lady susan-第11章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




would　think；　must　be　his　reflections！　but　some　people's　feelings　are



incomprehensible。　I　have　not　yet　tranquillised　myself　enough　to　see



Frederica。　SHE　shall　not　soon　forget　the　occurrences　of　this　day；　she　shall



find　that　she　has　poured　forth　her　tender　tale　of　love　in　vain；　and　exposed



herself　for　ever　to　the　contempt　of　the　whole　world；　and　the　severest



resentment　of　her　injured　mother。







Your　affectionate







S。　VERNON。



















XXIII











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill。











Let　me　congratulate　you；　my　dearest　Mother！　The　affair　which　has　given



us　so　much　anxiety　is　drawing　to　a　happy　conclusion。　Our　prospect　is　most



delightful；　and　since　matters　have　now　taken　so　favourable　a　turn；　I　am



quite　sorry　that　I　ever　imparted　my　apprehensions　to　you；　for　the　pleasure



of　learning　that　the　danger　is　over　is　perhaps　dearly　purchased　by　all　that



you　have　previously　suffered。　I　am　so　much　agitated　by　delight　that　I　can



scarcely　hold　a　pen；　but　am　determined　to　send　you　a　few　short　lines　by



James；　that　you　may　have　some　explanation　of　what　must　so　greatly　astonish



you；　as　that　Reginald　should　be　returning　to　Parklands。　I　was　sitting　about



half　an　hour　ago　with　Sir　James　in　the　breakfast　parlour；　when　my　brother



called　me　out　of　the　room。　I　instantly　saw　that　something　was　the　matter；



his　complexion　was　raised；　and　he　spoke　with　great　emotion；　you　know　his



eager　manner；　my　dear　mother；　when　his　mind　is　interested。　〃Catherine；〃



said　he；　〃I　am　going　home　to…day；　I　am　sorry　to　leave　you；　but　I　must　go：



it　is　a　great　while　since　I　have　seen　my　father　and　mother。　I　am　going　to



send　James　forward　with　my　hunters　immediately；　if　you　have　any　letter；



therefore；　he　can　take　it。　I　shall　not　be　at　home　myself　till　Wednesday　or



Thursday；　as　I　shall　go　through　London；　where　I　have　business；　but　before　I



leave　you；〃　he　continued；　speaking　in　a　lower　tone；　and　with　still　greater



energy；　〃I　must　warn　you　of　one　thingdo　not　let　Frederica　Vernon　be　made



unhappy　by　that　Martin。　He　wants　to　marry　her；　her　mother　promotes　the



match；　but　she　cannot　endure　the　idea　of　it。　Be　assured　that　I　speak　from



the　fullest　conviction　of　the　truth　of　what　I　say；　I　Know　that　Frederica　is



made　wretched　by　Sir　James's　continuing　here。　She　is　a　sweet　girl；　and



deserves　a　better　fate。　Send　him　away　immediately；　he　is　only　a　fool：　but



what　her　mother　can　mean；　Heaven　only　knows！　Good　bye；〃　he　added；　shaking



my　hand　with　earnestness；　〃I　do　not　know　when　you　will　see　me　again；　but



remember　what　I　tell　you　of　Frederica；　you　MUST　make　it　your　business　to



see　justice　done　her。　She　is　an　amiable　girl；　and　has　a　very　superior　mind



to　what　we　have　given　her　credit　for。〃　He　then　left　me；　and　ran　upstairs。　I



would　not　try　to　stop　him；　for　I　know　what　his　feelings　must　be。　The　nature



of　mine；　as　I　listened　to　him；　I　need　not　attempt　to　describe；　for　a　minute



or　two　I　remained　in　the　same　spot；　overpowered　by　wonder　of　a　most



agreeable　sort　indeed；　yet　it　required　some　consideration　to　be　tranquilly



happy。　In　about　ten　minutes　after　my　return　to　the　parlour　Lady　Susan



entered　the　room。　I　concluded；　of　course；　that　she　and　Reginald　had　been



quarrelling；　and　looked　with　anxious　curiosity　for　a　confirmation　of　my



belief　in　her　face。　Mistress　of　deceit；　however；　she　appeared　perfectly



unconcerned；　and　after　chatting　on　indifferent　subjects　for　a　short　time；



said　to　me；　〃I　find　from　Wilson　that　we　are　going　to　lose　Mr。　De　Courcyis



it　true　that　he　leaves　Churchhill　this　morning？〃　I　replied　that　it　was。　〃He



told　us　nothing　of　all　this　last　night；〃　said　she；　laughing；　〃or　even　this



morning　at　breakfast；　but　perhaps　he　did　not　know　it　himself。　Young　men　are



often　hasty　in　their　resolutions；　and　not　more　sudden　in　forming　than



unsteady　in　keeping　them。　I　should　not　be　surprised　if　he　were　to　change



his　mind　at　last；　and　not　go。〃　She　soon　afterwards　left　the　room。　I　trust；



however；　my　dear　mother；　that　we　have　no　reason　to　fear　an　alteration　of



his　present　plan；　things　have　gone　too　far。　They　must　have　quarrelled；　and



about　Frederica；　too。　Her　calmness　astonishes　me。　What　delight　will　be



yours　in　seeing　him　again；　in　seeing　him　still　worthy　your　esteem；　still



capable　of　forming　your　happiness！　When　I　next　write　I　shall　be　able　to



tell　you　that　Sir　James　is　gone；　Lady　Susan　vanquished；　and　Frederica　at



peace。　We　have　much　to　do；　but　it　shall　be　done。　I　am　all　impatience　to



hear　how　this　astonishing　change　was　effected。　I　finish　as　I　began；　with



the　warmest　congratulations。







Yours　ever；　&c。；







CATH。　VERNON。























XXIV











FROM　THE　SAME　TO　THE　SAME











Churchhill。











Little　did　I　imagine；　my　dear　Mother；　when　I　sent　off　my　last　letter；



that　the　delightful　perturbation　of　spirits　I　was　then　in　would　undergo　so



speedy；　so　melancholy　a　reverse。　I　never　can　sufficiently　regret　that　I



wrote　to　you　at　all。　Yet　who　could　have　foreseen　what　has　happened？　My　dear



mother；　every　hope　which　made　me　so　happy　only　two　hours　ago　has　vanished。



The　quarrel　between　Lady　Susan　and　Reginald　is　made　up；　and　we　are　all　as



we　were　before。　One　point　only　is　gained。　Sir　James　Martin　is　dismissed。



What　are　we　now　to　look　forward　to？　I　am　indeed　disappointed；　Reginald　was



all　but　gone；　his　horse　was　ordered　and　all　but　brought　to　the　door；　who



would　not　have　felt　safe？　For　half　an　hour　I　was　in　momentary　expectation



of　his　departure。　After　I　had　sent　off　my　letter　to　you；　I　went　to　Mr。



Vernon；　and　sat　with　him　in　his　room　talking　over　the　whole　matter；　and



then　determined　to　look　for　Frederica；　whom　I　had　not　seen　since　breakfast。



I　met　her　on　the　stairs；　and　saw　that　she　was　crying。　〃My　dear　aunt；〃　said



she；　〃he　is　goingMr。　De　Courcy　is　going；　and　it　is　all　my　fault。　I　am



afraid　you　will　be　very　angry　with　me。　but　indeed　I　had　no　idea　it　would



end　so。〃　〃My　love；〃　I　replied；　〃do　not　think　it　necessary　to　apologize　to



me　on　that　account。　I　shall　feel　myself　under　an　obligation　to　anyone　who



is　the　means　of　sending　my　brother　home；　because；〃　recollecting　myself；　〃I



know　my　father　wants　very　much　to　see　him。　But　what　is　it　you　have　done　to



occasion　all　this？〃　She　blushed　deeply　as　she　answered：　〃I　was　so　unhappy



about　Sir　James　that　I　could　not　helpI　have　done　something　very　wrong；　I



know；　but　you　have　not　an　idea　of　the　misery　I　have　been　in：　and　mamma　had



ordered　me　never　to　speak　to　you　or　my　uncle　about　it；　and〃　〃You



therefore　spoke　to　my　brother　to　engage　his　interference；〃　said　I；　to　save



her　the　explanation。　〃No；　but　I　wrote　to　himI　did　indeed；　I　got　up　this



morning　before　it　was　light；　and　was　two　hours　about　it；　and　when　my　letter



was　done　I　thought　I　never　should　have　courage　to　give　it。　After　breakfast



however；　as　I　was　going　to　my　room；　I　met　him　in　the　passage；　and　then；　as



I　knew　that　everything　must　depend　on　that　moment；　I　forced　myself　to　give



it。　He　was　so　good　as　to　take　it　immediately。　I　dared　not　look　at　him；　and



ran　away　directly。　I　was　in　such　a　fright　I　could　hardly　breathe。　My　dear



aunt；　you　do　not　know　how　miserable　I　have　been。〃　〃　Frederica〃　said　I；



〃you　ought　to　have　told　me　all　your　distresses。　You　would　have　found　in　me



a　friend　always　ready　to　assist　you。　Do　you　think　that　your　uncle　or　I



should　not　have　espoused　your　cause　as　warmly　as　my　brother？〃　〃Indeed；　I



did　not　doubt　your　kindness；〃　said　she；　colouring　again；　〃but　I　thought　Mr。



De　Courcy　could　do　anything　with　my　mother；　but　I　was　mistaken：　th