lady susan-第14章

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not　very　desirous　of　obtaining；　nor　has　Frederica　any　claim　to　the



indulgence　of　her　notions　at　the　expense　of　her　mother's　inclinations。　Her



idle　love　for　Reginald；　too！　It　is　surely　my　duty　to　discourage　such



romantic　nonsense。　All　things　considered；　therefore；　it　seems　incumbent　on



me　to　take　her　to　town　and　marry　her　immediately　to　Sir　James。　When　my　own



will　is　effected　contrary　to　his；　I　shall　have　some　credit　in　being　on　good



terms　with　Reginald；　which　at　present；　in　fact；　I　have　not；　for　though　he



is　still　in　my　power；　I　have　given　up　the　very　article　by　which　our　quarrel



was　produced；　and　at　best　the　honour　of　victory　is　doubtful。　Send　me　your



opinion　on　all　these　matters；　my　dear　Alicia；　and　let　me　know　whether　you



can　get　lodgings　to　suit　me　within　a　short　distance　of　you。







Your　most　attached







S。　VERNON。























XXVI











MRS。　JOHNSON　TO　LADY　SUSAN











Edward　Street。











I　am　gratified　by　your　reference；　and　this　is　my　advice：　that　you　come



to　town　yourself；　without　loss　of　time；　but　that　you　leave　Frederica



behind。　It　would　surely　be　much　more　to　the　purpose　to　get　yourself　well



established　by　marrying　Mr。　De　Courcy；　than　to　irritate　him　and　the　rest　of



his　family　by　making　her　marry　Sir　James。　You　should　think　more　of　yourself



and　less　of　your　daughter。　She　is　not　of　a　disposition　to　do　you　credit　in



the　world；　and　seems　precisely　in　her　proper　place　at　Churchhill；　with　the



Vernons。　But　you　are　fitted　for　society；　and　it　is　shameful　to　have　you



exiled　from　it。　Leave　Frederica；　therefore；　to　punish　herself　for　the



plague　she　has　given　you；　by　indulging　that　romantic　tender…heartedness



which　will　always　ensure　her　misery　enough；　and　come　to　London　as　soon　as



you　can。　I　have　another　reason　for　urging　this：　Mainwaring　came　to　town



last　week；　and　has　contrived；　in　spite　of　Mr。　Johnson；　to　make



opportunities　of　seeing　me。　He　is　absolutely　miserable　about　you；　and



jealous　to　such　a　degree　of　De　Courcy　that　it　would　be　highly　unadvisable



for　them　to　meet　at　present。　And　yet；　if　you　do　not　allow　him　to　see　you



here；　I　cannot　answer　for　his　not　committing　some　great　imprudencesuch　as



going　to　Churchhill；　for　instance；　which　would　be　dreadful！　Besides；　if　you



take　my　advice；　and　resolve　to　marry　De　Courcy；　it　will　be　indispensably



necessary　to　you　to　get　Mainwaring　out　of　the　way；　and　you　only　can　have



influence　enough　to　send　him　back　to　his　wife。　I　have　still　another　motive



for　your　coming：　Mr。　Johnson　leaves　London　next　Tuesday；　he　is　going　for



his　health　to　Bath；　where；　if　the　waters　are　favourable　to　his　constitution



and　my　wishes；　he　will　be　laid　up　with　the　gout　many　weeks。　During　his



absence　we　shall　be　able　to　chuse　our　own　society；　and　to　have　true



enjoyment。　I　would　ask　you　to　Edward　Street；　but　that　once　he　forced　from



me　a　kind　of　promise　never　to　invite　you　to　my　house；　nothing　but　my　being



in　the　utmost　distress　for　money　should　have　extorted　it　from　me。　I　can　get



you；　however；　a　nice　drawing…room　apartment　in　Upper　Seymour　Street；　and　we



may　be　always　together　there　or　here；　for　I　consider　my　promise　to　Mr。



Johnson　as　comprehending　only　（at　least　in　his　absence）　your　not　sleeping



in　the　house。　Poor　Mainwaring　gives　me　such　histories　of　his　wife's



jealousy。　Silly　woman　to　expect　constancy　from　so　charming　a　man！　but　she



always　was　sillyintolerably　so　in　marrying　him　at　all；　she　the　heiress　of



a　large　fortune　and　he　without　a　shilling：　one　title；　I　know；　she　might



have　had；　besides　baronets。　Her　folly　in　forming　the　connection　was　so



great　that；　though　Mr。　Johnson　was　her　guardian；　and　I　do　not　in　general



share　HIS　feelings；　I　never　can　forgive　her。







Adieu。　Yours　ever；







ALICIA。























XXVII











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill。











This　letter；　my　dear　Mother；　will　be　brought　you　by　Reginald。　His　long



visit　is　about　to　be　concluded　at　last；　but　I　fear　the　separation　takes



place　too　late　to　do　us　any　good。　She　is　going　to　London　to　see　her



particular　friend；　Mrs。　Johnson。　It　was　at　first　her　intention　that



Frederica　should　accompany　her；　for　the　benefit　of　masters；　but　we



overruled　her　there。　Frederica　was　wretched　in　the　idea　of　going；　and　I



could　not　bear　to　have　her　at　the　mercy　of　her　mother；　not　all　the　masters



in　London　could　compensate　　for　the　ruin　of　her　comfort。　I　should　have



feared；　too；　for　her　health；　and　for　everything　but　her　principlesthere



I　believe　she　is　not　to　be　injured　by　her　mother；　or　her　mother's　friends；



but　with　those　friends　she　must　have　mixed　（a　very　bad　set；　I　doubt　not）；



or　have　been　left　in　total　solitude；　and　I　can　hardly　tell　which　would　have



been　worse　for　her。　If　she　is　with　her　mother；　moreover；　she　must；　alas！　in



all　probability　be　with　Reginald；　and　that　would　be　the　greatest　evil　of



all。　Here　we　shall　in　time　be　in　peace；　and　our　regular　employments；　our



books　and　conversations；　with　exercise；　the　children；　and　every　domestic



pleasure　in　my　power　to　procure　her；　will；　I　trust；　gradually　overcome　this



youthful　attachment。　I　should　not　have　a　doubt　of　it　were　she　slighted　for



any　other　woman　in　the　world　than　her　own　mother。　How　long　Lady　Susan　will



be　in　town；　or　whether　she　returns　here　again；　I　know　not。　I　could　not　be



cordial　in　my　invitation；　but　if　she　chuses　to　come　no　want　of　cordiality



on　my　part　will　keep　her　away。　I　could　not　help　asking　Reginald　if　he



intended　being　in　London　this　winter；　as　soon　as　I　found　her　ladyship's



steps　would　be　bent　thither；　and　though　he　professed　himself　quite



undetermined；　there　was　something　in　his　look　and　voice　as　he　spoke　which



contradicted　his　words。　I　have　done　with　lamentation；　I　look　upon　the　event



as　so　far　decided　that　I　resign　myself　to　it　in　despair。　If　he　leaves　you



soon　for　London　everything　will　be　concluded。







Your　affectionate；　&c。；







C。　VERNON。























XXVIII











MRS。　JOHNSON　TO　LADY　SUSAN











Edward　Street。











My　dearest　Friend；I　write　in　the　greatest　distress；　the　most



unfortunate　event　has　just　taken　place。　Mr。　Johnson　has　hit　on　the　most



effectual　manner　of　plaguing　us　all。　He　had　heard；　I　imagine；　by　some　means



or　other；　that　you　were　soon　to　be　in　London；　and　immediately　contrived　to



have　such　an　attack　of　the　gout　as　must　at　least　delay　his　journey　to　Bath；



if　not　wholly　prevent　it。　I　am　persuaded　the　gout　is　brought　on　or　kept　off



at　pleasure；　it　was　the　same　when　I　wanted　to　join　the　Hamiltons　to　the



Lakes；　and　three　years　ago；　when　I　had　a　fancy　for　Bath；　nothing　could



induce　him　to　have　a　gouty　symptom。







I　am　pleased　to　find　that　my　letter　had　so　much　effect　on　you；　and　that



De　Courcy　is　certainly　your　own。　Let　me　hear　from　you　as　soon　as　you



arrive；　and　in　particular　tell　me　what　you　mean　to　do　with　Mainwaring。　It



is　impossible　to　say　when　I　shall　be　able　to　come　to　you；　my　confinement



must　be　great。　It　is　such　an　abominable　trick　to　be　ill　here　instead　of　at



Bath　that　I　can　scarcely　command　myself　at　all。　At　Bath　his　old　aunts



would　have　nursed　him；　but　here　it　all　falls　upon　me；　and　he　bears　pain



with　such　patience　that　I　have　not　the　common　excuse　for　losing　my　temper。







Yours　ever；







ALICIA。























XXIX











LADY　SUSAN　VERNON　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Upper　Seymour　Street。











My　dear　Alicia；Th