love and freindship-第7部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





LETTER　the　FIRST　is　from　Miss　MARGARET　LESLEY　to　Miss　CHARLOTTE　LUTTERELL。　Lesley　Castle　　　　　Janry　3rd1792。

My　Brother　has　just　left　us。　　〃Matilda　（said　he　at　parting）　you　and　Margaret　will　I　am　certain　take　all　the　care　of　my　dear　little　one；　that　she　might　have　received　from　an　indulgent；　and　affectionate　and　amiable　Mother。〃　　Tears　rolled　down　his　cheeks　as　he　spoke　these　wordsthe　remembrance　of　her；　who　had　so　wantonly　disgraced　the　Maternal　character　and　so　openly　violated　the　conjugal　Duties；　prevented　his　adding　anything　farther；　he　embraced　his　sweet　Child　and　after　saluting　Matilda　and　Me　hastily　broke　from　us　and　seating　himself　in　his　Chaise；　pursued　the　road　to　Aberdeen。　　Never　was　there　a　better　young　Man！　　Ah！　how　little　did　he　deserve　the　misfortunes　he　has　experienced　in　the　Marriage　state。　　So　good　a　Husband　to　so　bad　a　Wife！　　for　you　know　my　dear　Charlotte　that　the　Worthless　Louisa　left　him；　her　Child　and　reputation　a　few　weeks　ago　in　company　with　Danvers　and　dishonour。　　Never　was　there　a　sweeter　face；　a　finer　form；　or　a　less　amiable　Heart　than　Louisa　owned！　　Her　child　already　possesses　the　personal　Charms　of　her　unhappy　Mother！　　May　she　inherit　from　her　Father　all　his　mental　ones！　　Lesley　is　at　present　but　five　and　twenty；　and　has　already　given　himself　up　to　melancholy　and　Despair；　what　a　difference　between　him　and　his　Father！　　Sir　George　is　57　and　still　remains　the　Beau；　the　flighty　stripling；　the　gay　Lad；　and　sprightly　Youngster；　that　his　Son　was　really　about　five　years　back；　and　that　HE　has　affected　to　appear　ever　since　my　remembrance。　　While　our　father　is　fluttering　about　the　streets　of　London；　gay；　dissipated；　and　Thoughtless　at　the　age　of　57；　Matilda　and　I　continue　secluded　from　Mankind　in　our　old　and　Mouldering　Castle；　which　is　situated　two　miles　from　Perth　on　a　bold　projecting　Rock；　and　commands　an　extensive　veiw　of　the　Town　and　its　delightful　Environs。　　But　tho'　retired　from　almost　all　the　World；　（for　we　visit　no　one　but　the　M'Leods；　The　M'Kenzies；　the　M'Phersons；　the　M'Cartneys；　the　M'Donalds；　The　M'kinnons；　the　M'lellans；　the　M'kays；　the　Macbeths　and　the　Macduffs）　we　are　neither　dull　nor　unhappy；　on　the　contrary　there　never　were　two　more　lively；　more　agreable　or　more　witty　girls；　than　we　are；　not　an　hour　in　the　Day　hangs　heavy　on　our　Hands。　　We　read；　we　work；　we　walk；　and　when　fatigued　with　these　Employments　releive　our　spirits；　either　by　a　lively　song；　a　graceful　Dance；　or　by　some　smart　bon…mot；　and　witty　repartee。　　We　are　handsome　my　dear　Charlotte；　very　handsome　and　the　greatest　of　our　Perfections　is；　that　we　are　entirely　insensible　of　them　ourselves。　　But　why　do　I　thus　dwell　on　myself！　　Let　me　rather　repeat　the　praise　of　our　dear　little　Neice　the　innocent　Louisa；　who　is　at　present　sweetly　smiling　in　a　gentle　Nap；　as　she　reposes　on　the　sofa。　　The　dear　Creature　is　just　turned　of　two　years　old；　as　handsome　as　tho'　2　and　20；　as　sensible　as　tho'　2　and　30；　and　as　prudent　as　tho'　2　and　40。　　To　convince　you　of　this；　I　must　inform　you　that　she　has　a　very　fine　complexion　and　very　pretty　features；　that　she　already　knows　the　two　first　letters　in　the　Alphabet；　and　that　she　never　tears　her　frocks。　　If　I　have　not　now　convinced　you　of　her　Beauty；　Sense　and　Prudence；　I　have　nothing　more　to　urge　in　support　of　my　assertion；　and　you　will　therefore　have　no　way　of　deciding　the　Affair　but　by　coming　to　Lesley…Castle；　and　by　a　personal　acquaintance　with　Louisa；　determine　for　yourself。　　Ah！　my　dear　Freind；　how　happy　should　I　be　to　see　you　within　these　venerable　Walls！　　It　is　now　four　years　since　my　removal　from　School　has　separated　me　from　you；　that　two　such　tender　Hearts；　so　closely　linked　together　by　the　ties　of　simpathy　and　Freindship；　should　be　so　widely　removed　from　each　other；　is　vastly　moving。　　I　live　in　Perthshire；　You　in　Sussex。　　We　might　meet　in　London；　were　my　Father　disposed　to　carry　me　there；　and　were　your　Mother　to　be　there　at　the　same　time。　　We　might　meet　at　Bath；　at　Tunbridge；　or　anywhere　else　indeed；　could　we　but　be　at　the　same　place　together。　We　have　only　to　hope　that　such　a　period　may　arrive。　　My　Father　does　not　return　to　us　till　Autumn；　my　Brother　will　leave　Scotland　in　a　few　Days；　he　is　impatient　to　travel。　　Mistaken　Youth！　　He　vainly　flatters　himself　that　change　of　Air　will　heal　the　Wounds　of　a　broken　Heart！　You　will　join　with　me　I　am　certain　my　dear　Charlotte；　in　prayers　for　the　recovery　of　the　unhappy　Lesley's　peace　of　Mind；　which　must　ever　be　essential　to　that　of　your　sincere　freind　M。　Lesley。



LETTER　the　SECOND　From　Miss　C。　LUTTERELL　to　Miss　M。　LESLEY　in　answer。　Glenford　　　　　Febry　12

I　have　a　thousand　excuses　to　beg　for　having　so　long　delayed　thanking　you　my　dear　Peggy　for　your　agreable　Letter；　which　beleive　me　I　should　not　have　deferred　doing；　had　not　every　moment　of　my　time　during　the　last　five　weeks　been　so　fully　employed　in　the　necessary　arrangements　for　my　sisters　wedding；　as　to　allow　me　no　time　to　devote　either　to　you　or　myself。　　And　now　what　provokes　me　more　than　anything　else　is　that　the　Match　is　broke　off；　and　all　my　Labour　thrown　away。　　Imagine　how　great　the　Dissapointment　must　be　to　me；　when　you　consider　that　after　having　laboured　both　by　Night　and　by　Day；　in　order　to　get　the　Wedding　dinner　ready　by　the　time　appointed；　after　having　roasted　Beef；　Broiled　Mutton；　and　Stewed　Soup　enough　to　last　the　new…married　Couple　through　the　Honey…moon；　I　had　the　mortification　of　finding　that　I　had　been　Roasting；　Broiling　and　Stewing　both　the　Meat　and　Myself　to　no　purpose。　　Indeed　my　dear　Freind；　I　never　remember　suffering　any　vexation　equal　to　what　I　experienced　on　last　Monday　when　my　sister　came　running　to　me　in　the　store…room　with　her　face　as　White　as　a　Whipt　syllabub；　and　told　me　that　Hervey　had　been　thrown　from　his　Horse；　had　fractured　his　Scull　and　was　pronounced　by　his　surgeon　to　be　in　the　most　emminent　Danger。　　〃Good　God！　（said　I）　you　dont　say　so？　　Why　what　in　the　name　of　Heaven　will　become　of　all　the　Victuals！　　We　shall　never　be　able　to　eat　it　while　it　is　good。　　However；　we'll　call　in　the　Surgeon　to　help　us。　I　shall　be　able　to　manage　the　Sir…loin　myself；　my　Mother　will　eat　the　soup；　and　You　and　the　Doctor　must　finish　the　rest。〃　　Here　I　was　interrupted；　by　seeing　my　poor　Sister　fall　down　to　appearance　Lifeless　upon　one　of　the　Chests；　where　we　keep　our　Table　linen。　I　immediately　called　my　Mother　and　the　Maids；　and　at　last　we　brought　her　to　herself　again；　as　soon　as　ever　she　was　sensible；　she　expressed　a　determination　of　going　instantly　to　Henry；　and　was　so　wildly　bent　on　this　Scheme；　that　we　had　the　greatest　Difficulty　in　the　World　to　prevent　her　putting　it　in　execution；　at　last　however　more　by　Force　than　Entreaty　we　prevailed　on　her　to　go　into　her　room；　we　laid　her　upon　the　Bed；　and　she　continued　for　some　Hours　in　the　most　dreadful　Convulsions。　My　Mother　and　I　continued　in　the　room　with　her；　and　when　any　intervals　of　tolerable　Composure　in　Eloisa　would　allow　us；　we　joined　in　heartfelt　lamentations　on　the　dreadful　Waste　in　our　provisions　which　this　Event　must　occasion；　and　in　concerting　some　plan　for　getting　rid　of　them。　　We　agreed　that　the　best　thing　we　could　do　was　to　begin　eating　them　immediately；　and　accordingly　we　ordered　up　the　cold　Ham　and　Fowls；　and　instantly　began　our　Devouring　Plan　on　them　with　great　Alacrity。　　We　would　have　persuaded　Eloisa　to　have　taken　a　Wing　of　a　Chicken；　but　she　would　not　be　persuaded。　She　was　however　much　quieter　than　she　had　been；　the　convulsions　she　had　before　suffered　having　given　way　to　an　almost　perfect　Insensibility。　　We　endeavoured　to　rouse　her　by　every　means　in　our　power；　but　to　no　purpose。　　I　talked　to　her　of　Henry。　　〃Dear　Eloisa　（said　I）　there's　no　occasion　for　your　crying　so　much　about　such　a　trifle。　　（for　I　was　willing　to　make　light　of　it　in　order　to　comfort　her）　I　beg　you　would　not　mind　itYou　see　it　does　not　vex　me　in　the　least；　though　perhaps　I　may　suffer　most　from　it　after　all；　for　I　shall　not　only　be　obliged　to　eat　up　all　the　Victuals　I　have　dressed　already；　but　must　if　Henry　should　recover　（which　however　is　not　very　likely）　dress　as　much　for　you　again；　or　should　he　die　（as　I　suppose　he　will）　I　shall　still　have　to　prepare　a　Dinner　for　you　whenever　you　marry　any　one　else。　　So　you　see　that　tho'　perhaps　for　the　present　it　may　afflict　you　to　think　of　Henry's　sufferings；　Yet　I　dare　say　he'll　die　soon；　and　then　his　pain　will　be　over　and　you　will　be　easy；　whereas　my　Trouble　will　last　much　longer　for　work　as　hard　as　I　may；　I　am　certain　that　the　pantry　cannot　be　cleared　in　less　than　a　fortnight。〃　　Thus　I　did　all　in　my　power　to　console　her；　but　without　any　effect；　and　at　last　as　I　saw　that　she　did　not　seem　to　listen　to　me；　I　said　no　more；　but　leaving　her　with　my　Mother　I　took　down　the　remains　of　The　Ham　and　Chicken；　and　sent　William　to　ask　how　Henry　did。　　He　was　not　expected　to　live　many　Hours；　he　died　the　same　day。　　We　took　all　possible　care　to　break　the　melancholy　Event　to　Eloisa　in　the　tenderest　manner；　yet　in　spite　of　every　precaution；　her　sufferings　on　hearing　it　were　too　violent　for　her　reason；　and　she　continued　for　many　hours　in　a　high　Delirium。　　She　is　still　extremely　ill；　and　her　Physicians　are　greatly　afraid　of　her　going　into　a　Decline。　　We　are　therefore　preparing　for　Bristol；　where　we　mean　to　be　in　the　course　of　the　next　week。　　And　now　my　dear　Margaret　let　me　talk　a　little　of　your　affairs；　and　in　the　first　place　I　must　inform　you　that　it　is　confidently　reported；　your　Father　is　going　to　be　married；　I　am　very　unwilling　to　beleive　so　unpleasing　a　report；　and　at　the　same　time　cannot　wholly　discredit　it。　　I　have　written　to　my　freind　Susan　Fitzgerald；　for　information　concerning　it；　which　as　she　is　at　present　in　Town；　she　will　be　very　able　to　give　me。　　I　know　not　who　is　the　Lady。　　I　think　your　Brother　is　extremely　right　in　the　resolution　he　has　taken　of　travelling；　as　it　will　perhaps　contribute　to　obliterate　from　his　remembrance；　those　disagreable　Events；　which　have　lately　so　much　afflicted　him　I　am　happy　to　find　that　tho'　secluded　from　all　the　World；　neither　you　nor　Matilda　are　dull　or　unhappy　that　you　may　never　know　what　it　is　to；　be　either　is　the　wish　of　your　sincerely　affectionate　C。L。

P。　S。　　I　have　this　instant　received　an　answer　from　my　freind　Susan；　which　I　enclose　to　you；　and　on　which　you　will　make　your　own　reflections。

The　enclosed