lady susan-第4节

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



considerable；　and　I　believe　certainly　entailed。　Sir　Reginald　is　very



infirm；　and　not　likely　to　stand　in　your　way　long。　I　hear　the　young　man　well



spoken　of；　and　though　no　one　can　really　deserve　you；　my　dearest　Susan；　Mr。



De　Courcy　may　be　worth　having。　Mainwaring　will　storm　of　course；　but　you



easily　pacify　him；　besides；　the　most　scrupulous　point　of　honour　could　not



require　you　to　wait　for　HIS　emancipation。　I　have　seen　Sir　James；　he　came　to



town　for　a　few　days　last　week；　and　called　several　times　in　Edward　Street。　I



talked　to　him　about　you　and　your　daughter；　and　he　is　so　far　from　having



forgotten　you；　that　I　am　sure　he　would　marry　either　of　you　with　pleasure。　I



gave　him　hopes　of　Frederica's　relenting；　and　told　him　a　great　deal　of　her



improvements。　I　scolded　him　for　making　love　to　Maria　Mainwaring；　he



protested　that　he　had　been　only　in　joke；　and　we　both　laughed　heartily　at



her　disappointment；　and；　in　short；　were　very　agreeable。　He　is　as　silly　as



ever。







Yours　faithfully；







ALICIA。























X











LADY　SUSAN　VERNON　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Churchhill。











I　am　much　obliged　to　you；　my　dear　Friend；　for　your　advice　respecting　Mr。



De　Courcy；　which　I　know　was　given　with　the　full　conviction　of　its



expediency；　though　I　am　not　quite　determined　on　following　it。　I　cannot



easily　resolve　on　anything　so　serious　as　marriage；　especially　as　I　am　not



at　present　in　want　of　money；　and　might　perhaps；　till　the　old　gentleman's



death；　be　very　little　benefited　by　the　match。　It　is　true　that　I　am　vain



enough　to　believe　it　within　my　reach。　I　have　made　him　sensible　of　my　power；



and　can　now　enjoy　the　pleasure　of　triumphing　over　a　mind　prepared　to



dislike　me；　and　prejudiced　against　all　my　past　actions。　His　sister；　too；



is；　I　hope；　convinced　how　little　the　ungenerous　representations　of　anyone



to　the　disadvantage　of　another　will　avail　when　opposed　by　the　immediate



influence　of　intellect　and　manner。　I　see　plainly　that　she　is　uneasy　at　my



progress　in　the　good　opinion　of　her　brother；　and　conclude　that　nothing　will



be　wanting　on　her　part　to　counteract　me；　but　having　once　made　him　doubt　the



justice　of　her　opinion　of　me；　I　think　I　may　defy；　her。　It　has　been



delightful　to　me　to　watch　his　advances　towards　intimacy；　especially　to



observe　his　altered　manner　in　consequence　　of　my　repressing　by　the　cool



dignity　of　my　deportment　his　insolent　approach　to　direct　familiarity。　My



conduct　has　been　equally　guarded　from　the　first；　and　I　never　behaved　less



like　a　coquette　in　the　whole　course　of　my　life；　though　perhaps　my　desire　of



dominion　was　never　more　decided。　I　have　subdued　him　entirely　by　sentiment



and　serious　conversation；　and　made　him；　I　may　venture　to　say；　at　least



half　in　love　with　me；　without　the　semblance　of　the　most　commonplace



flirtation。　Mrs。　Vernon's　consciousness　of　deserving　every　sort　of　revenge



that　it　can　be　in　my　power　to　inflict　for　her　ill…offices　could　alone



enable　her　to　perceive　that　I　am　actuated　by　any　design　in　behaviour　so



gentle　and　unpretending。　Let　her　think　and　act　as　she　chooses；　however。　I



have　never　yet　found　that　the　advice　of　a　sister　could　prevent　a　young



man's　being　in　love　if　he　chose。　We　are　advancing　now　to　some　kind　of



confidence；　and　in　short　are　likely　to　be　engaged　in　a　sort　of　platonic



friendship。　On　my　side　you　may　be　sure　of　its　never　being　more；　for　if　I



were　not　attached　to　another　person　as　much　as　I　can　be　to　anyone；　I　should



make　a　point　of　not　bestowing　my　affection　on　a　man　who　had　dared　to　think



so　meanly　of　me。　Reginald　has　a　good　figure　and　is　not　unworthy　the　praise



you　have　heard　given　him；　but　is　still　greatly　inferior　to　our　friend　at



Langford。　He　is　less　polished；　less　insinuating　than　Mainwaring；　and　is



comparatively　deficient　in　the　power　of　saying　those　delightful　things



which　put　one　in　good　humour　with　oneself　and　all　the　world。　He　is　quite



agreeable　enough；　however；　to　afford　me　amusement；　and　to　make　many　of



those　hours　pass　very　pleasantly　which　would　otherwise　be　spent　in



endeavouring　to　overcome　my　sister…in…law's　reserve；　and　listening　to　the



insipid　talk　of　her　husband。　Your　account　of　Sir　James　is　most



satisfactory；　　and　I　mean　to　give　Miss　Frederica　a　hint　of　my　intentions



very　soon。







Yours；　&c。；







S。　VERNON。























XI











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill











I　really　grow　quite　uneasy；　my　dearest　mother；　about　Reginald；　from



witnessing　the　very　rapid　increase　of　Lady　Susan's　influence。　They　are　now



on　terms　of　the　most　particular　friendship；　frequently　engaged　in　long



conversations　together；　and　she　has　contrived　by　the　most　artful　coquetry



to　subdue　his　judgment　to　her　own　purposes。　It　is　impossible　to　see　the



intimacy　between　them　so　very　soon　established　without　some　alarm；　though　I



can　hardly　suppose　that　Lady　Susan's　plans　extend　to　marriage。　I　wish　you



could　get　Reginald　home　again　on　any　plausible　pretence；　he　is　not　at　all



disposed　to　leave　us；　and　I　have　given　him　as　many　hints　of　my　father's



precarious　state　of　health　as　common　decency　will　allow　me　to　do　in　my　own



house。　Her　power　over　him　must　now　be　boundless；　as　she　has　entirely



effaced　all　his　former　ill…opinion；　and　persuaded　him　not　merely　to　forget



but　to　justify　her　conduct。　Mr。　Smith's　account　of　her　proceedings　at



Langford；　where　he　accused　her　of　having　made　Mr。　Mainwaring　and　a　young



man　engaged　to　Miss　Mainwaring　distractedly　in　love　with　her；　which



Reginald　firmly　believed　when　he　came　here；　is　now；　he　is　persuaded；　only　a



scandalous　invention。　He　has　told　me　so　with　a　warmth　of　manner　which　spoke



his　regret　at　having　believed　the　contrary　himself。　How　sincerely　do　I



grieve　that　she　ever　entered　this　house！　I　always　looked　forward　to　her



coming　with　uneasiness；　but　very　far　was　it　from　originating　in　anxiety　for



Reginald。　I　expected　a　most　disagreeable　companion　for　myself；　but　could



not　imagine　that　my　brother　would　be　in　the　smallest　danger　of　being



captivated　by　a　woman　with　whose　principles　he　was　so　well　acquainted；　and



whose　character　he　so　heartily　despised。　If　you　can　get　him　away　it　will　be



a　good　thing。







Yours；　&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON。























XII











SIR　REGINALD　DE　COURCY　TO　HIS　SON











Parklands。











I　know　that　young　men　in　general　do　not　admit　of　any　enquiry　even　from



their　nearest　relations　into　affairs　of　the　heart；　but　I　hope；　my　dear



Reginald；　that　you　will　be　superior　to　such　as　allow　nothing　for　a　father's



anxiety；　and　think　themselves　privileged　to　refuse　him　their　confidence　and



slight　his　advice。　You　must　be　sensible　that　as　an　only　son；　and　the



representative　of　an　ancient　family；　your　conduct　in　life　is　most



interesting　to　your　connections；　and　in　the　very　important　concern　of



marriage　especially；　there　is　everything　at　stakeyour　own　happiness；　that



of　your　parents；　and　the　credit　of　your　name。　I　do　not　suppose　that　you



would　deliberately　form　an　absolute　engagement　of　that　nature　without



acquainting　your　mother　and　myself；　or　at　least；　without　being　convinced



that　we　should　approve　of　your　choice；　but　I　cannot　help　fearing　that　you



may　be　drawn　in；　by　the　lady　who　has　lately　attached　you；　to　a　marriage



which　the　whole　of　your　family；　far　and　near；　must　highly　reprobate。　Lady



Susan's　age　is　itself　a　material　objection；　but　her　want　of　character　is



one　so　much　more　serious；　that　the　difference　of　even　twelve　years　becomes



in　comparison　of　small　amount。　Were　you　not　blinded　by　a　sort　of



fascination；　it　would　be　ridiculous　in　me　to　repeat　the　instances　of　great



misconduct　on　her　side　so　very　generally　known。







Her　neglect　of　her　husband；　her　encouragement　of　other　men；　her



extravagance　and　dissipation；　were　so　gross　and　notorious　that　no　one　could



be　ignorant　of　them　at　the　time；　nor　can　now　have　forgotten　them。　To　our



family　she　has　always　been　represented　in　softened　colours　by　the



benevolence　of　Mr。　Charles　Vernon；　and　yet；　in　spite　of　his　generous



endeavours　to　excuse　her；　we　know　that　she　did；　from　the　most　selfish



motives；　take　all　possible　pains　to　prevent　his　marriage　with　Catherine。







My　years　and　increasing　infirmities　make　me　very　desirous　of　seeing　you



settled　in　the　world。　To　the　fortune　of　a　wife；　the　goodness