lady susan-第6章

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penitent。　She　is　very　pretty；　though　not　so　handsome　as　her　mother；　nor　at



all　like　her。　Her　complexion　is　delicate；　but　neither　so　fair　nor　so



blooming　as　Lady　Susan's；　and　she　has　quite　the　Vernon　cast　of　countenance；



the　oval　face　and　mild　dark　eyes；　and　there　is　peculiar　sweetness　in　her



look　when　she　speaks　either　to　her　uncle　or　me；　for　as　we　behave　kindly　to



her　we　have　of　course　engaged　her　gratitude。







Her　mother　has　insinuated　that　her　temper　is　intractable；　but　I　never



saw　a　face　less　indicative　of　any　evil　disposition　than　hers；　and　from　what



I　can　see　of　the　behaviour　of　each　to　the　other；　the　invariable　severity　of



Lady　Susan　and　the　silent　dejection　of　Frederica；　I　am　led　to　believe　as



heretofore　that　the　former　has　no　real　love　for　her　daughter；　and　has　never



done　her　justice　or　treated　her　affectionately。　I　have　not　been　able　to



have　any　conversation　with　my　niece；　she　is　shy；　and　I　think　I　can　see　that



some　pains　are　taken　to　prevent　her　being　much　with　me。　Nothing



satisfactory　transpires　as　to　her　reason　for　running　away。　Her　kind…hearted



uncle；　you　may　be　sure；　was　too　fearful　of　distressing　her　to　ask　many



questions　as　they　travelled。　I　wish　it　had　been　possible　for　me　to　fetch



her　instead　of　him。　I　think　I　should　have　discovered　the　truth　in　the



course　of　a　thirty…mile　journey。　The　small　pianoforte　has　been　removed



within　these　few　days；　at　Lady　Susan's　request；　into　her　dressing…room；　and



Frederica　spends　great　part　of　the　day　there；　practising　as　it　is　called；



but　I　seldom　hear　any　noise　when　I　pass　that　way；　what　she　does　with



herself　there　I　do　not　know。　There　are　plenty　of　books；　but　it　is　not　every



girl　who　has　been　running　wild　the　first　fifteen　years　of　her　life；　that



can　or　will　read。　Poor　creature！　the　prospect　from　her　window　is　not　very



instructive；　for　that　room　overlooks　the　lawn；　you　know；　with　the　shrubbery



on　one　side；　where　she　may　see　her　mother　walking　for　an　hour　together　in



earnest　conversation　with　Reginald。　A　girl　of　Frederica's　age　must　be



childish　indeed；　if　such　things　do　not　strike　her。　Is　it　not　inexcusable　to



give　such　an　example　to　a　daughter？　Yet　Reginald　still　thinks　Lady　Susan



the　best　of　mothers；　and　still　condemns　Frederica　as　a　worthless　girl！　He



is　convinced　that　her　attempt　to　run　away　proceeded　from　no；　justifiable



cause；　and　had　no　provocation。　I　am　sure　I　cannot　say　that　it　HAD；　but



while　Miss　Summers　declares　that　Miss　Vernon　showed　no　signs　of　obstinacy



or　perverseness　during　her　whole　stay　in　　Wigmore　Street；　till　she　was



detected　in　this　scheme；　I　cannot　so　readily　credit　what　Lady　Susan　has



made　him；　and　wants　to　make　me　believe；　that　it　was　merely　an　impatience　of



restraint　and　a　desire　of　escaping　from　the　tuition　of　masters　which



brought　on　the　plan　of　an　elopement。　O　Reginald；　how　is　your　judgment



enslaved！　He　scarcely　dares　even　allow　her　to　be　handsome；　and　when　I



speak　of　her　beauty；　replies　only　that　her　eyes　have　no　brilliancy！



Sometimes　he　is　sure　she　is　deficient　in　understanding；　and　at　others　that



her　temper　only　is　in　fault。　In　short；　when　a　person　is　always　to　deceive；



it　is　impossible　to　be　consistent。　Lady　Susan　finds　it　necessary　that



Frederica　should　be　to　blame；　and　probably　has　sometimes　judged　it



expedient　to　excuse　her　of　ill…nature　and　sometimes　to　lament　her　want　of



sense。　Reginald　is　only　repeating　after　her　ladyship。







I　remain；　&c。；　&c。；







CATHERINE　VERNON。























XVIII











FROM　THE　SAME　TO　THE　SAME











Churchhill。











My　dear　Mother；I　am　very　glad　to　find　that　my　description　of　Frederica



Vernon　has　interested　you；　for　I　do　believe　her　truly　deserving　of　your



regard；　and　when　I　have　communicated　a　notion　which　has　recently　struck　me；



your　kind　impressions　in　her　favour　will；　I　am　sure；　be　heightened。　I



cannot　help　fancying　that　she　is　growing　partial　to　my　brother。　I　so　very



often　see　her　eyes　fixed　on　his　face　with　a　remarkable　expression　of



pensive　admiration。　He　is　certainly　very　handsome；　and　yet　more；　there　is



an　openness　in　his　manner　that　must　be　highly　prepossessing；　and　I　am　sure



she　feels　it　so。　Thoughtful　and　pensive　in　general；　her　countenance　always



brightens　into　a　smile　when　Reginald　says　anything　amusing；　and；　let　the



subject　be　ever　so　serious　that　he　may　be　conversing　on；　I　am　much　mistaken



if　a　syllable　of　his　uttering　escapes　her。　I　want　to　make　him　sensible　of



all　this；　for　we　know　the　power　of　gratitude　on　such　a　heart　as　his；　and



could　Frederica's　artless　affection　detach　him　from　her　mother；　we　might



bless　the　day　which　brought　her　to　Churchhill。　I　think；　my　dear　mother；　you



would　not　disapprove　of　her　as　a　daughter。　She　is　extremely　young；　to　be



sure；　has　had　a　wretched　education；　and　a　dreadful　example　of　levity　in　her



mother；　but　yet　I　can　pronounce　her　disposition　to　be　excellent；　and　her



natural　abilities　very　good。　Though　totally　without　accomplishments；　she　is



by　no　means　so　ignorant　as　one　might　expect　to　find　her；　being　fond　of



books　and　spending　the　chief　of　her　time　in　reading。　Her　mother　leaves　her



more　to　herself　than　she　did；　and　I　have　her　with　me　as　much　as　possible；



and　have　taken　great　pains　to　overcome　her　timidity。　We　are　very　good



friends；　and　though　she　never　opens　her　lips　before　her　mother；　she　talks



enough　when　alone　with　me　to　make　it　clear　that；　if　properly　treated　by



Lady　Susan；　she　would　always　appear　to　much　greater　advantage。　There　cannot



be　a　more　gentle；　affectionate　heart；　or　more　obliging　manners；　when　acting



without　restraint；　and　her　little　cousins　are　all　very　fond　of　her。







Your　affectionate　daughter；







C。　VERNON























XIX











LADY　SUSAN　TO　MRS。　JOHNSON











Churchhill。











You　will　be　eager；　I　know；　to　hear　something　further　of　Frederica；　and



perhaps　may　think　me　negligent　for　not　writing　before。　She　arrived　with　her



uncle　last　Thursday　fortnight；　when；　of　course；　I　lost　no　time　in　demanding



the　cause　of　her　behaviour；　and　soon　found　myself　to　have　been　perfectly



right　in　attributing　it　to　my　own　letter。　The　prospect　of　it　frightened　her



so　thoroughly；　that；　with　a　mixture　of　true　girlish　perverseness　and　folly；



she　resolved　on　getting　out　of　the　house　and　proceeding　directly　by　the



stage　to　her　friends；　the　Clarkes；　and　had　really　got　as　far　as　the　length



of　two　streets　in　her　journey　when　she　was　fortunately　missed；　pursued；　and



overtaken。　Such　was　the　first　distinguished　exploit　of　Miss　Frederica



Vernon；　and；　if　we　consider　that　it　was　achieved　at　the　tender　age　of



sixteen；　we　shall　have　room　for　the　most　flattering　prognostics　of　her



future　renown。　I　am　excessively　provoked；　however；　at　the　parade　of



propriety　which　prevented　Miss　Summers　from　keeping　the　girl；　and　it　seems



so　extraordinary　a　piece　of　nicety；　considering　my　daughter's　family



connections；　that　I　can　only　suppose　the　lady　to　be　governed　by　the　fear　of



never　getting　her　money。　Be　that　as　it　may；　however；　Frederica　is　returned



on　my　hands；　and；　having　nothing　else　to　employ　her；　is　busy　in　pursuing



the　plan　of　romance　begun　at　Langford。　She　is　actually　falling　in　love　with



Reginald　De　Courcy！　To　disobey　her　mother　by　refusing　an　unexceptionable



offer　is　not　enough；　her　affections　must　also　be　given　without　her　mother's



approbation。　I　never　saw　a　girl　of　her　age　bid　fairer　to　be　the　sport　of



mankind。　Her　feelings　are　tolerably　acute；　and　she　is　so　charmingly　artless



in　their　display　as　to　afford　the　most　reasonable　hope　of　her　being



ridiculous；　and　despised　by　every　man　who　sees　her。







Artlessness　will　never　do　in　love　matters；　and　that　girl　is　born　a



simpleton　who　has　it　either　by　nature　or　affectation。　I　am　not　yet　certain



that　Reginald　sees　what　she　is　about；　nor　is　it　of　much　consequence。　She　is



now　an　object　of　indifference　to　him；　and　she　would　be　one　of　contempt　were



he　to　understand　her　emotions。　Her　beauty　is　much　admired　by　the　Vernons；



but　it　has　no　effect　on　him。　She　is　in　high　favour　with　her　aunt



altogether；　because　she　is　so　little　like　myself；　of　course。　She　is　exactly



the　companion　for　Mrs。　Vernon；　who　dearly　loves　to　be　firm；　and　to　have



all　the　sense　and　all　the　wit　of　the　conversation　to　herself：　Frederica



will　never　eclipse　her。　When　she　first　came　I　was　at　some　pains　to　prevent



her　seeing　much　of　her　aunt；　but　I　have　relaxed；　as　I　believe　I　may　depend



on　her　observing　the　rules　I　have　laid　down　for　their　discourse。　But　do　not



imagine　that　with　all　this　lenity　I　have　for　a　moment　given　up　my　plan　of



her　marriage。　No；　I　am　unalterably　fixed　on　this　point；　though　I　have　not



yet　quite　decided　on　the　manner　of　bringing　it　about。　I　should　not　chuse　to



have　the　business　brought　on　here；　and　canvassed　by　the　wise　heads　of　Mr。



and　Mrs。　Vernon；　and　I　cannot　just　now　afford　to　go　to　town。　Miss　Frederica



must　therefore　wait　a　little。







Yours　ever；







S。　VERNON。























XX











MRS。　VERNON　TO　LADY　DE　COURCY











Churchhill











We　have　a　very　unexpected　guest　with　us　at　present；　my　dear　Mother：　he



arrived　yesterday。　I　heard　a　carriage　at　the　door；　as　I　was　sitting　with　my



children　while　they　dined；　and　supposing　I　should　be　wanted；　left　the



nursery　soon　afterwards；　and　was　half…way　downstairs；　when　Frederica；　as



pale　as　ashes；　came　running　up；　and　rushed　by　me　into　her　own　room。　I



instantly　followed；　and　asked　her　what　was　the　matter。　〃Oh！〃　said　she；　〃he



is　comeSir　James　is　come；　and　what　shall　I　do？〃　This　was　no　explanation；



I　begged　her　to　tell　me　what　she　meant。　At　that　moment　we　were　interrupted



by　a　knock　at　the　door：　it　was　Reginald；　who　came；　by　Lady　Susan's



direction；　to　call　Frederica　down。　〃It　is　Mr。　De　Courcy！　〃　said　she；



colouring　violently。　〃Mamma　has　sent　for　me；　I　must　go。〃　We　all　three　went



down　together；　and　I　saw　my　brother　examining　the　terrified　face　of



Frederica　with　surprize。　In　the　breakfast…room　we　found　Lady　Susan；　and　a



young　man　of　gentlemanlike　appearance；　whom　she　introduced　by　the　name　of



Sir　James　Martinthe　very　person；　as　you　may　remember；　whom　it　was　said



she　had　been　at　pains　to　detach　from　Miss　Mainwaring；　but　the　conquest；　it



seems；　was　not　designed　for　herself；　or　she　has　since　transferred　it　to　her



d