lady susan-第9章

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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



daughter；　for　Sir　James　is　now　desperately　in　love　with　Frederica；　and　with



full　encouragement　from　mamma。　The　poor　girl；　however；　I　am　sure；　dislikes



him；　and　though　his　person　and　address　are　very　well；　he　appears；　both　to



Mr。　Vernon　and　me；　a　very　weak　young　man。　Frederica　looked　so　shy；　so



confused；　when　we　entered　the　room；　that　I　felt　for　her　exceedingly。　Lady



Susan　behaved　with　great　attention　to　her　visitor；　and　yet　I　thought　I



could　perceive　that　she　had　no　particular　pleasure　in　seeing　him。　Sir　James



talked　a　great　deal；　and　made　many　civil　excuses　to　me　for　the　liberty　he



had　taken　in　coming　to　Churchhillmixing　more　frequent　laughter　with　his



discourse　than　the　subject　requiredsaid　many　things　over　and　over　again；



and　told　Lady　Susan　three　times　that　he　had　seen　Mrs。　Johnson　a　few



evenings　before。　He　now　and　then　addressed　Frederica；　but　more　frequently



her　mother。　The　poor　girl　sat　all　this　time　without　opening　her　lipsher



eyes　cast　down；　and　her　colour　varying　every　instant；　while　Reginald



observed　all　that　passed　in　perfect　silence。　At　length　Lady　Susan；　weary；　I



believe；　of　her　situation；　proposed　walking；　and　we　left　the　two　gentlemen



together；　to　put　on　our　pelisses。　As　we　went　upstairs　Lady　Susan　begged



permission　to　attend　me　for　a　few　moments　in　my　dressing…room；　as　she　was



anxious　to　speak　with　me　in　private。　I　led　her　thither　accordingly；　and　as



soon　as　the　door　was　closed；　she　said：　〃I　was　never　more　surprized　in　my



life　than　by　Sir　James's　arrival；　and　the　suddenness　of　it　requires　some



apology　to　you；　my　dear　sister；　though　to　ME；　as　a　mother；　it　is　highly



flattering。　He　is　so　extremely　attached　to　my　daughter　that　he　could　not



exist　longer　without　seeing　her。　Sir　James　is　a　young　man　of　an　amiable



disposition　and　excellent　character；　a　little　too　much　of　the　rattle；



perhaps；　but　a　year　or　two　will　rectify　THAT：　and　he　is　in　other　respects



so　very　eligible　a　match　for　Frederica；　that　I　have　always　observed　his



attachment　with　the　greatest　pleasure；　and　am　persuaded　that　you　and　my



brother　will　give　the　alliance　your　hearty　approbation。　I　have　never



before　mentioned　the　likelihood　of　its　taking　place　to　anyone；　because　I



thought　that　whilst　Frederica　continued　at　school　it　had　better　not　be



known　to　exist；　but　now；　as　I　am　convinced　that　Frederica　is　too　old　ever



to　submit　to　school　confinement；　and　have；　therefore；　begun　to　consider　her



union　with　Sir　James　as　not　very　distant；　I　had　intended　within　a　few　days



to　acquaint　yourself　and　Mr。　Vernon　with　the　whole　business。　I　am　sure；　my



dear　sister；　you　will　excuse　my　remaining　silent　so　long；　and　agree　with　me



that　such　circumstances；　while　they　continue　from　any　cause　in　suspense；



cannot　be　too　cautiously　concealed。　When　you　have　the　happiness　of



bestowing　your　sweet　little　Catherine；　some　years　hence；　on　a　man　who　in



connection　and　character　is　alike　unexceptionable；　you　will　know　what　I



feel　now；　though；　thank　Heaven；　you　cannot　have　all　my　reasons　for



rejoicing　in　such　an　event。　Catherine　will　be　amply　provided　for；　and　not；



like　my　Frederica；　indebted　to　a　fortunate　establishment　for　the　comforts



of　life。〃　She　concluded　by　demanding　my　congratulations。　I　gave　them



somewhat　awkwardly；　I　believe；　for；　in　fact；　the　sudden　disclosure　of　so



important　a　matter　took　from　me　the　power　of　speaking　with　any　clearness；



She　thanked　me；　however；　most　affectionately；　for　my　kind　concern　in　the



welfare　of　herself　and　daughter；　and　then　said：　〃I　am　not　apt　to　deal　in



professions；　my　dear　Mrs。　Vernon；　and　I　never　had　the　convenient　talent　of



affecting　sensations　foreign　to　my　heart；　and　therefore　I　trust　you　will



believe　me　when　I　declare；　that　much　as　I　had　heard　in　your　praise　before　I



knew　you；　I　had　no　idea　that　I　should　ever　love　you　as　I　now　do；　and　I　must



further　say　that　your　friendship　towards　me　is　more　particularly　gratifying



because　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　some　attempts　were　made　to　prejudice



you　against　me。　I　only　wish　that　they；　whoever　they　are；　to　whom　I　am



indebted　for　such　kind　intentions；　could　see　the　terms　on　which　we　now　are



together；　and　understand　the　real　affection　we　feel　for　each　other；　but　I



will　not　detain　you　any　longer。　God　bless　you；　for　your　goodness　to　me　and



my　girl；　and　continue　to　you　all　your　present　happiness。〃　What　can　one　say



of　such　a　woman；　my　dear　mother？　Such　earnestness　such　solemnity　of



expression！　and　yet　I　cannot　help　suspecting　the　truth　of　everything　she



says。　As　for　Reginald；　I　believe　he　does　not　know　what　to　make　of　the



matter。　When　Sir　James　came；　he　appeared　all　astonishment　and　perplexity；



the　folly　of　the　young　man　and　the　confusion　of　Frederica　entirely



engrossed　him；　and　though　a　little　private　discourse　with　Lady　Susan　has



since　had　its　effect；　he　is　still　hurt；　I　am　sure；　at　her　allowing　of　such



a　man's　attentions　to　her　daughter。　Sir　James　invited　himself　with　great



composure　to　remain　here　a　few　dayshoped　we　would　not　think　it　odd；　was



aware　of　its　being　very　impertinent；　but　he　took　the　liberty　of　a　relation；



and　concluded　by　wishing；　with　a　laugh；　that　he　might　be　really　one　very



soon。　Even　Lady　Susan　seemed　a　little　disconcerted　by　this　forwardness；　in



her　heart　I　am　persuaded　she　sincerely　wished　him　gone。　But　something　must



be　done　for　this　poor　girl；　if　her　feelings　are　such　as　both　I　and　her



uncle　believe　them　to　be。　She　must　not　be　sacrificed　to　policy　or　ambition；



and　she　must　not　be　left　to　suffer　from　the　dread　of　it。　The　girl　whose



heart　can　distinguish　Reginald　De　Courcy；　deserves；　however　he　may　slight



her；　a　better　fate　than　to　be　Sir　James　Martin's　wife。　As　soon　as　I　can　get



her　alone；　I　will　discover　the　real