lady susan-第3节

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I　cannot　forget　the　length　of　her　visit　to　the　Mainwarings；　and　when　I



reflect　on　the　different　mode　of　life　which　she　led　with　them　from　that　to



which　she　must　now　submit；　I　can　only　suppose　that　the　wish　of　establishing



her　reputation　by　following　though　late　the　path　of　propriety；　occasioned



her　removal　from　a　family　where　she　must　in　reality　have　been　particularly



happy。　Your　friend　Mr。　Smith's　story；　however；　cannot　be　quite　correct；　as



she　corresponds　regularly　with　Mrs。　Mainwaring。　At　any　rate　it　must　be



exaggerated。　It　is　scarcely　possible　that　two　men　should　be　so　grossly



deceived　by　her　at　once。







Yours；　&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON























VII











LADY　SUSAN　VERNON　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Churchhill。











My　dear　Alicia；You　are　very　good　in　taking　notice　of　Frederica；　and　I



am　grateful　for　it　as　a　mark　of　your　friendship；　but　as　I　cannot　have　any



doubt　of　the　warmth　of　your　affection；　I　am　far　from　exacting　so　heavy　a



sacrifice。　She　is　a　stupid　girl；　and　has　nothing　to　recommend　her。　I　would



not；　therefore；　on　my　account；　have　you　encumber　one　moment　of　your



precious　time　by　sending　for　her　to　Edward　Street；　especially　as　every



visit　is　so　much　deducted　from　the　grand　affair　of　education；　which　I



really　wish　to　have　attended　to　while　she　remains　at　Miss　Summers's。　I　want



her　to　play　and　sing　with　some　portion　of　taste　and　a　good　deal　of



assurance；　as　she　has　my　hand　and　arm　and　a　tolerable　voice。　I　was　so　much



indulged　in　my　infant　years　that　I　was　never　obliged　to　attend　to　anything；



and　consequently　am　without　the　accomplishments　which　are　now　necessary　to



finish　a　pretty　woman。　Not　that　I　am　an　advocate　for　the　prevailing　fashion



of　acquiring　a　perfect　knowledge　of　all　languages；　arts；　and　sciences。　It



is　　throwing　time　away　to　be　mistress　of　French；　Italian；　and　German：



music；　singing；　and　drawing；　&c。；　will　gain　a　woman　some　applause；　but　will



not　add　one　lover　to　her　listgrace　and　manner；　after　all；　are　of　the



greatest　importance。　I　do　not　mean；　therefore；　that　Frederica's



acquirements　should　be　more　than　superficial；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　she



will　not　remain　long　enough　at　school　to　understand　anything　thoroughly。　I



hope　to　see　her　the　wife　of　Sir　James　within　a　twelvemonth。　You　know　on



what　I　ground　my　hope；　and　it　is　certainly　a　good　foundation；　for　school



must　be　very　humiliating　to　a　girl　of　Frederica's　age。　And；　by…the…by；　　you



had　better　not　invite　her　any　more　on　that　account；　as　I　wish　her　to　find



her　situation　as　unpleasant　as　possible。　I　am　sure　of　Sir　James　at　any



time；　and　could　make　him　renew　his　application　by　a　line。　I　shall　trouble



you　　meanwhile　to　prevent　his　forming　any　other　attachment　when　he　comes　to



town。　Ask　him　to　your　house　occasionally；　and　talk　to　him　of　Frederica；



that　he　may　not　forget　her。　Upon　the　whole；　I　commend　my　own　conduct　in



this　affair　　extremely；　and　regard　it　as　a　very　happy　instance　of



circumspection　and　tenderness。　Some　mothers　would　have　insisted　on　their



daughter's　accepting　so　good　an　offer　on　the　first　overture；　but　I　could



not　reconcile　it　to　myself　to　force　Frederica　into　a　marriage　from　which



her　heart　revolted；　and　instead　of　adopting　so　harsh　a　measure　merely



propose　to　make　it　her　own　choice；　by　rendering　her　thoroughly



uncomfortable　till　she　does　accept　himbut　enough　of　this　tiresome　girl。



You　may　well　wonder　how　I　contrive　to　pass　my　time　here；　and　for　the　first



week　it　was　insufferably　dull。　Now；　however；　we　begin　to　mend；　our　party　is



enlarged　by　Mrs。　Vernon's　brother；　a　handsome　young　man；　who　promises　me



some　amusement。　There　is　something　about　him　which　rather　interests　me；　a



sort　of　sauciness　and　familiarity　which　I　shall　teach　him　to　correct。　He　is



lively；　and　seems　clever；　and　when　I　have　inspired　him　with　greater　respect



for　me　than　his　sister's　kind　offices　have　implanted；　he　may　be　an



agreeable　flirt。　There　is　exquisite　pleasure　in　subduing　an　insolent



spirit；　in　making　a　person　predetermined　to　dislike　acknowledge　one's



superiority。　I　have　disconcerted　him　already　by　my　calm　reserve；　and　it



shall　be　my　endeavour　to　humble　the　pride　of　these　　self　important　De



Courcys　still　lower；　to　convince　Mrs。　Vernon　that　her　sisterly　cautions



have　been　bestowed　in　vain；　and　to　persuade　Reginald　that　she　has



scandalously　belied　me。　This　project　will　serve　at　least　to　amuse　me；　and



prevent　my　feeling　so　acutely　this　dreadful　separation　from　you　and　all



whom　I　love。







Yours　ever；







S。　VERNON。























VIII











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill。











My　dear　Mother；You　must　not　expect　Reginald　back　again　for　some　time。



He　desires　me　to　tell　you　that　the　present　open　weather　induces　him　to



accept　Mr。　Vernon's　invitation　to　prolong　his　stay　in　Sussex；　that　they　may



have　some　hunting　together。　He　means　to　send　for　his　horses　immediately；



and　it　is　impossible　to　say　when　you　may　see　him　in　Kent。　I　will　not



disguise　my　sentiments　on　this　change　from　you；　my　dear　mother；　though　I



think　you　had　better　not　communicate　them　to　my　father；　whose　excessive



anxiety　about　Reginald　would　subject　him　to　an　alarm　which　might　seriously



affect　his　health　and　spirits。　Lady　Susan　has　certainly　contrived；　in　the



space　of　a　fortnight；　to　make　my　brother　like　her。　In　short；　I　am　persuaded



that　his　continuing　here　beyond　the　time　originally　fixed　for　his　return　is



occasioned　as　much　by　a　degree　of　fascination　towards　her；　as　by　the　wish



of　hunting　with　Mr。　Vernon；　and　of　course　I　cannot　receive　that　pleasure



from　the　length　of　his　visit　which　my　brother's　company　would　otherwise



give　me。　I　am；　indeed；　provoked　at　the　artifice　of　this　unprincipled　woman；



what　stronger　proof　of　her　dangerous　abilities　can　be　given　than　this



perversion　of　Reginald's　judgment；　which　when　he　entered　the　house　was　so



decidedly　against　her！　In　his　last　letter　he　actually　gave　me　some



particulars　of　her　behaviour　at　Langford；　such　as　he　received　from　a



gentleman　who　knew　her　perfectly　well；　which；　if　true；　must　raise



abhorrence　against　her；　and　which　Reginald　himself　was　entirely　disposed　to



credit。　His　opinion　of　her；　I　am　sure；　was　as　low　as　of　any　woman　in



England；　and　when　he　first　came　it　was　evident　that　he　considered　her　as



one　entitled　neither　to　delicacy　nor　respect；　and　that　he　felt　she　would　be



delighted　with　the　attentions　of　any　man　inclined　to　flirt　with　her。　Her



behaviour；　I　confess；　has　been　calculated　to　do　away　with　such　an　idea；　I



have　not　detected　the　smallest　impropriety　in　itnothing　of　vanity；　of



pretension；　of　levity；　and　she　is　altogether　so　attractive　that　I　should



not　wonder　at　his　being　delighted　with　her；　had　he　known　nothing　of　her



previous　to　this　personal　acquaintance；　but；　against　reason；　against



conviction；　to　be　so　well　pleased　with　her；　as　I　am　sure　he　is；　does　really



astonish　me。　His　admiration　was　at　first　very　strong；　but　no　more　than　was



natural；　and　I　did　not　wonder　at　his　being　much　struck　by　the　gentleness



and　delicacy　of　her　manners；　but　when　he　has　mentioned　her　of　late　it　has



been　in　terms　of　more　extraordinary　praise；　and　yesterday　he　actually　said



that　he　could　not　be　surprised　at　any　effect　produced　on　the　heart　of　man



by　such　loveliness　and　such　abilities；　and　when　I　lamented；　in　reply；　the



badness　of　her　disposition；　he　observed　that　whatever　might　have　been　her



errors　they　were　to　be　imputed　to　her　neglected　education　and　early



marriage；　and　that　she　was　altogether　a　wonderful　woman。　This　tendency　to



excuse　her　conduct　or　to　forget　it；　in　the　warmth　of　admiration；　vexes　me；



and　if　I　did　not　know　that　Reginald　is　too　much　at　home　at　Churchhill　to



need　an　invitation　for　lengthening　his　visit；　I　should　regret　Mr。　Vernon's



giving　him　any。　Lady　Susan's　intentions　are　of　course　those　of　absolute



coquetry；　or　a　desire　of　universal　admiration；　I　cannot　for　a　moment



imagine　that　she　has　anything　more　serious　in　view；　but　it　mortifies　me　to



see　a　young　man　of　Reginald's　sense　duped　by　her　at　all。







I　am；　&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON。























IX











MRS。　JOHNSON　TO　LADY　S。　VERNON











Edward　Street。











My　dearest　Friend；I　congratulate　you　on　Mr。　De　Courcy's　arrival；　and　I



advise　you　by　all　means　to　marry　him；　his　father's　estate　is；　we　know；



considerable；　and　I　believe　certainly　enta