lady susan-第18章

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of　success；　was　resolved　to　leave　nothing　unattempted　that　might　offer　a



chance　of　obtaining　her　sister…in…law's　consent　to　it。　Her　anxiety　on　the



subject　made　her　press　for　an　early　visit　to　London；　and　Mr。　Vernon；　who；



as　it　must　already　have　appeared；　lived　only　to　do　whatever　he　was　desired；



soon　found　some　accommodating　business　to　call　him　thither。　With　a　heart



full　of　the　matter；　Mrs。　Vernon　waited　on　Lady　Susan　shortly　after　her



arrival　in　town；　and　was　met　with　such　an　easy　and　cheerful　affection；　as



made　her　almost　turn　from　her　with　horror。　No　remembrance　of　Reginald；　no



consciousness　of　guilt；　gave　one　look　of　embarrassment；　she　was　in



excellent　spirits；　and　seemed　eager　to　show　at　once　by　ever　possible



attention　to　her　brother　and　sister　her　sense　of　their　kindness；　and　her



pleasure　in　their　society。　Frederica　was　no　more　altered　than　Lady　Susan；



the　same　restrained　manners；　the　same　timid　look　in　the　presence　of　her



mother　as　heretofore；　assured　her　aunt　of　her　situation　being



uncomfortable；　and　confirmed　her　in　the　plan　of　altering　it。　No　unkindness；



however；　on　the　part　of　Lady　Susan　appeared。　Persecution　on　the　subject　of



Sir　James　was　entirely　at　an　end；　his　name　merely　mentioned　to　say　that　he



was　not　in　London；　and　indeed；　in　all　her　conversation；　she　was　solicitous



only　for　the　welfare　and　improvement　of　her　daughter；　acknowledging；　in



terms　of　grateful　delight；　that　Frederica　was　now　growing　every　day　more



and　more　what　a　parent　could　desire。　Mrs。　Vernon；　surprized　and



incredulous；　knew　not　what　to　suspect；　and；　without　any　change　in　her　own



views；　only　feared　greater　difficulty　in　accomplishing　them。　The　first　hope



of　anything　better　was　derived　from　Lady　Susan's　asking　her　whether　she



thought　Frederica　looked　quite　as　well　as　she　had　done　at　Churchhill；　as



she　must　confess　herself　to　have　sometimes　an　anxious　doubt　of　London's



perfectly　agreeing　with　her。　Mrs。　Vernon；　encouraging　the　doubt；　directly



proposed　her　niece's　returning　with　them　into　the　country。　Lady　Susan　was



unable　to　express　her　sense　of　such　kindness；　yet　knew　not；　from　a　variety



of　reasons；　how　to　part　with　her　daughter；　and　as；　though　her　own　plans



were　not　yet　wholly　fixed；　she　trusted　it　would　ere　long　be　in　her　power　to



take　Frederica　into　the　country　herself；　concluded　by　declining　entirely　to



profit　by　such　unexampled　attention。　Mrs。　Vernon　persevered；　however；　in



the　offer　of　it；　and　though　Lady　Susan　　continued　to　resist；　her　resistance



in　the　course　of　a　few　days　seemed　somewhat　less　formidable。　The　lucky



alarm　of　an　influenza　decided　what　might　not　have　been　decided　quite　so



soon。　Lady　Susan's　maternal　fears　were　then　too　much　awakened　for　her　to



think　of　anything　but　Frederica's　removal　from　the　risk　of　infection；　above



all　disorders　in　the　world　she　most　dreaded　the　influenza　for　her



daughter's　constitution！







Frederica　returned　to　Churchhill　with　her　uncle　and　aunt；　and　three



weeks　afterwards；　Lady　Susan　announced　her　being　married　to　Sir　James



Martin。　Mrs。　Vernon　was　then　convinced　of　what　she　had　only　suspected



before；　that　she　might　have　spared　herself　all　the　trouble　of　urging　a



removal　which　Lady　Susan　had　doubtless　resolved　on　from　the　first。



Frederica's　visit　was　nominally　for　six　weeks；　but　her　mother；　though



inviting　her　to　return　in　one　or　two　affectionate　letters；　was　very　ready



to　oblige　the　whole　party　by　consenting　to　a　prolongation　of　her　stay；　and



in　the　course　of　two　months　ceased　to　write　of　her　absence；　and　in　the



course　of　two　or　more　to　write　to　her　at　all。　Frederica　was　therefore　fixed



in　the　family　of　her　uncle　and　aunt　till　such　time　as　Reginald　De　Courcy



could　be　talked；　flattered；　and　finessed　into　an　affection　for　her　which；



allowing　leisure　for　the　conquest　of　his　attachment　to　her　mother；　for　his



abjuring　all　future　attachments；　and　detesting　the　sex；　might　be　reasonably



looked　for　in　the　course　of　a　twelvemonth。　Three　months　might　have　done　it



in　general；　but　Reginald's　feelings　were　no　less　lasting　than　lively。



Whether　Lady　Susan　was　or　was　not　happy　in　her　second　choice；　I　do　not　see



how　it　can　ever　be　ascertained；　for　who　would　take　her　assurance　of　it　on



either　side　of　the　question？　The　world　must　judge　from　probabilities　；　she



had　nothing　against　her　but　her　husband；　and　her　conscience。　Sir　James　may



seem　to　have　drawn　a　harder　lot　than　mere　folly　merited；　I　leave　him；



therefore；　to　all　the　pity　that　anybody　can　give　him。　For　myself；　I　confess



that　I　can　pity　only　Miss　Mainwaring；　who；　coming　to　town；　and　putting



herself　to　an　expense　in　clothes　which　impoverished　her　for　two　years；　on



purpose　to　secure　him；　was　defrauded　of　her　due　by　a　woman　ten　years　older



than　herself。























End