lady susan-第7部分

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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　comeSir　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　Martinthe　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　Churchhillmixing　more　frequent　laughter　with　his



discourse　than　the　subject　requiredsaid　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　lipsher



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　sho