lady susan-第5部分

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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。











Ne