lady susan-第6部分

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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　Reginaldsuperior　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



sur