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If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association/Carnegie-Mellon + University" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Carnegie-Mellon University". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +LADY SUSAN + +by + +Jane Austen + + + +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 make 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 he 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 to 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. + + + + + +XVl + + +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 *excuse 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 know 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 nor 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 eclaircissement 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 +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 ever 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 or 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 Etext of Lady Susan, by Jane Austen + |