lady susan-第3章

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if　I　had　not　known　how　much　she　has　always　disliked　me　for　marrying　Mr。



Vernon；　and　that　we　had　never　met　before；　I　should　have　imagined　her　an



attached　friend。　One　is　apt；　I　believe；　to　connect　assurance　of　manner　with



coquetry；　and　to　expect　that　an　impudent　address　will　naturally　attend　an



impudent　mind；　at　least　I　was　myself　prepared　for　an　improper　degree　of



confidence　in　Lady　Susan；　but　her　countenance　is　absolutely　sweet；　and　her



voice　and　manner　winningly　mild。　I　am　sorry　it　is　so；　for　what　is　this　but



deceit？　Unfortunately；　one　knows　her　too　well。　She　is　clever　and　agreeable；



has　all　that　knowledge　of　the　world　which　makes　conversation　easy；　and



talks　very　well；　with　a　happy　command　of　language；　which　is　too　often　used；



I　believe；　to　make　black　appear　white。　She　has　already　almost　persuaded　me



of　her　being　warmly　attached　to　her　daughter；　though　I　have　been　so　long



convinced　to　the　contrary。　She　speaks　of　her　with　so　much　tenderness　and



anxiety；　lamenting　so　bitterly　the　neglect　of　her　education；　which　she



represents　however　as　wholly　unavoidable；　that　I　am　forced　to　recollect　how



many　successive　springs　her　ladyship　spent　in　town；　while　her　daughter　was



left　in　Staffordshire　to　the　care　of　servants；　or　a　governess　very　little



better；　to　prevent　my　believing　what　she　says。







If　her　manners　have　so　great　an　influence　on　my　resentful　heart；　you　may



judge　how　much　more　strongly　they　operate　on　Mr。　Vernon's　generous　temper。



I　wish　I　could　be　as　well　satisfied　as　he　is；　that　it　was　really　her　choice



to　leave　Langford　for　Churchhill；　and　if　she　had　not　stayed　there　for



months　before　she　discovered　that　her　friend's　manner　of　living　did　not



suit　her　situation　or　feelings；　I　might　have　believed　that　concern　for　the



loss　of　such　a　husband　as　Mr。　Vernon；　to　whom　her　own　behaviour　was　far



from　unexceptionable；　might　for　a　time　make　her　wish　for　retirement。　But



I　cannot　forget　the　length　of　her　visit　to　the　Mainwarings；　and　when　I



reflect　on　the　different　mode　of　life　which　she　led　with　them　from　that　to



which　she　must　now　submit；　I　can　only　suppose　that　the　wish　of　establishing



her　reputation　by　following　though　late　the　path　of　propriety；　occasioned



her　removal　from　a　family　where　she　must　in　reality　have　been　particularly



happy。　Your　friend　Mr。　Smith's　story；　however；　cannot　be　quite　correct；　as



she　corresponds　regularly　with　Mrs。　Mainwaring。　At　any　rate　it　must　be



exaggerated。　It　is　scarcely　possible　that　two　men　should　be　so　grossly



deceived　by　her　at　once。







Yours；　&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON























VII











LADY　SUSAN　VERNON　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Churchhill。











My　dear　Alicia；You　are　very　good　in　taking　notice　of　Frederica；　and　I



am　grateful　for　it　as　a　mark　of　your　friendship；　but　as　I　cannot　have　any



doubt　of　the　warmth　of　your　affection；　I　am　far　from　exacting　so　heavy　a



sacrifice。　She　is　a　stupid　girl；　and　has　nothing　to　recommend　her。　I　would



not；　therefore；　on　my　account；　have　you　encumber　one　moment　of　your



precious　time　by　sending　for　her　to　Edward　Street；　especially　as　every



visit　is　so　much　deducted　from　the　grand　affair　of　education；　which　I



really　wish　to　have　attended　to　while　she　remains　at　Miss　Summers's。　I　want



her　to　play　and　sing　with　some　portion　of　taste　and　a　good　deal　of



assurance；　as　she　has　my　hand　and　arm　and　a　tolerable　voice。　I　was　so　much



indulged　in　my　infant　years　that　I　was　never　obliged　to　attend　to　anything；



and　consequently　am　without　the　accomplishments　which　are　now　necessary　to



finish　a　pretty　woman。　Not　that　I　am　an　advocate　for　the　prevailing　fashion



of　acquiring　a　perfect　knowledge　of　all　languages；　arts；　and　sciences。　It



is　　throwing　time　away　to　be　mistress　of　French；　Italian；　and　German：



music；　singing；　and　drawing；　&c。；　will　gain　a　woman　some　applause；　but　will



not　add　one　lover　to　her　listgrace　and　manner；　after　all；　are　of　the



greatest　importance。　I　do　not　mean；　therefore；　that　Frederica's



acquirements　should　be　more　than　superficial；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　she



will　not　remain　long　enough　at　school　to　understand　anything　thoroughly。　I



hope　to　see　her　the　wife　of　Sir　James　within　a　twelvemonth。　You　know　on



what　I　ground　my　hope；　and　it　is　certainly　a　good　foundation；　for　school



must　be　very　humiliating　to　a　girl　of　Frederica's　age。　And；　by…the…by；　　you



had　better　not　invite　her　any　more　on　that　account；　as　I　wish　her　to　find



her　situation　as　unpleasant　as　possible。　I　am　sure　of　Sir　James　at　any



time；　and　could　make　him　renew　his　application　by　a　line。　I　shall　trouble



you　　meanwhile　to　prevent　his　forming　any　other　attachment　when　he　comes　to



town。　Ask　him　to　your　house　occasionally；　and　talk　to　him　of　Frederica；



that　he　may　not　forget　her。　Upon　the　whole；　I　commend　my　own　conduct　in



this　affair　　extremely；　and　regard　it　as　a　very　happy　instance　of



circumspection　and　tenderness。　Some　mothers　would　have　insisted　on　their



daughter's　accepting　so　good　an　offer　on　the　first　overture；　but　I　could



not　reconcile　it　to　myself　to　force　Frederica　into　a　marriage　from　which



her　heart　revolted；　and　instead　of　adopting　so　harsh　a　measure　merely



propose　to　make　it　her　own　choice；　by　rendering　her　thoroughly



uncomfortable　till　she　does　accept　himbut　enough　of　this　tiresome　girl。



You　may　well　wonder　how　I　contrive　to　pass　my　time　here；　and　for　the　first



week　it　was　insufferably　dull。　Now；　however；　we　begin　to　mend；　our　party　is



enlarged　by　Mrs。　Vernon's　brother；　a　handsome　young　man；　who　promises　me



some　amusement。　There　is　something　about　him　which　rather　interests　me；　a



sort　of　sauciness　and　familiarity　which　I　shall　teach　him　to　correct。　He　is



lively；　and　seems　clever；　and　when　I　have　inspired　him　with　greater　respect



for　me　than　his　sister's　kind　offices　have　implanted；　he　may　be　an



agreeable　flirt。　There　is　exquisite　pleasure　in　subduing　an　insolent



spirit；　in　making　a　person　predetermined　to　dislike　acknowledge　one's



superiority。　I　have　disconcerted　him　already　by　my　calm　reserve；　and　it



shall　be　my　endeavour　to　humble　the　pride　of　these　　self　important　De



Courcys　still　lower；　to　convince　Mrs。　Vernon　that　her　sisterly　cautions



have　been　bestowed　in　vain；　and　to　persuade　Reginald　that　she　has



scandalously　belied　me。　This　project　will　serve　at　least　to　amuse　me；　and



prevent　my　feeling　so　acutely　this　dreadful　separation　from　you　and　all



whom　I　love。







Yours　ever；







S。　VERNON。























VIII











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill。











My　dear　Mother；You　must　not　expect　Reginald　back　again　for　some　time。



He　desires　me　to　tell　you　that　the　present　open　weather　induces　him　to



accept　Mr。　Vernon's　invitation　to　prolong　his　stay　in　Sussex；　that　they　may



have　some　hunting　together。　He　means　to　send　for　his　horses　immediately；



and　it　is　impossible　to　say　when　you　may　see　him　in　Kent。　I　will　not



disguise　my　sentiments　on　this　change　from　you；　my　dear　mother；　though　I



think　you　had　better　not　communicate　them　to　my　father；　whose　excessive



anxiety　about　Reginald　would　subject　him　to　an　alarm　which　might　seriously



affect　his　health　and　spirits。　Lady　Susan　has　certainly　contrived；　in　the



space　of　a　fortnight；　to　make　my　brother　like　her。　In　short；　I　am　persuaded



that　his　continuing　here　beyond　the　time　originally　fixed　for　his　return　is



occasioned　as　much　by　a　degree　of　fascination　towards　her；　as　by　the　wish



of　hunting　with　Mr。　Vernon；　and　of　course　I　cannot　receive　that　pleasure



fr