lady susan-第4章

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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　of　my　own　will



make　me　indifferent；　but　her　family　and　character　must　be　equally



unexceptionable。　When　your　choice　is　fixed　so　that　no　objection　can　be



made　to　it；　then　I　can　promise　you　a　ready　and　cheerful　consent；　but　it　is



my　duty　to　oppose　a　match　which　deep　art　only　could　render　possible；　and



must　in　the　end　make　wretched。　It　is　possible　her　behaviour　may　arise　only



from　vanity；　or　the　wish　of　gaining　the　admiration　of　a　man　whom　she　must



imagine　to　be　particularly　prejudiced　against　her；　but　it　is　more　likely



that　she　should　aim　at　something　further。　She　is　poor；　and　may　naturally



seek　an　alliance　which　must　be　advantageous　to　herself；　you　know　your　own



rights；　and　that　it　is　out　of　my　power　to　prevent　your　inheriting　the



family　estate。　My　ability　of　distressing　you　during　my　life　would　be　a



species　of　revenge　to　which　I　could　hardly　stoop　under　any　circumstances。







I　honestly　tell　you　my　sentiments　and　intentions：　I　do　not　wish　to　work



on　your　fears；　but　on　your　sense　and　affection。　It　would　destroy　every



comfort　of　my　life　to　know　that　you　were　married　to　Lady　Susan　Vernon；　it



would　be　the　death　of　that　honest　pride　with　which　I　have　hitherto



considered　my　son；　I　should　blush　to　see　him；　to　hear　of　him；　to　think　of



him。　I　may　perhaps　do　no　good　but　that　of　relieving　my　own　mind　by　this



letter；　but　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　tell　you　that　your　partiality　for　Lady



Susan　is　no　secret　to　your　friends；　and　to　warn　you　against　her。　I　should



be　glad　to　hear　your　reasons　for　disbelieving　Mr。　Smith's　intelligence；　you



had　no　doubt　of　its　authenticity　a　month　ago。　If　you　can　give　me　your



assurance　of　having　no　design　beyond　enjoying　the　conversation　of　a　clever



woman　for　a　short　period；　and　of　yielding　admiration　only　to　her　beauty　and



abilities；　without　being　blinded　by　them　to　her　faults；　you　will　restore　me



to　happiness　；but；　if　you　cannot　do　this；　explain　to　me；　at　least；　what　has



occasioned　so　great　an　alteration　in　your　opinion　of　her。







I　am；　&c。；　&c；







REGINALD　DE　COURCY























XIII











LADY　DE　COURCY　TO　MRS。　VERNON











Parklands。











My　dear　Catherine；Unluckily　I　was　confined　to　my　room　when　your　last



letter　came；　by　a　cold　which　affected　my　eyes　so　much　as　to　prevent　my



reading　it　myself；　so　I　could　not　refuse　Your　father　when　he　offered　to



read　it　to　me；　by　which　means　he　became　acquainted；　to　my　great　vexation；



with　all　your　fears　about　your　brother。　I　had　intended　to　write　to　Reginald



myself　as　soon　as　my　eyes　would　let　me；　to　point　out；　as　well　as　I　could；



the　danger　of　an　intimate　acquaintance；　with　so　artful　a　woman　as　Lady



Susan；　to　a　young　man　of　his　age；　and　high　　expectations。　I　meant；



moreover；　to　have　reminded　him　of　our　being　quite　alone　now；　and　very　much



in　need　of　him　to　keep　up　our　spirits　these　long　winter　evenings。　Whether



it　would　have　done　any　good　can　never　be　settled　now；　but　I　am　excessively



vexed　that　Sir　Reginald　should　know　anything　of　a　matter　which　we　foresaw



would　make　him　so　uneasy。　He　caught　all　your　fears　the　moment　he　had　read



your　letter；　and　I　am　sure　he　has　not　had　the　business　out　of　his　head



since。　He　wrote　by　the　same　post　to　Reginald　a　long　letter　full　of　it　all；



and　particularly　asking　an　explanation　of　what　he　may　have　heard　from　Lady



Susan　to　contradict　the　late　shocking　reports。　His　answer　came　this



morning；　which　I　shall　enclose　to　you；　as　I　think　you　will　like　to　see　it。



I　wish　it　was　more　satisfactory；　but　it　seems　written　with　such　a



determination　to　think　well　of　Lady　Susan；　that　his　assurances　as　to



marriage；　&c。；　do　not　set　my　heart　at　ease。　I　say　all　I　can；　however；　to



satisfy　your　father；　and　he　is　certainly　less　uneasy　since　Reginald's



letter。　How　provoking　it　is；　my　dear　Catherine；　that　this　unwelcome　guest



of　yours　should　not　only　prevent　our　meeting　this　Christmas；　but　be　the



occasion　of　so　much　vexation　and　trouble！　Kiss　the　dear　children　for　me。







Your　affectionate　mother；







C。　DE　COURCY。























XIV











MR。　DE　COURCY　TO　SIR　REGINALD











Churchhill。











My　dear　Sir；I　have　this　moment　received　your　letter；　which　has　given



me　more　astonishment　than　I　ever　felt　before。　I　am　to　thank　my　sister；　I



suppose；　for　having　represented　me　in　such　a　light　as　to　injure　me　in　your



opinion；　and　give　you　all　this　alarm。　I　know　not　why　she　should　choose　to



make　herself　and　her　family　uneasy　by　apprehending　an　event　which　no　one



but　herself；　I　can　affirm；　would　ever　have　thought　possible。　To　impute　such



a　design　to　Lady　Susan　would　be　taking　from　her　every　claim　to　that



excellent　understanding　which　her　bitterest　enemies　have　never　denied　her；



and　equally　low　must　sink　my　pretensions　to　common　sense　if　I　am　suspected



of　matrimonial　views　in　my　behaviour　to　her。　Our　difference　of　age　must　be



an　insuperable　objection；　and　I　entreat　you；　my　dear　father；　to　quiet　your



mind；　and　no　longer　harbour　a　suspicion　which　cannot　he　more　injurious　to



your　own　peace　than　to　our　understandings。　I　can　have　no　other　view　in



remaining　with　Lady　Susan；　than　to　enjoy　for　a　short　time　（as　you　have



yourself　expressed　it）　the　conversation　　of　a　woman　of　high　intellectual



powers。　If　Mrs。　Vernon　would　allow　something　to　my　affection　for　herself



and　her　husband　in　the　length　of　my　visit；　she　would　do　more　justice　to　us



all；　but　my　sister　is　unhappily　prejudiced　beyond　the　hope　of　conviction



against　Lady　Susan。　From　an　attachment　to　her　husband；　which　in　itself　does



honour　to　both；　she　cannot　forgive　the　endeavours　at　preventing　their



union；　which　have　been　attributed　to　selfishness　in　Lady　Susan；　but　in　this



case；　as　well　as　in　many　others；　the　world　has　most　grossly　injured　that



lady；　by　supposing　the　worst　where　the　motives　of　her　conduct　have　been



doubtful。　Lady　Susan　had　heard　something　so　materially　to　the　disadvantage



of　my　sister　as　to　persuade　her　that　the　happiness　of　Mr。　Vernon；　to　whom



she　was　always　much　attached；　would　be　wholly　destroyed　by　the　marriage。



And　this　circumstance；　while　it　explains　the　true　motives　of　Lady　Susan's



conduct；　and　removes　all　the　blame　which　has　been　so　lavished　on　her；　may



also　convince　us　how　little　the　general　report　of　anyone　ought　to　be



credited；　since　no　character；　however　upright；　can　escape　the　malevolence



of　slander。　If　my　sister；　in　the　security　of　retirement；　with　as　little



opportunity　as　inclination　to　do　evil；　could　not　avoid　censure；　we　must　not



rashly　condemn　those　who；　living　in　the　world　and　surrounded　with



temptations；　should　be　accused　of　errors　which　they　are　known　to　have　the



power　of　committing。







I　blame　myself　severely　for　having　so　easily　believed　the　slanderous



tales　invented　by　Charles　Smith　to　the　prejudice　of　Lady　Susan；　as　I　am　now



convinced　how　greatly　they　have　traduced　her。　As　to　Mrs。　Mainwaring's



jealousy　it　was　totally　his　own　invention；　and　his　account　of　her　attaching



Miss　Mainwaring's　lover　was　scarcely　better　founded。　Sir　James　Martin　had



been　drawn　in　by　that　young　lady　to　pay　her　some　attention；　and　as　he　is　a



man　of　fortune；　it　was　easy　to　see　HER　views　extended　to　marriage。　It　is



well　known　that　Miss　M。　is　absolutely　on　the　catch　for　a　husband；　and　no



one　therefore　can　pity　her　for　losing；　by　the　superior　attractions　of



another　woman；　the　chance　of　being　able　to　make　a　worthy　man　completely



wretched。　Lady　Susan　was　far　from　intending　such　a　conquest；　and