love and freindship-第5章

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　it　by　an　anonymous　Letter　which　Sophia　drew　up　in　the　following　manner。

〃Oh！　　happy　Lover　of　the　beautifull　Janetta；　oh！　　amiable　Possessor　of　HER　Heart　whose　hand　is　destined　to　another；　why　do　you　thus　delay　a　confession　of　your　attachment　to　the　amiable　Object　of　it？　　Oh！　　consider　that　a　few　weeks　will　at　once　put　an　end　to　every　flattering　Hope　that　you　may　now　entertain；　by　uniting　the　unfortunate　Victim　of　her　father's　Cruelty　to　the　execrable　and　detested　Graham。〃

〃Alas！　　why　do　you　thus　so　cruelly　connive　at　the　projected　Misery　of　her　and　of　yourself　by　delaying　to　communicate　that　scheme　which　had　doubtless　long　possessed　your　imagination？　　A　secret　Union　will　at　once　secure　the　felicity　of　both。〃

The　amiable　M'Kenrie；　whose　modesty　as　he　afterwards　assured　us　had　been　the　only　reason　of　his　having　so　long　concealed　the　violence　of　his　affection　for　Janetta；　on　receiving　this　Billet　flew　on　the　wings　of　Love　to　Macdonald…Hall；　and　so　powerfully　pleaded　his　Attachment　to　her　who　inspired　it；　that　after　a　few　more　private　interveiws；　Sophia　and　I　experienced　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　them　depart　for　Gretna…Green；　which　they　chose　for　the　celebration　of　their　Nuptials；　in　preference　to　any　other　place　although　it　was　at　a　considerable　distance　from　Macdonald…Hall。　Adeiu　Laura。



LETTER　the　13th　LAURA　in　continuation

They　had　been　gone　nearly　a　couple　of　Hours；　before　either　Macdonald　or　Graham　had　entertained　any　suspicion　of　the　affair。　And　they　might　not　even　then　have　suspected　it；　but　for　the　following　little　Accident。　　Sophia　happening　one　day　to　open　a　private　Drawer　in　Macdonald's　Library　with　one　of　her　own　keys；　discovered　that　it　was　the　Place　where　he　kept　his　Papers　of　consequence　and　amongst　them　some　bank　notes　of　considerable　amount。　　This　discovery　she　imparted　to　me；　and　having　agreed　together　that　it　would　be　a　proper　treatment　of　so　vile　a　Wretch　as　Macdonald　to　deprive　him　of　money；　perhaps　dishonestly　gained；　it　was　determined　that　the　next　time　we　should　either　of　us　happen　to　go　that　way；　we　would　take　one　or　more　of　the　Bank　notes　from　the　drawer。　　This　well　meant　Plan　we　had　often　successfully　put　in　Execution；　but　alas！　　on　the　very　day　of　Janetta's　Escape；　as　Sophia　was　majestically　removing　the　5th　Bank…note　from　the　Drawer　to　her　own　purse；　she　was　suddenly　most　impertinently　interrupted　in　her　employment　by　the　entrance　of　Macdonald　himself；　in　a　most　abrupt　and　precipitate　Manner。　Sophia　（who　though　naturally　all　winning　sweetness　could　when　occasions　demanded　it　call　forth　the　Dignity　of　her　sex）　instantly　put　on　a　most　forbidding　look；　and　darting　an　angry　frown　on　the　undaunted　culprit；　demanded　in　a　haughty　tone　of　voice　〃Wherefore　her　retirement　was　thus　insolently　broken　in　on？〃　The　unblushing　Macdonald；　without　even　endeavouring　to　exculpate　himself　from　the　crime　he　was　charged　with；　meanly　endeavoured　to　reproach　Sophia　with　ignobly　defrauding　him　of　his　money　。　。　。　The　dignity　of　Sophia　was　wounded；　〃Wretch　（exclaimed　she；　hastily　replacing　the　Bank…note　in　the　Drawer）　how　darest　thou　to　accuse　me　of　an　Act；　of　which　the　bare　idea　makes　me　blush？〃　The　base　wretch　was　still　unconvinced　and　continued　to　upbraid　the　justly…offended　Sophia　in　such　opprobious　Language；　that　at　length　he　so　greatly　provoked　the　gentle　sweetness　of　her　Nature；　as　to　induce　her　to　revenge　herself　on　him　by　informing　him　of　Janetta's　Elopement；　and　of　the　active　Part　we　had　both　taken　in　the　affair。　　At　this　period　of　their　Quarrel　I　entered　the　Library　and　was　as　you　may　imagine　equally　offended　as　Sophia　at　the　ill…grounded　accusations　of　the　malevolent　and　contemptible　Macdonald。　　〃Base　Miscreant！　　（cried　I）　how　canst　thou　thus　undauntedly　endeavour　to　sully　the　spotless　reputation　of　such　bright　Excellence？　　Why　dost　thou　not　suspect　MY　innocence　as　soon？〃　〃Be　satisfied　Madam　（replied　he）　I　DO　suspect　it；　and　therefore　must　desire　that　you　will　both　leave　this　House　in　less　than　half　an　hour。〃

〃We　shall　go　willingly；　（answered　Sophia）　our　hearts　have　long　detested　thee；　and　nothing　but　our　freindship　for　thy　Daughter　could　have　induced　us　to　remain　so　long　beneath　thy　roof。〃

〃Your　Freindship　for　my　Daughter　has　indeed　been　most　powerfully　exerted　by　throwing　her　into　the　arms　of　an　unprincipled　Fortune…　hunter。〃　（replied　he）

〃Yes；　（exclaimed　I）　amidst　every　misfortune；　it　will　afford　us　some　consolation　to　reflect　that　by　this　one　act　of　Freindship　to　Janetta；　we　have　amply　discharged　every　obligation　that　we　have　received　from　her　father。〃

〃It　must　indeed　be　a　most　gratefull　reflection；　to　your　exalted　minds。〃　（said　he。）

As　soon　as　we　had　packed　up　our　wardrobe　and　valuables；　we　left　Macdonald　Hall；　and　after　having　walked　about　a　mile　and　a　half　we　sate　down　by　the　side　of　a　clear　limpid　stream　to　refresh　our　exhausted　limbs。　　The　place　was　suited　to　meditation。　　A　grove　of　full…grown　Elms　sheltered　us　from　the　East。　　A　Bed　of　full…　grown　Nettles　from　the　West。　　Before　us　ran　the　murmuring　brook　and　behind　us　ran　the　turn…pike　road。　　We　were　in　a　mood　for　contemplation　and　in　a　Disposition　to　enjoy　so　beautifull　a　spot。　A　mutual　silence　which　had　for　some　time　reigned　between　us；　was　at　length　broke　by　my　exclaiming〃What　a　lovely　scene！　　Alas　why　are　not　Edward　and　Augustus　here　to　enjoy　its　Beauties　with　us？〃

〃Ah！　　my　beloved　Laura　（cried　Sophia）　for　pity's　sake　forbear　recalling　to　my　remembrance　the　unhappy　situation　of　my　imprisoned　Husband。　　Alas；　what　would　I　not　give　to　learn　the　fate　of　my　Augustus！　　to　know　if　he　is　still　in　Newgate；　or　if　he　is　yet　hung。　But　never　shall　I　be　able　so　far　to　conquer　my　tender　sensibility　as　to　enquire　after　him。　　Oh！　　do　not　I　beseech　you　ever　let　me　again　hear　you　repeat　his　beloved　name。　It　affects　me　too　deeply　。　　I　cannot　bear　to　hear　him　mentioned　it　wounds　my　feelings。〃

〃Excuse　me　my　Sophia　for　having　thus　unwillingly　offended　you〃　replied　Iand　then　changing　the　conversation；　desired　her　to　admire　the　noble　Grandeur　of　the　Elms　which　sheltered　us　from　the　Eastern　Zephyr。　　〃Alas！　　my　Laura　（returned　she）　avoid　so　melancholy　a　subject；　I　intreat　you。　　Do　not　again　wound　my　Sensibility　by　observations　on　those　elms。　　They　remind　me　of　Augustus。　　He　was　like　them；　tall；　magestiche　possessed　that　noble　grandeur　which　you　admire　in　them。〃

I　was　silent；　fearfull　lest　I　might　any　more　unwillingly　distress　her　by　fixing　on　any　other　subject　of　conversation　which　might　again　remind　her　of　Augustus。

〃Why　do　you　not　speak　my　Laura？　　（said　she　after　a　short　pause）　〃I　cannot　support　this　silence　you　must　not　leave　me　to　my　own　reflections；　they　ever　recur　to　Augustus。〃

〃What　a　beautifull　sky！　　（said　I）　How　charmingly　is　the　azure　varied　by　those　delicate　streaks　of　white！〃

〃Oh！　　my　Laura　（replied　she　hastily　withdrawing　her　Eyes　from　a　momentary　glance　at　the　sky）　do　not　thus　distress　me　by　calling　my　Attention　to　an　object　which　so　cruelly　reminds　me　of　my　Augustus's　blue　sattin　waistcoat　striped　in　white！　　In　pity　to　your　unhappy　freind　avoid　a　subject　so　distressing。〃　What　could　I　do？　The　feelings　of　Sophia　were　at　that　time　so　exquisite；　and　the　tenderness　she　felt　for　Augustus　so　poignant　that　I　had　not　power　to　start　any　other　topic；　justly　fearing　that　it　might　in　some　unforseen　manner　again　awaken　all　her　sensibility　by　directing　her　thoughts　to　her　Husband。　　Yet　to　be　silent　would　be　cruel；　she　had　intreated　me　to　talk。

From　this　Dilemma　I　was　most　fortunately　releived　by　an　accident　truly　apropos；　it　was　the　lucky　overturning　of　a　Gentleman's　Phaeton；　on　the　road　which　ran　murmuring　behind　us。　　It　was　a　most　fortunate　accident　as　it　diverted　the　attention　of　Sophia　from　the　melancholy　reflections　which　she　had　been　before　indulging。　　We　instantly　quitted　our　seats　and　ran　to　the　rescue　of　those　who　　but　a　few　moments　before　had　been　in　so　elevated　a　situation　as　a　fashionably　high　Phaeton；　but　who　were　now　laid　low　and　sprawling　in　the　Dust。　　〃What　an　ample　subject　for　reflection　on　the　uncertain　Enjoyments　of　this　World；　would　not　that　Phaeton　and　the　Life　of　Cardinal　Wolsey　afford　a　thinking　Mind！〃　said　I　to　Sophia　as　we　were　hastening　to　the　field　of　Action。

She　had　not　time　to　answer　me；　for　every　thou