lady susan-第15节

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my　meaning　in　bidding　you　adieu。　My　understanding　is　at　length　restored；



and　teaches　no　less　to　abhor　the　artifices　which　had　subdued　me　than　to



despise　myself　for　the　weakness　on　which　their　strength　was　founded。







R。　DE　COURCY。























XXXVII











LADY　SUSAN　TO　MR。　DE　COURCY











Upper　Seymour　Street。











I　am　satisfied；　and　will　trouble　you　no　more　when　these　few　lines　are



dismissed。　The　engagement　which　you　were　eager　to　form　a　fortnight　ago　is



no　longer　compatible　with　your　views；　and　I　rejoice　to　find　that　the



prudent　advice　of　your　parents　has　not　been　given　in　vain。　Your　restoration



to　peace　will；　I　doubt　not；　speedily　follow　this　act　of　filial　obedience；



and　I　flatter　myself　with　the　hope　of　surviving　my　share　in　this



disappointment。







S。　V。























XXXVIII











MRS。　JOHNSON　TO　LADY　SUSAN　VERNON











Edward　Street











I　am　grieved；　though　I　cannot　be　astonished　at　your　rupture　with　Mr。　De



Courcy；　he　has　just　informed　Mr。　Johnson　of　it　by　letter。　He　leaves　London；



he　says；　to…day。　Be　assured　that　I　partake　in　all　your　feelings；　and　do　not



be　angry　if　I　say　that　our　intercourse；　even　by　letter；　must　soon　be　given



up。　It　makes　me　miserable；　but　Mr。　Johnson　vows　that　if　I　persist　in　the



connection；　he　will　settle　in　the　country　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　you



know　it　is　impossible　to　submit　to　such　an　extremity　while　any　other



alternative　remains。　You　have　heard　of　course　that　the　Mainwarings　are　to



part；　and　I　am　afraid　Mrs。　M。　will　come　home　to　us　again；　but　she　is　still



so　fond　of　her　husband；　and　frets　so　much　about　him；　that　perhaps　she　may



not　live　long。　Miss　Mainwaring　is　just　come　to　town　to　be　with　her　aunt；



and　they　say　that　she　declares　she　will　have　Sir　James　Martin　before　she



leaves　London　again。　If　I　were　you；　I　would　certainly　get　him　myself。　I　had



almost　forgot　to　give　you　my　opinion　of　Mr。　De　Courcy；　I　am　really



delighted　with　him；　he　is　full　as　handsome；　I　think；　as　Mainwaring；　and



with　such　an　open；　good…humoured　countenance；　that　one　cannot　help　loving



him　at　first　sight。　Mr。　Johnson　and　he　are　the　greatest　friends　in　the



world。　Adieu；　my　dearest　Susan；　I　wish　matters　did　not　go　so　perversely。



That　unlucky　visit　to　Langford！　but　I　dare　say　you　did　all　for　the　best；



and　there　is　no　defying　destiny。







Your　sincerely　attached







ALICIA。























XXXIX











LADY　SUSAN　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Upper　Seymour　Street。







My　dear　Alicia；I　yield　to　the　necessity　which　parts　us。　Under



circumstances　you　could　not　act　otherwise。　Our　friendship　cannot　be



impaired　by　it；　and　in　happier　times；　when　your　situation　is　as　independent



as　mine；　it　will　unite　us　again　in　the　same　intimacy　as　ever。　For　this　I



shall　impatiently　wait；　and　meanwhile　can　safely　assure　you　that　I　never



was　more　at　ease；　or　better　satisfied　with　myself　and　everything　about　me



than　at　the　present　hour。　Your　husband　I　abhor；　Reginald　I　despise；　and　I



am　secure　of　never　seeing　either　again。　Have　I　not　reason　to　rejoice？



Mainwaring　is　more　devoted　to　me　than　ever；　and　were　we　at　liberty；　I　doubt



if　I　could　resist　even　matrimony　offered　by　HIM。　This　event；　if　his　wife



live　with　you；　it　may　be　in　your　power　to　hasten。　The　violence　of　her



feelings；　which　must　wear　her　out；　may　be　easily　kept　in　irritation。　I　rely



on　your　friendship　for　this。　I　am　now　satisfied　that　I　never　could　have



brought　myself　to　marry　Reginald；　and　am　equally　determined　that　Frederica



never　shall。　To…morrow；　I　shall　fetch　her　from　Churchhill；　and　let　Maria



Mainwaring　tremble　for　the　consequence。　Frederica　shall　be　Sir　James's　wife



before　she　quits　my　house；　and　she　may　whimper；　and　the　Vernons　may　storm；



I　regard　them　not。　I　am　tired　of　submitting　my　will　to　the　caprices　of



others；　of　resigning　my　own　judgment　in　deference　to　those　to　whom　I　owe　no



duty；　and　for　whom　I　feel　no　respect。　I　have　given　up　too　much；　have　been



too　easily　worked　on；　but　Frederica　shall　now　feel　the　difference。　Adieu；



dearest　of　friends　；　may　the　next　gouty　attack　be　more　favourable！　and　may



you　always　regard　me　as　unalterably　yours；







S。　VERNON























XL











LADY　DE　COURCY　TO　MRS。　VERNON











My　dear　Catherine；I　have　charming　news　for　you；　and　if　I　had　not　sent



off　my　letter　this　morning　you　might　have　been　spared　the　vexation　of



knowing　of　Reginald's　being　gone　to　London；　for　he　is　returned。　Reginald　is



returned；　not　to　ask　our　consent　to　his　marrying　Lady　Susan；　but　to　tell　us



they　are　parted　for　ever。　He　has　been　only　an　hour　in　the　house；　and　I　have



not　been　able　to　learn　particulars；　for　he　is　so　very　low　that　I　have　not



the　heart　to　ask　questions；　but　I　hope　we　shall　soon　know　all。　This　is　the



most　joyful　hour　he　has　ever　given　us　since　the　day　of　his　birth。　Nothing



is　wanting　but　to　have　you　here；　and　it　is　our　particular　wish　and　entreaty



that　you　would　come　to　us　as　soon　as　you　can。　You　have　owed　us　a　visit　many



long　weeks；　I　hope　nothing　will　make　it　inconvenient　to　Mr。　Vernon；　and



pray　bring　all　my　grand…children；　and　your　dear　niece　is　included；　of



course；　I　long　to　see　her。　It　has　been　a　sad；　heavy　winter　hitherto；



without　Reginald；　and　seeing　nobody　from　Churchhill。　I　never　found　the



season　so　dreary　before；　but　this　happy　meeting　will　make　us　young　again。



Frederica　runs　much　in　my　thoughts；　and　when　Reginald　has　recovered　his



usual　good　spirits　（as　I　trust　he　soon　will）　we　will　try　to　rob　him　of　his



heart　once　more；　and　I　am　full　of　hopes　of　seeing　their　hands　joined　at　no



great　distance。







Your　affectionate　mother；







C。　DE　COURCY























XLI











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill。











My　dear　Mother；Your　letter　has　surprized　me　beyond　measure！　Can　it　be



true　that　they　are　really　separatedand　for　ever？　I　should　be　overjoyed



if　I　dared　depend　on　it；　but　after　all　that　I　have　seen　how　can　one　be



secure　And　Reginald　really　with　you！　My　surprize　is　the　greater　because　on



Wednesday；　the　very　day　of　his　coming　to　Parklands；　　we　had　a　most



unexpected　and　unwelcome　visit　from　Lady　Susan；　looking　all　cheerfulness



and　good…humour；　and　seeming　more　as　if　she　were　to　marry　him　when　she　got



to　London　than　as　if　parted　from　him　for　ever。　She　stayed　nearly　two　hours；



was　as　affectionate　and　agreeable　as　ever；　and　not　a　syllable；　not　a　hint



was　dropped；　of　any　disagreement　　or　coolness　between　them。　I　asked　her



whether　she　had　seen　my　brother　since　his　arrival　in　town；　not；　as　you　may



suppose；　with　any　doubt　of　the　fact；　but　merely　to　see　how　she　looked。　She



immediately　answered；　without　any　embarrassment；　that　he　had　been　kind



enough　to　call　on　her　on　Monday；　but　she　believed　he　had　already　returned



home；　which　I　was　very　far　from　crediting。　Your　kind　invitation　is　accepted



by　us　with　pleasure；　and　on　Thursday　next　we　and　our　little　ones　will　be



with　you。　Pray　heaven；　Reginald　may　not　be　in　town　again　by　that　time！　I



wish　we　could　bring　dear　Frederica　too；　but　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　her



mother's　errand　hither　was　to　fetch　her　away；　and；　miserable　as　it　made　the



poor　girl；　it　was　impossible　to　detain　her。　I　was　thoroughly　unwilling　to



let　her　go；　and　so　was　her　uncle；　and　all　that　could　be　urged　we　did　urge；



but　Lady　Susan　declared　that　as　she　was　now　about　to　fix　herself　in　London



for　several　months；　she　could　not　be　easy　if　her　daughter　were　not　with　her



for　masters；　&c。　Her　manner；　to　be　sure；　was　very　kind　and　proper；　and　Mr。



Vernon　believes　that　Frederica　will　now　be　treated　with　affection。　I　wish　I



could　think　so　too。　The　poor　girl's　heart　was　almost　broke　at　taking　leave



of　us。　I　charged　her　to　write　to　me　very　often；　and　to　remember　that　if　she



were　in　any　distress　we　should　be　always　her　friends。　I　took　care　to　see



her　alone；　that　I　might　say　all　this；　and　I　hope　made　her　a　little　more



comfortable；　but　I　shall　not　be　easy　till　I　can　go　to　town　and　judge　of　her



situation　myself。　I　wish　there　were　a　better　prospect　than　now　appears　of



the　match　which　the　conclusion　of　your　letter　declares　your　expectations



of。　At　present；　it　is　not　very　likely







Yours　ever；　&c。；







C。　VERNON



























CONCLUSION











This