love and freindship-第18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！


reathe；　while　Margaret　was　all　Life　and　Rapture。　　〃The　long…　expected　Moment　is　now　arrived　（said　she）　and　we　shall　soon　be　in　the　World。〃In　a　few　Moments　we　were　in　Mrs　Cope's　parlour；　where　with　her　daughter　she　sate　ready　to　receive　us。　　I　observed　with　delight　the　impression　my　Children　made　on　them。　　They　were　indeed　two　sweet；　elegant…looking　Girls；　and　tho'　somewhat　abashed　from　the　peculiarity　of　their　situation；　yet　there　was　an　ease　in　their　Manners　and　address　which　could　not　fail　of　pleasing。　Imagine　my　dear　Madam　how　delighted　I　must　have　been　in　beholding　as　I　did；　how　attentively　they　observed　every　object　they　saw；　how　disgusted　with　some　Things；　how　enchanted　with　others；　how　astonished　at　all！　　On　the　whole　however　they　returned　in　raptures　with　the　World；　its　Inhabitants；　and　Manners。　Yrs　EverA。　F。



LETTER　the　SECOND　From　a　YOUNG　LADY　crossed　in　Love　to　her　freind

Why　should　this　last　disappointment　hang　so　heavily　on　my　spirits？　　Why　should　I　feel　it　more；　why　should　it　wound　me　deeper　than　those　I　have　experienced　before？　　Can　it　be　that　I　have　a　greater　affection　for　Willoughby　than　I　had　for　his　amiable　predecessors？　　Or　is　it　that　our　feelings　become　more　acute　from　being　often　wounded？　　I　must　suppose　my　dear　Belle　that　this　is　the　Case；　since　I　am　not　conscious　of　being　more　sincerely　attached　to　Willoughby　than　I　was　to　Neville；　Fitzowen；　or　either　of　the　Crawfords；　for　all　of　whom　I　once　felt　the　most　lasting　affection　that　ever　warmed　a　Woman's　heart。　　Tell　me　then　dear　Belle　why　I　still　sigh　when　I　think　of　the　faithless　Edward；　or　why　I　weep　when　I　behold　his　Bride；　for　too　surely　this　is　the　case。　　My　Freinds　are　all　alarmed　for　me；　They　fear　my　declining　health；　they　lament　my　want　of　spirits；　they　dread　the　effects　of　both。　　In　hopes　of　releiving　my　melancholy；　by　directing　my　thoughts　to　other　objects；　they　have　invited　several　of　their　freinds　to　spend　the　Christmas　with　us。　　Lady　Bridget　Darkwood　and　her　sister…in…law；　Miss　Jane　are　expected　on　Friday；　and　Colonel　Seaton's　family　will　be　with　us　next　week。　　This　is　all　most　kindly　meant　by　my　Uncle　and　Cousins；　but　what　can　the　presence　of　a　dozen　indefferent　people　do　to　me；　but　weary　and　distress　me。　　I　will　not　finish　my　Letter　till　some　of　our　Visitors　are　arrived。

Friday　Evening　Lady　Bridget　came　this　morning；　and　with　her；　her　sweet　sister　Miss　Jane。　　Although　I　have　been　acquainted　with　this　charming　Woman　above　fifteen　Years；　yet　I　never　before　observed　how　lovely　she　is。　　She　is　now　about　35；　and　in　spite　of　sickness；　sorrow　and　Time　is　more　blooming　than　I　ever　saw　a　Girl　of　17。　　I　was　delighted　with　her；　the　moment　she　entered　the　house；　and　she　appeared　equally　pleased　with　me；　attaching　herself　to　me　during　the　remainder　of　the　day。　There　is　something　so　sweet；　so　mild　in　her　Countenance；　that　she　seems　more　than　Mortal。　　Her　Conversation　is　as　bewitching　as　her　appearance；　I　could　not　help　telling　her　how　much　she　engaged　my　admiration。　　〃Oh！　　Miss　Jane　（said　I）and　stopped　from　an　inability　at　the　moment　of　expressing　myself　as　I　could　wish　Oh！　　Miss　Jane（I　repeated）　I　could　not　think　of　words　to　suit　my　feelings　She　seemed　waiting　for　my　speech。　　I　was　confused　distressedmy　thoughts　were　bewilderedand　I　could　only　add〃How　do　you　do？〃　She　saw　and　felt　for　my　Embarrassment　and　with　admirable　presence　of　mind　releived　me　from　it　by　saying〃My　dear　Sophia　be　not　uneasy　at　having　exposed　yourselfI　will　turn　the　Conversation　without　appearing　to　notice　it。　　〃Oh！　　how　I　loved　her　for　her　kindness！〃　Do　you　ride　as　much　as　you　used　to　do？〃　said　she。　〃I　am　advised　to　ride　by　my　Physician。　　We　have　delightful　Rides　round　us；　I　have　a　Charming　horse；　am　uncommonly　fond　of　the　Amusement；　replied　I　quite　recovered　from　my　Confusion；　and　in　short　I　ride　a　great　deal。〃　　〃You　are　in　the　right　my　Love；〃　said　she。　　Then　repeating　the　following　line　which　was　an　extempore　and　equally　adapted　to　recommend　both　Riding　and　Candour

〃Ride　where　you　may；　Be　Candid　where　you　can；〃　she　added；〃　I　rode　once；　but　it　is　many　years　agoShe　spoke　this　in　so　low　and　tremulous　a　Voice；　that　I　was　silent。　Struck　with　her　Manner　of　speaking　I　could　make　no　reply。　〃I　have　not　ridden；　continued　she　fixing　her　Eyes　on　my　face；　since　I　was　married。〃　I　was　never　so　surprised〃Married；　Ma'am！〃　　I　repeated。　　〃You　may　well　wear　that　look　of　astonishment；　said　she；　since　what　I　have　said　must　appear　improbable　to　youYet　nothing　is　more　true　than　that　I　once　was　married。〃

〃Then　why　are　you　called　Miss　Jane？〃

〃I　married；　my　Sophia　without　the　consent　or　knowledge　of　my　father　the　late　Admiral　Annesley。　　It　was　therefore　necessary　to　keep　the　secret　from　him　and　from　every　one；　till　some　fortunate　opportunity　might　offer　of　revealing　it。　Such　an　opportunity　alas！　　was　but　too　soon　given　in　the　death　of　my　dear　Capt。　DashwoodPardon　these　tears；　continued　Miss　Jane　wiping　her　Eyes；　I　owe　them　to　my　Husband's　memory。　　He　fell　my　Sophia；　while　fighting　for　his　Country　in　America　after　a　most　happy　Union　of　seven　years。　　My　Children；　two　sweet　Boys　and　a　Girl；　who　had　constantly　resided　with　my　Father　and　me；　passing　with　him　and　with　every　one　as　the　Children　of　a　Brother　（tho'　I　had　ever　been　an　only　Child）　had　as　yet　been　the　comforts　of　my　Life。　But　no　sooner　had　I　lossed　my　Henry；　than　these　sweet　Creatures　fell　sick　and　died。　　Conceive　dear　Sophia　what　my　feelings　must　have　been　when　as　an　Aunt　I　attended　my　Children　to　their　early　Grave。　　My　Father　did　not　survive　them　many　weeksHe　died；　poor　Good　old　man；　happily　ignorant　to　his　last　hour　of　my　Marriage。'

〃But　did　not　you　own　it；　and　assume　his　name　at　your　husband's　death？〃

〃No；　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　do　it；　more　especially　when　in　my　Children　I　lost　all　inducement　for　doing　it。　　Lady　Bridget；　and　yourself　are　the　only　persons　who　are　in　the　knowledge　of　my　having　ever　been　either　Wife　or　Mother。　　As　I　could　not　Prevail　on　myself　to　take　the　name　of　Dashwood　（a　name　which　after　my　Henry's　death　I　could　never　hear　without　emotion）　and　as　I　was　conscious　of　having　no　right　to　that　of　Annesley；　I　dropt　all　thoughts　of　either；　and　have　made　it　a　point　of　bearing　only　my　Christian　one　since　my　Father's　death。〃　She　paused〃Oh！　　my　dear　Miss　Jane　（said　I）　how　infinitely　am　I　obliged　to　you　for　so　entertaining　a　story！　　You　cannot　think　how　it　has　diverted　me！　But　have　you　quite　done？〃

〃I　have　only　to　add　my　dear　Sophia；　that　my　Henry's　elder　Brother　dieing　about　the　same　time；　Lady　Bridget　became　a　Widow　like　myself；　and　as　we　had　always　loved　each　other　in　idea　from　the　high　Character　in　which　we　had　ever　been　spoken　of；　though　we　had　never　met；　we　determined　to　live　together。　　We　wrote　to　one　another　on　the　same　subject　by　the　same　post；　so　exactly　did　our　feeling　and　our　actions　coincide！　　We　both　eagerly　embraced　the　proposals　we　gave　and　received　of　becoming　one　family；　and　have　from　that　time　lived　together　in　the　greatest　affection。〃

〃And　is　this　all？　　said　I；　I　hope　you　have　not　done。〃

〃Indeed　I　have；　and　did　you　ever　hear　a　story　more　pathetic？〃

〃I　never　didand　it　is　for　that　reason　it　pleases　me　so　much；　for　when　one　is　unhappy　nothing　is　so　delightful　to　one's　sensations　as　to　hear　of　equal　misery。〃

〃Ah！　　but　my　Sophia　why　are　YOU　unhappy？〃

〃Have　you　not　heard　Madam　of　Willoughby's　Marriage？〃

〃But　my　love　why　lament　HIS　perfidy；　when　you　bore　so　well　that　of　many　young　Men　before？〃

〃Ah！　　Madam；　I　was　used　to　it　then；　but　when　Willoughby　broke　his　Engagements　I　had　not　been　dissapointed　for　half　a　year。〃

〃Poor　Girl！〃　said　Miss　Jane。



LETTER　the　THIRD　From　a　YOUNG　LADY　in　distressed　Circumstances　to　her　freind

A　few　days　ago　I　was　at　a　private　Ball　given　by　Mr　Ashburnham。　As　my　Mother　never　goes　out　she　entrusted　me　to　the　care　of　Lady　Greville　who　did　me　the　honour　of　calling　for　me　in　her　way　and　of　allowing　me　to　sit　forwards；　which　is　a　favour　about　which　I　am　very　indifferent　especially　as　I　know　it　is　considered　as　confering　a　great　obligation　on　me　　〃So　Miss　Maria　（said　her　Ladyship　as　she　saw　me　advancing　to　the　door　of　the　Carriage）　you　seem　very　smart　to　night　MY　poor　Girls　will　appear　quite　to　disadvantage　by　YOU　I　only　hope　your　Mother　may　not　have　dis