lady susan-第5章

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on　terms　of　the　most　particular　friendship；　frequently　engaged　in　long



conversations　together；　and　she　has　contrived　by　the　most　artful　coquetry



to　subdue　his　judgment　to　her　own　purposes。　It　is　impossible　to　see　the



intimacy　between　them　so　very　soon　established　without　some　alarm；　though　I



can　hardly　suppose　that　Lady　Susan's　plans　extend　to　marriage。　I　wish　you



could　get　Reginald　home　again　on　any　plausible　pretence；　he　is　not　at　all



disposed　to　leave　us；　and　I　have　given　him　as　many　hints　of　my　father's



precarious　state　of　health　as　common　decency　will　allow　me　to　do　in　my　own



house。　Her　power　over　him　must　now　be　boundless；　as　she　has　entirely



effaced　all　his　former　ill…opinion；　and　persuaded　him　not　merely　to　forget



but　to　justify　her　conduct。　Mr。　Smith's　account　of　her　proceedings　at



Langford；　where　he　accused　her　of　having　made　Mr。　Mainwaring　and　a　young



man　engaged　to　Miss　Mainwaring　distractedly　in　love　with　her；　which



Reginald　firmly　believed　when　he　came　here；　is　now；　he　is　persuaded；　only　a



scandalous　invention。　He　has　told　me　so　with　a　warmth　of　manner　which　spoke



his　regret　at　having　believed　the　contrary　himself。　How　sincerely　do　I



grieve　that　she　ever　entered　this　house！　I　always　looked　forward　to　her



coming　with　uneasiness；　but　very　far　was　it　from　originating　in　anxiety　for



Reginald。　I　expected　a　most　disagreeable　companion　for　myself；　but　could



not　imagine　that　my　brother　would　be　in　the　smallest　danger　of　being



captivated　by　a　woman　with　whose　principles　he　was　so　well　acquainted；　and



whose　character　he　so　heartily　despised。　If　you　can　get　him　away　it　will　be



a　good　thing。







Yours；　&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON。























XII











SIR　REGINALD　DE　COURCY　TO　HIS　SON











Parklands。











I　know　that　young　men　in　general　do　not　admit　of　any　enquiry　even　from



their　nearest　relations　into　affairs　of　the　heart；　but　I　hope；　my　dear



Reginald；　that　you　will　be　superior　to　such　as　allow　nothing　for　a　father's



anxiety；　and　think　themselves　privileged　to　refuse　him　their　confidence　and



slight　his　advice。　You　must　be　sensible　that　as　an　only　son；　and　the



representative　of　an　ancient　family；　your　conduct　in　life　is　most



interesting　to　your　connections；　and　in　the　very　important　concern　of



marriage　especially；　there　is　everything　at　stakeyour　own　happiness；　that



of　your　parents；　and　the　credit　of　your　name。　I　do　not　suppose　that　you



would　deliberately　form　an　absolute　engagement　of　that　nature　without



acquainting　your　mother　and　myself；　or　at　least；　without　being　convinced



that　we　should　approve　of　your　choice；　but　I　cannot　help　fearing　that　you



may　be　drawn　in；　by　the　lady　who　has　lately　attached　you；　to　a　marriage



which　the　whole　of　your　family；　far　and　near；　must　highly　reprobate。　Lady



Susan's　age　is　itself　a　material　objection；　but　her　want　of　character　is



one　so　much　more　serious；　that　the　difference　of　even　twelve　years　becomes



in　comparison　of　small　amount。　Were　you　not　blinded　by　a　sort　of



fascination；　it　would　be　ridiculous　in　me　to　repeat　the　instances　of　great



misconduct　on　her　side　so　very　generally　known。







Her　neglect　of　her　husband；　her　encouragement　of　other　men；　her



extravagance　and　dissipation；　were　so　gross　and　notorious　that　no　one　could



be　ignorant　of　them　at　the　time；　nor　can　now　have　forgotten　them。　To　our



family　she　has　always　been　represented　in　softened　colours　by　the



benevolence　of　Mr。　Charles　Vernon；　and　yet；　in　spite　of　his　generous



endeavours　to　excuse　her；　we　know　that　she　did；　from　the　most　selfish



motives；　take　all　possible　pains　to　prevent　his　marriage　with　Catherine。







My　years　and　increasing　infirmities　make　me　very　desirous　of　seeing　you



settled　in　the　world。　To　the　fortune　of　a　wife；　the　goodness　of　my　own　will



make　me　indifferent；　but　her　family　and　character　must　be　equally



unexceptionable。　When　your　choice　is　fixed　so　that　no　objection　can　be



made　to　it；　then　I　can　promise　you　a　ready　and　cheerful　consent；　but　it　is



my　duty　to　oppose　a　match　which　deep　art　only　could　render　possible；　and



must　in　the　end　make　wretched。　It　is　possible　her　behaviour　may　arise　only



from　vanity；　or　the　wish　of　gaining　the　admiration　of　a　man　whom　she　must



imagine　to　be　particularly　prejudiced　against　her；　but　it　is　more　likely



that　she　should　aim　at　something　further。　She　is　poor；　and　may　naturally



seek　an　alliance　which　must　be　advantageous　to　herself；　you　know　your　own



rights；　and　that　it　is　out　of　my　power　to　prevent　your　inheriting　the



family　estate。　My　ability　of　distressing　you　during　my　life　would　be　a



species　of　revenge　to　which　I　could　hardly　stoop　under　any　circumstances。







I　honestly　tell　you　my　sentiments　and　intentions：　I　do　not　wish　to　work



on　your　fears；　but　on　your　sense　and　affection。　It　would　destroy　every



comfort　of　my　life　to　know　that　you　were　married　to　Lady　Susan　Vernon；　it



would　be　the　death　of　that　honest　pride　with　which　I　have　hitherto



considered　my　son；　I　should　blush　to　see　him；　to　hear　of　him；　to　think　of



him。　I　may　perhaps　do　no　good　but　that　of　relieving　my　own　mind　by　this



letter；　but　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　tell　you　that　your　partiality　for　Lady



Susan　is　no　secret　to　your　friends；　and　to　warn　you　against　her。　I　should



be　glad　to　hear　your　reasons　for　disbelieving　Mr。　Smith's　intelligence；　you



had　no　doubt　of　its　authenticity　a　month　ago。　If　you　can　give　me　your



assurance　of　having　no　design　beyond　enjoying　the　conversation　of　a　clever



woman　for　a　short　period；　and　of　yielding　admiration　only　to　her　beauty　and



abilities；　without　being　blinded　by　them　to　her　faults；　you　will　restore　me



to　happiness　；but；　if　you　cannot　do　this；　explain　to　me；　at　least；　what　has



occasioned　so　great　an　alteration　in　your　opinion　of　her。







I　am；　&c。；　&c；







REGINALD　DE　COURCY























XIII











LADY　DE　COURCY　TO　MRS。　VERNON











Parklands。











My　dear　Catherine；Unluckily　I　was　confined　to　my　room　when　your　last



letter　came；　by　a　cold　which　affected　my　eyes　so　much　as　to　prevent　my



reading　it　myself；　so　I　could　not　refuse　Your　father　when　he　offered　to



read　it　to　me；　by　which　means　he　became　acquainted；　to　my　great　vexation；



with　all　your　fears　about　your　brother。　I　had　intended　to　write　to　Reginald



myself　as　soon　as　my　eyes　would　let　me；　to　point　out；　as　well　as　I　could；



the　danger　of　an　intimate　acquaintance；　with　so　artful　a　woman　as　Lady



Susan；　to　a　young　man　of　his　age；　and　high　　expectations。　I　meant；



moreover；　to　have　reminded　him　of　our　being　quite　alone　now；　and　very　much



in　need　of　him　to　keep　up　our　spirits　these　long　winter　evenings。　Whether



it　would　have　done　any　good　can　never　be　settled　now；　but　I　am　excessively



vexed　that　Sir　Reginald　should　know　anything　of　a　matter　which　we　foresaw



would　make　him　so　uneasy。　He　caught　all　your　fears　the　moment　he　had　read



your　letter；　and　I　am　sure　he　has　not　had　the　business　out　of　his　head



since。　He　wrote　by　the　same　post　to　Reginald　a　long　letter　full　of　it　all；



and　particularly　asking　an　explanation　of　what　he　may　have　heard　from　Lady



Susan　to　contradict　the　late　shocking　reports。　His　answer　came　this



morning；　which　I　shall　enclose　to　you；　as　I　think　you　will　like　to　see　it。



I　wish　it　was　more　satisfactory；　but　it　seems　written　with　such　a



determination　to　think　well　of　Lady　Susan；　that　his　assurances　as　to



marriage；　&c。；　do　not　set　my　heart　at　ease。　I　say　all　I　can；　however；　to



satisfy　your　father；　and　he　is　certainly　less　uneasy　since