lady susan-第1章

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LADY　SUSAN







by　　Jane　Austen















I







LADY　SUSAN　VERNON　TO　MR。　VERNON











Langford；　Dec。











MY　DEAR　BROTHER；I　can　no　longer　refuse　myself　the　pleasure　of



profiting　by　your　kind　invitation　when　we　last　parted　of　spending　some



weeks　with　you　at　Churchhill；　and；　therefore；　if　quite　convenient　to　you



and　Mrs。　Vernon　to　receive　me　at　present；　I　shall　hope　within　a　few　days　to



be　introduced　to　a　sister　whom　I　have　so　long　desired　to　be　acquainted



with。　My　kind　friends　here　are　most　affectionately　urgent　with　me　to



prolong　my　stay；　but　their　hospitable　and　cheerful　dispositions　lead　them



too　much　into　society　for　my　present　situation　and　state　of　mind；　and　I



impatiently　look　forward　to　the　hour　when　I　shall　be　admitted　into　Your



delightful　retirement。







I　long　to　be　made　known　to　your　dear　little　children；　in　whose　hearts　I



shall　be　very　eager　to　secure　an　interest　I　shall　soon　have　need　for　all　my



fortitude；　as　I　am　on　the　point　of　separation　from　my　own　daughter。　The



long　illness　of　her　dear　father　prevented　my　paying　her　that　attention



which　duty　and　affection　equally　dictated；　and　I　have　too　much　reason　to



fear　that　the　governess　to　whose　care　I　consigned　her　was　unequal　to　the



charge。　I　have　therefore　resolved　on　placing　her　at　one　of　the　best



private　schools　in　town；　where　I　shall　have　an　opportunity　of　leaving　her



myself　in　my　way　to　you。　I　am　determined；　you　see；　not　to　be　denied



admittance　at　Churchhill。　It　would　indeed　give　me　most　painful　sensations



to　know　that　it　were　not　in　your　power　to　receive　me。







Your　most　obliged　and　affectionate　sister；







S。　VERNON。























II











LADY　SUSAN　VERNON　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Langford。











You　were　mistaken；　my　dear　Alicia；　in　supposing　me　fixed　at　this　place



for　the　rest　of　the　winter：　it　grieves　me　to　say　how　greatly　you　were



mistaken；　for　I　have　seldom　spent　three　months　more　agreeably　than　those



which　have　just　flown　away。　At　present；　nothing　goes　smoothly；　the　females



of　the　family　are　united　against　me。　You　foretold　how　it　would　be　when　I



first　came　to　Langford；　and　Mainwaring　is　so　uncommonly　pleasing　that　I　was



not　without　apprehensions　for　myself。　I　remember　saying　to　myself；　as　I



drove　to　the　house；　〃I　like　this　man；　pray　Heaven　no　harm　come　of　it！〃　But



I　was　determined　to　be　discreet；　to　bear　in　mind　my　being　only　four　months



a　widow；　and　to　be　as　quiet　as　possible：　and　I　have　been　so；　my　dear



creature；　I　have　admitted　no　one's　attentions　but　Mainwaring's。　I　have



avoided　all　general　flirtation　whatever；　I　have　distinguished　no　creature



besides；　of　all　the　numbers　resorting　hither；　except　Sir　James　Martin；　on



whom　I　bestowed　a　little　notice；　in　order　to　detach　him　from　Miss



Mainwaring；　but；　if　the　world　could　know　my　motive　THERE　they　would　honour



me。　I　have　been　called　an　unkind　mother；　but　it　was　the　sacred　impulse　of



maternal　affection；　it　was　the　advantage　of　my　daughter　that　led　me　on；　and



if　that　daughter　were　not　the　greatest　simpleton　on　earth；　I　might　have



been　rewarded　for　my　exertions　as　I　ought。







Sir　James　did　make　proposals　to　me　for　Frederica；　but　Frederica；　who　was



born　to　be　the　torment　of　my　life；　chose　to　set　herself　so　violently



against　the　match　that　I　thought　it　better　to　lay　aside　the　scheme　for　the



present。　I　have　more　than　once　repented　that　I　did　not　marry　him　myself；



and　were　he　but　one　degree　less　contemptibly　weak　I　certainly　should：　but　I



must　own　myself　rather　romantic　in　that　respect；　and　that　riches　only　will



not　satisfy　me。　The　event　of　all　this　is　very　provoking：　Sir　James　is　gone；



Maria　highly　incensed；　and　Mrs。　Mainwaring　insupportably　jealous；　so



jealous；　in　short；　and　so　enraged　against　me；　that；　in　the　fury　of　her



temper；　I　should　not　be　surprized　at　her　appealing　to　her　guardian；　if　she



had　the　liberty　of　addressing　him：　but　there　your　husband　stands　my　friend；



and　the　kindest；　most　amiable　action　of　his　life　was　his　throwing　her　off



for　ever　on　her　marriage。　Keep　up　his　resentment；　therefore；　I　charge　you。



We　are　now　in　a　sad　state；　no　house　was　ever　more　altered；　the　whole　party



are　at　war；　and　Mainwaring　scarcely　dares　speak　to　me。　It　is　time　for　me　to



be　gone；　I　have　therefore　determined　on　leaving　them；　and　shall　spend；　I



hope；　a　comfortable　day　with　you　in　town　within　this　week。　If　I　am　as



little　in　favour　with　Mr。　Johnson　as　ever；　you　must　come　to　me　at　10



Wigmore　street；　but　I　hope　this　may　not　be　the　case；　for　as　Mr。　Johnson；



with　all　his　faults；　is　a　man　to　whom　that　great　word　〃respectable〃　is



always　given；　and　I　am　known　to　be　so　intimate　with　his　wife；　his　slighting



me　has　an　awkward　look。







I　take　London　in　my　way　to　that　insupportable　spot；　a　country　village；



for　I　am　really　going　to　Churchhill。　Forgive　me；　my　dear　friend；　it　is　my



last　resource。　Were　there　another　place　in　England　open　to　me　I　would



prefer　it。　Charles　Vernon　is　my　aversion；　and　I　am　afraid　of　his　wife。　At



Churchhill；　however；　I　must　remain　till　I　have　something　better　in　view。　My



young　lady　accompanies　me　to　town；　where　I　shall　deposit　her　under　the　care



of　Miss　Summers；　in　Wigmore　street；　till　she　becomes　a　little　more



reasonable。　She　will　made　good　connections　there；　as　the　girls　are　all





of　the　best　families。　The　price　is　immense；　and　much　beyond　what　I　can　ever



attempt　to　pay。







Adieu；　I　will　send　you　a　line　as　soon　as　I　arrive　in　town。







Yours　ever；







S。　VERNON。



















III











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill。











My　dear　Mother；I　am　very　sorry　to　tell　you　that　it　will　not　be　in　our



power　to　keep　our　promise　of　spending　our　Christmas　with　you；　and　we　are



prevented　that　happiness　by　a　circumstance　which　is　not　likely　to　make　us



any　amends。　Lady　Susan；　in　a　letter　to　her　brother…in…law；　has　declared　her



intention　of　visiting　us　almost　immediately；　and　as　such　a　visit　is　in　all



probability　merely　an　affair　of　convenience；　it　is　impossible　to　conjecture



its　length。　I　was　by　no　means　prepared　for　such　an　event；　nor　can　I　now



account　for　her　ladyship's　conduct；　Langford　appeared　so　exactly　the　place



for　her　in　every　respect；　as　well　from　the　elegant　and　expensive　style　of



living　there；　as　from　her　particular　attachment　to　Mr。　Mainwaring；　that　I



was　very　far　from　expecting　so　speedy　a　distinction；　though　I　always



imagined　from　her　increasing　friendship　for　us　since　her　husband's　death



that　we　should；　at　some　future　period；　be　obliged　to　receive　her。　Mr。



Vernon；　I　think；　was　a　great　deal　too　kind　to　her　when　he　was　in



Staffordshire；　her　behaviour　to　him；　independent　of　her　general　character；



has　been　so　inexcusably　artful　and　ungenerous　since　our　marriage　was　first



in　agitation　that　no　one　less　amiable　and　mild　than　himself　could　have



overlooked　it　all；　and　though；　as　his　brother's　widow；　and　in　narrow



circumstances；　it　was　proper　to　render　her　pecuniary　assistance；　I　cannot



help　thinking　his　pressing　invitation　to　her　to　visit　us　at　Churchhill



perfectly　unnecessary。　Disposed；　however；　as　he　always　is　to　think　the



best　of　everyone；　her　display　of　grief；　and　professions　of　regret；　and



general　resolutions　of　prudence；　were　sufficient　to　soften　his　heart　and



make　him　really　confide　in　her　sincerity；　but；　as　for　myself；　I　am　still



unconvinced；　and　plausibly　as　her　ladyship　has　now　written；　I　cannot　make



up　my　mind　till　I　better　understand　her　real　meaning　in　coming　to　us。　You



may　guess；　therefore；　my　dear　madam；　with　what　feelings　I　look　forward　to



her　arrival。　She　will　have　occasion　for　all　those　attractive　powers　for



which　she　is　celebrated　to　gain　any　share　of　my　regard；　and　I　shall



certainly　endeavour　to　guard　myself　against　their　influence；　if　not



accompanied　by　something　more　substantial。　She　expresses　a　most　eager



desire　of　being　acquainted　with　me；　and　makes　very　gracious　mention　of　my



children　but　I　am　not　quite　weak　enough　to　suppose　a　woman　who　has　behaved



with　inattention；　if　not　with　unkindness；　to　her　own　child；　should　be



attached　to　any　of　mine。　Miss　Vernon　is　to　be　placed　at　a　school　in　London



before　her　mother　comes　to　us　which　I　am　glad　of；　for　her　sake　and　my　own。



It　must　be　to　her　advantage　to　be　separated　from　her　mother；　and　a　girl　of



sixteen　who　has　received　so　wretched　an　education；　could　not　be　a　very



desirable　companion　here。　Reginald　has　long　wished；　I　know；　to　see　the



captivating　Lady　Susan；　and　we　shall　depend　on　his　joining　our　party　soon。



I　am　glad　to　hear　that　my　father　continues　so　well；　and　am；　with　best　love；



&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON。























IV











MR。　DE　COURCY　TO　MRS。　VERNON











Parklands。











My　dear　Sister；I　congratulate　you　and　Mr。　Vernon　on　being　about　to



receive　into　your　family　the　most　accomplished　coquette　in　England。　As　a



very　distinguished　flirt　I　have　always　been　taught　to　consider　her；　but　it



has　lately　fallen　In　my　way　to　hear　some　particulars　of　her　conduct　at



Langford：　which　prove　that　she　does　not　confine　herself　to　that　sort　of



honest　flirtation　which　satisfies　most　people；　but　aspires　to　the　more



delicious　gratification　of　making　a　whole　family　miserable。　By　her



behaviour　to　Mr。　Mainwaring　she　gave　jealousy　and　wretchedness　to　his　wife；



and　by　her　attentions　to　a　young　man　previously　attached　to　Mr。



Mainwaring's　sister　deprived　an　amiable　girl　of　her　lover。







I　learnt　all　this　from　Mr。　Smith；　now　in　this　neighbourhood　（I　have



dined　with　him；　at　Hurst　and　Wilford）；　who　is　just　come　from　Langford　where



he　was　a　fortnight　with　her　ladyship；　and　who　is　therefore　well　qualified



to　make　the　communication。







What　a　woman　she　must　be！　I　long　to　see　her；　and　shall　certainly　accept



your　kind　invitation；　that　I　may　form　some　idea　of　those　bewitching　powers



which　can　do　so　muchengaging　at　the　same　time；　and　in　the　same　house；　the



affections　of　two　men；　who　were　neither　of　them　at　liberty　to　bestow　them…



…and　all　this　without　the　charm　of　youth！　I　am　glad　to　find　Miss　Vernon



does　not　accompany　her　mother　to　Churchhill；　as　she　has　not　even　manners　to



recommend　her；　and；　according　to　Mr。　Smith's　account；　is　equally　dull　and



proud。　Wh