love and freindship-第14章

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d　enlivening　Humour　as　shall　even　provoke　a　smile　in　the　sweet　but　sorrowfull　countenance　of　my　Eloisa。

In　the　first　place　you　are　to　learn　that　I　have　met　your　sisters　three　freinds　Lady　Lesley　and　her　Daughters；　twice　in　Public　since　I　have　been　here。　　I　know　you　will　be　impatient　to　hear　my　opinion　of　the　Beauty　of　three　Ladies　of　whom　you　have　heard　so　much。　　Now；　as　you　are　too　ill　and　too　unhappy　to　be　vain；　I　think　I　may　venture　to　inform　you　that　I　like　none　of　their　faces　so　well　as　I　do　your　own。　　Yet　they　are　all　handsomeLady　Lesley　indeed　I　have　seen　before；　her　Daughters　I　beleive　would　in　general　be　said　to　have　a　finer　face　than　her　Ladyship；　and　yet　what　with　the　charms　of　a　Blooming　complexion；　a　little　Affectation　and　a　great　deal　of　small…talk；　（in　each　of　which　she　is　superior　to　the　young　Ladies）　she　will　I　dare　say　gain　herself　as　many　admirers　as　the　more　regular　features　of　Matilda；　and　Margaret。　　I　am　sure　you　will　agree　with　me　in　saying　that　they　can　none　of　them　be　of　a　proper　size　for　real　Beauty；　when　you　know　that　two　of　them　are　taller　and　the　other　shorter　than　ourselves。　　In　spite　of　this　Defect　（or　rather　by　reason　of　it）　there　is　something　very　noble　and　majestic　in　the　figures　of　the　Miss　Lesleys；　and　something　agreably　lively　in　the　appearance　of　their　pretty　little　Mother…in…law。　　But　tho'　one　may　be　majestic　and　the　other　lively；　yet　the　faces　of　neither　possess　that　Bewitching　sweetness　of　my　Eloisas；　which　her　present　languor　is　so　far　from　diminushing。　　What　would　my　Husband　and　Brother　say　of　us；　if　they　knew　all　the　fine　things　I　have　been　saying　to　you　in　this　letter。　　It　is　very　hard　that　a　pretty　woman　is　never　to　be　told　she　is　so　by　any　one　of　her　own　sex　without　that　person's　being　suspected　to　be　either　her　determined　Enemy；　or　her　professed　Toad…eater。　How　much　more　amiable　are　women　in　that　particular！　　One　man　may　say　forty　civil　things　to　another　without　our　supposing　that　he　is　ever　paid　for　it；　and　provided　he　does　his　Duty　by　our　sex；　we　care　not　how　Polite　he　is　to　his　own。

Mrs　Lutterell　will　be　so　good　as　to　accept　my　compliments；　Charlotte；　my　Love；　and　Eloisa　the　best　wishes　for　the　recovery　of　her　Health　and　Spirits　that　can　be　offered　by　her　affectionate　Freind　E。　Marlowe。

I　am　afraid　this　letter　will　be　but　a　poor　specimen　of　my　Powers　in　the　witty　way；　and　your　opinion　of　them　will　not　be　greatly　increased　when　I　assure　you　that　I　have　been　as　entertaining　as　I　possibly　could。



LETTER　the　TENTH　From　Miss　MARGARET　LESLEY　to　Miss　CHARLOTTE　LUTTERELL　Portman　Square　　　　April　13th

MY　DEAR　CHARLOTTE　We　left　Lesley…Castle　on　the　28th　of　last　Month；　and　arrived　safely　in　London　after　a　Journey　of　seven　Days；　I　had　the　pleasure　of　finding　your　Letter　here　waiting　my　Arrival；　for　which　you　have　my　grateful　Thanks。　　Ah！　my　dear　Freind　I　every　day　more　regret　the　serene　and　tranquil　Pleasures　of　the　Castle　we　have　left；　in　exchange　for　the　uncertain　and　unequal　Amusements　of　this　vaunted　City。　　Not　that　I　will　pretend　to　assert　that　these　uncertain　and　unequal　Amusements　are　in　the　least　Degree　unpleasing　to　me；　on　the　contrary　I　enjoy　them　extremely　and　should　enjoy　them　even　more；　were　I　not　certain　that　every　appearance　I　make　in　Public　but　rivetts　the　Chains　of　those　unhappy　Beings　whose　Passion　it　is　impossible　not　to　pity；　tho'　it　is　out　of　my　power　to　return。　　In　short　my　Dear　Charlotte　it　is　my　sensibility　for　the　sufferings　of　so　many　amiable　young　Men；　my　Dislike　of　the　extreme　admiration　I　meet　with；　and　my　aversion　to　being　so　celebrated　both　in　Public；　in　Private；　in　Papers；　and　in　Printshops；　that　are　the　reasons　why　I　cannot　more　fully　enjoy；　the　Amusements　so　various　and　pleasing　of　London。　How　often　have　I　wished　that　I　possessed　as　little　Personal　Beauty　as　you　do；　that　my　figure　were　as　inelegant；　my　face　as　unlovely；　and　my　appearance　as　unpleasing　as　yours！　　But　ah！　what　little　chance　is　there　of　so　desirable　an　Event；　I　have　had　the　small…pox；　and　must　therefore　submit　to　my　unhappy　fate。

I　am　now　going　to　intrust　you　my　dear　Charlotte　with　a　secret　which　has　long　disturbed　the　tranquility　of　my　days；　and　which　is　of　a　kind　to　require　the　most　inviolable　Secrecy　from　you。　　Last　Monday　se'night　Matilda　and　I　accompanied　Lady　Lesley　to　a　Rout　at　the　Honourable　Mrs　Kickabout's；　we　were　escorted　by　Mr　Fitzgerald　who　is　a　very　amiable　young　Man　in　the　main；　tho'　perhaps　a　little　singular　in　his　TasteHe　is　in　love　with　Matilda。　　We　had　scarcely　paid　our　Compliments　to　the　Lady　of　the　House　and　curtseyed　to　half　a　score　different　people　when　my　Attention　was　attracted　by　the　appearance　of　a　Young　Man　the　most　lovely　of　his　Sex；　who　at　that　moment　entered　the　Room　with　another　Gentleman　and　Lady。　　From　the　first　moment　I　beheld　him；　I　was　certain　that　on　him　depended　the　future　Happiness　of　my　Life。　　Imagine　my　surprise　when　he　was　introduced　to　me　by　the　name　of　ClevelandI　instantly　recognised　him　as　the　Brother　of　Mrs　Marlowe；　and　the　acquaintance　of　my　Charlotte　at　Bristol。　　Mr　and　Mrs　M。　were　the　gentleman　and　Lady　who　accompanied　him。　　（You　do　not　think　Mrs　Marlowe　handsome？）　　The　elegant　address　of　Mr　Cleveland；　his　polished　Manners　and　Delightful　Bow；　at　once　confirmed　my　attachment。　　He　did　not　speak；　but　I　can　imagine　everything　he　would　have　said；　had　he　opened　his　Mouth。　　I　can　picture　to　myself　the　cultivated　Understanding；　the　Noble　sentiments；　and　elegant　Language　which　would　have　shone　so　conspicuous　in　the　conversation　of　Mr　Cleveland。　　The　approach　of　Sir　James　Gower　（one　of　my　too　numerous　admirers）　prevented　the　Discovery　of　any　such　Powers；　by　putting　an　end　to　a　Conversation　we　had　never　commenced；　and　by　attracting　my　attention　to　himself。　　But　oh！　how　inferior　are　the　accomplishments　of　Sir　James　to　those　of　his　so　greatly　envied　Rival！　Sir　James　is　one　of　the　most　frequent　of　our　Visitors；　and　is　almost　always　of　our　Parties。　　We　have　since　often　met　Mr　and　Mrs　Marlowe　but　no　Clevelandhe　is　always　engaged　some　where　else。　　Mrs　Marlowe　fatigues　me　to　Death　every　time　I　see　her　by　her　tiresome　Conversations　about　you　and　Eloisa。　　She　is　so　stupid！　　I　live　in　the　hope　of　seeing　her　irrisistable　Brother　to　night；　as　we　are　going　to　Lady　Flambeaus；　who　is　I　know　intimate　with　the　Marlowes。　　Our　party　will　be　Lady　Lesley；　Matilda；　Fitzgerald；　Sir　James　Gower；　and　myself。　　We　see　little　of　Sir　George；　who　is　almost　always　at　the　gaming…table。　　Ah！　my　poor　Fortune　where　art　thou　by　this　time？　We　see　more　of　Lady　L。　who　always　makes　her　appearance　（highly　rouged）　at　Dinner…time。　　Alas！　what　Delightful　Jewels　will　she　be　decked　in　this　evening　at　Lady　Flambeau's！　Yet　I　wonder　how　she　can　herself　delight　in　wearing　them；　surely　she　must　be　sensible　of　the　ridiculous　impropriety　of　loading　her　little　diminutive　figure　with　such　superfluous　ornaments；　is　it　possible　that　she　can　not　know　how　greatly　superior　an　elegant　simplicity　is　to　the　most　studied　apparel？　　Would　she　but　Present　them　to　Matilda　and　me；　how　greatly　should　we　be　obliged　to　her；　How　becoming　would　Diamonds　be　on　our　fine　majestic　figures！　　And　how　surprising　it　is　that　such　an　Idea　should　never　have　occurred　to　HER。　　I　am　sure　if　I　have　reflected　in　this　manner　once；　I　have　fifty　times。　　Whenever　I　see　Lady　Lesley　dressed　in　them　such　reflections　immediately　come　across　me。　　My　own　Mother's　Jewels　too！　　　But　I　will　say　no　more　on　so　melancholy　a　subject　let　me　entertain　you　with　something　more　pleasingMatilda　had　a　letter　this　morning　from　Lesley；　by　which　we　have　the　pleasure　of　finding　that　he　is　at　Naples　has　turned　Roman…Catholic；　obtained　one　of　the　Pope's　Bulls　for　annulling　his　1st　Marriage　and　has　since　actually　married　a　Neapolitan　Lady　of　great　Rank　and　Fortune。　　He　tells　us　moreover　that　much　the　same　sort　of　affair　has　befallen　his　first　wife　the　worthless　Louisa　who　is　likewise　at　Naples　had　turned　Roman…catholic；　and　is　soon　to　be　married　to　a　Neapolitan　Nobleman　of　great　and　Distinguished　merit。　　He　says；　that　they　are　at　present　very　good　Freinds；　have　quite　forgiven　all　past　errors　and　intend　in　future　to　be　very　good　Neighbours。　　He　invites　Matilda　and　me　to　pay　him　a　visit　to　Italy　and　to　bring　him　his　little　Louisa　whom　both　her　Mother；　Step…mothe