lady susan-第3章

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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　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；