lady susan-第7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！





situation　can　be　found　for　her。　Her　ladyship　is　comforting　herself



meanwhile　by　strolling　along　the　shrubbery　with　Reginald；　calling　forth　all



his　tender　feelings；　I　suppose；　on　this　distressing　occasion。　She　has　been



talking　a　great　deal　about　it　to　me。　She　talks　vastly　well；　I　am　afraid　of



being　ungenerous；　or　I　should　say；　TOO　well　to　feel　so　very　deeply；　but　I



will　not　look　for　her　faults；　she　may　be　Reginald's　wife！　Heaven　forbid　it！



but　why　should　I　be　quicker…sighted　than　anyone　else？　Mr。　Vernon　declares



that　he　never　saw　deeper　distress　than　hers；　on　the　receipt　of　the　letter；



and　is　his　judgment　inferior　to　mine？　She　was　very　　unwilling　that



Frederica　should　be　allowed　to　come　to　Churchhill；　and　justly　enough；　as



it　seems　a　sort　of　reward　to　behaviour　deserving　very　differently；　but　it



was　impossible　to　take　her　anywhere　else；　and　she　is　not　to　remain　here



long。　〃It　will　be　absolutely　necessary；〃　said　she；　〃as　you；　my　dear　sister；



must　be　sensible；　to　treat　my　daughter　with　some　severity　while　she　is



here；　a　most　painful　necessity；　but　I　will　ENDEAVOUR　to　submit　to　it。　I　am



afraid　I　have　often　been　too　indulgent；　but　my　poor　Frederica's　temper



could　never　bear　opposition　well：　you　must　support　and　encourage　me；　you



must　urge　the　necessity　of　reproof　if　you　see　me　too　lenient。〃　All　this



sounds　very　reasonable。　Reginald　is　so　incensed　against　the　poor　silly



girl。　Surely　it　is　not　to　Lady　Susan's　credit　that　he　should　be　so　bitter



against　her　daughter；　his　idea　of　her　must　be　drawn　from　the　mother's



description。　Well；　whatever　may　be　his　fate；　we　have　the　comfort　of　knowing



that　we　have　done　our　utmost　to　save　him。　We　must　commit　the　event　to　a



higher　power。







Yours　ever；　&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON。























XVl











LADY　SUSAN　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Churchhill。











Never；　my　dearest　Alicia；　was　I　so　provoked　in　my　life　as　by　a　letter



this　morning　from　Miss　Summers。　That　horrid　girl　of　mine　has　been　trying　to



run　away。　I　had　not　a　notion　of　her　being　such　a　little　devil　before；　she



seemed　to　have　all　the　Vernon　milkiness；　but　on　receiving　the　letter　in



which　I　declared　my　intention　about　Sir　James；　she　actually　attempted　to



elope；　at　least；　I　cannot　otherwise　account　for　her　doing　it。　She　meant；　I



suppose；　to　go　to　the　Clarkes　in　Staffordshire；　for　she　has　no　other



acquaintances。　But　she　shall　be　punished；　she　shall　have　him。　I　have　sent



Charles　to　town　to　make　matters　up　if　he　can；　for　I　do　not　by　any　means



want　her　here。　If　Miss　Summers　will　not　keep　her；　you　must　find　me　out



another　school；　unless　we　can　get　her　married　immediately。　Miss　S。　writes



word　that　she　could　not　get　the　young　lady　to　assign　any　cause　for　her



extraordinary　conduct；　which　confirms　me　in　my　own　previous　explanation　of



it；　Frederica　is　too　shy；　I　think；　and　too　much　in　awe　of　me　to　tell　tales；



but　if　the　mildness　of　her　uncle　should　get　anything　out　of　her；　I　am　not



afraid。　I　trust　I　shall　be　able　to　make　my　story　as　good　as　hers。　If　I　am



vain　of　anything；　it　is　of　my　　eloquence。　Consideration　and　esteem　as



surely　follow　command　of　language　as　admiration　waits　on　beauty；　and　here　I



have　opportunity　enough　for　the　exercise　of　my　talent；　as　the　chief　of　my



time　is　spent　in　conversation。







Reginald　is　never　easy　unless　we　are　by　ourselves；　and　when　the　weather



is　tolerable；　we　pace　the　shrubbery　for　hours　together。　I　like　him　on　the



whole　very　well；　he　is　clever　and　has　a　good　deal　to　say；　but　he　is



sometimes　impertinent　and　troublesome。　There　is　a　sort　of　ridiculous



delicacy　about　him　which　requires　the　fullest　explanation　of　whatever　he



may　have　heard　to　my　disadvantage；　and　is　never　satisfied　till　he　thinks　he



has　ascertained　the　beginning　and　end　of　everything。　This　is　one　sort　of



love；　but　I　confess　it　does　not　particularly　recommend　itself　to　me。　I



infinitely　prefer　the　tender　and　liberal　spirit　of　Mainwaring；　which；



impressed　with　the　deepest　conviction　of　my　merit；　is　satisfied　that



whatever　I　do　must　be　right；　and　look　with　a　degree　of　contempt　on　the



inquisitive　and　doubtful　fancies　of　that　heart　which　seems　always　debating



on　the　reasonableness　of　its　emotions。　Mainwaring　is　indeed；　beyond　all



compare；　superior　to　Reginaldsuperior　in　everything　but　the　power　of



being　with　me！　Poor　fellow！　he　is　much　distracted　by　jealousy；　which　I　am



not　sorry　for；　as　I　know　no　better　support　of　love。　He　has　been　teazing　me



to　allow　of　his　coming　into　this　country；　and　lodging　somewhere　near



INCOG。；　but　I　forbade　everything　of　the　kind。　Those　women　are　inexcusable



who　forget　what　is　due　to　themselves；　and　the　opinion　of　the　world。







Yours　ever；



S。　VERNON。























XVII











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill。











My　dear　Mother；Mr。　Vernon　returned　on　Thursday　night；　bringing　his



niece　with　him。　Lady　Susan　had　received　a　line　from　him　by　that　day's　post；



informing　her　that　Miss　Summers　had　absolutely　refused　to　allow　of　Miss



Vernon's　continuance　in　her　academy；　we　were　therefore　prepared　for　her



arrival；　and　expected　them　impatiently　the　whole　evening。　They　came　while



we　were　at　tea；　and　I　never　saw　any　creature　look　so　frightened　as



Frederica　when　she　entered　the　room。　Lady　Susan；　who　had　been　shedding



tears　before；　and　showing　great　agitation　at　the　idea　of　the　meeting；



received　her　with　perfect　self…command；　and　without　betraying　the　least



tenderness　of　spirit。　She　hardly　spoke　to　her；　and　on　Frederica's　bursting



into　tears　as　soon　as　we　were　seated；　took　her　out　of　the　room；　and　did　not



return　for　some　time。　When　she　did；　her　eyes　looked　very　red　and　she　was　as



much　agitated　as　before。　We　saw　no　more　of　her　daughter。　Poor　Reginald　was



beyond　measure　concerned　to　see　his　fair　friend　in　such　distress；　and



watched　her　with　so　much　tender　solicitude；　that　I；　who　occasionally　caught



her　observing　his　countenance　with　exultation；　was　quite　out　of　patience。



This　pathetic　representation　lasted　the　whole　evening；　and　so　ostentatious



and　artful　a　display　has　entirely　convinced　me　that　she　did　in　fact　feel



nothing。　I　am　more　angry　with　her　than　ever　since　I　have　seen　her　daughter；



the　poor　girl　looks　so　unhappy　that　my　heart　aches　for　her。　Lady　Susan　is



surely　too　severe；　for　Frederica　does　not　seem　to　have　the　sort　of　temper



to　make　severity　necessary。　She　looks　perfectly　timid；　dejected；　and



penitent。　She　is　very　pretty；　though　not　so　handsome　as　her　mother；　nor　at



all　like　her。　Her　complexion　is　delicate；　but　neither　so　fair　nor　so



blooming　as　Lady　Susan's；　and　she　has　quite　the　Vernon　cast　of　countenance；



the　oval　face　and　mild　dark　eyes；　and　there　is　peculiar　sweetness　in　her



look　when　she　speaks　either　to　her　uncle　or　me；　for　as　we　behave　kindly　to



her　we　have　of　course　engaged　her　gratitude。







Her　mother　has　insinuated　that　her　temper　is　intractable；　but　I　never



saw　a　face　less　indicative　of　any　evil　disposition　than　hers；　and　from　what



I　can　see　of　the　behaviour　of　each　to　the　other；　the　invariable　severity　of



Lady　Susan　and　the　silent　dejection　of　Frederica；　I　am　led　to　believe　as



heretofore　that　the　former　has　no　real　love　for　her　daughter；　and　has　never



done　her　justice　or　treated　her　affectionately。　I　have　not　been　able　to



have　any　conversation　with　my　niece；　she　is　shy；　and　I　think　I　can　see　that



some　pains　are　taken　to　prevent　her　being　much　with　me。　Nothing



satisfactory　transpires　as　to　her　reason　for　running　away。　Her　kind…hearted