love and freindship-第12节

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e　only　family　with　whom　we　have　here　any　acquaintance；　but　I　never　thought　of　crying；　to　be　sure　Eloisa　and　Mrs　Marlowe　have　always　been　more　together　than　with　me；　and　have　therefore　contracted　a　kind　of　affection　for　each　other；　which　does　not　make　Tears　so　inexcusable　in　them　as　they　would　be　in　me。　　The　Marlowes　are　going　to　Town；　Cliveland　accompanies　them；　as　neither　Eloisa　nor　I　could　catch　him　I　hope　you　or　Matilda　may　have　better　Luck。　　I　know　not　when　we　shall　leave　Bristol；　Eloisa's　spirits　are　so　low　that　she　is　very　averse　to　moving；　and　yet　is　certainly　by　no　means　mended　by　her　residence　here。　　A　week　or　two　will　I　hope　determine　our　Measuresin　the　mean　time　believe　me　and　etcand　etc　Charlotte　Lutterell。



LETTER　the　EIGHTH　Miss　LUTTERELL　to　Mrs　MARLOWE　Bristol　　　　April　4th

I　feel　myself　greatly　obliged　to　you　my　dear　Emma　for　such　a　mark　of　your　affection　as　I　flatter　myself　was　conveyed　in　the　proposal　you　made　me　of　our　Corresponding；　I　assure　you　that　it　will　be　a　great　releif　to　me　to　write　to　you　and　as　long　as　my　Health　and　Spirits　will　allow　me；　you　will　find　me　a　very　constant　correspondent；　I　will　not　say　an　entertaining　one；　for　you　know　my　situation　suffciently　not　to　be　ignorant　that　in　me　Mirth　would　be　improper　and　I　know　my　own　Heart　too　well　not　to　be　sensible　that　it　would　be　unnatural。　　You　must　not　expect　news　for　we　see　no　one　with　whom　we　are　in　the　least　acquainted；　or　in　whose　proceedings　we　have　any　Interest。　　You　must　not　expect　scandal　for　by　the　same　rule　we　are　equally　debarred　either　from　hearing　or　inventing　it。You　must　expect　from　me　nothing　but　the　melancholy　effusions　of　a　broken　Heart　which　is　ever　reverting　to　the　Happiness　it　once　enjoyed　and　which　ill　supports　its　present　wretchedness。　　The　Possibility　of　being　able　to　write；　to　speak；　to　you　of　my　lost　Henry　will　be　a　luxury　to　me；　and　your　goodness　will　not　I　know　refuse　to　read　what　it　will　so　much　releive　my　Heart　to　write。　　I　once　thought　that　to　have　what　is　in　general　called　a　Freind　（I　mean　one　of　my　own　sex　to　whom　I　might　speak　with　less　reserve　than　to　any　other　person）　independant　of　my　sister　would　never　be　an　object　of　my　wishes；　but　how　much　was　I　mistaken！　　Charlotte　is　too　much　engrossed　by　two　confidential　correspondents　of　that　sort；　to　supply　the　place　of　one　to　me；　and　I　hope　you　will　not　think　me　girlishly　romantic；　when　I　say　that　to　have　some　kind　and　compassionate　Freind　who　might　listen　to　my　sorrows　without　endeavouring　to　console　me　was　what　I　had　for　some　time　wished　for；　when　our　acquaintance　with　you；　the　intimacy　which　followed　it　and　the　particular　affectionate　attention　you　paid　me　almost　from　the　first；　caused　me　to　entertain　the　flattering　Idea　of　those　attentions　being　improved　on　a　closer　acquaintance　into　a　Freindship　which；　if　you　were　what　my　wishes　formed　you　would　be　the　greatest　Happiness　I　could　be　capable　of　enjoying。　　To　find　that　such　Hopes　are　realised　is　a　satisfaction　indeed；　a　satisfaction　which　is　now　almost　the　only　one　I　can　ever　experience。I　feel　myself　so　languid　that　I　am　sure　were　you　with　me　you　would　oblige　me　to　leave　off　writing；　and　I　cannot　give　you　a　greater　proof　of　my　affection　for　you　than　by　acting；　as　I　know　you　would　wish　me　to　do；　whether　Absent　or　Present。　　I　am　my　dear　Emmas　sincere　freind　E。　L。



LETTER　the　NINTH　Mrs　MARLOWE　to　Miss　LUTTERELL　Grosvenor　Street；　April　10th

Need　I　say　my　dear　Eloisa　how　wellcome　your　letter　was　to　me　I　cannot　give　a　greater　proof　of　the　pleasure　I　received　from　it；　or　of　the　Desire　I　feel　that　our　Correspondence　may　be　regular　and　frequent　than　by　setting　you　so　good　an　example　as　I　now　do　in　answering　it　before　the　end　of　the　week。　　But　do　not　imagine　that　I　claim　any　merit　in　being　so　punctual；　on　the　contrary　I　assure　you；　that　it　is　a　far　greater　Gratification　to　me　to　write　to　you；　than　to　spend　the　Evening　either　at　a　Concert　or　a　Ball。　Mr　Marlowe　is　so　desirous　of　my　appearing　at　some　of　the　Public　places　every　evening　that　I　do　not　like　to　refuse　him；　but　at　the　same　time　so　much　wish　to　remain　at　Home；　that　independant　of　the　Pleasure　I　experience　in　devoting　any　portion　of　my　Time　to　my　Dear　Eloisa；　yet　the　Liberty　I　claim　from　having　a　letter　to　write　of　spending　an　Evening　at　home　with　my　little　Boy；　you　know　me　well　enough　to　be　sensible；　will　of　itself　be　a　sufficient　Inducement　（if　one　is　necessary）　to　my　maintaining　with　Pleasure　a　Correspondence　with　you。　　As　to　the　subject　of　your　letters　to　me；　whether　grave　or　merry；　if　they　concern　you　they　must　be　equally　interesting　to　me；　not　but　that　I　think　the　melancholy　Indulgence　of　your　own　sorrows　by　repeating　them　and　dwelling　on　them　to　me；　will　only　encourage　and　increase　them；　and　that　it　will　be　more　prudent　in　you　to　avoid　so　sad　a　subject；　but　yet　knowing　as　I　do　what　a　soothing　and　melancholy　Pleasure　it　must　afford　you；　I　cannot　prevail　on　myself　to　deny　you　so　great　an　Indulgence；　and　will　only　insist　on　your　not　expecting　me　to　encourage　you　in　it；　by　my　own　letters；　on　the　contrary　I　intend　to　fill　them　with　such　lively　Wit　and　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　kin