lady susan-第12章

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been　all　closeted　together。　What　can　be　done？　At　any　rate；　I　hope　he　will



plague　his　wife　more　than　ever。　With　anxious　wishes；



Yours　faithfully；







ALICIA。























XXXIII











LADY　SUSAN　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Upper　Seymour　Street。











This　eclaircissement　is　rather　provoking。　How　unlucky　that　you　should



have　been　from　home！　I　thought　myself　sure　of　you　at　seven！　I　am　undismayed



however。　Do　not　torment　yourself　with　fears　on　my　account；　depend　on　it；　I



can　make　my　story　good　with　Reginald。　Mainwaring　　is　just　gone；　he　brought



me　the　news　of　his　wife's　arrival。　Silly　woman；　what　does　she　expect　by



such　manoeuvres。？　Yet　I　wish　she　had　stayed　quietly　at　Langford。　　Reginald



will　be　a　little　enraged　at　first；　but　by　to…morrow's　dinner；　everything



will　be　well　again。







Adieu！







S。　V。























XXXIV











MR。　DE　COURCY　TO　LADY　SUSAN











…　Hotel











I　write　only　to　bid　you　farewell；　the　spell　is　removed；　I　see　you　as　you



are。　Since　we　parted　yesterday；　I　have　received　from　indisputable　authority



such　a　history　of　you　as　must　bring　the　most　mortifying　conviction　of　the



imposition　　I　have　been　under；　and　the　absolute　necessity　of　an　immediate



and　eternal　separation　from　you。　You　cannot　doubt　to　what　I　allude。



Langford！　Langford！　that　word　will　be　sufficient。　I　received　my　information



in　Mr。　Johnson's　house；　from　Mrs。　Mainwaring　herself。　You　know　how　I　have



loved　you；　you　can　intimately　judge　of　my　present　feelings；　but　I　am　not　so



weak　as　to　find　indulgence　in　describing　them　to　a　woman　who　will　glory　in



having　excited　their　anguish；　but　whose　affection　they　have　never　been　able



to　gain。







R。　DE　COURCY。























XXXV











LADY　SUSAN　TO　MR。　DE　COURCY











Upper　Seymour　Street。











I　will　not　attempt　to　describe　my　astonishment　in　reading　the　note　this



moment　received　from　you。　I　am　bewildered　in　my　endeavours　to　form　some



rational　conjecture　of　what　Mrs。　Mainwaring　can　have　told　you　to　occasion



so　extraordinary　　a　change　in　your　sentiments。　Have　I　not　explained



everything　to　you　with　respect　to　myself　which　could　bear　a　doubtful



meaning；　and　which　the　ill…nature　of　the　world　had　interpreted　to　my



discredit？　What　can　you　now　have　heard　to　stagger　your　esteem　for　me？　Have



I　ever　had　a　concealment　from　you？　Reginald；　you　agitate　me　beyond



expression；　I　cannot　suppose　that　the　old　story　of　Mrs。　Mainwaring's



jealousy　can　be　revived　again；　or　at　least　be　LISTENED　to　again。　Come　to　me



immediately；　and　explain　what　is　at　present　absolutely　incomprehensible。



Believe　me　the　single　word　of　Langford　is　not　of　such　potent　intelligence



as　to　supersede　the　necessity　of　more。　If　we　ARE　to　part；　it　will　at　least



be　handsome　to　take　your　personal　leavebut　I　have　little　heart　to　jest；



in　truth；　I　am　serious　enough；　for　to　be　sunk；　though　but　for　an　hour；　in



your　esteem　Is　a　humiliation　to　which　I　know　not　how　to　submit。　I　shall



count　every　minute　till　your　arrival。







S。　V。























XXXVI











MR。　DE　COURCY　TO　LADY　SUSAN











　Hotel。











Why　would　you　write　to　me？　Why　do　you　require　particulars？　But；　since　it



must　be　so；　I　am　obliged　to　declare　that　all　the　accounts　of　your



misconduct　during　the　life；　and　since　the　death　of　Mr。　Vernon；　which　had



reached　me；　in　common　with　the　world　in　general；　and　gained　my　entire



belief　before　I　saw　you；　but　which　you；　by　the　exertion　of　your　perverted



abilities；　had　made　me　resolved　to　disallow；　have　been　unanswerably　proved



to　me；　nay　more；　I　am　assured　that　a　connection；　of　which　I　had　never



before　entertained　a　thought；　has　for　some　time　existed；　and　still



continues　to　exist；　between　you　and　the　man　whose　family　you　robbed　of　its



peace　in　return　for　the　hospitality　with　which　you　were　received　into　it；



that　you　have　corresponded　　with　him　ever　since　your　leaving　Langford；　not



with　his　wife；　but　with　him；　and　that　he　now　visits　you　every　day。　Can　you；



dare　you　deny　it？　and　all　this　at　the　time　when　I　was　an　encouraged；　an



accepted　lover！　From　what　have　I　not　escaped！　I　have　only　to　be　grateful。



Far　from　me　be　all　complaint；　every　sigh　of　regret。　My　own　folly　had



endangered　me；　my　preservation　I　owe　to　the　kindness；　the　integrity　of



another；　but　the　unfortunate　Mrs。　Mainwaring；　whose　agonies　while　she



related　the　past　seemed　to　threaten　her　reason；　how　is　SHE　to　be　consoled！



After　such　a　discovery　as　this；　you　will　scarcely　affect　further　wonder　at



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