catherine, some years hence, +on a man who in connection and character is alike unexceptionable, you +will know what I feel now; though, thank Heaven, you cannot have all my +reasons for rejoicing in such an event. Catherine will be amply +provided for, and not, like my Frederica, indebted to a fortunate +establishment for the comforts of life.” She concluded by demanding my +congratulations. I gave them somewhat awkwardly, I believe; for, in +fact, the sudden disclosure of so important a matter took from me the +power of speaking with any clearness. She thanked me, however, most +affectionately, for my kind concern in the welfare of herself and +daughter; and then said: “I am not apt to deal in professions, my dear +Mrs. Vernon, and I never had the convenient talent of affecting +sensations foreign to my heart; and therefore I trust you will believe +me when I declare, that much as I had heard in your praise before I +knew you, I had no idea that I should ever love you as I now do; and I +must further say that your friendship towards me is more particularly +gratifying because I have reason to believe that some attempts were +made to prejudice you against me. I only wish that they, whoever they +are, to whom I am indebted for such kind intentions, could see the +terms on which we now are together, and understand the real affection +we feel for each other; but I will not detain you any longer. God bless +you, for your goodness to me and my girl, and continue to you all your +present happiness.” What can one say of such a woman, my dear mother? +Such earnestness, such solemnity of expression! and yet I cannot help +suspecting the truth of everything she says. As for Reginald, I believe +he does not know what to make of the matter. When Sir James came, he +appeared all astonishment and perplexity; the folly of the young man +and the confusion of Frederica entirely engrossed him; and though a +little private discourse with Lady Susan has since had its effect, he +is still hurt, I am sure, at her allowing of such a man’s attentions to +her daughter. Sir James invited himself with great composure to remain +here a few days—hoped we would not think it odd, was aware of its being +very impertinent, but he took the liberty of a relation; and concluded +by wishing, with a laugh, that he might be really one very soon. Even +Lady Susan seemed a little disconcerted by this forwardness; in her +heart I am persuaded she sincerely wished him gone. But something must +be done for this poor girl, if her feelings are such as both I and her +uncle believe them to be. She must not be sacrificed to policy or +ambition, and she must not be left to suffer from the dread of it. The +girl whose heart can distinguish Reginald De Courcy, deserves, however +he may slight her, a better fate than to be Sir James Martin’s wife. As +soon as I can get her alone, I will discover the real truth; but she +seems to wish to avoid me. I hope this does not proceed from anything +wrong, and that I shall not find out I have thought too well of her. +Her behaviour to Sir James certainly speaks the greatest consciousness +and embarrassment, but I see nothing in it more like encouragement. +Adieu, my dear mother. + +Yours, &c., +C. VERNON. + + + + +XXI + + +_Miss Vernon to Mr. De Courcy._ + + +Sir,—I hope you will excuse this liberty; I am forced upon it by the +greatest distress, or I should be ashamed to trouble you. I am very +miserable about Sir James Martin, and have no other way in the world of +helping myself but by writing to you, for I am forbidden even speaking +to my uncle and aunt on the subject; and this being the case, I am +afraid my applying to you will appear no better than equivocation, and +as if I attended to the letter and not the spirit of mamma’s commands. +But if you do not take my part and persuade her to break it off, I +shall be half distracted, for I cannot bear him. No human being but +_you_ could have any chance of prevailing with her. If you will, +therefore, have the unspeakably great kindness of taking my part with +her, and persuading her to send Sir James away, I shall be more obliged +to you than it is possible for me to express. I always disliked him +from the first: it is not a sudden fancy, I assure you, sir; I always +thought him silly and impertinent and disagreeable, and now he is grown +worse than ever. I would rather work for my bread than marry him. I do +not know how to apologize enough for this letter; I know it is taking +so great a liberty. I am aware how dreadfully angry it will make mamma, +but I remember the risk. + +I am, Sir, your most humble servant, +F. S. V. + + + + +XXII + + +_Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Churchhill. + + +This is insufferable! My dearest friend, I was never so enraged before, +and must relieve myself by writing to you, who I know will enter into +all my feelings. Who should come on Tuesday but Sir James Martin! Guess +my astonishment, and vexation—for, as you well know, I never wished him +to be seen at Churchhill. What a pity that you should not have known +his intentions! Not content with coming, he actually invited himself to +remain here a few days. I could have poisoned him! I made the best of +it, however, and told my story with great success to Mrs. Vernon, who, +whatever might be her real sentiments, said nothing in opposition to +mine. I made a point also of Frederica’s behaving civilly to Sir James, +and gave her to understand that I was absolutely determined on her +marrying him. She said something of her misery, but that was all. I +have for some time been more particularly resolved on the match from +seeing the rapid increase of her affection for Reginald, and from not +feeling secure that a knowledge of such affection might not in the end +awaken a return. Contemptible as a regard founded only on compassion +must make them both in my eyes, I felt by no means assured that such +might not be the consequence. It is true that Reginald had not in any +degree grown cool towards me; but yet he has lately mentioned Frederica +spontaneously and unnecessarily, and once said something in praise of +her person. _He_ was all astonishment at the appearance of my visitor, +and at first observed Sir James with an attention which I was pleased +to see not unmixed with jealousy; but unluckily it was impossible for +me really to torment him, as Sir James, though extremely gallant to me, +very soon made the whole party understand that his heart was devoted to +my daughter. I had no great difficulty in convincing De Courcy, when we +were alone, that I was perfectly justified, all things considered, in +desiring the match; and the whole business seemed most comfortably +arranged. They could none of them help perceiving that Sir James was no +Solomon; but I had positively forbidden Frederica complaining to +Charles Vernon or his wife, and they had therefore no pretence for +interference; though my impertinent sister, I believe, wanted only +opportunity for doing so. Everything, however, was going on calmly and +quietly; and, though I counted the hours of Sir James’s stay, my mind +was entirely satisfied with the posture of affairs. Guess, then, what I +must feel at the sudden disturbance of all my schemes; and that, too, +from a quarter where I had least reason to expect it. Reginald came +this morning into my dressing-room with a very unusual solemnity of +countenance, and after some preface informed me in so many words that +he wished to reason with me on the impropriety and unkindness of +allowing Sir James Martin to address my daughter contrary to her +inclinations. I was all amazement. When I found that he was not to be +laughed out of his design, I calmly begged an explanation, and desired +to know by what he was impelled, and by whom commissioned, to reprimand +me. He then told me, mixing in his speech a few insolent compliments +and ill-timed expressions of tenderness, to which I listened with +perfect indifference, that my daughter had acquainted him with some +circumstances concerning herself, Sir James, and me which had given him +great uneasiness. In short, I found that she had in the first place +actually written to him to request his interference, and that, on +receiving her letter, he had conversed with her on the subject of it, +in order to understand the particulars, and to assure himself of her +real wishes. I have not a doubt but that the girl took this opportunity +of making downright love to him. I am convinced of it by the manner in +which he spoke of her. Much good may such love do him! I shall ever +despise the man who can be gratified by the passion which he never +wished to inspire, nor solicited the avowal of. I shall always detest +them both. He can have no true regard for me, or he would not have +listened to her; and _she_, with her little rebellious heart and +indelicate feelings, to throw herself into the protection of a young +man with whom she has scarcely ever exchanged two words before! I am +equally confounded at _her_ impudence and _his_ credulity. How dared he +believe what she told him in my disfavour! Ought he not to have felt +assured that I must have unanswerable motives for all that I had done? +Where was his reliance on my sense and goodness then? Where the +resentment which true love would have dictated against the person +defaming me—that person, too, a chit, a child, without talent or +education, whom he had been always taught to despise? I was calm for +some time; but the greatest degree of forbearance may be overcome, and +I hope I was afterwards sufficiently keen. He endeavoured, long +endeavoured, to soften my resentment; but that woman is a fool indeed +who, while insulted by accusation, can be worked on by compliments. At +length he left me, as deeply provoked as myself; and he showed his +anger more. I was quite cool, but he gave way to the most violent +indignation; I may therefore expect it will the sooner subside, and +perhaps his may be vanished for ever, while mine will be found still +fresh and implacable. He is now shut up in his apartment, whither I +heard him go on leaving mine. How unpleasant, one would think, must be +his reflections! but some people’s feelings are incomprehensible. I +have not yet tranquillised myself enough to see Frederica. _She_ shall +not soon forget the occurrences of this day; she shall find that she +has poured forth her tender tale of love in vain, and exposed herself +for ever to the contempt of the whole world, and the severest +resentment of her injured mother. + +Your affectionate +S. VERNON. + + + + +XXIII + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill. + + +Let me congratulate you, my dearest Mother! The affair which has given +us so much anxiety is drawing to a happy conclusion. Our prospect is +most delightful, and since matters have now taken so favourable a turn, +I am quite sorry that I ever imparted my apprehensions to you; for the +pleasure of learning that the danger is over is perhaps dearly +purchased by all that you have previously suffered. I am so much +agitated by delight that I can scarcely hold a pen; but am determined +to send you a few short lines by James, that you may have some +explanation of what must so greatly astonish you, as that Reginald +should be returning to Parklands. I was sitting about half an hour ago +with Sir James in the breakfast parlour, when my brother called me out +of the room. I instantly saw that something was the matter; his +complexion was raised, and he spoke with great emotion; you know his +eager manner, my dear mother, when his mind is interested. “Catherine,” +said he, “I am going home to-day; I am sorry to leave you, but I must +go: it is a great while since I have seen my father and mother. I am +going to send James forward with my hunters immediately; if you have +any letter, therefore, he can take it. I shall not be at home myself +till Wednesday or Thursday, as I shall go through London, where I have +business; but before I leave you,” he continued, speaking in a lower +tone, and with still greater energy, “I must warn you of one thing—do +not let Frederica Vernon be made unhappy by that Martin. He wants to +marry her; her mother promotes the match, but she cannot endure the +idea of it. Be assured that I speak from the fullest conviction of the +truth of what I say; I know that Frederica is made wretched by Sir +James’s continuing here. She is a sweet girl, and deserves a better +fate. Send him away immediately; he is only a fool: but what her mother +can mean, Heaven only knows! Good bye,” he added, shaking my hand with +earnestness; “I do not know when you will see me again; but remember +what I tell you of Frederica; you _must_ make it your business to see +justice done her. She is an amiable girl, and has a very superior mind +to what we have given her credit for.” He then left me, and ran +upstairs. I would not try to stop him, for I knew what his feelings +must be. The nature of mine, as I listened to him, I need not attempt +to describe; for a minute or two I remained in the same spot, +overpowered by wonder of a most agreeable sort indeed; yet it required +some consideration to be tranquilly happy. In about ten minutes after +my return to the parlour Lady Susan entered the room. I concluded, of +course, that she and Reginald had been quarrelling; and looked with +anxious curiosity for a confirmation of my belief in her face. Mistress +of deceit, however, she appeared perfectly unconcerned, and after +chatting on indifferent subjects for a short time, said to me, “I find +from Wilson that we are going to lose Mr. De Courcy—is it true that he +leaves Churchhill this morning?” I replied that it was. “He told us +nothing of all this last night,” said she, laughing, “or even this +morning at breakfast; but perhaps he did not know it himself. Young men +are often hasty in their resolutions, and not more sudden in forming +than unsteady in keeping them. I should not be surprised if he were to +change his mind at last, and not go.” She soon afterwards left the +room. I trust, however, my dear mother, that we have no reason to fear +an alteration of his present plan; things have gone too far. They must +have quarrelled, and about Frederica, too. Her calmness astonishes me. +What delight will be yours in seeing him again; in seeing him still +worthy your esteem, still capable of forming your happiness! When I +next write I shall be able to tell you that Sir James is gone, Lady +Susan vanquished, and Frederica at peace. We have much to do, but it +shall be done. I am all impatience to hear how this astonishing change +was effected. I finish as I began, with the warmest congratulations. + +Yours ever, &c., +CATH. VERNON. + + + + +XXIV + + +_From the same to the same._ + + +Churchhill. + + +Little did I imagine, my dear Mother, when I sent off my last letter, +that the delightful perturbation of spirits I was then in would undergo +so speedy, so melancholy a reverse. I never can sufficiently regret +that I wrote to you at all. Yet who could have foreseen what has +happened? My dear mother, every hope which made me so happy only two +hours ago has vanished. The quarrel between Lady Susan and Reginald is +made up, and we are all as we were before. One point only is gained. +Sir James Martin is dismissed. What are we now to look forward to? I am +indeed disappointed; Reginald was all but gone, his horse was ordered +and all but brought to the door; who would not have felt safe? For half +an hour I was in momentary expectation of his departure. After I had +sent off my letter to you, I went to Mr. Vernon, and sat with him in +his room talking over the whole matter, and then determined to look for +Frederica, whom I had not seen since breakfast. I met her on the +stairs, and saw that she was crying. “My dear aunt,” said she, “he is +going—Mr. De Courcy is going, and it is all my fault. I am afraid you +will be very angry with me, but indeed I had no idea it would end so.” +“My love,” I replied, “do not think it necessary to apologize to me on +that account. I shall feel myself under an obligation to anyone who is +the means of sending my brother home, because,” recollecting myself, “I +know my father wants very much to see him. But what is it you have done +to occasion all this?” She blushed deeply as she answered: “I was so +unhappy about Sir James that I could not help—I have done something +very wrong, I know; but you have not an idea of the misery I have been +in: and mamma had ordered me never to speak to you or my uncle about +it, and—” “You therefore spoke to my brother to engage his +interference,” said I, to save her the explanation. “No, but I wrote to +him—I did indeed, I got up this morning before it was light, and was +two hours about it; and when my letter was done I thought I never +should have courage to give it. After breakfast however, as I was going +to my room, I met him in the passage, and then, as I knew that +everything must depend on that moment, I forced myself to give it. He +was so good as to take it immediately. I dared not look at him, and ran +away directly. I was in such a fright I could hardly breathe. My dear +aunt, you do not know how miserable I have been.” “Frederica” said I, +“you ought to have told me all your distresses. You would have found in +me a friend always ready to assist you. Do you think that your uncle or +I should not have espoused your cause as warmly as my brother?” +“Indeed, I did not doubt your kindness,” said she, colouring again, +“but I thought Mr. De Courcy could do anything with my mother; but I +was mistaken: they have had a dreadful quarrel about it, and he is +going away. Mamma will never forgive me, and I shall be worse off than +ever.” “No, you shall not,” I replied; “in such a point as this your +mother’s prohibition ought not to have prevented your speaking to me on +the subject. She has no right to make you unhappy, and she shall _not_ +do it. Your applying, however, to Reginald can be productive only of +good to all parties. I believe it is best as it is. Depend upon it that +you shall not be made unhappy any longer.” At that moment how great was +my astonishment at seeing Reginald come out of Lady Susan’s +dressing-room. My heart misgave me instantly. His confusion at seeing +me was very evident. Frederica immediately disappeared. “Are you +going?” I said; “you will find Mr. Vernon in his own room.” “No, +Catherine,” he replied, “I am not going. Will you let me speak to you a +moment?” We went into my room. “I find,” he continued, his confusion +increasing as he spoke, “that I have been acting with my usual foolish +impetuosity. I have entirely misunderstood Lady Susan, and was on the +point of leaving the house under a false impression of her conduct. +There has been some very great mistake; we have been all mistaken, I +fancy. Frederica does not know her mother. Lady Susan means nothing but +her good, but she will not make a friend of her. Lady Susan does not +always know, therefore, what will make her daughter happy. Besides, I +could have no right to interfere. Miss Vernon was mistaken in applying +to me. In short, Catherine, everything has gone wrong, but it is now +all happily settled. Lady Susan, I believe, wishes to speak to you +about it, if you are at leisure.” “Certainly,” I replied, deeply +sighing at the recital of so lame a story. I made no comments, however, +for words would have been vain. + +Reginald was glad to get away, and I went to Lady Susan, curious, +indeed, to hear her account of it. “Did I not tell you,” said she with +a smile, “that your brother would not leave us after all?” “You did, +indeed,” replied I very gravely; “but I flattered myself you would be +mistaken.” “I should not have hazarded such an opinion,” returned she, +“if it had not at that moment occurred to me that his resolution of +going might be occasioned by a conversation in which we had been this +morning engaged, and which had ended very much to his dissatisfaction, +from our not rightly understanding each other’s meaning. This idea +struck me at the moment, and I instantly determined that an accidental +dispute, in which I might probably be as much to blame as himself, +should not deprive you of your brother. If you remember, I left the +room almost immediately. I was resolved to lose no time in clearing up +those mistakes as far as I could. The case was this—Frederica had set +herself violently against marrying Sir James.” “And can your ladyship +wonder that she should?” cried I with some warmth; “Frederica has an +excellent understanding, and Sir James has none.” “I am at least very +far from regretting it, my dear sister,” said she; “on the contrary, I +am grateful for so favourable a sign of my daughter’s sense. Sir James +is certainly below par (his boyish manners make him appear worse); and +had Frederica possessed the penetration and the abilities which I could +have wished in my daughter, or had I even known her to possess as much +as she does, I should not have been anxious for the match.” “It is odd +that you should alone be ignorant of your daughter’s sense!” “Frederica +never does justice to herself; her manners are shy and childish, and +besides she is afraid of me. During her poor father’s life she was a +spoilt child; the severity which it has since been necessary for me to +show has alienated her affection; neither has she any of that +brilliancy of intellect, that genius or vigour of mind which will force +itself forward.” “Say rather that she has been unfortunate in her +education!” “Heaven knows, my dearest Mrs. Vernon, how fully I am aware +of that; but I would wish to forget every circumstance that might throw +blame on the memory of one whose name is sacred with me.” Here she +pretended to cry; I was out of patience with her. “But what,” said I, +“was your ladyship going to tell me about your disagreement with my +brother?” “It originated in an action of my daughter’s, which equally +marks her want of judgment and the unfortunate dread of me I have been +mentioning—she wrote to Mr. De Courcy.” “I know she did; you had +forbidden her speaking to Mr. Vernon or to me on the cause of her +distress; what could she do, therefore, but apply to my brother?” “Good +God!” she exclaimed, “what an opinion you must have of me! Can you +possibly suppose that I was aware of her unhappiness! that it was my +object to make my own child miserable, and that I had forbidden her +speaking to you on the subject from a fear of your interrupting the +diabolical scheme? Do you think me destitute of every honest, every +natural feeling? Am I capable of consigning _her_ to everlasting misery +whose welfare it is my first earthly duty to promote? The idea is +horrible!” “What, then, was your intention when you insisted on her +silence?” “Of what use, my dear sister, could be any application to +you, however the affair might stand? Why should I subject you to +entreaties which I refused to attend to myself? Neither for your sake +nor for hers, nor for my own, could such a thing be desirable. When my +own resolution was taken I could not wish for the interference, however +friendly, of another person. I was mistaken, it is true, but I believed +myself right.” “But what was this mistake to which your ladyship so +often alludes? from whence arose so astonishing a misconception of your +daughter’s feelings? Did you not know that she disliked Sir James?” “I +knew that he was not absolutely the man she would have chosen, but I +was persuaded that her objections to him did not arise from any +perception of his deficiency. You must not question me, however, my +dear sister, too minutely on this point,” continued she, taking me +affectionately by the hand; “I honestly own that there is something to +conceal. Frederica makes me very unhappy! Her applying to Mr. De Courcy +hurt me particularly.” “What is it you mean to infer,” said I, “by this +appearance of mystery? If you think your daughter at all attached to +Reginald, her objecting to Sir James could not less deserve to be +attended to than if the cause of her objecting had been a consciousness +of his folly; and why should your ladyship, at any rate, quarrel with +my brother for an interference which, you must know, it is not in his +nature to refuse when urged in such a manner?” + +“His disposition, you know, is warm, and he came to expostulate with +me; his compassion all alive for this ill-used girl, this heroine in +distress! We misunderstood each other: he believed me more to blame +than I really was; I considered his interference less excusable than I +now find it. I have a real regard for him, and was beyond expression +mortified to find it, as I thought, so ill bestowed. We were both warm, +and of course both to blame. His resolution of leaving Churchhill is +consistent with his general eagerness. When I understood his intention, +however, and at the same time began to think that we had been perhaps +equally mistaken in each other’s meaning, I resolved to have an +explanation before it was too late. For any member of your family I +must always feel a degree of affection, and I own it would have +sensibly hurt me if my acquaintance with Mr. De Courcy had ended so +gloomily. I have now only to say further, that as I am convinced of +Frederica’s having a reasonable dislike to Sir James, I shall instantly +inform him that he must give up all hope of her. I reproach myself for +having, even though innocently, made her unhappy on that score. She +shall have all the retribution in my power to make; if she value her +own happiness as much as I do, if she judge wisely, and command herself +as she ought, she may now be easy. Excuse me, my dearest sister, for +thus trespassing on your time, but I owe it to my own character; and +after this explanation I trust I am in no danger of sinking in your +opinion.” I could have said, “Not much, indeed!” but I left her almost +in silence. It was the greatest stretch of forbearance I could +practise. I could not have stopped myself had I begun. Her assurance! +her deceit! but I will not allow myself to dwell on them; they will +strike you sufficiently. My heart sickens within me. As soon as I was +tolerably composed I returned to the parlour. Sir James’s carriage was +at the door, and he, merry as usual, soon afterwards took his leave. +How easily does her ladyship encourage or dismiss a lover! In spite of +this release, Frederica still looks unhappy: still fearful, perhaps, of +her mother’s anger; and though dreading my brother’s departure, +jealous, it may be, of his staying. I see how closely she observes him +and Lady Susan, poor girl! I have now no hope for her. There is not a +chance of her affection being returned. He thinks very differently of +her from what he used to do; he does her some justice, but his +reconciliation with her mother precludes every dearer hope. Prepare, my +dear mother, for the worst! The probability of their marrying is surely +heightened! He is more securely hers than ever. When that wretched +event takes place, Frederica must belong wholly to us. I am thankful +that my last letter will precede this by so little, as every moment +that you can be saved from feeling a joy which leads only to +disappointment is of consequence. + +Yours ever, &c., +CATHERINE VERNON. + + + + +XXV + + +_Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Churchhill. + + +I call on you, dear Alicia, for congratulations: I am my own self, gay +and triumphant! When I wrote to you the other day I was, in truth, in +high irritation, and with ample cause. Nay, I know not whether I ought +to be quite tranquil now, for I have had more trouble in restoring +peace than I ever intended to submit to—a spirit, too, resulting from a +fancied sense of superior integrity, which is peculiarly insolent! I +shall not easily forgive him, I assure you. He was actually on the +point of leaving Churchhill! I had scarcely concluded my last, when +Wilson brought me word of it. I found, therefore, that something must +be done; for I did not choose to leave my character at the mercy of a +man whose passions are so violent and so revengeful. It would have been +trifling with my reputation to allow of his departing with such an +impression in my disfavour; in this light, condescension was necessary. +I sent Wilson to say that I desired to speak with him before he went; +he came immediately. The angry emotions which had marked every feature +when we last parted were partially subdued. He seemed astonished at the +summons, and looked as if half wishing and half fearing to be softened +by what I might say. If my countenance expressed what I aimed at, it +was composed and dignified; and yet, with a degree of pensiveness which +might convince him that I was not quite happy. “I beg your pardon, sir, +for the liberty I have taken in sending for you,” said I; “but as I +have just learnt your intention of leaving this place to-day, I feel it +my duty to entreat that you will not on my account shorten your visit +here even an hour. I am perfectly aware that after what has passed +between us it would ill suit the feelings of either to remain longer in +the same house: so very great, so total a change from the intimacy of +friendship must render any future intercourse the severest punishment; +and your resolution of quitting Churchhill is undoubtedly in unison +with our situation, and with those lively feelings which I know you to +possess. But, at the same time, it is not for me to suffer such a +sacrifice as it must be to leave relations to whom you are so much +attached, and are so dear. My remaining here cannot give that pleasure +to Mr. and Mrs. Vernon which your society must; and my visit has +already perhaps been too long. My removal, therefore, which must, at +any rate, take place soon, may, with perfect convenience, be hastened; +and I make it my particular request that I may not in any way be +instrumental in separating a family so affectionately attached to each +other. Where I go is of no consequence to anyone; of very little to +myself; but you are of importance to all your connections.” Here I +concluded, and I hope you will be satisfied with my speech. Its effect +on Reginald justifies some portion of vanity, for it was no less +favourable than instantaneous. Oh, how delightful it was to watch the +variations of his countenance while I spoke! to see the struggle +between returning tenderness and the remains of displeasure. There is +something agreeable in feelings so easily worked on; not that I envy +him their possession, nor would, for the world, have such myself; but +they are very convenient when one wishes to influence the passions of +another. And yet this Reginald, whom a very few words from me softened +at once into the utmost submission, and rendered more tractable, more +attached, more devoted than ever, would have left me in the first angry +swelling of his proud heart without deigning to seek an explanation. +Humbled as he now is, I cannot forgive him such an instance of pride, +and am doubtful whether I ought not to punish him by dismissing him at +once after this reconciliation, or by marrying and teazing him for +ever. But these measures are each too violent to be adopted without +some deliberation; at present my thoughts are fluctuating between +various schemes. I have many things to compass: I must punish +Frederica, and pretty severely too, for her application to Reginald; I +must punish him for receiving it so favourably, and for the rest of his +conduct. I must torment my sister-in-law for the insolent triumph of +her look and manner since Sir James has been dismissed; for, in +reconciling Reginald to me, I was not able to save that ill-fated young +man; and I must make myself amends for the humiliation to which I have +stooped within these few days. To effect all this I have various plans. +I have also an idea of being soon in town; and whatever may be my +determination as to the rest, I shall probably put _that_ project in +execution; for London will be always the fairest field of action, +however my views may be directed; and at any rate I shall there be +rewarded by your society, and a little dissipation, for a ten weeks’ +penance at Churchhill. I believe I owe it to my character to complete +the match between my daughter and Sir James after having so long +intended it. Let me know your opinion on this point. Flexibility of +mind, a disposition easily biassed by others, is an attribute which you +know I am not very desirous of obtaining; nor has Frederica any claim +to the indulgence of her notions at the expense of her mother’s +inclinations. Her idle love for Reginald, too! It is surely my duty to +discourage such romantic nonsense. All things considered, therefore, it +seems incumbent on me to take her to town and marry her immediately to +Sir James. When my own will is effected contrary to his, I shall have +some credit in being on good terms with Reginald, which at present, in +fact, I have not; for though he is still in my power, I have given up +the very article by which our quarrel was produced, and at best the +honour of victory is doubtful. Send me your opinion on all these +matters, my dear Alicia, and let me know whether you can get lodgings +to suit me within a short distance of you. + +Your most attached +S. VERNON. + + + + +XXVI + + +_Mrs. Johnson to Lady Susan._ + + +Edward Street. + + +I am gratified by your reference, and this is my advice: that you come +to town yourself, without loss of time, but that you leave Frederica +behind. It would surely be much more to the purpose to get yourself +well established by marrying Mr. De Courcy, than to irritate him and +the rest of his family by making her marry Sir James. You should think +more of yourself and less of your daughter. She is not of a disposition +to do you credit in the world, and seems precisely in her proper place +at Churchhill, with the Vernons. But you are fitted for society, and it +is shameful to have you exiled from it. Leave Frederica, therefore, to +punish herself for the plague she has given you, by indulging that +romantic tender-heartedness which will always ensure her misery enough, +and come to London as soon as you can. I have another reason for urging +this: Mainwaring came to town last week, and has contrived, in spite of +Mr. Johnson, to make opportunities of seeing me. He is absolutely +miserable about you, and jealous to such a degree of De Courcy that it +would be highly unadvisable for them to meet at present. And yet, if +you do not allow him to see you here, I cannot answer for his not +committing some great imprudence—such as going to Churchhill, for +instance, which would be dreadful! Besides, if you take my advice, and +resolve to marry De Courcy, it will be indispensably necessary to you +to get Mainwaring out of the way; and you only can have influence +enough to send him back to his wife. I have still another motive for +your coming: Mr. Johnson leaves London next Tuesday; he is going for +his health to Bath, where, if the waters are favourable to his +constitution and my wishes, he will be laid up with the gout many +weeks. During his absence we shall be able to chuse our own society, +and to have true enjoyment. I would ask you to Edward Street, but that +once he forced from me a kind of promise never to invite you to my +house; nothing but my being in the utmost distress for money should +have extorted it from me. I can get you, however, a nice drawing-room +apartment in Upper Seymour Street, and we may be always together there +or here; for I consider my promise to Mr. Johnson as comprehending only +(at least in his absence) your not sleeping in the house. Poor +Mainwaring gives me such histories of his wife’s jealousy. Silly woman +to expect constancy from so charming a man! but she always was +silly—intolerably so in marrying him at all, she the heiress of a large +fortune and he without a shilling: one title, I know, she might have +had, besides baronets. Her folly in forming the connection was so great +that, though Mr. Johnson was her guardian, and I do not in general +share _his_ feelings, I never can forgive her. + +Adieu. Yours ever, +ALICIA. + + + + +XXVII + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill. + + +This letter, my dear Mother, will be brought you by Reginald. His long +visit is about to be concluded at last, but I fear the separation takes +place too late to do us any good. She is going to London to see her +particular friend, Mrs. Johnson. It was at first her intention that +Frederica should accompany her, for the benefit of masters, but we +overruled her there. Frederica was wretched in the idea of going, and I +could not bear to have her at the mercy of her mother; not all the +masters in London could compensate for the ruin of her comfort. I +should have feared, too, for her health, and for everything but her +principles—there I believe she is not to be injured by her mother, or +her mother’s friends; but with those friends she must have mixed (a +very bad set, I doubt not), or have been left in total solitude, and I +can hardly tell which would have been worse for her. If she is with her +mother, moreover, she must, alas! in all probability be with Reginald, +and that would be the greatest evil of all. Here we shall in time be in +peace, and our regular employments, our books and conversations, with +exercise, the children, and every domestic pleasure in my power to +procure her, will, I trust, gradually overcome this youthful +attachment. I should not have a doubt of it were she slighted for any +other woman in the world than her own mother. How long Lady Susan will +be in town, or whether she returns here again, I know not. I could not +be cordial in my invitation, but if she chuses to come no want of +cordiality on my part will keep her away. I could not help asking +Reginald if he intended being in London this winter, as soon as I found +her ladyship’s steps would be bent thither; and though he professed +himself quite undetermined, there was something in his look and voice +as he spoke which contradicted his words. I have done with lamentation; +I look upon the event as so far decided that I resign myself to it in +despair. If he leaves you soon for London everything will be concluded. + +Your affectionate, &c., +C. VERNON. + + + + +XXVIII + + +_Mrs. Johnson to Lady Susan._ + + +Edward Street. + + +My dearest Friend,—I write in the greatest distress; the most +unfortunate event has just taken place. Mr. Johnson has hit on the most +effectual manner of plaguing us all. He had heard, I imagine, by some +means or other, that you were soon to be in London, and immediately +contrived to have such an attack of the gout as must at least delay his +journey to Bath, if not wholly prevent it. I am persuaded the gout is +brought on or kept off at pleasure; it was the same when I wanted to +join the Hamiltons to the Lakes; and three years ago, when _I_ had a +fancy for Bath, nothing could induce him to have a gouty symptom. + +I am pleased to find that my letter had so much effect on you, and that +De Courcy is certainly your own. Let me hear from you as soon as you +arrive, and in particular tell me what you mean to do with Mainwaring. +It is impossible to say when I shall be able to come to you; my +confinement must be great. It is such an abominable trick to be ill +here instead of at Bath that I can scarcely command myself at all. At +Bath his old aunts would have nursed him, but here it all falls upon +me; and he bears pain with such patience that I have not the common +excuse for losing my temper. + +Yours ever, +ALICIA. + + + + +XXIX + + +_Lady Susan Vernon to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Upper Seymour Street. + + +My dear Alicia,—There needed not this last fit of the gout to make me +detest Mr. Johnson, but now the extent of my aversion is not to be +estimated. To have you confined as nurse in his apartment! My dear +Alicia, of what a mistake were you guilty in marrying a man of his age! +just old enough to be formal, ungovernable, and to have the gout; too +old to be agreeable, too young to die. I arrived last night about five, +had scarcely swallowed my dinner when Mainwaring made his appearance. I +will not dissemble what real pleasure his sight afforded me, nor how +strongly I felt the contrast between his person and manners and those +of Reginald, to the infinite disadvantage of the latter. For an hour or +two I was even staggered in my resolution of marrying him, and though +this was too idle and nonsensical an idea to remain long on my mind, I +do not feel very eager for the conclusion of my marriage, nor look +forward with much impatience to the time when Reginald, according to +our agreement, is to be in town. I shall probably put off his arrival +under some pretence or other. He must not come till Mainwaring is gone. +I am still doubtful at times as to marrying; if the old man would die I +might not hesitate, but a state of dependance on the caprice of Sir +Reginald will not suit the freedom of my spirit; and if I resolve to +wait for that event, I shall have excuse enough at present in having +been scarcely ten months a widow. I have not given Mainwaring any hint +of my intention, or allowed him to consider my acquaintance with +Reginald as more than the commonest flirtation, and he is tolerably +appeased. Adieu, till we meet; I am enchanted with my lodgings. + +Yours ever, +S. VERNON. + + + + +XXX + + +_Lady Susan Vernon to Mr. De Courcy._ + + +Upper Seymour Street. + + +I have received your letter, and though I do not attempt to conceal +that I am gratified by your impatience for the hour of meeting, I yet +feel myself under the necessity of delaying that hour beyond the time +originally fixed. Do not think me unkind for such an exercise of my +power, nor accuse me of instability without first hearing my reasons. +In the course of my journey from Churchhill I had ample leisure for +reflection on the present state of our affairs, and every review has +served to convince me that they require a delicacy and cautiousness of +conduct to which we have hitherto been too little attentive. We have +been hurried on by our feelings to a degree of precipitation which ill +accords with the claims of our friends or the opinion of the world. We +have been unguarded in forming this hasty engagement, but we must not +complete the imprudence by ratifying it while there is so much reason +to fear the connection would be opposed by those friends on whom you +depend. It is not for us to blame any expectations on your father’s +side of your marrying to advantage; where possessions are so extensive +as those of your family, the wish of increasing them, if not strictly +reasonable, is too common to excite surprize or resentment. He has a +right to require a woman of fortune in his daughter-in-law, and I am +sometimes quarrelling with myself for suffering you to form a +connection so imprudent; but the influence of reason is often +acknowledged too late by those who feel like me. I have now been but a +few months a widow, and, however little indebted to my husband’s memory +for any happiness derived from him during a union of some years, I +cannot forget that the indelicacy of so early a second marriage must +subject me to the censure of the world, and incur, what would be still +more insupportable, the displeasure of Mr. Vernon. I might perhaps +harden myself in time against the injustice of general reproach, but +the loss of _his_ valued esteem I am, as you well know, ill-fitted to +endure; and when to this may be added the consciousness of having +injured you with your family, how am I to support myself? With feelings +so poignant as mine, the conviction of having divided the son from his +parents would make me, even with you, the most miserable of beings. It +will surely, therefore, be advisable to delay our union—to delay it +till appearances are more promising—till affairs have taken a more +favourable turn. To assist us in such a resolution I feel that absence +will be necessary. We must not meet. Cruel as this sentence may appear, +the necessity of pronouncing it, which can alone reconcile it to +myself, will be evident to you when you have considered our situation +in the light in which I have found myself imperiously obliged to place +it. You may be—you must be—well assured that nothing but the strongest +conviction of duty could induce me to wound my own feelings by urging a +lengthened separation, and of insensibility to yours you will hardly +suspect me. Again, therefore, I say that we ought not, we must not, yet +meet. By a removal for some months from each other we shall +tranquillise the sisterly fears of Mrs. Vernon, who, accustomed herself +to the enjoyment of riches, considers fortune as necessary everywhere, +and whose sensibilities are not of a nature to comprehend ours. Let me +hear from you soon—very soon. Tell me that you submit to my arguments, +and do not reproach me for using such. I cannot bear reproaches: my +spirits are not so high as to need being repressed. I must endeavour to +seek amusement, and fortunately many of my friends are in town; amongst +them the Mainwarings; you know how sincerely I regard both husband and +wife. + +I am, very faithfully yours, +S. VERNON + + + + +XXXI + + +_Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Upper Seymour Street. + + +My dear Friend,—That tormenting creature, Reginald, is here. My letter, +which was intended to keep him longer in the country, has hastened him +to town. Much as I wish him away, however, I cannot help being pleased +with such a proof of attachment. He is devoted to me, heart and soul. +He will carry this note himself, which is to serve as an introduction +to you, with whom he longs to be acquainted. Allow him to spend the +evening with you, that I may be in no danger of his returning here. I +have told him that I am not quite well, and must be alone; and should +he call again there might be confusion, for it is impossible to be sure +of servants. Keep him, therefore, I entreat you, in Edward Street. You +will not find him a heavy companion, and I allow you to flirt with him +as much as you like. At the same time, do not forget my real interest; +say all that you can to convince him that I shall be quite wretched if +he remains here; you know my reasons—propriety, and so forth. I would +urge them more myself, but that I am impatient to be rid of him, as +Mainwaring comes within half an hour. Adieu! + +S. VERNON. + + + + +XXXII + + +_Mrs. Johnson to Lady Susan._ + + +Edward Street. + + +My dear Creature,—I am in agonies, and know not what to do. Mr. De +Courcy arrived just when he should not. Mrs. Mainwaring had that +instant entered the house, and forced herself into her guardian’s +presence, though I did not know a syllable of it till afterwards, for I +was out when both she and Reginald came, or I should have sent him away +at all events; but she was shut up with Mr. Johnson, while he waited in +the drawing-room for me. She arrived yesterday in pursuit of her +husband, but perhaps you know this already from himself. She came to +this house to entreat my husband’s interference, and before I could be +aware of it, everything that you could wish to be concealed was known +to him, and unluckily she had wormed out of Mainwaring’s servant that +he had visited you every day since your being in town, and had just +watched him to your door herself! What could I do! Facts are such +horrid things! All is by this time known to De Courcy, who is now alone +with Mr. Johnson. Do not accuse me; indeed, it was impossible to +prevent it. Mr. Johnson has for some time suspected De Courcy of +intending to marry you, and would speak with him alone as soon as he +knew him to be in the house. That detestable Mrs. Mainwaring, who, for +your comfort, has fretted herself thinner and uglier than ever, is +still here, and they have been all closeted together. What can be done? +At any rate, I hope he will plague his wife more than ever. With +anxious wishes, + +Yours faithfully, +ALICIA. + + + + +XXXIII + + +_Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Upper Seymour Street. + + +This _éclaircissement_ is rather provoking. How unlucky that you should +have been from home! I thought myself sure of you at seven! I am +undismayed however. Do not torment yourself with fears on my account; +depend on it, I can make my story good with Reginald. Mainwaring is +just gone; he brought me the news of his wife’s arrival. Silly woman, +what does she expect by such manoeuvres? Yet I wish she had stayed +quietly at Langford. Reginald will be a little enraged at first, but by +to-morrow’s dinner, everything will be well again. + +Adieu! +S. V. + + + + +XXXIV + + +_Mr. De Courcy to Lady Susan._ + + +—— Hotel. + + +I write only to bid you farewell, the spell is removed; I see you as +you are. Since we parted yesterday, I have received from indisputable +authority such a history of you as must bring the most mortifying +conviction of the imposition I have been under, and the absolute +necessity of an immediate and eternal separation from you. You cannot +doubt to what I allude. Langford! Langford! that word will be +sufficient. I received my information in Mr. Johnson’s house, from Mrs. +Mainwaring herself. You know how I have loved you; you can intimately +judge of my present feelings, but I am not so weak as to find +indulgence in describing them to a woman who will glory in having +excited their anguish, but whose affection they have never been able to +gain. + +R. DE COURCY. + + + + +XXXV + + +_Lady Susan to Mr. De Courcy._ + + +Upper Seymour Street. + + +I will not attempt to describe my astonishment in reading the note this +moment received from you. I am bewildered in my endeavours to form some +rational conjecture of what Mrs. Mainwaring can have told you to +occasion so extraordinary a change in your sentiments. Have I not +explained everything to you with respect to myself which could bear a +doubtful meaning, and which the ill-nature of the world had interpreted +to my discredit? What can you now have heard to stagger your esteem for +me? Have I ever had a concealment from you? Reginald, you agitate me +beyond expression, I cannot suppose that the old story of Mrs. +Mainwaring’s jealousy can be revived again, or at least be _listened_ +to again. Come to me immediately, and explain what is at present +absolutely incomprehensible. Believe me, the single word of _Langford_ +is not of such potent intelligence as to supersede the necessity of +more. If we _are_ to part, it will at least be handsome to take your +personal leave—but I have little heart to jest; in truth, I am serious +enough; for to be sunk, though but for an hour, in your esteem is a +humiliation to which I know not how to submit. I shall count every +minute till your arrival. + +S. V. + + + + +XXXVI + + +_Mr. De Courcy to Lady Susan._ + + +—— Hotel. + + +Why would you write to me? Why do you require particulars? But, since +it must be so, I am obliged to declare that all the accounts of your +misconduct during the life, and since the death of Mr. Vernon, which +had reached me, in common with the world in general, and gained my +entire belief before I saw you, but which you, by the exertion of your +perverted abilities, had made me resolved to disallow, have been +unanswerably proved to me; nay more, I am assured that a connection, of +which I had never before entertained a thought, has for some time +existed, and still continues to exist, between you and the man whose +family you robbed of its peace in return for the hospitality with which +you were received into it; that you have corresponded with him ever +since your leaving Langford; not with his wife, but with him, and that +he now visits you every day. Can you, dare you deny it? and all this at +the time when I was an encouraged, an accepted lover! From what have I +not escaped! I have only to be grateful. Far from me be all complaint, +every sigh of regret. My own folly had endangered me, my preservation I +owe to the kindness, the integrity of another; but the unfortunate Mrs. +Mainwaring, whose agonies while she related the past seemed to threaten +her reason, how is _she_ to be consoled! After such a discovery as +this, you will scarcely affect further wonder at my meaning in bidding +you adieu. My understanding is at length restored, and teaches no less +to abhor the artifices which had subdued me than to despise myself for +the weakness on which their strength was founded. + +R. DE COURCY. + + + + +XXXVII + + +_Lady Susan to Mr. De Courcy._ + + +Upper Seymour Street. + + +I am satisfied, and will trouble you no more when these few lines are +dismissed. The engagement which you were eager to form a fortnight ago +is no longer compatible with your views, and I rejoice to find that the +prudent advice of your parents has not been given in vain. Your +restoration to peace will, I doubt not, speedily follow this act of +filial obedience, and I flatter myself with the hope of surviving my +share in this disappointment. + +S. V. + + + + +XXXVIII + + +_Mrs. Johnson to Lady Susan Vernon._ + + +Edward Street + + +I am grieved, though I cannot be astonished at your rupture with Mr. De +Courcy; he has just informed Mr. Johnson of it by letter. He leaves +London, he says, to-day. Be assured that I partake in all your +feelings, and do not be angry if I say that our intercourse, even by +letter, must soon be given up. It makes me miserable; but Mr. Johnson +vows that if I persist in the connection, he will settle in the country +for the rest of his life, and you know it is impossible to submit to +such an extremity while any other alternative remains. You have heard +of course that the Mainwarings are to part, and I am afraid Mrs. M. +will come home to us again; but she is still so fond of her husband, +and frets so much about him, that perhaps she may not live long. Miss +Mainwaring is just come to town to be with her aunt, and they say that +she declares she will have Sir James Martin before she leaves London +again. If I were you, I would certainly get him myself. I had almost +forgot to give you my opinion of Mr. De Courcy; I am really delighted +with him; he is full as handsome, I think, as Mainwaring, and with such +an open, good-humoured countenance, that one cannot help loving him at +first sight. Mr. Johnson and he are the greatest friends in the world. +Adieu, my dearest Susan, I wish matters did not go so perversely. That +unlucky visit to Langford! but I dare say you did all for the best, and +there is no defying destiny. + +Your sincerely attached, +ALICIA. + + + + +XXXIX + + +_Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson._ + + +Upper Seymour Street. + + +My dear Alicia,—I yield to the necessity which parts us. Under such +circumstances you could not act otherwise. Our friendship cannot be +impaired by it, and in happier times, when your situation is as +independent as mine, it will unite us again in the same intimacy as +ever. For this I shall impatiently wait, and meanwhile can safely +assure you that I never was more at ease, or better satisfied with +myself and everything about me than at the present hour. Your husband I +abhor, Reginald I despise, and I am secure of never seeing either +again. Have I not reason to rejoice? Mainwaring is more devoted to me +than ever; and were we at liberty, I doubt if I could resist even +matrimony offered by _him_. This event, if his wife live with you, it +may be in your power to hasten. The violence of her feelings, which +must wear her out, may be easily kept in irritation. I rely on your +friendship for this. I am now satisfied that I never could have brought +myself to marry Reginald, and am equally determined that Frederica +never _shall_. To-morrow, I shall fetch her from Churchhill, and let +Maria Mainwaring tremble for the consequence. Frederica shall be Sir +James’s wife before she quits my house, and _she_ may whimper, and the +Vernons may storm, I regard them not. I am tired of submitting my will +to the caprices of others; of resigning my own judgment in deference to +those to whom I owe no duty, and for whom I feel no respect. I have +given up too much, have been too easily worked on, but Frederica shall +now feel the difference. Adieu, dearest of friends; may the next gouty +attack be more favourable! and may you always regard me as unalterably +yours, + +S. VERNON + + + + +XL + + +_Lady De Courcy to Mrs. Vernon._ + + +My dear Catherine,—I have charming news for you, and if I had not sent +off my letter this morning you might have been spared the vexation of +knowing of Reginald’s being gone to London, for he is returned. +Reginald is returned, not to ask our consent to his marrying Lady +Susan, but to tell us they are parted for ever. He has been only an +hour in the house, and I have not been able to learn particulars, for +he is so very low that I have not the heart to ask questions, but I +hope we shall soon know all. This is the most joyful hour he has ever +given us since the day of his birth. Nothing is wanting but to have you +here, and it is our particular wish and entreaty that you would come to +us as soon as you can. You have owed us a visit many long weeks; I hope +nothing will make it inconvenient to Mr. Vernon; and pray bring all my +grand-children; and your dear niece is included, of course; I long to +see her. It has been a sad, heavy winter hitherto, without Reginald, +and seeing nobody from Churchhill. I never found the season so dreary +before; but this happy meeting will make us young again. Frederica runs +much in my thoughts, and when Reginald has recovered his usual good +spirits (as I trust he soon will) we will try to rob him of his heart +once more, and I am full of hopes of seeing their hands joined at no +great distance. + +Your affectionate mother, +C. DE COURCY. + + + + +XLI + + +_Mrs. Vernon to Lady De Courcy._ + + +Churchhill. + + +My dear Mother,—Your letter has surprized me beyond measure! Can it be +true that they are really separated—and for ever? I should be overjoyed +if I dared depend on it, but after all that I have seen how can one be +secure? And Reginald really with you! My surprize is the greater +because on Wednesday, the very day of his coming to Parklands, we had a +most unexpected and unwelcome visit from Lady Susan, looking all +cheerfulness and good-humour, and seeming more as if she were to marry +him when she got to London than as if parted from him for ever. She +stayed nearly two hours, was as affectionate and agreeable as ever, and +not a syllable, not a hint was dropped, of any disagreement or coolness +between them. I asked her whether she had seen my brother since his +arrival in town; not, as you may suppose, with any doubt of the fact, +but merely to see how she looked. She immediately answered, without any +embarrassment, that he had been kind enough to call on her on Monday; +but she believed he had already returned home, which I was very far +from crediting. Your kind invitation is accepted by us with pleasure, +and on Thursday next we and our little ones will be with you. Pray +heaven, Reginald may not be in town again by that time! I wish we could +bring dear Frederica too, but I am sorry to say that her mother’s +errand hither was to fetch her away; and, miserable as it made the poor +girl, it was impossible to detain her. I was thoroughly unwilling to +let her go, and so was her uncle; and all that could be urged we did +urge; but Lady Susan declared that as she was now about to fix herself +in London for several months, she could not be easy if her daughter +were not with her for masters, &c. Her manner, to be sure, was very +kind and proper, and Mr. Vernon believes that Frederica will now be +treated with affection. I wish I could think so too. The poor girl’s +heart was almost broke at taking leave of us. I charged her to write to +me very often, and to remember that if she were in any distress we +should be always her friends. I took care to see her alone, that I +might say all this, and I hope made her a little more comfortable; but +I shall not be easy till I can go to town and judge of her situation +myself. I wish there were a better prospect than now appears of the +match which the conclusion of your letter declares your expectations +of. At present, it is not very likely. + +Yours ever, &c., +C. VERNON. + + + + +CONCLUSION + + +This correspondence, by a meeting between some of the parties, and a +separation between the others, could not, to the great detriment of the +Post Office revenue, be continued any longer. Very little assistance to +the State could be derived from the epistolary intercourse of Mrs. +Vernon and her niece; for the former soon perceived, by the style of +Frederica’s letters, that they were written under her mother’s +inspection! and therefore, deferring all particular enquiry till she +could make it personally in London, ceased writing minutely or often. +Having learnt enough, in the meanwhile, from her open-hearted brother, +of what had passed between him and Lady Susan to sink the latter lower +than ever in her opinion, she was proportionably more anxious to get +Frederica removed from such a mother, and placed under her own care; +and, though with little hope of success, was resolved to leave nothing +unattempted that might offer a chance of obtaining her sister-in-law’s +consent to it. Her anxiety on the subject made her press for an early +visit to London; and Mr. Vernon, who, as it must already have appeared, +lived only to do whatever he was desired, soon found some accommodating +business to call him thither. With a heart full of the matter, Mrs. +Vernon waited on Lady Susan shortly after her arrival in town, and was +met with such an easy and cheerful affection, as made her almost turn +from her with horror. No remembrance of Reginald, no consciousness of +guilt, gave one look of embarrassment; she was in excellent spirits, +and seemed eager to show at once by every possible attention to her +brother and sister her sense of their kindness, and her pleasure in +their society. Frederica was no more altered than Lady Susan; the same +restrained manners, the same timid look in the presence of her mother +as heretofore, assured her aunt of her situation being uncomfortable, +and confirmed her in the plan of altering it. No unkindness, however, +on the part of Lady Susan appeared. Persecution on the subject of Sir +James was entirely at an end; his name merely mentioned to say that he +was not in London; and indeed, in all her conversation, she was +solicitous only for the welfare and improvement of her daughter, +acknowledging, in terms of grateful delight, that Frederica was now +growing every day more and more what a parent could desire. Mrs. +Vernon, surprized and incredulous, knew not what to suspect, and, +without any change in her own views, only feared greater difficulty in +accomplishing them. The first hope of anything better was derived from +Lady Susan’s asking her whether she thought Frederica looked quite as +well as she had done at Churchhill, as she must confess herself to have +sometimes an anxious doubt of London’s perfectly agreeing with her. +Mrs. Vernon, encouraging the doubt, directly proposed her niece’s +returning with them into the country. Lady Susan was unable to express +her sense of such kindness, yet knew not, from a variety of reasons, +how to part with her daughter; and as, though her own plans were not +yet wholly fixed, she trusted it would ere long be in her power to take +Frederica into the country herself, concluded by declining entirely to +profit by such unexampled attention. Mrs. Vernon persevered, however, +in the offer of it, and though Lady Susan continued to resist, her +resistance in the course of a few days seemed somewhat less formidable. +The lucky alarm of an influenza decided what might not have been +decided quite so soon. Lady Susan’s maternal fears were then too much +awakened for her to think of anything but Frederica’s removal from the +risk of infection; above all disorders in the world she most dreaded +the influenza for her daughter’s constitution! + +Frederica returned to Churchhill with her uncle and aunt; and three +weeks afterwards, Lady Susan announced her being married to Sir James +Martin. Mrs. Vernon was then convinced of what she had only suspected +before, that she might have spared herself all the trouble of urging a +removal which Lady Susan had doubtless resolved on from the first. +Frederica’s visit was nominally for six weeks, but her mother, though +inviting her to return in one or two affectionate letters, was very +ready to oblige the whole party by consenting to a prolongation of her +stay, and in the course of two months ceased to write of her absence, +and in the course of two more to write to her at all. Frederica was +therefore fixed in the family of her uncle and aunt till such time as +Reginald De Courcy could be talked, flattered, and finessed into an +affection for her which, allowing leisure for the conquest of his +attachment to her mother, for his abjuring all future attachments, and +detesting the sex, might be reasonably looked for in the course of a +twelvemonth. Three months might have done it in general, but Reginald’s +feelings were no less lasting than lively. Whether Lady Susan was or +was not happy in her second choice, I do not see how it can ever be +ascertained; for who would take her assurance of it on either side of +the question? The world must judge from probabilities; she had nothing +against her but her husband, and her conscience. Sir James may seem to +have drawn a harder lot than mere folly merited; I leave him, +therefore, to all the pity that anybody can give him. For myself, I +confess that _I_ can pity only Miss Mainwaring; who, coming to town, +and putting herself to an expense in clothes which impoverished her for +two years, on purpose to secure him, was defrauded of her due by a +woman ten years older than herself. + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 946 *** |