lady susan-第3部分

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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　listgrace　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　himbut　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　itnothing　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