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Lady Susan - Dramatic Reading · Lady Susan - Dramatic Reading

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  Section one. Lady Susan Vernon to mister Vernon, Langford, December, My
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  dear brother, I can no longer refuse myself the pleasure of profiting by your
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  kind invitation when last we parted of spending some weeks with you at Churchill,
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  And therefore, if quite convenient to you and missus Vernon to receive me at
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  present, I shall hope within a few days to be introduced to a sister
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  whom I have so long desired to be acquainted with. My kind friends here
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  are most affectionately urgent with me to prolong my stay, but their hospitable and
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  cheerful dispositions lead them too much into society for my present situation and state of
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  mind, and I impatiently look forward to the hour when I shall be admitted
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  into your delightful retirement. I long to be made known to your dear little
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  children, in whose hearts I shall be very eager to secure, an interest
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  I shall soon have need for all my fortitude. As I am on the
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  point of separation from my own daughter. The long illness of her dear father
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  prevented my paying her that attention which duty and affection equally dictated, and I
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  have too much reason to fear that the governess to whose care I consigned her
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  was unequal to the charge. I have therefore resolved on placing her at one
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  of the best private schools in town, where I shall have an opportunity of
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  leaving her myself in my way. To you, I am determined, you
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  see, not to be denied admittance at Churchill. It would indeed give me
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  most painful sensations to know that it would not in your power to receive me,
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  your most obliged and affectionate Sister s Vernon. Two, Lady Susan Vernon,
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  to missus Johnson, Langford. You were mistaken, my dear Alicia,
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  in supposing me fixed at this place for the rest of the winter. It
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  grief gives me to say how greatly you were mistaken, For I have seldom
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  spent three months more agreeably than those which have just flown away. At present,
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  nothing goes smoothly. The females of the family are united against me.
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  You foretold how it would be when I first came to Langford, and mannering
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  is so uncommonly pleasing that I was not without apprehensions for myself. I remember
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  saying to myself as I drove to the house. I like this man,
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  Pray heaven no harm comes of it. But I was determined to be discreet,
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  to bear in mind my being only four months a widow, and to
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  be as quiet as possible. And I have been so, my dear creature.
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  I have admitted no one's attentions but mannerings. I have avoided all general
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  flirtation whatever. I have distinguished no creature besides of all the numbers resorting hither
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  except Sir James Martin, on whom I bestowed a little notice in order to
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  detach him from miss mannering. But if the world could know my motive there,
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  they would honor me. I have been called an unkind mother, but
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  it was the sacred impulse of maternal affection. It was the advantage of my
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  daughter that led me on, And if that daughter were not the greatest simpleton
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  on earth, I might have been rewarded from my exertions as I ought.
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  Sir James did make proposals to me for Frederica. But Frederica, who was
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  born to be the torment of my life, chose to set herself so violently
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  against the match that I thought it better to lay aside the scheme for the
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  present. I have more than once repented that I did not marry him myself,
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  and were he but one degree less contemptibly weak, I certainly should.
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  But I must own myself rather romantic in that respect, and that riches only
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  will not satisfy me. The event of all this is very provoking. Sir
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  James is gone, Mariah highly insane, and missus Mannering insupportably jealous, so
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  jealous in short, and so enraged against me that in the fury of her
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  temper, I should not be surprised at her appealing to her guardian if she
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  had the liberty of addressing him. But there your husband stands, my friend,
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  and the kindest, most amiable action of his life was throwing her off
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  for ever on her marriage. Keep up his resentment. Therefore, I charge
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  you, we are now in a sad state. No house was ever more
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  altered. The whole party are at war, and Mannering scarcely dares speak to
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  me. It is time for me to be gone. I have therefore determined
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  on leaving them, and shall spend I hope a comfortable day with you in
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  town this week. If I am as little in favor with mister Johnson.
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  As ever, you must come to me at ten Wigmore Street. But I
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  hope this may not be the case. For as mister Johnson, with all
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  his faults, is a man to whom that great word respected is always given,
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  and I am known to be so intimate with his wife, his slighting
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  me has an awkward look. I take London in my way to that insupportable
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  spot, a country village, for I am really going to Churchill. Forgive
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  me, my dear friend, it is my last resource. Were there another
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  place in England open to me, I would prefer it. Charles Vernon is
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  my aversion, and I am afraid of his wife at Churchill. However,
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  I must remain till I have something better in view. My young lady accompanies
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  me to town, where I shall deposit her under the care of Miss Somers
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  in Wigmore Street till she becomes a little more reasonable. She will make good
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  connections there, as the girls are all of the best families. The price
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  is immense and much beyond what I can ever attempt to pay. Adieu.
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  I will send you a line as soon as I arrive in town. Yours
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  ever, s Vernon three, missus Vernon to Lady de Cursey Churchill, my
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  dear mother, I am very sorry to tell you that it will not be
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  in our power to keep our promise of spending our Christmas with you, and
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  we are prevented that happiness by a circumstance which is not likely to make us
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  any amends. Lady Susan, in a letter to her brother in law,
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  has declared her intention of visiting us almost immediately, and as such a visit
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  is, in all probability merely an affair of convenience, it is impossible to
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  conjecture its length. I was by no means prepared for such an event,
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  nor can I now account for her ladyship's conduct. Langford appeared so exactly the
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  place for her in every respect, as well from the elegant and expensive style
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  of living there, as from her particular attachment to mister Mannering that I was
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  very far from expecting so speedy a distinction, though I always amagine, from
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  her increasing friendship for us since her husband's death, that we should, at
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  some future period be obliged to receive her. Mister Vernon, I think was
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  a great deal too kind to her when he was in Staffordshire, her behavior
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  to him, independent of her general character, has been so inexcusably artful and
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  ungenerous. Since our marriage was first in agitation that no one less amiable and
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  mild than himself could have overlooked at all. And though as his brother's widow
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  and in narrow circumstances it was proper to render her pecuniary assistance, I cannot
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  help thinking his pressing invitation to her to visit us at Churchhill perfectly unnecessary disposed.
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  However, as he always is to think the best of every one,
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  her display of grief and professions of regret, and general resolutions of prudence were
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  sufficient to soften his heart and make him really confide in her sincerity. But
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  as for myself, I am still unconvinced, and plausibly, as her Ladyship
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  has now written, I cannot make up my mind till I better understand her
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  real meaning in coming to us, you may guess. Therefore, my dear
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  Madam, with what feelings I look forward to her arrival. She will have
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  occasion for all those attractive powers for which she is celebrated, to gain any
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  share of my regard, and I shall certainly endeavor to guard myself against their
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  influence, if not accompanied by something more substantial. She expresses a most eager
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  desire of being acquainted with me, and makes very gracious mention of my children.
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  But I am not quite weak enough to suppose a woman who has behaved
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  with inattention, if not with unkindness, to her own child, should be
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  attached to any of mine. Miss Vernon is to be placed at a school
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  in London before her mother comes to us, which I am glad of.
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  For her sake and my own. It must be to her advantage to be
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  separated from her mother, and a girl of sixteen who has received so wretched
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  an education could not be a very desirable companion. Here. Reginald has long
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  wished, I know, to see the captivating lady Susan, and we shall
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  depend on his joining our party soon. I am glad to hear that my
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  father continues so well, and am with best love, et cetera. Catherine
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  Vernon four, mister de Courcy to missus Vernon Parkland's, my dear sister,
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  I congratulate you and mister Vernon on being about to receive into your family the
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  most accomplished coquette in England, as a very distinguished flirt I have always been
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  taught to consider her, but it has lately fallen in my way to hear
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  some particulars of her conduct at Langford which prove that she does not confine herself
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  to that sort of honest flirtation which satisfies most people, but aspires to the
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  more delicious stratification of making a whole family miserable. By her behavior to mister
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  Mannering, she gave jealousy and wretchedness to his wife, and by her attentions
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  to a young man previously attached to mister Manoring's sister, deprived an amiable girl
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  of her lover. I learnt all this from mister Smith now in this neighborhood.
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  I have dined with him at Hurst and Wilford, who has just come
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  from Langford, where he was a fortnight with her ladyship, and who is
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  therefore well qualified to make the communication. What a woman she must be.
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  I long to see her, and she'll certainly accept your kind invitation that I
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  may form some idea of those bewitching powers which can do so much engaging at
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  the same time and in the same house, the affections of two men who
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  were neither of them at liberty to bestow them, and all this without the
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  charm of youth. I am glad to find Miss Vernon does not accompany her
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  mother to Churchill, as she has not even manners to recommend her, and,
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  according to mister Smith's account, is equally dull and proud. Where pride
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  and stupidity unite, there can be no dissimulation worthy of notice, and Miss
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  Vernon shall be consigned to unrelenting contempt. But by all that I can gather,
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  Lady Susan possesses a degree of captivating deceit, which it must be pleasing
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  to witness and detect. I shall be with you very soon, and am
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  ever your affectionate brother R. De Courcy five. Lady Susan Vernon to missus
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  Johnson Churchill. I received your note, my dear Alicia, just before I
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  left town, and rejoiced to be assured that mister Johnson suspected nothing of your
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  engagement the evening before. It is undoubtedly better to deceive him entirely, and
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  since he will be stubborn, he must be tricked. I arrived here in
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  safety and have no reason to complain of my reception from mister Vernon. But
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  I confess myself not equally satisfied with the behavior of his lady. She is
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  perfectly well bred, indeed, and has the air of a woman of fashion,
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  but her manner are not such as can persuade me of her being prepossessed
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  in my favor. I wanted her to be delighted at seeing me. I
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  was amiable as possible on the occasion, but all in vain. She does
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  not like me, to be sure, when we consider that I did take
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  some pains to prevent my brother in law's marrying her, this want of cordiality
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  is not very surprising, and yet it shows an i liberal and vindictive spirit
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  to resent a project which influenced me six years ago, and which never succeeded
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  at last. I am sometimes disposed to repent that I did not let Charles
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  by Vernon Castle when we were obliged to sell it. But it was a
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  trying circumstance, especially as the sale took place exactly at the time of his
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  marriage, and everybody ought to respect to the delicacy of those feelings which could
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  not endure that my husband's dignity should be lessened by his younger brothers having possession
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  of the family estate. Could matters have been so arranged as to prevent the
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  necessity of our leaving the castle? Could we have lived with Charles and kept
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  him single? I should have been very far from persuading my husband to dispose
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  of it elsewhere. But Charles was on the point of marrying mister Carsey,
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  and the event has justified me. Here are children in abundance, and what
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  benefit could have accrued to me from his purchasing vernon? My having prevented it.
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  May perhaps have given his wife an unfavorable impression. But where there is
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  a disposition to dislike, a motive will never be wanting. And as to
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  money matters, it has not withheld him from being very useful to me.
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  I really have regard for him. He is so easily imposed upon. The
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  house is a good one, the furniture fashionable, and everything announces plenty and
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  elegance. Charles is very rich. I am sure when a man has once
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  got his name in a banking house, he rolls in money, but they
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  do not know what to do with it. Keep very little company and never
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  go to London. But on business we shall be as stupid as possible.
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  I mean to win my sister in law's heart through the children. I know
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  all their names already, and am going to attach myself with the greatest sensibility
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  to one in particular, a young Frederick, whom I take on my lap
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  and sigh over for his dear uncle's sake, poor Mannering. I need not
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  tell you how much I miss him, how perpetually he is in my thoughts.
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  I found a dismal letter from him on my arrival here, full of
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  complaints of his wife and sister, and lamentations on the cruelty of his fate.
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  I passed off the letter as his wife's to the Vernons, and when
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  I write to him, it must be under cover. To you, ever,
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  yours s Vernon, Missus Vernon, to mister de Cursey Churchill, Well,
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  my dear Reginald, I have seen this dangerous creature and must give you
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  some description of her, though I hope you will soon be able to form
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  your own judgment. She is really excessively pretty. However you may choose to
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  question the allurements of a lady no longer young, I must, for my
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  own part declare that I have seldom seen so lovely a woman as Lady Susan.
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  She is delicately fair, with fine gray eyes and dark eyelashes, and
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  from her appearance one would not suppose her more than five and twenty. I
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  was certainly not disposed to admire her, though always hearing she was beautiful,
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  But I cannot help feeling that she possesses an uncommon union of symmetry, brilliancy,
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  and grace. Her address to me was so gentle, frank, and
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  even affectionate, that if I had not known how much she has always disliked
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  me for marrying mister Vernon, and that we had never met before, I
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  should have imagined her an attached friend. One is apt I believe to connect
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  assurance of manner with coquetry, and to expect that an impudent address will naturally
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  attend an impudent mind. At least I was myself prepared for an improper degree
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  of confidence in Lady Susan. But her countenance is absolutely sweet, and her
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  voice and manner winningly mild. I am sorry it is so for what is
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  this but deceit? Unfortunately? One knows her too well. She is clever
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  and agreeable, has all that knowledge of the world which makes conversation easy,
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  and talks very well, with a happy command of language which is too often
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  used, I believe, to make black appear white. She has already almost
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  persuaded me of her being warmly attached to her daughter, though I have been
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  so long convinced to the contrary. She speaks of her with so much tenderness
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  and anxiety, lamenting so bitterly the neglect of her education, which she represents,
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  however, as wholly unavoidable, that I am forced to recollect how many
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  successive springs her ladyship spent in town while her daughter was left in Staffordshire to
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  the care of servants or a governess very little better to prevent my believing what
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  she says. If her manners have so great an influence on my resentful heart,
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  you may judge how much more strongly they operate on mister Vernon's generous temper.
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  I wish I could be as well satisfied as he is that it was
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  really her choice to leave Langford for Churchill, and if she had not stayed
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  there for months before she discovered that her friend's manner of living did not suit
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  her situation or feelings, I might have believed that concern for the loss of
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  such a husband as mister Vernon to whom her own behavior was far from unexceptionable,
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  might for a time make her wish for retirement. But I cannot forget
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  the length of her visit to the Mannerings, and when I reflect on the
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  different mode of life which she led with them from that to which she must
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  now submit, I can only suppose that the wish of establishing her reputation by
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  following, though late, the path of propriety, occasioned her removal from a
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  family where she must, in reality have been particularly happy. Your friend,
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  mister Smith's story, however, cannot be quite correct, as she corresponds regularly
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  with Missus Mannering. At any rate, it must be exaggerated. It is
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  scarcely possible that two men should be so grossly deceived by her at once.
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  Yours, et cetera, Catherine Vernon, seven, Lady Susan Vernon to Missus
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  Johnson Churchill, My dear Alicia, you are very good in taking notice of
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  Frederica, and I am grateful for it is a mark of your friendship.
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  But as I cannot have any doubt of the warmth of your affection, I
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  am far from exacting so heavy a sacrifice. She is a stupid girl,
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  and has nothing to recommend her. I would not, therefore, for on
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  my account, have you encumber one moment of your precious time by sending for
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  her to Edward Street, especially as every visit is so much deducted from the
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  grand affair of education, which I really wish to have attended to. While
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  she remains at Miss Somers's, I want her to play and sing with some
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  portion of taste and a good deal of assurance, as she has my hand
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  and arm and a tolerable voice. I was so much indulged in my infant
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  years that I was never obliged to attend to anything, and consequently, and
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  without the accomplishments which are now necessary to finish a pretty woman. Not that
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  I am an advocate for the prevailing fashion of acquiring a perfect knowledge of all
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  languages, arts and sciences. It is throwing away time to be mistress of
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  French, Italian and German music. Singing and drawing, et cetera. Will
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  gain a woman's some applause, but will not add one lover to her list.
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  Grace manner, after all, are of the greatest importance. I do
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  not mean, therefore, that Frederica's acquirements should be more than superficial, and
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  I flatter myself that she will not remain long enough at school to understand anything
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  thoroughly. I hope to see her the wife of Sir James within a twelvemonth.
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  You know on what I ground my hope, and it is certainly a
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  good foundation for school. Must be very humiliating to a girl of Frederica's age,
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  and by the by, you had better not invite her any more on
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  that account, as I wish her to find her situation as unpleasant as possible.
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  I am sure of Sir James at any time, and could make him
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  renew his application by a line. I shall trouble you meanwhile, to prevent
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  his forming any other attachment when he comes to town, ask him to your
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  house occasionally and talk to him of Frederica, that he may not forget her.
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  Upon the whole, I commend my own conduct in this affair extremely and
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  regard it as a very happy instance of circumspection and tenderness. Some mothers would
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  have insisted on the daughters accepting so good notwer are the first overture, but
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  I could not reconcile it to myself to force Frederica into a marriage from which
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  her heart revolted, and instead of adopting so harsh a measure, merely proposed
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  to make it her own choice by rendering her thoroughly uncomfortable till she does accept
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  him. But enough of this tiresome girl. You may well wonder how I
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  contrive to pass my time here. And for the first week it was insufferably
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  dull. Now, however, we begin to mend, are parties enlarged by
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  Missus Vernon's brother, a handsome young man who promises me some amusement. There
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  is something about him which rather interests me, a sort of sauciness and familiarity
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  which I shall teach him to correct. He is lively and seems clever,
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  and when I have inspired him with greater respect for me than his sister's kind
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  office have implanted, he may be an agreeable flirt. There is exquisite pleasure
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  in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a person predetermined to dislike acknowledge one's
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  superiority. I have disconcerted him already by my calm reserve, and it shall
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  be my endeavor to humble the pride of these self important decourses. Still lower
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  to convince Missus Vernon that her sisterly cautions have been bestowed in vain and to
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  persuade Reginald that she has scandalously belied me. This project will serve at least
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  to amuse me and prevent my feelings so acutely this dreadful separation from you and
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  all whom I love ever Yours s Vernon and of section one Suction two,
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  missus Vernon to Lady de Cursey Churchill, my dear mother, You must not
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  expect Reginald back again for some time. He desires me to tell you that
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  the present open weather induces him to accept mister Vernon's invitation to prolong his stay
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  in Sussex, that they may have some hunting together. He means to send
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  for his horses immediately, and it is impossible to say when you may see
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  him in Kent. I will not disguise my sentiments on this change from you,
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  my dear mother, though I think you had better not communicate them to
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  my father, whose excessive anxiety about Reginald would subject him to an alarm which
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  might seriously affect his health and spirits. Lady Susan has certainly contrived, in
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  the space of a fortnight to make my brother like her. In short,
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  I am persuaded that his continuing here beyond the time originally fixed for his return,
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  is occasioned as much by a degree of fascination towards her as by the
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  wish of hunting with mister Vernon. And of course I cannot receive that pleasure
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  from the length of his visit which my brother's company would otherwise give me.
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  I am indeed provoked at the artifice of this unprincipled woman. What stronger proof
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  of her dangerous abilities can be given than this perversion of Reginald's judgment, which,
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  when he entered the house was so decidedly against her. In his last
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  letter he actually gave me some particulars of her behavior at Langford, such as
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  he received from a gentleman who knew her perfectly well, which if true,
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  must raise abhorrence against her, and which Reginald himself was entirely disposed to credit.
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  His opinion of her, I am sure, was as low as of
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  any woman in England, And when he first came it was evident that he
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  considered her as one entitled neither to delicacy nor respect, and that he felt
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  she would be delighted with the attentions of any man inclined to flirt with her.
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  Her behavior, I confess, has been calculated to do away with such
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  an idea. I have not detected the smallest impropriety in it, nothing of
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  vanity, of pretension of levity. And she is altogether so attractive that I
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  should not wonder at his being delighted with her had he known nothing of her
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  previous to this personal acquaintance. But against reason, against conviction, to be
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  so well pleased with her, as I am sure he is, does really
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  astonish me. His admiration was at first very strong, but no more than
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  was natural, and I did not wonder at his being much struck by the
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  gentleness and delicacy of her manners. But when he has mentioned her of late,
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  it has been in terms of more extraordinary praise. And yesterday he actually
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  said that he could not be surprised at any effect produced on the heart of
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  man by such loveliness and such abilities. And when I lamented in reply the
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  badness of her disposition, he observed that whatever might have been her errors,
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  they were to be imputed to her neglected education and early marriage, and that
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  she was altogether a wonderful woman. This tendency to excuse her conduct or to
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  forget it in the warmth of admiration vexes me. And if I did not
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  know that Reginald is too much at home at Churchill to need an invitation for
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  lengthening his visit, I should regret mister Vernon's giving him any. Lady Susan's
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  intentions are, of course those of absolute coquetry or a desire of universal admiration.
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  I cannot for a moment imagine that she has anything more serious in view.
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  But it mortifies me to see a young man of Reginald's sense duped by
• 26:29
  her at all. I am, et cetera, Catherine Vernon nine, missus
• 26:37
  Johnson to Lady s Vernon Edward Street, my dearest friend, I congratulate you
• 26:45
  on mister de Cursey's arrival, and I advise you by all means to marry
• 26:48
  him. His father's estate is we know, considerable, and I believe certainly
• 26:52
  entailed. Sir Reginald is very infirm and not likely to stand in your way.
• 26:59
  Long I hear the young man well spoken of, And though no one
• 27:03
  can really deserve you, my dearest Susan, mister de Cursey may be worth
• 27:07
  having Mannering will storm, of course, but you easily pacify him. Besides,
• 27:12
  the most scrupulous point of honor could not require you to wait for his
• 27:17
  emancipation. I have seen Sir James. He came to town for a few
• 27:22
  days last week and called several times in Edward Street. I talked to him
• 27:26
  about you and your daughter, and he is so far from having forgotten you
• 27:30
  that I am sure he would marry either of you with pleasure. I gave
• 27:34
  him hopes of Frederica's relenting and told him a great deal of her improvements.
• 27:40
  I scolded him for making love to Mariah Mannering. He protested that he had
• 27:45
  been only in joke, and we both laughed heartily at her disappointment, and
• 27:48
  in short were very agreeable. He is as silly as ever yours faithfully,
• 27:55
  Alicia Ten Lady Susan Van to missus Johnson Churchill. I am much obliged to
• 28:04
  you, my dear friend, for your advice respecting mister de Courcy, which
• 28:10
  I know was given with the full conviction of its expediency, though I am
• 28:14
  not quite determined on following it. I cannot easily resolve on anything so serious
• 28:19
  as marriage, especially as I am not at present in want of money,
• 28:25
  and might perhaps till the old gentleman's death, be very little benefited by the
• 28:30
  match. It is true that I am vain enough to believe it within my
• 28:33
  reach. I have made him sensible of my power, and can now enjoy
• 28:38
  the pleasure of triumphing over a mind prepared to dislike me and prejudiced against all
• 28:45
  my past actions. His sister, too, is, I hope, convinced
• 28:49
  how little the ungenerous representations of any one to the disadvantage of another will avail
• 28:56
  when opposed by the immediate influence of intellect manner. I see plainly that she
• 29:02
  is uneasy at my progress in the good opinion of her brother, and conclude
• 29:07
  that nothing will be wanted on her part to counterattack me. But having once
• 29:11
  made him doubt the justice of her opinion of me, I think I may
• 29:15
  defy her. It has been delightful to me to watch his advances towards intimacy,
• 29:21
  especially to observe his altered manner. In consequence of my repressing by the
• 29:26
  cool dignity of my deportment, his insolent approach to direct familiarity. My conduct
• 29:33
  has been equally guarded from the first, and I never behaved less like a
• 29:37
  coquette in the whole course of my life, though perhaps my desire of dominion
• 29:41
  was never more decided. I have subdued him entirely by sentiment and serious conversation,
• 29:48
  and made him, I may venture to say, at least half in
• 29:52
  love with me without the semblance of the most commonplace flirtation. Missus v.
• 30:00
  Vernon's consciousness of deserving every sort of revenge that it can be in my power
• 30:04
  to inflict for her ill offices could alone enable her to perceive that I am
• 30:10
  actuated by any design in behavior so gentle and unpretending. Let her think an
• 30:15
  act as she chooses. However, I have never yet found that the advice
• 30:21
  of a sister could prevent a young man's being in love if he chose.
• 30:25
  We are advancing now to some kind of confidence, and in short, are
• 30:30
  likely to be engaged in a sort of platonic friendship on my side. You
• 30:34
  may be sure of its never being more. For if I were not attached
• 30:38
  to another person, as much as I can be to any one, I
• 30:41
  should make a point of not bestowing my affection on a man who had dared
• 30:45
  to think so meanly of me. Reginald has a good figure and is not
• 30:51
  unworthy the praise you have heard given him, but is still greatly inferior to
• 30:55
  our friend at Langford. He is less polished, lessonsinuating than mannering, and
• 31:02
  is comparatively deficient in the power of saying those delightful things which put one in
• 31:07
  good humor with oneself and all the world. He is quite agreeable enough,
• 31:11
  however, to afford me amusement, and to make many of those hours pass
• 31:15
  very pleasantly, which would otherwise be spent in endeavoring to overcome my sister in
• 31:21
  law's reserve and listening to the insipid talk of her husband. Your account of
• 31:26
  Sir James is most satisfactory. I mean to give Miss Frederica a hint of
• 31:32
  my intentions very soon, Yours, et cetera. S Vernon eleven, missus
• 31:41
  Vernon to Lady de Cursey Churchill. I really grow quite uneasy, my dearest
• 31:49
  mother, about Reginald, from witnessing the very rapid increase of Lady Susan's influence.
• 31:56
  They are now on terms of the most particular friendship, frequently engaged in
• 32:00
  long conversations together, and she has contrived by the most artful coquetry to subdue
• 32:06
  his judgment to her own purposes. It is impossible to see the intimacy between
• 32:10
  them so very soon established without some alarm, though I can hardly suppose that
• 32:15
  Lady Susan's plans extend to marriage. I wish you could get Reginald home again
• 32:21
  on any plausible pretense. He is not at all disposed to leave us,
• 32:24
  and I have given him as many hints of my father's precarious state of health
• 32:30
  as common decency will allow me to do in my own house. Her power
• 32:34
  over him must now be boundless, as she has entirely effaced all his former
• 32:38
  ill opinion and persuaded him not merely to forget, but to justify her conduct.
• 32:44
  Mister Smith's account of her proceedings at Langford, where he accused her of
• 32:47
  having made mister Mannering and a young man engaged to Miss Mannering distractedly in love
• 32:52
  with her, which Reginald firmly believed when he came here, is now he
• 32:58
  is persuaded only a scoute endless invention. He has told me so with a
• 33:01
  warmth of manner, which spoke his regret at having believed the contrary himself.
• 33:07
  How sincerely do I grieve that she ever entered this house. I always looked
• 33:12
  forward to her coming with uneasiness, but very far was it from originating in
• 33:15
  anxiety. For Reginald. I expected a most disagreeable companion for myself, but
• 33:22
  could not imagine that my brother would be in the smallest danger of being captivated
• 33:27
  by a woman with whose principles he was so well acquainted, and whose character
• 33:30
  he so heartily despised. If you can get him away, it will be
• 33:36
  a good thing, yours, et cetera, Catherine Burnham twelve, Sir Reginald
• 33:44
  de Couresai to his son Parklands. I know the young men in general do
• 33:51
  not admit of any inquiry, even from their nearest relations, into affairs of
• 33:54
  the hut. But I hope, my dear Reginald, that you will be
• 33:59
  so superior to such as allow nothing for a father's anxiety, and think themselves
• 34:05
  privileged to refuse him their confidence and slightest advice. You must be sensible that,
• 34:10
  as an only son and the representative of an ancient family, your conduct
• 34:15
  in life is most interesting to your connections and in the very important concern of
• 34:22
  marriage, especially there is everything at stake, your own happiness, that of
• 34:27
  your parents, and the credit of your name. I do not suppose that
• 34:31
  you would deliberately form an absolute engagement of that nature without acquainting your mother and
• 34:37
  myself, or at least without being convinced that we should approve of your choice.
• 34:44
  But I cannot help fearing that you may be drawn in by the lady
• 34:47
  who has lately attached you to a marriage which the whole of your family far
• 34:52
  and near, must highly reprobate. Lady Susan's age is itself a material objection,
• 35:00
  but her want of character is one so much more serious that the difference
• 35:05
  of even twelve years becomes in comparison of smaller map. Were you not blinded
• 35:10
  by a sort of fascination, it would be ridiculous in me to repeat the
• 35:15
  instances of great misconduct on her side, so very generally known. Her neglect
• 35:22
  of her husband, her encouragement of other men, her extravagance and dissipation were
• 35:28
  so gross and notorious that no one could be ignorant of them at the time,
• 35:32
  nor could now have forgotten them. To our family, she has always
• 35:37
  been represented in softened colors by the benevolence of mister Charles Vernon, and yet
• 35:45
  in spite of his generous endeavors to excuse her, we know that she did,
• 35:49
  from the most selfish motives, take all possible pains to prevent his marriage
• 35:53
  with Catherine. My years and increasing infirmities make me very desirous of seeing you
• 36:00
  settled in the world to the fortune of a wife. The goodness of my
• 36:06
  own will make me indifferent, but her family and character must be equally unexceptionable.
• 36:12
  When your choice is fixed so that no objection can be made to it,
• 36:16
  then I can promise you already in cheerful consent. But it is my
• 36:21
  duty to oppose a match which deep art only could render possible, and must
• 36:27
  in the end make wretched. It is possible her behavior may arise only from
• 36:32
  vanity or the wish of gaining the admiration of a man whom she must imagine
• 36:37
  to be particularly prejudiced against her. But it is more likely that she should
• 36:44
  aim at something further. She is poor and may naturally seek an alliance which
• 36:49
  must be advantageous to herself. You know your own rights, and that it
• 36:53
  is out of my power to prevent your inheriting the family estate. My ability
• 36:59
  of distress you during my life would be a species of revenge to which I
• 37:02
  could hardly stoop under any circumstances. I honestly tell you my sentiments and intentions.
• 37:09
  I do not wish to work on your fears, but on your sense
• 37:13
  and affection. It would destroy every comfort of my life to know that you
• 37:17
  are married to Lady Susan Vernon. It would be the death of that honest
• 37:22
  pride with which I have hitherto considered my son. I should blush to see
• 37:27
  him, to hear of him, to think of him. I may perhaps
• 37:31
  do no good but that of relieving my own mind by this letter. But
• 37:37
  I felt it my duty to tell you that your partiality for Lady Susan is
• 37:40
  no secret to your friends, and to warn you against her. I should
• 37:45
  be glad to hear your reasons for disbelieving mister Smith's intelligence. You had no
• 37:50
  doubt of its authenticity a month ago. If you can give me your assurance
• 37:54
  of having no design beyond enjoying the conversation of a clever woman for a short
• 37:59
  fe and of yielding admiration only to her beauty and abilities, without being blinded
• 38:06
  by them, to her faults, you will restore me to happiness. But
• 38:10
  if you cannot do this, explained to me at least what has occasioned so
• 38:15
  great an alteration in your opinion of her? I am, et cetera,
• 38:21
  et cetera, Reginald de Corcei, Lady de Coursey, to missus Vernon Parkland's,
• 38:31
  my dear Catherine. Unluckily I was confined to my room when your last
• 38:37
  letter came, by a cold which affected my eyes so much as to prevent
• 38:40
  my reading it myself, so I could not refuse your father when you offered
• 38:45
  to read it to me, by which means he became acquainted to my great
• 38:50
  vexation with all your fears about your brother. I had intended to write to
• 38:55
  Reginald myself, as soon as my eyes would let me, to point out
• 39:00
  as well as I could the danger of an intimate acquaintance with so artful a
• 39:06
  woman as Lady Susan, to a young man of his age and high expectations.
• 39:12
  I meant moreover to have reminded him of our being quite alone now,
• 39:16
  and very much in need of him to keep up our spirits these long winter
• 39:21
  evenings. Whether it would have done any good can never be settled now.
• 39:25
  But I am excessively vexed that Sir Reginald should know anything of a matter which
• 39:30
  we foresaw would make him so uneasy. He caught all your fears the moment
• 39:36
  he had read your letter, and I am sure he has not had the
• 39:38
  business out of his head since he wrote, by the same post to Reginald
• 39:44
  a long letter, full of it all, and particularly asking an explanation of
• 39:47
  what he may have heard from Lady Susan to contradict the late shocking reports.
• 39:53
  His answer came this morning, which I shall enclose to you, as I
• 39:57
  think you will like to see it. I wish it was more satisfactory,
• 40:00
  but it seems written with such a determination to think well of Lady Susan,
• 40:06
  that his assurances as to marriage, et cetera do not set my heart at
• 40:09
  ease. I say all I can, however, to satisfy your father,
• 40:15
  and he is certainly less uneasy since Reginald's letter. How provoking it is,
• 40:21
  my dear Catherine, that this unwelcome guest of yours should not only prevent our
• 40:25
  meeting this Christmas, but be the occasion of so much vexation and trouble.
• 40:31
  Kiss the dear children for me, your affectionate mother. C. De Coursey
• 40:38
  fourteen, Mister de Courcy to Sir Reginald Churchill, My dear Sir, I
• 40:46
  have this moment received your letter, which has given me more astonishment than I
• 40:51
  ever felt before. I am to thank my sister, I suppose, for
• 40:55
  having represented me in such a light as to injure me in your opinion and
• 40:59
  give you all this alarm. I know not why she should choose to make
• 41:02
  herself and her family uneasy by apprehending an event which no one but herself,
• 41:07
  I can affirm, would ever have thought possible. To impute such a design
• 41:12
  to Lady Susan would be taking from her every claim to that excellent understanding which
• 41:16
  her bitterest enemies have never denied her, And equally low must sink my pretensions
• 41:22
  to common sense. If I am suspected of matrimonial views in my behavior to
• 41:25
  her, our difference of age must be an insuperable objection. And I entreat
• 41:31
  you, my dear father, to quiet your mind and no longer harbor a
• 41:36
  suspicion which cannot be more injurious to your own peace than to our understandings.
• 41:42
  I can have no other view in remaining with Lady Susan than to enjoy for
• 41:45
  a short time, as you have yourself expressed it the conversation of a woman
• 41:51
  of high intellectual powers. If missus Vernon would allow something to my affection for
• 41:55
  herself and her husband in the length of my visit, you would do more
• 42:00
  justice to us all. But my sister is unhappily prejudiced beyond the hope of
• 42:05
  conviction against Lady Susan from an attachment to her husband, which in itself does
• 42:12
  honour to both. She cannot forgive the endeavors at preventing their union which have
• 42:15
  been attributed to selfishness in Lady Susan. But in this case, as well
• 42:21
  as in many others, the world has most grossly injured that lady by supposing
• 42:27
  the worst. Where the motives of her conduct have been doubtful. Lady Susan
• 42:31
  had heard something so materially to the disadvantage of my sister as to persuade her
• 42:36
  that the happiness of mister Vernon, to whom she was always much attached,
• 42:39
  would be wholly destroyed by the marriage. And this circumstance, while it explains
• 42:45
  the true motives of Lady Susan's conduct, and removes all the blame which has
• 42:50
  been so lavished on her. May also convince us how little the general report
• 42:53
  of anyone ought to be credited, since no character, however upright, can
• 42:59
  escape them ala evolence of slander. If my sister, in the security of
• 43:04
  retirement, with as little opportunity as inclination to do evil, could not avoid
• 43:07
  censure, we must not rashly condemn those who, living in the world and
• 43:13
  surrounded with temptations, should be accused of errors which they are known to have
• 43:17
  the power of committing. I blame myself severely for having so easily believed the
• 43:22
  slanderous tales invented by Charles Smith to the prejudice of Lady Susan, as I
• 43:28
  am now convinced how greatly they have produced her. As to missus Mannering's jealousy,
• 43:32
  it was totally his own invention, and his account of her attaching Miss
• 43:37
  Mannering's lover was scarcely better founded. Sir James Martin had been drawn in by
• 43:42
  that young lady to pay her some attention, and as he is a man
• 43:45
  of fortune, it was easy to see her views extended to marriage. It
• 43:50
  is well known that miss m is absolutely on the catch for a husband,
• 43:53
  and no one therefore can pity her for losing, by the superior attractions of
• 43:58
  another woman, the chance of being being able to make a worthy man completely
• 44:00
  wretched. Lady Susan was far from intending such a conquest, and, on
• 44:06
  finding how warmly Miss Mannering resented her lover's defection, determined in spite of mister
• 44:12
  and missus Mannering's most urgent entreaties to leave the family, I have reason to
• 44:16
  imagine she did receive serious proposals from Sir James, but her a moving to
• 44:21
  Langford immediately on the discovery of his attachment must acquit her on that article.
• 44:25
  With any mind of common candor you will, I am sure, my dear
• 44:30
  Sir, feel the truth of this, and will hereby learn to do justice
• 44:35
  to the character of a very injured woman. I know that Lady Susan,
• 44:38
  in coming to Churchill, was governed only by the most honorable and amiable intentions.
• 44:44
  Her prudence and economy are exemplary, her regard for mister Vernon equal even
• 44:50
  to his deserts, and her wish of obtaining my sister's good opinion merits a
• 44:54
  better return than it has received. As a mother, she isn exceptionable.
• 45:00
  Her solid affection for her child is shown by placing her in hands where her
• 45:05
  education will be properly attended to. But because she has not the blind and
• 45:08
  weak partiality of most mothers, she is accused of wanting maternal tenderness. Every
• 45:15
  person of sense, however, will know how to value and commend her well
• 45:20
  directed affection, and will join me in wishing that Frederica Vernon may prove more
• 45:24
  worthy than she has yet done of her mother's tender care. I have now,
• 45:29
  my dear father, written my real sentiments of Lady Susan. You will
• 45:32
  know from this letter how highly I admire her abilities and esteem her character.
• 45:37
  But if you are not equally convinced by my full and solemn assurance that your
• 45:42
  fears have been most idly created, you will deeply mortify and distress me.
• 45:46
  I am et cetera, et cetera, ar decursi. End of Lady Susan
• 45:54
  by Jane Austen, Section two, Section three, Missus Vernon to Lady de
• 46:02
  Cursey Churchill, my dear mother. I return to you Reginald's letter and rejoice
• 46:12
  with all my heart that my father is made easy by it. Tell him
• 46:15
  so with my congratulations. But between ourselves I must own it has only convinced
• 46:22
  me of my brother's having no present intention of marrying Lady Susan, not that
• 46:28
  he is in no danger of doing so three months. Hence he gives a
• 46:31
  very plausible account of her behavior at Langford. I wish it may be true,
• 46:36
  but his intelligence must come from herself, and I am less disposed to
• 46:40
  believe it than to lament the degree of intimacies subsisting between them implied by the
• 46:45
  discussion of such a subject. I am sorry to have incurred his displeasure,
• 46:51
  but can expect nothing better. While he is so very eager in Lady Susan's
• 46:55
  justification, he is very severe against me, indeed, and yet I hope
• 47:00
  I have not been hasty in my judgment of her. Poor woman. Though
• 47:04
  I have reason enough for my dislike, I cannot help pitying her at present,
• 47:08
  as she is in real distress and with too much cause. She had
• 47:13
  this morning a letter from the lady with whom she has placed her daughter,
• 47:16
  to request that Miss Vernon might be immediately removed, as she had been detected
• 47:22
  in an attempt to run away. Why or whither she intended to go does
• 47:25
  not appear, But as her situation seems to have been unexceptionable, it is
• 47:31
  a sad thing, and of course highly distressing to Lady Susan. Frederica must
• 47:37
  be as much as sixteen and ought to know better. But from what her
• 47:40
  mother insinuates, I am afraid she is a perverse girl. She has been
• 47:45
  sadly neglected, however, and her mother ought to remember it. Mister Vernon
• 47:50
  set off for London as soon as she had determined what should be done.
• 47:52
  He is, if possible to prevail on Miss Summers to let Frederica continue with
• 47:58
  her, and if he cannot succeed, to bring her to Churchill for the
• 48:01
  present till some other situation can be found for her. Her Ladyship is comforting
• 48:07
  herself meanwhile by strolling along the shrubbery with Reginald calling forth all his tender feelings.
• 48:13
  I suppose on this distressing occasion she has been talking a great deal about
• 48:17
  it to me. She talks vastly well. I am afraid of being ungenerous,
• 48:22
  or I should say too well to feel very deeply. But I will
• 48:25
  not look for her faults. She may be Reginald's wife, heaven forbid it,
• 48:30
  but why should I be quicker sighted than any one else? Mister Vernon
• 48:35
  declares that he never saw deeper distress than hers on the receipt of the letter,
• 48:38
  and is his judgment inferior to mine. She was very unwilling that Frederica
• 48:44
  should be allowed to come to Churchhill, and justly enough, as it seems
• 48:49
  a sort of reward to behavior deserving very differently. But it was impossible to
• 48:53
  take her anywhere else, and she is not to remain here long. It
• 48:58
  will be absolutely necessary, said she, as you, my dear sister,
• 49:01
  must be sensible to treat my daughter with some severity while she is here.
• 49:06
  A most painful necessity. But I will endeavor to submit to it. I
• 49:10
  am afraid I have often been too indulgent, but my poor Frederica's temper could
• 49:15
  never bear opposition. Well, you must support and encourage me. You must
• 49:20
  urge the necessity of reproof if you see me too lenient. All this sounds
• 49:24
  very reasonable. Reginald is so incensed against the poor silly girl. Surely it
• 49:30
  is not to Lady Susan's credit that he should be so bitter against her daughter.
• 49:34
  His idea of her must be drawn from the mother's description. Well,
• 49:38
  whatever may be his fate, we have the comfort of knowing that we have
• 49:42
  done our utmost to save him. We must commit the event to a higher
• 49:45
  power, Yours ever, et cetera. Catherine Vernon sixteen, Lady Susan to
• 49:55
  missus Johnson Churchill. Never, my dearest Alicia, was I so provoked in
• 50:02
  my life as by a letter this morning from Miss Sommers, that horrid girl
• 50:07
  of mine has been trying to run away. I had not a notion of
• 50:10
  her being such a little devil before she seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness.
• 50:15
  But on receiving the letter in which I declared my intention about Sir James,
• 50:21
  she actually attempted to elope. At least I cannot otherwise account for her
• 50:25
  doing it. She meant I suppose to go to the clerks in Staffordshire,
• 50:30
  for she has no other acquaintances. But she shall be punished. She shall
• 50:36
  have him. I have sent Charles to town to make matters up if he
• 50:39
  can, for I do not, by any means want her here. If
• 50:44
  Miss Somers will not keep her, you must find me out another school unless
• 50:49
  we can get her married immediately. Miss S writes word that she could not
• 50:53
  get the young lady to assign any cause for her extraordinary conduct, which confirms
• 50:59
  me in my own previous explanation of it. Frederica is too shy, I
• 51:04
  think, and too much in awe of me to tell tales. But if
• 51:07
  the mildness of her uncle should get anything out of her, I am not
• 51:10
  afraid. I trust I shall be able to make my story as good as
• 51:15
  hers. If I am vain of anything, it is of my eloquence,
• 51:20
  consideration, and esteem as surely follow command of language, as admiration waits on
• 51:25
  beauty. And here I have opportunity enough for the exercise of my talent.
• 51:30
  As the chief of my time is spent in conversation. Reginald is never easy
• 51:37
  unless we are by ourselves, and when the weather is tolerable, we pace
• 51:42
  the shrubbery for hours together. I like him on the whole very well.
• 51:47
  He is clever and has a good deal to say, but he is sometimes
• 51:51
  impertinent and troublesome. There is a sort of righteous delicacy about him which requires
• 51:57
  the fullest explanation of whatever he may have heard. To my disadvantage, and
• 52:01
  it is never satisfied till he thinks he has ascertained the beginning and end of
• 52:07
  everything. This is one sort of love, but I confess it does not
• 52:12
  particularly recommend itself to me. I infinitely prefer the tender and liberal spirit of
• 52:19
  Mannering, which impressed with the deepest conviction of my Merit is satisfied that whatever
• 52:24
  I do must be right, and look with a degree of contempt on the
• 52:29
  inquisitive and doubtful fancies of that heart which seems always debating on the reasonableness of
• 52:35
  its emotions. Mannering is indeed beyond all compare superior to Reginald, superior in
• 52:43
  everything but the power of being with me. Poor fellow, he is much
• 52:47
  distracted by jealousy, which I am not sorry for, as I know no
• 52:52
  better support of love. He has been teasing me to allow of his coming
• 52:58
  into this country and love lodging somewhere near in cog But I forbade everything of
• 53:04
  the kind. Those women are inexcusable, who forget what is due to themselves
• 53:08
  and the opinion of the world. Yours ever, s Vernon seventeen. Missus
• 53:19
  Vernon to Lady de Cursey, Churchill, my dear mother. Mister Vernon returned
• 53:27
  on Thursday night, bringing his niece with him. Lady Susan had received a
• 53:30
  line from him by that day's post informing her that Miss Summers had absolutely refused
• 53:37
  to allow of Miss Vernon's continuance in her academy. We were therefore prepared for
• 53:42
  her arrival and expected them impatiently the whole evening. They came while we were
• 53:45
  at tea, and I never saw any creature look so frightened as Frederica when
• 53:51
  she entered the room. Lady Susan, who had been shedding tears before and
• 53:55
  showing great agitation at the idea of the meeting, received with perfect self command
• 54:00
  and without betraying the least tenderness of spirit. She hardly spoke to her,
• 54:06
  and, on Frederica's bursting into tears, as soon as we were seated,
• 54:09
  took her out of the room and did not return for some time. When
• 54:14
  she did, her eyes looked very red, and she was as much agitated
• 54:17
  as before. We saw no more of her daughter. Poor Reginald was beyond
• 54:22
  measure concerned to see his fair friend in such distress, and watched her with
• 54:27
  so much tender solicitude that I, who occasionally caught her observing his countenance with
• 54:32
  exultation, was quite out of patience. This pathetic representation lasted the whole evening,
• 54:38
  and so ostentatious and artful a display has entirely convinced me that she did,
• 54:44
  in fact feel nothing. I am more angry with her than ever since
• 54:49
  I have seen her daughter. The poor girl looks so unhappy that my heart
• 54:52
  aches for her. Lady Susan is surely too severe. For Frederica does not
• 54:57
  seem to have the sort of temper to make sever necessary. She looks perfectly
• 55:01
  timid, dejected, and penitent. She is very pretty, though not so
• 55:07
  handsome as her mother, nor at all like her. Her complexion is delicate,
• 55:10
  but neither so fair nor so blooming as Lady Susan's. And she has
• 55:15
  quite the vernon cast of countenance, the oval face and mild dark eyes.
• 55:20
  And there is peculiar sweetness in her look when she speaks, either to her
• 55:22
  uncle or to me. For as we behave kindly to her, we have
• 55:27
  of course engaged her gratitude. Her mother has insinuated that her temper is intractable.
• 55:32
  But I never saw a face less indicative of any evil disposition than hers,
• 55:37
  and from what I can see of the behavior of each to the other,
• 55:40
  the invariable severity of Lady Susan and the silent dejection of Frederica, I
• 55:46
  am led to believe, as heretofore, that the former has no real love
• 55:51
  for her daughter, and has never done her justice or treated her affectionately.
• 55:54
  I have not been able to have any conversation with my niece. She is
• 55:59
  shy, and I think I can see that some pains are taken to prevent
• 56:02
  her being much with me. Nothing satisfactory transpires as to her reason for running
• 56:07
  away. Her kind hearted uncle, you may be sure, was too fearful
• 56:12
  of distressing her to ask many questions as they traveled. I wish it had
• 56:15
  been possible for me to fetch her instead of him. I think I should
• 56:20
  have discovered the truth in the course of a thirty mile journey. The small
• 56:23
  Pianoforte has been removed within these last few days, at Lady Susan's request,
• 56:29
  into her dressing room, and Frederica spends a great part of the day there
• 56:32
  practicing as it is called. But I seldom hear any noise when I pass
• 56:37
  that way what she does with herself there, I do not know. There
• 56:42
  are plenty of books, but it is not every girl who has been running
• 56:45
  wild the first fifteen years of her life that can or will read poor creature.
• 56:51
  The prospect from her window is not very instructive, for that room overlooks
• 56:55
  the lawn, you know, with the shrubbery on one side, where she
• 56:59
  may see her mother walking for an hour together. In earnest conversation with Reginald,
• 57:05
  a girl of Frederica's age must be childish. Indeed, if such things
• 57:07
  do not strike her, is it not inexcusable to give such an example to
• 57:13
  a daughter. Yet Reginald still thinks Lady Susan the best of mothers, and
• 57:16
  still condemns Frederica as a worthless girl. He is convinced that her attempt to
• 57:22
  run away proceeded from no justifiable cause and had no provocation. I am sure
• 57:28
  I cannot say that it had. But while Miss Somers declares that Miss Vernon
• 57:32
  showed no signs of obstinacy or perverseness during her whole stay in Wigmore Street till
• 57:37
  she was detected in this scheme, I cannot so readily credit what lady Susan
• 57:42
  has made him and wants to make me believe that it was merely an impatience
• 57:46
  of restraint and a desire of escaping from the tuition of masters, which brought
• 57:51
  on the plan of elopement. Oh, Reginald, how is your judgment enslaved?
• 57:55
  He scarcely dares even allow her to be handsome, and when I speak
• 57:59
  of her beauty, replies only that her eyes have no brilliancy. Sometimes he
• 58:04
  is sure she is deficient and understanding, and at others that her temper only
• 58:08
  is in fault. In short, when a person is always to deceive,
• 58:13
  it is impossible to be consistent. Lady Susan finds it necessary that Frederica should
• 58:17
  be to blame, and probably has sometimes judged it expedient to excuse her of
• 58:22
  ill nature, and sometimes to lament her want of sense. Reginald is only
• 58:28
  repeating after her ladyship. I remain et cetera, et cetera, Catherine Vernon
• 58:36
  eighteen from the same to the same Churchill, my dear mother, I am
• 58:44
  very glad to find that my description of Frederica Vernon has interested you, for
• 58:49
  I do believe her truly deserving of your regard and when I have communicated a
• 58:54
  notion which has recently struck me, your kind impressions in her favor, will,
• 59:00
  I am sure be heightened. I cannot help fancying that she is growing
• 59:04
  partial to my brother. I so very often see her eyes fixed on his
• 59:08
  face with a remarkable expression of pensive admiration. He is certainly very handsome,
• 59:14
  and yet more, there is an openness in his manner that must be highly
• 59:19
  prepossessing. And I am sure she feels it so thoughtful and pensive and general.
• 59:23
  Her countenance always brightens into a smile when Reginald says anything amusing. And
• 59:30
  let the subject be ever so serious that he may be conversing on I am
• 59:35
  much mistaken if a syllable of his uttering escapes her. I want to make
• 59:39
  him sensible of all this, for we know the power of gratitude on such
• 59:44
  a heart as his. And could Frederica's artless affection detach him from her mother?
• 59:49
  We might bless the day which brought her to Churchhill. I think,
• 59:52
  my dear mother, you would not disapprove of her as a daughter. She
• 59:57
  is extremely young, to be sure, has had a wretched education, and
• 1:00:00
  a dreadful example of levity in her mother. But yet I can pronounce her
• 1:00:05
  disposition to be excellent, and her natural ability is very good. Though totally
• 1:00:10
  without accomplishments. She is by no means so ignorant as one might expect to
• 1:00:15
  find her. Being fond of books and spending the chief of her time in
• 1:00:19
  reading, her mother leaves her more to herself than she did, And I
• 1:00:22
  have her with me as much as possible, and have taken great pains to
• 1:00:27
  overcome her timidity. We are very good friends. And though she never opens
• 1:00:31
  her lips before her mother, she talks enough when alone with me to make
• 1:00:36
  it clear that if properly treated by Lady Susan, she would always appear to
• 1:00:39
  much greater advantage. There cannot be a more gentle, affectionate heart, or
• 1:00:45
  more obliging manners when acting without restraint, and her little cousins are all very
• 1:00:51
  fond of her, Your affectionate daughter, c Vernon nineteen, Lady Susan to
• 1:01:00
  missus Johnson Churchill. You will be eager, I know, to hear something
• 1:01:06
  further of Frederica, and perhaps may think me negligent for not writing before she
• 1:01:12
  arrived with her uncle last Thursday fortnight, when of course I lost no time
• 1:01:16
  in demanding the cause of her behavior, and soon found myself to have been
• 1:01:21
  perfectly right in attributing it to my own letter. The prospect of it frightened
• 1:01:25
  her so thoroughly that, with a mixture of true girlish perseverance and folly,
• 1:01:31
  she resolved on getting out of the house and proceeding directly by the stage to
• 1:01:36
  her friends the clerks, and had really got as far as the length of
• 1:01:40
  two streets in her journey when she was fortunately missed, pursued, and overtaken.
• 1:01:47
  Such was the first distinguished exploit of Miss Frederica Vernon, and if we
• 1:01:52
  consider that it was achieved at the tender age of sixteen, we shall have
• 1:01:55
  room for the most flattering prognostics of her future renown. I am excessively provoked,
• 1:02:01
  however, at the parade of propriety which prevented Miss Somers from keeping the
• 1:02:06
  girl, And it seems so extraordinary a piece of nicety, considering my daughter's
• 1:02:12
  family connections, that I can only suppose the lady to be governed by the
• 1:02:15
  fear of never getting her money. Be that as it may, However,
• 1:02:21
  Frederica is returned on my hands, and having nothing else to employ her is
• 1:02:25
  busy pursuing the plan of romance begun at Langford. She is actually falling in
• 1:02:30
  love with Reginald de Courcy. To disobey her mother by refusing an unexceptionable offer
• 1:02:37
  is not enough. Her affections must also be given without her mother's approbation.
• 1:02:43
  I never saw a girl of her age bid fairer to the sport of mankind.
• 1:02:47
  Her feelings are tolerably acute, and she is so charmingly artless in their
• 1:02:52
  display as to afford the most reasonable hope of her being ridiculous and despised by
• 1:02:58
  every man who sees her artlessness will never do in love matters, and that
• 1:03:04
  girl is born as simpleton, who has it either by nature or affectation.
• 1:03:08
  I am not yet certain that Reginald sees what she is about, nor is
• 1:03:13
  it of much consequence. She is now an object of indifference to him,
• 1:03:17
  and she should be one of contempt were he to understand her emotions. Her
• 1:03:22
  beauty is much admired by the Vernons, but it has no effect on him.
• 1:03:27
  She is in high favor with her aunt altogether because she is so little
• 1:03:31
  like myself. Of course, she is exactly the companion for Missus Vernon,
• 1:03:36
  who dearly loves to be firm and to have all the sense and all the
• 1:03:40
  wit of the conversation to herself. Frederica will never eclipse her. When she
• 1:03:46
  first came, I was at some pains to prevent her seeing much of her
• 1:03:51
  aunt. But I have relaxed, as I believe I may depend on her
• 1:03:54
  observing the rules I have laid down for their discourse. But do not imagine
• 1:03:59
  with all the lenity I have for a moment given up my plan of her
• 1:04:01
  marriage. No, I am unalterably fixed on this point, though I have
• 1:04:08
  not yet quite decided on the manner of bringing it about. I should not
• 1:04:13
  choose to have the business brought on here and canvassed by the wise heads of
• 1:04:16
  mister and Missus Vernon. And I cannot just now afford to go to town.
• 1:04:21
  Miss Frederica must therefore wait a little yours ever, S Vernon twenty Missus
• 1:04:32
  Vernon, to Lady de Cursey Churchill. We have a very unexpected guest with
• 1:04:41
  us at present, my dear mother. He arrived yesterday. I heard a
• 1:04:44
  carriage at the door as I was sitting with my children when they dined,
• 1:04:47
  And supposing I should be wanted. Left the nursery soon afterwards, and was
• 1:04:51
  half way downstairs when Frederica, as pale as ashes, came running up and
• 1:04:57
  rushed by me into her own room. I instantly followed and asked her,
• 1:05:01
  what was the matter? Oh, said she he is come, Sir James
• 1:05:05
  is come, and what shall I do? This was no explanation. I
• 1:05:10
  begged her to tell me what she meant. At that moment, we were
• 1:05:13
  interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Reginald, who came by
• 1:05:16
  Lady Susan's direction to call Frederica down. It is mister de Cursey, said
• 1:05:23
  she, coloring violently. Mamma has sent for me. I must go.
• 1:05:29
  We all three went down together, and I saw my brother examining the terrified
• 1:05:32
  face of Frederica with surprise. In the breakfast room we found Lady Susan and
• 1:05:38
  a young man of gentlemanlike appearance, whom she introduced by the name of Sir
• 1:05:43
  James Martin, the very person as you may remember, whom it was said
• 1:05:47
  she had been at pains to detach from Miss Mannering. But the conquest,
• 1:05:51
  it seems, was not designed for herself, or she has since transferred it
• 1:05:56
  to her daughter, for Sir James is now desperately in love with Frederica,
• 1:06:00
  and with full encouragement from Mamma. The poor girl, however, I am
• 1:06:05
  sure, dislikes him, and though his person and address are very well,
• 1:06:10
  he appears both to mister Vernon and me, a very weak young man.
• 1:06:15
  Frederica looked so shy, so confused when we entered the room, that I
• 1:06:19
  felt for her exceedingly. Lady Susan behaved with great attention to her visitor,
• 1:06:25
  and yet I thought I could perceive that she had no particular pleasure in seeing
• 1:06:30
  him. Sir James talked a great deal and made many civil excuses to me
• 1:06:34
  for the liberty he had taken in coming to Churchhill, mixing more frequent laughter
• 1:06:40
  with his discourse than the subject required, said many things over and over again,
• 1:06:45
  and told Lady Susan three times that he had seen missus Johnson a few
• 1:06:48
  evenings before. He now and then addressed Frederica, but more frequently her mother.
• 1:06:54
  The poor girl sat all this time without opening her lips, her eyes
• 1:06:59
  cast down, her color varying every instant, while Reginald observed all that passed
• 1:07:03
  in perfect silence. At length, Lady Susan, weary I believe of her
• 1:07:10
  situation, proposed walking, and we left the two gentlemen together to put on
• 1:07:14
  our palisses. As we went upstairs, Lady Susan begged permission to attend me
• 1:07:18
  for a few moments in my dressing room, as she was anxious to speak
• 1:07:23
  with me in private. I led her thither accordingly, and as soon as
• 1:07:27
  the door was closed, she said, I was never more surprised in my
• 1:07:30
  life than by Sir James's arrival, and the suddenness of it requires some apology
• 1:07:34
  to you, my dear sister, though to me as a mother, it
• 1:07:39
  is highly flattering. He is so extremely attached to my daughter that he could
• 1:07:44
  not exist longer without seeing her. Sir James is a young man of an
• 1:07:47
  amiable disposition, an excellent character, a little too much of the rattle,
• 1:07:51
  perhaps, but a year or two will rectify that. And he is in
• 1:07:56
  other respects so very eligible a match for Frederica that I have always observed his
• 1:08:00
  attachment with the greatest pleasure, and am persuaded that you and my brother will
• 1:08:04
  give the alliance your hearty approbation. I have never before mentioned the likelihood of
• 1:08:11
  its taking place to any one, because I thought that whilst Frederica continued at
• 1:08:15
  school, it had better not be known to exist. But now as I
• 1:08:18
  am convinced that Frederica is too old ever to submit to school confinement, and
• 1:08:24
  have therefore begun to consider her union with Sir James as not very distant,
• 1:08:30
  I had intended within a few days to acquaint yourself and mister Vernon with the
• 1:08:33
  whole business. I am sure, my dear sister, you will excuse my
• 1:08:38
  remaining silence so long, and agree with me that such circumstances, while they
• 1:08:43
  continue from any cause and suspense, cannot be too cautiously concealed. When you
• 1:08:47
  have the happiness of bestowing your sweet little Catherine some years hence on a man
• 1:08:53
  who, in connection and character is alike unexceptionable, you will know what I
• 1:08:57
  feel now, though, thank Heaven, you cannot have all my reasons for
• 1:09:01
  rejoicing in such an event. Catherine will be amply provided for, and not
• 1:09:06
  like my Frederica, indebted to a fortunate establishment for the comforts of life.
• 1:09:14
  She concluded by demanding my congratulations. I gave them somewhat awkwardly, I believe,
• 1:09:18
  for in fact, the sudden disclosure of so important a matter took from
• 1:09:24
  me the power of speaking with any clearness. She thanked me, however,
• 1:09:28
  most affectionately for my kind concern in the welfare of herself and her daughter,
• 1:09:32
  and then said, I am not apt to deal in professions, my dear
• 1:09:36
  missus Vernon, and I never had the convenient talent of affecting sensations foreign to
• 1:09:42
  my heart, and therefore I trust you will believe me when I declare that
• 1:09:46
  much as I had heard in your praise, before I knew you, I
• 1:09:49
  had no idea that I should ever love you as I now do. And
• 1:09:54
  I must further say that your friendship towards me is more particularly gratifying, because
• 1:09:59
  I have reason to believe that some attempts were made to prejudice you against me.
• 1:10:03
  I only wish that they, whoever they are, to whom I am
• 1:10:08
  indebted for such kind intentions, could see the terms on which we now are
• 1:10:12
  together and understand the real affection we feel for each other. But I will
• 1:10:16
  not detain you any longer. God bless you for your goodness to me and
• 1:10:20
  my girl, and continue to you all your present happiness. What can one
• 1:10:26
  say of such a woman, My dear mother, such earnestness, such solemnity
• 1:10:30
  of expression, and yet I cannot help suspecting the truth of everything she says.
• 1:10:35
  As for Reginald, I believe he does not know what to make of
• 1:10:39
  the matter. When Sir James came, he appeared all astonishment and perplexity.
• 1:10:44
  The folly of the young man and the confusion of Frederica entirely engrossed him.
• 1:10:49
  And though a little private discourse with Lady Susan has since had its effect,
• 1:10:54
  he is still hurt. I am sure at her allowing of such a man's
• 1:10:58
  attentions to her daughter. Sir James invited himself, with great composure to remain
• 1:11:03
  here a few days, hoped we would not think it odd, was aware
• 1:11:08
  of its being very impertinent, But he took the liberty of a relation,
• 1:11:12
  and concluded by wishing with a laugh, that he might be really one very
• 1:11:15
  soon. Even Lady Susan seemed a little disconcerted by this forwardness. In her
• 1:11:21
  heart, I am persuaded she sincerely wished him gone. But something must be
• 1:11:27
  done for this poor girl. If her feelings are such as both I and
• 1:11:30
  her uncle believe them to be, she must not be sacrificed to policy or
• 1:11:34
  ambition, and she must not be left to suffer from the dread of it.
• 1:11:39
  The girl whose heart can distinguish Reginald de Cursey deserves, however, he
• 1:11:44
  may slight her a better fate than to be Sir James Martin's wife. As
• 1:11:48
  soon as I can get her alone, I will discover the real truth.
• 1:11:53
  But she seems to wish to avoid me. I hope this does not proceed
• 1:11:56
  from anything wrong, and that I shall not find out. I have thought
• 1:11:59
  you well of her. Her behavior to Sir James certainly speaks the greatest consciousness
• 1:12:04
  and embarrassment, but I see nothing in it more like encouragement. Adieu,
• 1:12:09
  my dear mother, yours, et cetera. See Vernon and of section three,
• 1:12:17
  Section four. Sir, I hope you will excuse this liberty. I
• 1:12:24
  am forced upon it by the greatest distress, or I should be ashamed to
• 1:12:28
  trouble you. I am very miserable about Sir James Martin, and have no
• 1:12:32
  other way in the world of helping myself, but by writing to you,
• 1:12:36
  for I am forbidden even speaking to my uncle and aunt on the subject.
• 1:12:41
  And this being the case, I am afraid my applying to you will appear
• 1:12:45
  no better than equivocation, and as if I attended to the letter and not
• 1:12:49
  the spirit of Mamma's commands. But if you do not take my part and
• 1:12:56
  persuade her to break it off, I shall be half distracted, for I
• 1:13:00
  cannot bear him no human being. But you could have any chance of prevailing
• 1:13:04
  with her. If you will therefore have the unspeakably great kindness of taking my
• 1:13:11
  part with her and persuading her to send Sir James away, I shall be
• 1:13:15
  more obliged to you than it is possible for me to express. I always
• 1:13:20
  disliked him from the first. It is not a sudden fancy, I assure
• 1:13:25
  you, Sir. I always thought him silly and impertinent and disagreeable, and
• 1:13:30
  now he has grown worse than ever. I would rather work for my bread
• 1:13:34
  than marry him. I do not know how to apologize enough for this letter.
• 1:13:41
  I know it is taking so great a liberty. I am aware how
• 1:13:45
  dreadfully angry it will make Mamma. But I remember the risk. I am,
• 1:13:50
  sir, your most humble servant. F s V. Twenty two.
• 1:14:00
  Lady Susan to missus Johnson Churchill, this is insufferable, My dearest friend.
• 1:14:06
  I was never so enraged before, and must relieve myself by writing to you,
• 1:14:12
  who I know will enter into all my feelings. Who should come on
• 1:14:15
  Tuesday, but Sir James Martin guess my astonishment and vexation, For as you
• 1:14:21
  well know, I never wished him to be seen at Churchill. What a
• 1:14:26
  pity that you should not have known his intentions. Not content with coming,
• 1:14:31
  he actually invited himself to remain here a few days. I could have poisoned
• 1:14:36
  him. I made the best of it, however, and told my story
• 1:14:41
  with great success to missus Vernon, who, whatever might be her real sentiments,
• 1:14:45
  said nothing in opposition to mine. I made a point also of Frederica's
• 1:14:50
  behaving civilly to Sir James, and gave her to understand that I was absolutely
• 1:14:56
  determined on her marrying him. She said something of her misery, but that
• 1:15:00
  was all. I have for some time been more particularly resolved on the match,
• 1:15:05
  from seeing the rapid increase of her affection for Reginald, and from not
• 1:15:10
  feeling secure that a knowledge of such affection might not, in the end awaken
• 1:15:15
  a return contemptible as a regard founded only on compassion must make them both in
• 1:15:20
  my eyes. I felt, by no means assured that such might not be
• 1:15:25
  the consequence. It is true that Reginald has not in any degree grown cool
• 1:15:30
  towards me, But yet he has lately mentioned Frederica spontaneously and unnecessarily, and
• 1:15:36
  once said something in praise of her person. He was all astonishment at the
• 1:15:41
  appearance of my visitor, and at first observed Sir James with an attention which
• 1:15:46
  I was pleased to see not unmixed with jealousy. But unluckily it was impossible
• 1:15:53
  for me really to torment him, as Sir James, though extremely gallant to
• 1:15:58
  me, very soon made the whole party understand that his heart was devoted to
• 1:16:02
  my daughter. I had no great difficulty in convincing De Corsi when we were
• 1:16:09
  alone, that I was perfectly justified all things considered in desiring the match,
• 1:16:15
  and the whole business seemed most comfortably arranged. They could none of them help
• 1:16:19
  perceiving that Sir James was no Solomon. But I had positively forbidden Frederica complaining
• 1:16:25
  to Charles Vernon or his wife, and they had therefore no pretense for interference.
• 1:16:30
  Though my impertinent sister, I believe, wanted only opportunity for doing so.
• 1:16:36
  Everything, however, was going on calmly and quietly, and though I
• 1:16:41
  counted the hours of Sir James's stay, my mind was entirely satisfied with the
• 1:16:45
  posture of affairs. Guess then, what I must feel at the sudden disturbance
• 1:16:51
  of all my schemes, and that too from a quarter where I had least
• 1:16:57
  reason to expect it. Reginald came this morning into my dressing room with a
• 1:17:01
  very unusual solemnity of countenance, and after some preface, informed me, in
• 1:17:06
  so many words that he wished to reason with me on the impropriety and unkindness
• 1:17:13
  of allowing Sir James Martin to address my daughter contrary to her inclinations. I
• 1:17:18
  was all amazement when I found that he was not to be laughed out of
• 1:17:24
  his design. I calmly begged an explanation, and desired to know by what
• 1:17:29
  he was impelled and by whom commissioned to reprimand me. He then told me,
• 1:17:34
  mixing in his speech a few insolent compliments and ill timed expressions of tenderness,
• 1:17:41
  to which I listened with perfect indifference, that my daughter had acquainted him
• 1:17:45
  with some circumstances concerning herself, Sir James, and me, which had given
• 1:17:50
  him great uneasiness. In short, I found that she had, in the
• 1:17:56
  first place actually written to him to request his interference, and that on receiving
• 1:18:00
  her letter, he had conversed with her on the subject of it in order
• 1:18:04
  to understand the particulars and to assure himself of her real wishes. I have
• 1:18:12
  not a doubt but that the girl took this opportunity of making downright love to
• 1:18:15
  him. I am convinced of it by the manner in which she spoke of
• 1:18:18
  her much good may such love do him? I shall ever despise the man
• 1:18:24
  who can be gratified by the passion which he never wished to inspire, nor
• 1:18:29
  solicited the avowal of I shall always detest them both. He can have no
• 1:18:34
  true regard for me, or he would not have listened to her, And
• 1:18:39
  she, with her little rebellious heart and indelicate feelings, to throw herself into
• 1:18:45
  the protection of a young man with whom she has scarcely ever exchanged two words
• 1:18:48
  before. I am equally confounded at her impudence and his credulity. How dare
• 1:18:56
  he believe what she told him in my disfavor? Ought he not to have
• 1:19:00
  felt assured that I must have unanswerable motives for all that I had done.
• 1:19:04
  Where was his reliance on my sense and goodness? Then? Where the resentment
• 1:19:10
  which true love would have dictated against the person defaming me? That person too,
• 1:19:15
  a chit, a child without talent or education, whom he had been
• 1:19:19
  always taught to despise. I was calm for some time, But the greatest
• 1:19:26
  degree of forbearance may be overcome, and I hope I was afterwards sufficiently keen.
• 1:19:32
  He endeavored, long endeavored to soften my resentment. But that woman is
• 1:19:38
  a fool, indeed, who while insulted by accusation, can be worked on
• 1:19:42
  by compliments. At length, he left me as deeply provoked as myself,
• 1:19:47
  and he showed his anger more. I was quite cool, but he gave
• 1:19:53
  way to the most violent indignation. I may therefore expect it will the sooner
• 1:19:59
  subside, and perhaps his may be vanished for ever, while mine will be
• 1:20:03
  found still fresh and implacable. He is now shut up in his apartment whither
• 1:20:10
  I heard him go on leaving mine. How unpleasant one would think must be
• 1:20:15
  his reflections, but some people's feelings are incomprehensible. I have not yet tranquilized
• 1:20:21
  myself enough to see Frederica. She shall not soon forget the occurrence of this
• 1:20:27
  day. She shall find that she has poured forth her tender tale of love
• 1:20:31
  in vain, and exposed herself for ever to the contempt of the whole world
• 1:20:36
  and the severest resentment of her injured mother. Your affectionate s. Vernon twenty
• 1:20:46
  three. Missus Vernon to Lady de Cursey Churchill. Let me congratulate you,
• 1:20:56
  my dearest mother. The affair which has given us so much anxiety is drawing
• 1:21:00
  to a happy conclusion. Our prospect is most delightful. And since matters have
• 1:21:05
  now taken so favorable a turn, I am quite sorry that I ever imparted
• 1:21:11
  my apprehensions to you. For the pleasure of learning that the danger is over
• 1:21:15
  is perhaps dearly purchased by all that you have previously suffered. I am so
• 1:21:19
  much agitated by delight that I can scarcely hold a pen. But I am
• 1:21:24
  determined to send you a few short lines by James, that you may have
• 1:21:28
  some explanation of what must so greatly astonish you. As that Reginald should be
• 1:21:32
  returning to Parkland's. I was sitting about half an hour ago with Sir James
• 1:21:38
  in the breakfast parlor when my brother called me out of the room. I
• 1:21:42
  instantly saw that something was the matter. His complexion was raised, and he
• 1:21:45
  spoke with great emotion. You know his eager manner, my dear mother,
• 1:21:49
  when his mind is interested. Catherine said, he, I am going home
• 1:21:54
  to day. I am sorry to leave you, but I must go.
• 1:21:57
  It is a great while since I have seen my father. I am going
• 1:22:00
  to send James forward with my hunters immediately. If you have any letter,
• 1:22:05
  therefore, he can take it. I shall not be at home myself till
• 1:22:09
  Wednesday or Thursday, as I shall go through London, where I have business.
• 1:22:14
  But before I leave you, he continued, speaking in a lower tone
• 1:22:17
  and with still greater energy, I must warn you of one thing. Do
• 1:22:21
  not let Frederica Vernon be made unhappy by that Martin. He wants to marry
• 1:22:26
  her. Her mother promotes the match, but she cannot endure the idea of
• 1:22:30
  it. Be assured that I speak from the fullest conviction of truth. Of
• 1:22:33
  what I say, I know that Frederica is made wretched by Sir James's continuing
• 1:22:39
  here. She is a sweet girl and deserves a better fate. Send him
• 1:22:43
  away immediately. He is only a fool. But what her mother can mean,
• 1:22:45
  Heaven only knows. Good Bye, he added, shaking my hand with
• 1:22:49
  earnestness. I do not know when you will see me again, but remember
• 1:22:55
  what I tell you of Frederica. You must make it your business to see
• 1:22:59
  justice done her. She is an amiable girl and has a very superior mind
• 1:23:03
  to what we have given her credit for. He then left me and ran
• 1:23:08
  upstairs. I would not try to stop him, for I know what his
• 1:23:12
  feelings must be. The nature of mine as I listened to him, I
• 1:23:15
  need not attempt to describe. For a minute or two are remained in the
• 1:23:18
  same spot, overpowered by wonder of a most agreeable sort. Indeed, yet
• 1:23:24
  it required some consideration to be tranquility happy. In about ten minutes after my
• 1:23:30
  return to the parlor, Lady Susan entered the room. I concluded, of
• 1:23:34
  course, that she and Reginald had been quarreling, and looked with anxious curiosity
• 1:23:39
  for a confirmation of my belief in her face. Mistress of deceit. However,
• 1:23:45
  she appeared perfectly unconcerned, and after chatting on indifferent subjects for a short
• 1:23:49
  time, she said to me, I find from Wilson that we are going
• 1:23:54
  to lose mister de Cursey. Is it true that he leaves Churchill this morning?
• 1:23:59
  I reply that it was. He told us nothing of all this last
• 1:24:02
  night, said she, laughing, or even this morning at breakfast. But
• 1:24:06
  perhaps he did not know it himself. Young men are often hasty in their
• 1:24:11
  resolutions, and not more sudden informing than unsteady in keeping them. I should
• 1:24:15
  not be surprised if he were to change his mind at last and not go.
• 1:24:20
  She soon afterwards left the room. I trust, however, my dear
• 1:24:25
  mother, that we have no reason to fear an alteration of his present plan.
• 1:24:30
  Things have gone too far. They must have quarreled, and about Frederica
• 1:24:33
  too. Her calmness astonishes me. What delight will be yours in seeing him
• 1:24:39
  again, in seeing him still worthy your esteem, still capable of forming your
• 1:24:44
  happiness. When I next write, I shall be able to tell you that
• 1:24:47
  Sir James is gone, Lady Susan vanquished, and Frederica at peace. We
• 1:24:53
  have much to do, but it shall be done. I am all impatience
• 1:24:57
  to hear how this astonishing change was effected. I finish as I began,
• 1:25:00
  with the warmest congratulations yours ever, et cetera, cath Vernon, twenty four
• 1:25:13
  from the same to the same Churchill. Little did I imagine, my dear
• 1:25:19
  mother, when I sent off my last letter, that the delightful perturbation of
• 1:25:24
  spirits I was then in would undergo so speedy, so melancholy a reverse.
• 1:25:30
  I never can sufficiently regret that I wrote to you at all. Yet who
• 1:25:33
  could have foreseen what has happened? My dear mother. Every hope which made
• 1:25:39
  me so happy only two hours ago, has vanished. The quarrel between Lady
• 1:25:44
  Susan and Reginald is made up, and we are all as we were before.
• 1:25:47
  One point only is gained. Sir James Martin is dismissed. What are
• 1:25:53
  we now to look forward to? I am indeed disappointed. Reginald was all
• 1:25:58
  but gone, his horse was ordered, all but brought to the door.
• 1:26:00
  Who would not have felt safe? For half an hour? I was in
• 1:26:03
  momentary expectation of his departure. After I had sent off my letter to you,
• 1:26:09
  I went to mister Vernon and sat with him in his room, talking
• 1:26:13
  over the whole matter, and then determined to look for Frederica, whom I
• 1:26:16
  had not seen since breakfast. I met her on the stairs and saw that
• 1:26:19
  she was crying. My dear aunt said she, he is going, Mister
• 1:26:26
  de Cursey is going, and it is all my fault. I am afraid
• 1:26:29
  you will be very angry with me, but indeed I had no idea it
• 1:26:32
  would end, so, my love, I replied, do not think it
• 1:26:38
  necessary to apologize to me on that account. I shall feel myself under an
• 1:26:43
  obligation to any one who is the means of sending my brother home, because
• 1:26:47
  recollecting myself. I know my father wants very much to see him. But
• 1:26:53
  what is it you have done to occasion all this? She blushed deeply as
• 1:26:57
  she answered, I was so unhap happy about Sir James that I could not
• 1:27:01
  help. I have done something very wrong, I know, But you have
• 1:27:05
  not an idea of the misery I have been in. And Mamma had ordered
• 1:27:09
  me never to speak to you or my uncle about it. And you therefore
• 1:27:14
  spoke to my brother to engage his interference. Said I to say, for
• 1:27:17
  the explanation, no, but I wrote to him. I did Indeed,
• 1:27:21
  I got up this morning before it was light, and was two hours about
• 1:27:25
  it, And when my letter was done, I thought I never should have
• 1:27:28
  the courage to give it after breakfast. However, as I was going to
• 1:27:31
  my room, I met him in the passage, and then, as I
• 1:27:34
  knew that everything must depend on that moment, I forced myself to give it.
• 1:27:39
  He was so good as to take it immediately. I dared not look
• 1:27:43
  at him and ran away directly. I was in such a fright I could
• 1:27:45
  hardly breathe. My dear aunt, You do not know how miserable I have
• 1:27:49
  been, Frederica, said I. You ought to have told me all your
• 1:27:55
  distresses. You would have found in me a friend always ready to assist you.
• 1:28:00
  Do you think that your uncle or I should not have espoused your cause
• 1:28:03
  as warmly as my brother? Indeed, I did not doubt your kindness,
• 1:28:09
  said she, coloring again. But I thought mister de Cursey could do anything
• 1:28:13
  with my mother. But I was mistaken. They have had a dreadful quarrel
• 1:28:16
  about it, and he is going away. Mamma will never forgive me,
• 1:28:20
  and I shall be worse off than ever. No you shall not, I
• 1:28:25
  replied, in such a point as this, your mother's prohibition ought not to
• 1:28:29
  have prevented your speaking to me on the subject. She has no right to
• 1:28:32
  make you unhappy, and she shall not do it. Your applying, however,
• 1:28:38
  to Reginald, can be productive only of good to all parties. I
• 1:28:42
  believe it is best, as it is depend upon it that you shall not
• 1:28:45
  be made unhappy any longer. At that moment, how great was my astonishment
• 1:28:51
  at seeing Reginald come out of Lady Susan's dressing room. My heart misgave me
• 1:28:57
  instantly. His confusion at seeing me was very evident. Frederica immediately disappeared.
• 1:29:02
  Are you going, I said, you will find mister Vernon in his own
• 1:29:05
  room. No, Catherine, he replied, I am not going. Will
• 1:29:12
  you let me speak to you a moment. We went into my room,
• 1:29:16
  I find he continued, his confusion increasing as he spoke, that I have
• 1:29:20
  been acting with my usual foolish impetuosity. I have entirely misunderstood Lady Susan,
• 1:29:27
  and was on the point of leaving the house under a false impression of her
• 1:29:30
  conduct. There has been some very great mistake. We have all been mistaken.
• 1:29:34
  I fancy Frederica does not know her mother, Lady Susan means nothing but
• 1:29:40
  her good, but she will not make a friend of her. Lady Susan
• 1:29:44
  does not always know, therefore, what will make her daughter happy. Besides,
• 1:29:49
  I could have no right to interfere. Miss Vernon was mistaken in applying
• 1:29:54
  to me. In short, Catherine, everything has gone wrong, but it
• 1:29:58
  is now all happily set. Lady Susan, I believe wishes to speak to
• 1:30:02
  you about it, if you are at leisure. Certainly, I replied,
• 1:30:08
  deeply, sighing. At the recital of so lame a story. I made
• 1:30:12
  no comments, however, for words would have been vain. Reginald was glad
• 1:30:16
  to get away, and I went to Lady Susan, curious, indeed,
• 1:30:19
  to hear her account of it. Did I not tell you, said she
• 1:30:24
  with a smile, that your brother would not leave us after all you did,
• 1:30:29
  indeed, replied I very gravely. But I flattered myself. You would
• 1:30:33
  be mistaken. I should not have hazarded such an opinion, returned she,
• 1:30:39
  if it had not. At that moment occurred to me that his resolution of
• 1:30:43
  going might be occasioned by a conversation in which we had been this morning engaged
• 1:30:47
  and which had ended very much to his dissatisfaction from our not rightly understanding each
• 1:30:54
  other's meaning. This idea struck me at the moment, and I instantly determined
• 1:30:58
  that an accidental dispute, and which I might probably be as much to blame
• 1:31:02
  as himself, should not deprive you of your brother. If you remember,
• 1:31:06
  I left the room almost immediately. I was resolved to lose no time in
• 1:31:12
  clearing up those mistakes as far as I could. The case was this,
• 1:31:16
  Frederica has set herself violently against marrying Sir James. And can your ladyship wonder
• 1:31:24
  that she should cried I with some warmth. Frederica has an excellent understanding,
• 1:31:29
  and Sir James has none. I am at least very far from regretting it,
• 1:31:33
  my dear sister, said she. On the contrary, I am grateful
• 1:31:38
  for so favorable a sign of my daughter's sense. Sir James is certainly below
• 1:31:43
  par. His boyish manners make him appear worse. And had Frederica possessed the
• 1:31:47
  penetration and the abilities which I could have wished in my daughter, or had
• 1:31:51
  I even known her to possess as much as she does, I should not
• 1:31:56
  have been anxious for the match. It is odd that you should alone be
• 1:32:00
  ignorant of your daughter's sense. Frederica never does justice to herself. Her manners
• 1:32:05
  are shy and childish, and besides, she is afraid of me. During
• 1:32:10
  her poor father's life, she was a spoilt child. The severity which it
• 1:32:14
  has since been necessary for me to show, has alienated her affection. Neither
• 1:32:18
  has she any of that brilliancy of intellect, that genius, or vigor of
• 1:32:23
  mind which will force itself forward. Say rather that she has been unfortunate in
• 1:32:28
  her education. Heaven knows, my dearest missus Vernon, how fully I am
• 1:32:33
  aware of that. But I would wish to forget every circumstance that might throw
• 1:32:38
  blame on the memory of one whose name is sacred. With me Here,
• 1:32:43
  she pretended to cry, I was out of patience with her, But what
• 1:32:47
  said? I was your ladyship going to tell me about your disagreement with my
• 1:32:50
  brother? It originated in an action of my daughter's, which equally marks her
• 1:32:57
  want of judgment and the unfortunate dread of me I have been mentioning. She
• 1:33:00
  wrote to mister de Cursey, I know she did. You had forbidden her
• 1:33:05
  speaking to mister Vernon or to me on the cause of her distress? What
• 1:33:10
  could she do therefore, but apply to her brother? Good God? She
• 1:33:15
  exclaimed? What an opinion you must have of me? Can you possibly suppose
• 1:33:19
  that I was aware of her unhappiness, that it was my object to make
• 1:33:24
  my own child miserable, and that I had forbidden her speaking to you on
• 1:33:27
  the subject from a fear of your interrupting the diabolical scheme? Do you think
• 1:33:31
  me destitute of every honest, every natural feeling? Am I capable of consigning
• 1:33:36
  her to everlasting misery? Whose welfare it is my first earthly duty to promote?
• 1:33:42
  The idea is horrible? What then was your intention when you insisted on
• 1:33:47
  her silence? Of what use, my dear sister, could be any application
• 1:33:53
  to you, however the affair might stand. Why should I subject you to
• 1:33:57
  entreaties which I refuse to attend to my neither for your sake, nor for
• 1:34:01
  hers, nor for my own? Could such a thing be desirable? When
• 1:34:05
  my own resolution was taken, I could not wish for the interference, however
• 1:34:11
  friendly of another person. I was mistaken, it is true, but I
• 1:34:15
  believed myself right. But what was this mistake to which your ladyship so often
• 1:34:19
  alludes from. Whence arose so astonishing a misconception of your daughter's feelings? Did
• 1:34:26
  you not know that she disliked Sir James. I knew that he was not
• 1:34:30
  absolutely the man she would have chosen, But I was persuaded that her objections
• 1:34:34
  to him did not arise from any perception of his deficiency. You must not
• 1:34:40
  question me, however, my dear sister too minutely on this point, continued
• 1:34:44
  she, taking me affectionately by the hand. I honestly own that there is
• 1:34:48
  something to conceal. Frederica makes me very unhappy. Her applying to mister de
• 1:34:54
  Cursey hurt me. Particularly. What is it you mean to infer, said
• 1:34:59
  I, by the disappearance of mystery? If you think your daughter at all
• 1:35:02
  attached to Reginald? Her objecting to Sir James could not less deserve to be
• 1:35:06
  attended to than if the cause of her objecting had been a consciousness of his
• 1:35:12
  folly. And why should your ladyship at any rate quarrel with my brother for
• 1:35:16
  an interference which you must know it is not in his nature to refuse when
• 1:35:20
  urged in such a manner. His disposition you know, is warm, and
• 1:35:27
  he came to expostulate with me his compassion all alive for this ill used girl,
• 1:35:31
  this heroine in distress. We misunderstood each other. He believed me more
• 1:35:36
  to blame than I really was. I considered his interference less excusable than I
• 1:35:42
  now find it. I have a real regard for him, and was beyond
• 1:35:45
  expression mortified to find it, as I thought so Ill bestowed. We were
• 1:35:50
  both warm, and of course both to blame. His resolution of leaving Churchill
• 1:35:56
  is consistent with his general eagerness. When I understood his anen however, and
• 1:36:00
  at the same time began to think that we had been perhaps equally mistaken in
• 1:36:04
  each other's meaning, I resolved to have an explanation before it was too late
• 1:36:10
  for any member of your family. I must always feel a degree of affection,
• 1:36:15
  and I own it would have sensibly hurt me if my acquaintance with mister
• 1:36:18
  de Cursey had ended so gloomily. I have now only to say further that
• 1:36:24
  as I am convinced of Frederica's having a reasonable dislike of Sir James, I
• 1:36:29
  shall instantly inform him that he must give up all hope of her I reproach
• 1:36:33
  myself for having, even though innocently, made her unhappy. On that score,
• 1:36:38
  she shall have all the retribution in my power to make if she value
• 1:36:42
  her own happiness as much as I do, If she judge wisely and command
• 1:36:45
  herself as she ought, she may now be easy excuse me, my dearest
• 1:36:50
  sister, for thus trespassing on your time. But I owe it to my
• 1:36:55
  own character. And after this explanation, I trust I am in no danger
• 1:37:00
  of sinking in your opinion. I could have said not much, indeed,
• 1:37:04
  but I left her almost in silence. It was the greatest stretch of forbearance
• 1:37:10
  I could practice. I could not have stopped myself had I begun her assurance
• 1:37:15
  her deceit. But I will not allow myself to dwell on them. They
• 1:37:18
  will strike you sufficiently. My heart sickens within me. As soon as I
• 1:37:24
  was tolerably composed, I returned to the parlor. Sir James's carriage was at
• 1:37:28
  the door, and he merry as usual, soon afterwards took his leave.
• 1:37:32
  How easily does her ladyship encourage or dismiss a lover. In spite of this
• 1:37:38
  release, Frederica still looks unhappy, still fearful perhaps of her mother's anger,
• 1:37:44
  and though dreading my brother's departure, jealous it may be of his staying.
• 1:37:48
  I see how closely she observes him, and Lady Susan, poor girl,
• 1:37:53
  I have now no hope for her. There is not a chance of her
• 1:37:56
  affection being returned. He thinks very differently of her from what he used to
• 1:38:00
  do. He does her some justice, but his reconciliation with her mother precludes
• 1:38:05
  every dearer hope. Prepare my dear mother for the worst. The probability of
• 1:38:11
  their marrying is surely heightened. He is more securely hers than ever when that
• 1:38:15
  wretched event takes place. Frederica must belong wholly to us. I am thankful
• 1:38:21
  that my last letter will precede this by so little as every moment that you
• 1:38:26
  can be saved from feeling a joy which leads only to disappointment, is of
• 1:38:30
  consequence yours ever, et cetera. Catherine Vernon, and of section four,
• 1:38:40
  Section five, Lady Susan to missus Johnson Churchill, I call on you,
• 1:38:47
  dear Licia, for congratulations. I am my own self gay and triumphant.
• 1:38:54
  When I wrote to you the other day, I was in truth in high
• 1:38:58
  irritation and with ample cause. Nay, I know not whether I ought to
• 1:39:02
  be quite tranquil now, for I have had more trouble in restoring peace than
• 1:39:08
  I ever intended to submit to. A spirit too, resulting from a fancied
• 1:39:14
  sense of superior integrity which is peculiarly insolent, I shall not easily forgive him.
• 1:39:19
  I assure you, he was actually on the point of leaving Churchill.
• 1:39:25
  I had scarcely concluded my last when Wilson brought me word of it. I
• 1:39:30
  found therefore that something must be done, For I did not choose to leave
• 1:39:35
  my character at the mercy of a man whose passions are so violent and so
• 1:39:40
  revengeful. It would have been trifling with my reputation to allow of his departing
• 1:39:45
  with such an impression in my disfavor. In this light, condescension was necessary.
• 1:39:51
  I sent Wilson to say that I desired to speak with him before he
• 1:39:55
  went. He came immediately. The angry emotions which had marked every feature when
• 1:40:01
  we last parted, were partially subdued. He seemed astonished at the summons,
• 1:40:06
  and looked as if half wishing and half fearing to be softened by what I
• 1:40:11
  might say if my countenance expressed what I aimed at. It was composed and
• 1:40:16
  dignified, and yet with a degree of pensiveness which might convince him that I
• 1:40:21
  was not quite happy. I beg your pardon, sir, for the liberty
• 1:40:27
  I have taken in sending for you, said I. But as I have
• 1:40:30
  just learnt your intention of leaving this place to day, I feel it my
• 1:40:35
  duty to entreat that you will not, on my account short in your visit
• 1:40:39
  here even an hour. I am perfectly aware that after what has passed between
• 1:40:44
  us, it would ill suit the feelings of either to remain longer in the
• 1:40:47
  same house. So very great, so total a change from the intimacy of
• 1:40:54
  friendship must render any future intercourse the severest punishment, and your resolution of quitting
• 1:41:00
  Churchill is undoubtedly in unison with our situation and with those lively feelings which I
• 1:41:06
  know you to possess. But at the same time, it is not for
• 1:41:12
  me to suffer such a sacrifice as it must be to leave relations to whom
• 1:41:15
  you are so much attached and are so very dear. My remaining here cannot
• 1:41:21
  give that pleasure to mister and missus Vernon which your society must, and my
• 1:41:27
  visit has already perhaps been too long. My removal, therefore, which must
• 1:41:32
  at any rate take place soon, may with perfect convenience, be hastened.
• 1:41:38
  And I make it my particular request that I may not in any way be
• 1:41:42
  instrumental in separating a family so affectionately attached to each other. Where I go
• 1:41:48
  is of no consequence to any one, of very little to myself. But
• 1:41:53
  you are of importance to all your connections. Here I concluded, and I
• 1:41:59
  hope you will be satisfied with my speech. Its effect on Reginald justifies some
• 1:42:03
  portion of vanity, for it was no less favorable than instantaneous. Oh how
• 1:42:10
  delightful it was to watch the variations of his countenance while I spoke, to
• 1:42:15
  see the struggle between returning tenderness and the remains of displeasure. There is something
• 1:42:20
  agreeable in feelings so easily worked on. Not that I envy him their possession,
• 1:42:26
  nor would for the world have such myself, but they are very convenient
• 1:42:30
  when one wishes to influence the passions of another. And yet this Reginald,
• 1:42:36
  whom a very few words from me, softened at once into the utmost submission
• 1:42:42
  and rendered more tractable, more attached, more devoted than ever would have left
• 1:42:47
  me in the first angry swelling of his proud heart without deigning to seek an
• 1:42:51
  explanation. Humbled as he is now, I cannot forgive him such an instance
• 1:42:57
  of pride, and am doubtful whther I ought not to punish him by dismissing
• 1:43:01
  him at once after this reconciliation, or by marrying and teasing him forever.
• 1:43:09
  But these measures are each too violent to be adopted without some deliberation. At
• 1:43:14
  present, my thoughts are fluctuating between various schemes. I have many things to
• 1:43:19
  compass. I must punish Fredrika, and pretty severely too, for her application
• 1:43:26
  to Reginald. I must punish him for receiving it so favorably, and for
• 1:43:30
  the rest of his conduct. I must torment my sister in law for the
• 1:43:34
  insolent triumph of her look and manner. Since Sir James has been dismissed for
• 1:43:41
  in reconciling Reginald to me, I was not able to save that ill fated
• 1:43:45
  young man, and I must make myself amends for the humiliation to which I
• 1:43:50
  have stooped within these few days. To effect all this I have various plans.
• 1:43:58
  I have also an idea of being soon in town, and whatever may
• 1:44:01
  be my determination as to the rest, I shall probably put that project in
• 1:44:06
  execution. For London will be always the fairest field of action. However my
• 1:44:12
  views may be directed, and at any rate I shall there be rewarded by
• 1:44:16
  your society and a little dissipation for a ten weeks penance at Churchill. I
• 1:44:24
  believe I owe it to my character to complete the match between my daughter and
• 1:44:28
  Sir James, after having so long intended it. Let me know your opinion
• 1:44:32
  on this point. Flexibility of mind, a disposition easily biased by others,
• 1:44:40
  is an attribute which you know I am not very desirous of obtaining. Nor
• 1:44:44
  has Frederica any claimed to the indulgence of her notions at the expense of her
• 1:44:48
  mother's inclinations. Her idle love for Reginald too, it is surely my duty
• 1:44:55
  to discourage such romantic nonsense. All things consider, therefore, it seems incumbent
• 1:45:01
  on me to take her to town and marry her immediately to Sir James,
• 1:45:06
  when my own will is affected contrary to his, I shall have some credit
• 1:45:12
  in being on good terms with Reginald, which at present, in fact I
• 1:45:15
  have not, for though he is still in my power, I have given
• 1:45:19
  up the very article by which our quarrell was produced, and at best the
• 1:45:25
  honor of victory is doubtful. Send me your opinion on all these matters,
• 1:45:30
  my dear Alicia, and let me know whether you can get lodgings to suit
• 1:45:33
  me within a short distance of you, Your most attached s Vernon twenty six,
• 1:45:43
  missus Johnson to Lady Susan Edward Street. I am gratified by your reference,
• 1:45:48
  and this is my advice that you come to town yourself without loss of
• 1:45:54
  time, but that you leave Frederica behind. It would surely be much more
• 1:45:59
  to the purpose to get yourself well established by marrying mister de Cursey than to
• 1:46:02
  irritate him and the rest of his family by making her Mary. Sir James,
• 1:46:08
  you should think more of yourself and less of your daughter. She is
• 1:46:12
  not of a disposition to do you credit in the world, and seems precisely
• 1:46:15
  in her proper place at Churchill with the Vernons. But you are fitted for
• 1:46:20
  society, and it is shameful to have you exiled from it. Leave Frederica
• 1:46:26
  therefore, to punish herself for the plague she has given you by indulging that
• 1:46:30
  romantic tender heartedness which will always insure her misery. Enough, and come to
• 1:46:34
  London as soon as you can. I have another reason for urging this.
• 1:46:40
  Mannering came to town last week and has contrived, in spite of mister Johnson,
• 1:46:45
  to make opportunities of seeing me. He is absolutely miserable about you,
• 1:46:49
  and jealous to such a degree of De Cursey that it would be highly unadvisable
• 1:46:54
  for them to meet at present. And yet if you do not allow him
• 1:46:57
  to see you here, I cannot answer for him not committing some great imprudence,
• 1:47:01
  such as going to Churchill, for instance, which would be dreadful.
• 1:47:05
  Besides, if you take my advice and resolved to marry De Cursey, it
• 1:47:10
  will be indispensably necessary to you to get Mannering out of the way, and
• 1:47:15
  you only can have influence enough to send him back to his wife. I
• 1:47:18
  have still another motive for your coming. Mister Johnson leaves London next Tuesday.
• 1:47:24
  He is going for his health to bath, where, if the waters are
• 1:47:28
  favorable to his constitution and my wishes, he will be laid up with the
• 1:47:31
  gout many weeks during his absence, we shall be able to choose our own
• 1:47:35
  society and to have true enjoyment. I would ask you to Edward Street,
• 1:47:41
  but that once he forced from me a kind of promise never to invite you
• 1:47:45
  to my house. Nothing but my being in the utmost distress for money,
• 1:47:48
  should have extorted it from me. I can get you, however, a
• 1:47:51
  nice drawing room apartment in upper Seymour Street, and we may be always together
• 1:47:56
  there or here. For I consider my promise to mister john as comprehending only
• 1:48:00
  at least in his absence. You're not sleeping in the house. Poor mannering
• 1:48:05
  gives me such histories of his wife's jealousy. Silly woman to expect constancy from
• 1:48:11
  so charming a man. But she always was silly, intolerably so in marrying
• 1:48:15
  him at all. She the heiress of a large fortune, and he without
• 1:48:18
  a shilling one title I know she might have had besides baronet's. Her folly
• 1:48:25
  informing the connection was so great that though mister Johnson was her guardian, and
• 1:48:29
  I do not in general share his feelings, I never can forgive her adieu
• 1:48:33
  yours ever. Alicia twenty seven Missus Vernon, too, lady to Cursey Churchhill.
• 1:48:45
  This letter my dear mother, will be brought to you by Reginald.
• 1:48:49
  His long visit is about to be concluded at last, but I fear the
• 1:48:54
  separation takes place too late to do us any good. She is going to
• 1:48:58
  London to see her pert particular friend, Missus Johnson. It was at first
• 1:49:02
  her intention that Frederica should accompany her for the benefit of masters, but we
• 1:49:08
  overruled her there. Frederica was wretched in the idea of going, and I
• 1:49:13
  could not bear to have her at the mercy of her mother. Not all
• 1:49:15
  the masters in London could compensate for the ruin of her comfort. I should
• 1:49:19
  have feared too, for her health and for everything but her principles. There.
• 1:49:25
  I believe she is not to be injured by her mother or her mother's
• 1:49:28
  friends. But with those friends she must have mixed a very bad set.
• 1:49:31
  I doubt not or have been left in total solitude, And I can hardly
• 1:49:35
  tell which would have been worse for her if she is with her mother.
• 1:49:40
  Moreover, she must alas in all probability, be with Reginald, and that
• 1:49:45
  would be the greatest evil of all. Here we shall, in time be
• 1:49:48
  in peace, and our regular employments, our books and conversations, with exercise,
• 1:49:55
  the children, and every domestic pleasure in my power to procure her bill,
• 1:50:00
  I trust gradually overcome this youthful attachment. I should not have a doubt
• 1:50:04
  of it were she slighted for any other woman in the world than her own
• 1:50:08
  mother. How long Lady Susan will be in town, or whether she returns
• 1:50:13
  here again, I know not. I could not be cordial in my invitation,
• 1:50:17
  but if she chooses to come, no want of cordiality on my part
• 1:50:20
  will keep her away. I could not help asking Reginald if he intended being
• 1:50:26
  in London this winter as soon as I found her, Ladyship's steps would be
• 1:50:30
  bent thither. And though he professed himself quite undetermined, there was something in
• 1:50:34
  his look and voice as he spoke which contradicted his words. I have done
• 1:50:40
  with lamentation. I look upon the event as so far decided that I resign
• 1:50:44
  myself to it in despair. If he leaves you soon for London, everything
• 1:50:47
  will be concluded. Your affectionate, et cetera. See Vernon twenty eight.
• 1:50:56
  Missus Johnson to Lady Susan Edwards my dearest friend, I write in the greatest
• 1:51:02
  distress. The most unfortunate event has just taken place. Mister Johnson has hit
• 1:51:09
  on the most effectual manner of plaguing us all. He had heard, I
• 1:51:13
  imagine, by some means or other, that you were soon to be in
• 1:51:15
  London, and immediately contrived to have such unattack of the gout as must at
• 1:51:19
  least delay his journey to Bath, if not wholly prevent it. I am
• 1:51:25
  persuaded the gout is brought on or kept off at pleasure. It was the
• 1:51:28
  same when I wanted to join the Hamiltons to the Lakes, and three years
• 1:51:31
  ago, when I had a fancy for Bath, nothing could induce him to
• 1:51:34
  have a gouty symptom. I am pleased to find that my letter had so
• 1:51:39
  much effect on you, and that De Coursey is certainly your own. Let
• 1:51:43
  me hear from you as soon as you arrive, and in particular tell me
• 1:51:45
  what you mean to do with mannering. It is impossible to say when I
• 1:51:49
  shall be able to come to you. My confinement must be great. It
• 1:51:54
  is such an abominable trick to be ill here instead of at Bath, that
• 1:51:58
  I can scarcely command myself at all at bath his old aunts would have nursed
• 1:52:01
  him. But here it all falls upon me, and he bears pain with
• 1:52:05
  such patience that I have not the common excuse for losing my temper. Yours
• 1:52:11
  ever, Alicia twenty nine, Lady Susan Vernon to missus Johnson, Upper Seymour
• 1:52:18
  Street, My dear Alicia, there needed not this last fit of gout to
• 1:52:25
  make me detest mister Johnson. But now the extent of my aversion is not
• 1:52:30
  to be estimated to have you confined as his nurse in his apartment. My
• 1:52:35
  dear Alicia, of what a mistake were you guilty in marrying a man of
• 1:52:40
  his age, just old enough to be formal, ungovernable, and to have
• 1:52:45
  the gout, too old to be agreeable, too young to die. I
• 1:52:50
  arrived last night about five, had scarcely swallowed my dinner when Mannering made his
• 1:52:56
  appearance. I will not dissemble what real pleasure his sight afforded me, nor
• 1:53:01
  how strongly I felt the contrast between his person and manners and those of Reginald,
• 1:53:08
  to the infinite disadvantage of the latter. For an hour or two I
• 1:53:14
  was even staggered in my resolution of marrying him, And though this was too
• 1:53:18
  idle and nonsensical an idea to remain long on my mind, I do not
• 1:53:24
  feel very eager for the conclusion of my marriage, nor look forward with much
• 1:53:29
  impatience to the time when Reginald, according to our agreement, is to be
• 1:53:33
  in town. I shall probably put off his arrival under some pretense or other.
• 1:53:40
  He must not come till Mannering is gone. I am still doubtful at
• 1:53:44
  times as to marrying. If the old man would die, I might not
• 1:53:48
  hesitate. But a state of dependence on the caprice of Sir Reginald will not
• 1:53:54
  suit the freedom of my spirit, And if I resolved to wait for that
• 1:53:58
  event, I shall have excuse enough at present, in having been scarcely ten
• 1:54:02
  months a widow, I have not given Mannering any hint of my intention,
• 1:54:09
  or allowed him to consider my acquaintance with Reginald as more than the commonest flirtation,
• 1:54:15
  and he is tolerably appeased. Adieu till we meet. I am enchanted
• 1:54:20
  with my lodgings, yours ever s Vernon thirty, Lady Susan Vernon to mister
• 1:54:30
  de Courcy, up a Seymour Street. I have received your letter, and
• 1:54:35
  though I do not attempt to conceal that I am gratified by your impatience for
• 1:54:40
  the hour of meeting, I yet feel myself under the necessity of delaying that
• 1:54:45
  hour beyond the time originally fixed. Do not think me unkind for such an
• 1:54:50
  exercise of my power, nor accuse me of instability without first hearing my reasons.
• 1:54:59
  In the course of my journey from Churchill, I had an ample leisure
• 1:55:02
  for reflection on the present state of our affairs, and every review has served
• 1:55:08
  to convince me that they require a delicacy and cautiousness of conduct to which we
• 1:55:13
  have hitherto been too little attentive. We have been hurried on by our feelings
• 1:55:18
  to a degree of precipitation which ill accords with the claims of our friends or
• 1:55:24
  the opinion of the world. We have been unguarded in forming this hasty engagement,
• 1:55:30
  But we must not complete the imprudence by ratifying it. While there is
• 1:55:33
  so much reason to fear the connection would be opposed by those friends on whom
• 1:55:39
  you depend. It is not for us to blame any expectations on your father's
• 1:55:44
  side of your marrying to advantage where possessions are so extensive as those of your
• 1:55:49
  family, the wish of increasing them, if not strictly reasonable, is too
• 1:55:55
  common to excite surprise or resentment. He has a right to require a woman
• 1:56:00
  of fortune in his daughter in law, and I am sometimes quarreling with myself
• 1:56:04
  for suffering you to form a connection so imprudent. But the influence of reason
• 1:56:10
  is often acknowledged too late by those who feel like me. I have now
• 1:56:15
  been but a few months a widow, and however little indebted to my husband's
• 1:56:20
  memory for any happiness derived from him during a union of some years. I
• 1:56:25
  cannot forget that the indelicacy of so early a second marriage must subject me to
• 1:56:30
  the center of the world, and incur what would be still more insupportable,
• 1:56:35
  the displeasure of mister Vernon. I might perhaps harden myself in time against the
• 1:56:42
  injustice of general reproach, but the loss of his valued esteem I am,
• 1:56:46
  as you well know, ill fitted to endure. And when to this may
• 1:56:51
  be added the consciousness of having injured you with your family, how am I
• 1:56:56
  to support myself with feeling being so poignant as mine. The conviction of having
• 1:57:02
  divided the son from his parents would make me, even with you, the
• 1:57:06
  most miserable of beings. It will surely therefore be advisable to delay our union,
• 1:57:14
  to delay it till appearances are more promising, till affairs have taken a
• 1:57:17
  more favorable turn to assist us in such a resolution. I feel that absence
• 1:57:24
  will be necessary. We must not meet cruel as this sentence may appear.
• 1:57:30
  The necessity of pronouncing it, which can alone reconcile it to myself, will
• 1:57:35
  be evident to you. When you have considered our situation in the light in
• 1:57:40
  which I have found myself imperiously obliged to place it, You may be you
• 1:57:46
  must be well assured that nothing but the strongest conviction of duty could induce me
• 1:57:51
  to wound my own feelings by urging a lengthened separation, and of insensibility to
• 1:57:58
  yours, you will hardly suspect me again. Therefore, I say that we
• 1:58:03
  ought not, we must not yet meet. By a removal of some months
• 1:58:09
  from each other, we shall tranquilize the sisterly fears of missus Vernon, who
• 1:58:14
  accustomed herself to the enjoyment of riches, considers fortune as necessary everywhere, and
• 1:58:19
  those sensibilities are not of a nature to comprehend ours. Let me hear from
• 1:58:26
  you soon, very soon. Tell me that you submit to my arguments,
• 1:58:30
  and do not reproach me for using such. I cannot bear reproaches. My
• 1:58:36
  spirits are not so high as to need being repressed. I must endeavor to
• 1:58:44
  seek amusement. And fortunately many of my friends are in town, amongst them
• 1:58:48
  the mannerings you know how sincerely I regard both husband and wife. I am
• 1:58:57
  very faithfully yours. S Vernon thirty one, Lady Susan to missus Johnson,
• 1:59:05
  Upper Seymour Street. My dear friend, that tormenting creature, Reginald is here.
• 1:59:13
  My letter, which was intended to keep him longer in the country,
• 1:59:15
  has hastened him to town. Much as I wish him away. However,
• 1:59:20
  I cannot help being pleased with such a proof of attachment. He is devoted
• 1:59:26
  to me heart and soul. He will carry this note himself, which is
• 1:59:30
  to serve as an introduction to you, with whom he longs to be acquainted.
• 1:59:34
  Allow him to spend the evening with you, that I may be in
• 1:59:38
  no danger of his returning here. I have told him that I am not
• 1:59:42
  quite well and must be alone, and should he call again, there might
• 1:59:47
  be confusion, for it is impossible to be sure of servants keep him.
• 1:59:53
  Therefore I entreat you in Edwards Street. You will not find him a heavy
• 1:59:57
  companion, and I allow you to f with him as much as you like.
• 2:00:01
  At the same time, do not forget my real interest. Say all
• 2:00:05
  that you can to convince him that I shall be quite wretched if he remains
• 2:00:10
  here. You know my reasons, propriety and so forth. I would urge
• 2:00:15
  them more myself, but that I am impatient to be rid of him,
• 2:00:19
  as Mannering comes within half an hour. Adieu s Vernon, and of section
• 2:00:30
  five, Section six, Missus Johnson to Lady Susan edward Street, My dear
• 2:00:39
  creature, I am in agonies and know not what to do. Mister de
• 2:00:43
  Cursey arrived just when he should not. Missus Mannering had that instant entered the
• 2:00:48
  house and forced herself into her guardian's presence, though I did not know a
• 2:00:53
  syllable of it till afterwards, for I was out when both she and Reginald
• 2:00:57
  came, or I should have sent him away at all events, but she
• 2:01:00
  was shut up with mister Johnson while he waited in the drawing room for me.
• 2:01:04
  She arrived yesterday in pursuit of her husband. But perhaps you know this
• 2:01:09
  already from himself. She came to this house to entreat my husband's interference,
• 2:01:14
  and before I could be aware of it, everything that you could wish to
• 2:01:16
  be concealed was known to him, And unluckily she had wormed out of Mannering
• 2:01:21
  servant that he had visited you every day since your being in town, and
• 2:01:26
  had just watched him to your door herself. What could I do? Fact
• 2:01:30
  for such horrid things? All is by this time known to de Cursey,
• 2:01:34
  who is now alone with mister Johnson. Do not accuse me. Indeed,
• 2:01:40
  it was impossible to prevent it. Mister Johnson has for some time suspected De
• 2:01:45
  Cursey of intending to marry you, and would speak with him alone as soon
• 2:01:48
  as he knew him to be in the house. That detestable missus Mannering,
• 2:01:53
  who for your comfort has fretted herself thinner and uglier than ever, is still
• 2:01:58
  here, and they have been all deposited together. What can be done?
• 2:02:01
  At any rate? I hope he will plague his wife more than ever with
• 2:02:05
  anxious wishes yours faithfully. Alicia thirty three Lady Susan to missus Johnson, up
• 2:02:15
  a Seymour Street. Their clasiusment is rather provoking. How unlucky that you should
• 2:02:21
  have been from home. I thought myself sure of you at seven. I
• 2:02:27
  am undismayed. However, do not torment yourself with fears. On my account.
• 2:02:31
  Depend on it. I can make my story good. With Reginald mannering
• 2:02:36
  is just gone. He brought me the news of his wife's arrival. Silly
• 2:02:41
  woman. What does she expect by such maneuvers? Yet I wish she had
• 2:02:45
  stayed quietly at Langford. Reginald will be a little enraged at first, but
• 2:02:50
  by to morrow's dinner everything will be well again. Adieu s v thirty four
• 2:02:59
  Mister d Coursey to Lady Susan Hotel. I write only to bid you farewell.
• 2:03:05
  The spell is removed. I see you as you are since we parted
• 2:03:11
  yesterday. I have received from indisputable authority such a history of you as must
• 2:03:15
  bring the most mortifying conviction of the imposition I have been under, and the
• 2:03:20
  absolute necessity of an immediate and eternal separation from you. You cannot doubt to
• 2:03:26
  what I allude Langford, Langford, that word will be sufficient. I received
• 2:03:32
  my information in mister Johnson's house from Missus Mannering herself. You know how I
• 2:03:38
  have loved you. You can intimately judge of my present feelings. But I
• 2:03:42
  am not so weak as to find indulgence in describing them to a woman who
• 2:03:46
  will glory in having excited their anguish, but whose affection they have never been
• 2:03:51
  able to gain. Ah de course thirty five, Lady Susan to mister upper
• 2:04:00
  Seymour Street. I will not attempt to describe my astonishment in reading the note
• 2:04:08
  this moment received from you. I am bewildered in my endeavors to form some
• 2:04:12
  rational conjecture of what Missus Mannering can have told you to occasion so extraordinary a
• 2:04:17
  change in your sentiments. Have I not explained everything to you with respect to
• 2:04:23
  myself which could bear a doubtful meaning, and which the ill nature of the
• 2:04:28
  world had interpreted to my discredit? What can you now have heard to stagger
• 2:04:32
  your esteem for me? Have I ever had a concealment from you? Reginald?
• 2:04:39
  You agitate me beyond expression. I cannot suppose that the old story of
• 2:04:44
  Missus Mannering's jealousy can be revived again, or at least be listened to again.
• 2:04:49
  Come to me immediately and explain what is at present absolutely incomprehensible. Believe
• 2:04:57
  me, the single word of Langford is not of such potent intelligence as to
• 2:05:02
  supersede the necessity of more. If we are to part, it will at
• 2:05:08
  least be handsome to take your personal leave. But I have little heart to
• 2:05:13
  jest. In truth, I am serious enough for to be sunk, though
• 2:05:17
  but for an hour in your esteem is a humiliation to which I know not
• 2:05:23
  how to submit. I shall count every minute till your arrival. S V
• 2:05:31
  Thirty six Mister de Courcy to Lady Susan Hotel. Why would you write to
• 2:05:38
  me? Why do you require particulars? But since it must be so,
• 2:05:44
  I am obliged to declare that all the accounts of your misconduct during the life
• 2:05:48
  and since the death of mister Vernon, which had reached me in common with
• 2:05:53
  the world in general, and gained my entire belief before I saw you,
• 2:05:57
  but which you, by the exertion of your per averted abilities, had made
• 2:06:00
  me resolved to disallow, have been unanswerably proved to me nay more, I
• 2:06:08
  am assured that a connection of which I had never before entertained a thought,
• 2:06:12
  has for some time existed, and still continues to exist between you and the
• 2:06:17
  man whose family you robbed of its peace in return for the hospitality with which
• 2:06:21
  you were received into It that you have corresponded with him ever since You're leaving
• 2:06:27
  Langford, not with his wife, but with him, and that he now
• 2:06:30
  visits you every day? Can you Dare you deny it? And all this
• 2:06:36
  at the time when I was an encouraged, an accepted lover. From what
• 2:06:42
  have I not escaped? I have only to be grateful. Far from me
• 2:06:46
  be all complaint, every sigh of regret. My own folly had endangered me.
• 2:06:51
  My preservation I owe to the kindness the integrity of another. But the
• 2:06:57
  unfortunate missus Mannering, whose agon, while she related the past, seemed to
• 2:07:00
  threaten her reason? How is she to be consoled after such a discovery as
• 2:07:08
  this you will scarcely affect further? Wonder at my meaning in bidding you adieu?
• 2:07:12
  My understanding is at length restored and teaches no less to abhor the artifices
• 2:07:17
  which had subdued me than to despise myself for the weakness on which their strength
• 2:07:24
  was founded. Our de Courci thirty seven, Lady Susan to mister de Courcy,
• 2:07:32
  up A Seymour Street. I am satisfied and will trouble you no more
• 2:07:39
  when these few lines are dismissed. The engagement which you were eager to form
• 2:07:43
  a fortnight ago is no longer compatible with your views, and I rejoice to
• 2:07:47
  find that the prudent advice of your parents has not been given in vain.
• 2:07:53
  Your restoration to peace will I doubt not speedily follow this act of filial obedience,
• 2:08:00
  and I flatter myself with the hope of surviving my share in this disappointment.
• 2:08:05
  S V. Thirty eight. Missus Johnson to Lady Susan Vernon Edward Street.
• 2:08:13
  I am grieved, though I cannot be astonished at your rupture with mister
• 2:08:18
  de Cursey. He has just informed mister Johnson of it by letter he leaves
• 2:08:22
  London. He says, to day be assured that I partake in all your
• 2:08:26
  feelings, and do not be angry if I say that our intercourse, even
• 2:08:31
  by letter, must soon be given up. It makes me miserable. But
• 2:08:35
  mister Johnson bows that if I persist in the connection, he will settle in
• 2:08:39
  the country for the rest of his life. You know it is impossible to
• 2:08:41
  submit to such an extremity while any other alternative remains. You have heard,
• 2:08:46
  of course, that the Mannerings are to part, and I am afraid missus
• 2:08:50
  m will come home to us again. But she is still so fond of
• 2:08:54
  her husband, and frets so much about him, that perhaps she may not
• 2:08:58
  live long. Miss Mannering is just come to town to be with her aunt,
• 2:09:01
  and they say that she declares she will have Sir James Martin before she
• 2:09:05
  leaves London again. If I were you, I would certainly get him myself.
• 2:09:09
  I had almost forgot to give you my opinion of mister de Cursey.
• 2:09:13
  I am really delighted with him. He is full as handsome, I think
• 2:09:16
  as Mannering, and with such an open, good humored countenance that one cannot
• 2:09:20
  help loving him at first sight. Mister Johnson and he are the greatest friends
• 2:09:24
  in the world. Adieu, my dear Susan. I wish matters did not
• 2:09:28
  go so perversely that unlucky visit to Langford, but I dare say you did
• 2:09:33
  all for the best, and there is no defying destiny. You are sincerely
• 2:09:39
  attached Alicia thirty nine, Lady Susan to missus Johnson up A Seymour Street.
• 2:09:48
  My dear Alicia, I yield to the necessity which parts us under circumstances you
• 2:09:54
  could not act otherwise. Our friendship cannot be impaired by it, And in
• 2:09:58
  how happier times, when your situation is as independent as mine, it will
• 2:10:05
  unite us again in the same intimacy as ever. For this I shall impatiently
• 2:10:09
  wait, and meanwhile can safely assure you that I never was more at ease
• 2:10:16
  or better satisfied with myself and everything about me than at the present hour.
• 2:10:22
  Your husband I abhor, Reginald I despise, and I am secure of never
• 2:10:28
  seeing either again. Have I not reason to rejoice? Mannering is more devoted
• 2:10:33
  to me than ever, And were we at liberty, I doubt if I
• 2:10:39
  could resist even matrimony offered by him this event. If his wife live with
• 2:10:46
  you, it may be in your power to hasten the violence of her feelings,
• 2:10:50
  which must wear her out. May be easily kept in irritation. I
• 2:10:56
  rely on your friendship for this. I I am now satisfied that I never
• 2:11:01
  could have brought myself to marry Reginald, and am equally determined that Frederica never
• 2:11:07
  shall. Tomorrow, I shall fetch her from Churchill and let Mariah Mannering tremble.
• 2:11:13
  For the consequence, Frederica shall be Sir James's wife before she quits my
• 2:11:18
  house. And she may whimper, and the Vernons may storm, I regard
• 2:11:22
  them not. I am tired of submitting my will to the caprices of others,
• 2:11:28
  of resigning my own judgment in deference to those to whom I owe no
• 2:11:31
  duty and for whom I feel no respect. I have given up too much,
• 2:11:37
  have been too easily worked on, But Frederica shall now feel the difference.
• 2:11:43
  Adieu, dearest of friends. May the next gouty attack be more favorable,
• 2:11:48
  and may you always regard me as unalterably yours, s Vernon forty,
• 2:11:58
  Lady de Coursey, to missus Vane, My dear Catherine, I have charming
• 2:12:03
  news for you, And if I had not sent off my letter this morning,
• 2:12:07
  you might have been spared the vexation of knowing of Reginald's being gone to
• 2:12:11
  London, for he is returned. Reginald is returned not to ask our consent
• 2:12:18
  to his marrying lady Susan, but to tell us they are parted forever.
• 2:12:24
  He has been only an hour in the house, and I have not been
• 2:12:26
  able to learn particulars, for he is so very low that I have not
• 2:12:31
  the heart to ask questions. But I hope we shall soon know all.
• 2:12:35
  This is the most joyful hour he has ever given us since the day of
• 2:12:39
  his birth. Nothing is wanting but to have you here, and it is
• 2:12:43
  our particular wish and entreaty that you would come to us as soon as you
• 2:12:46
  can. You have owed us a visit many long weeks. I hope nothing
• 2:12:52
  will make it inconvenient to mister Vernon, and pray bring all my grandchildren and
• 2:12:56
  your dear nieces included. Of course, I long to see. It has
• 2:13:01
  been a sad, heavy winter hitherto without Reginald and seeing nobody from Churchill.
• 2:13:07
  I never found the season so dreary before. But this happy meeting will make
• 2:13:11
  us young again. Frederica runs much in my thoughts, And when Reginald has
• 2:13:16
  recovered his usual good spirits, as I trust he soon will, we will
• 2:13:20
  try to rob him of his heart once more. And I am full of
• 2:13:24
  hopes of seeing their hands joined at no great distance. Your affectionate mother C.
• 2:13:31
  De Corsey forty one, missus Vernon to Lady de Cursey Churchill, My
• 2:13:43
  dear mother, your letter has surprised me beyond measure. Can it be true
• 2:13:48
  that they are really separated and forever? I should be overjoyed if I dared
• 2:13:52
  depend on it. But after all that I have seen, how can one
• 2:13:56
  be secure and Reginald really with you? My surprise the greater because on Wednesday,
• 2:14:01
  the very day of his coming to Parklands, we had a most unexpected
• 2:14:05
  and unwelcome visit from Lady Susan, looking all cheerfulness and good humor, and
• 2:14:09
  seeming more as if she were to marry him when she got to London than
• 2:14:13
  as if parted from him forever. She stayed nearly two hours, was as
• 2:14:18
  affectionate and agreeable as ever, and not as syllable. Not a hint was
• 2:14:22
  dropped of any disagreement or coolness between them. I asked her whether she had
• 2:14:26
  seen my brother since his arrival in town, not as you may suppose,
• 2:14:31
  with any doubt of the fact, but merely to see how she looked.
• 2:14:35
  She immediately answered, without any embarrassment that he had been kind enough to call
• 2:14:39
  on her on Monday, but she believed he had already returned home, which
• 2:14:43
  I was very far from crediting. Your kind invitation is accepted by us with
• 2:14:48
  pleasure, and on Thursday next we and our little ones will be with you.
• 2:14:52
  Pray heaven. Reginald may not be in town again by that time.
• 2:14:56
  I wish we could bring dear Frederica too, But I am so sorry to
• 2:15:00
  say that her mother's errand hither was to fetch her away, and miserable as
• 2:15:05
  it made the poor girl, it was impossible to detain her. I was
• 2:15:09
  thoroughly unwilling to let her go, and so was her uncle. And all
• 2:15:13
  that could be urged we did urge. But Lady Susan declared that as she
• 2:15:16
  was now about to fix herself in London for several months, she could not
• 2:15:20
  be easy if her daughter were not with her for masters, et cetera.
• 2:15:24
  Her manner, to be sure, was very kind and proper, and mister
• 2:15:28
  Vernon believes that Frederica will now be treated with affection. I wish I could
• 2:15:33
  think so too. The poor girl's heart was almost broke at taking leave of
• 2:15:37
  us, I charged her to write to me very often, and to remember
• 2:15:41
  that if she were in any distress, we should be always her friends.
• 2:15:46
  I took care to see her alone that I might say all this, and
• 2:15:48
  I hope made her a little more comfortable. But I shall not be easy
• 2:15:52
  till I can go to town and judge of her situation myself. I wish
• 2:15:58
  there were a better prospect than now appears of the match which the conclusion of
• 2:16:01
  your letter declares your expectations of. At present, it is not very likely
• 2:16:07
  yours ever, et cetera. See Vernon. This correspondence, by a meeting
• 2:16:13
  between some of the parties and a separation between the others, could not,
• 2:16:18
  to the great detriment of the post office revenue, be continued any longer.
• 2:16:22
  Very little assistance to the state could be derived from the epistolary intercourse of missus
• 2:16:28
  Vernon and her niece. For the former, soon perceived by the style of
• 2:16:31
  Frederica's letters that they were written under her mother's inspection, and therefore deferring all
• 2:16:37
  particular inquiry till she could make it personally in London, ceased writing minutely or
• 2:16:41
  often, having learnt enough in the meanwhile from her open hearted brother of what
• 2:16:46
  had passed between him and Lady Susan, to sink the latter lower than ever.
• 2:16:50
  In her opinion, she was proportionably more anxious to get Frederica removed from
• 2:16:54
  such a mother and placed under her own care, and, though with little
• 2:16:58
  hope of success, was resolved to leave nothing unattempted that might offer a chance
• 2:17:03
  of obtaining her sister in law's consent to it. Her anxiety on the subject
• 2:17:09
  made her press for an early visit to London, and mister Vernon, who,
• 2:17:11
  as it must already have appeared, lived only to do whatever he was
• 2:17:16
  desired, soon found some accommodating business to call him thither. With a heart
• 2:17:20
  full of the matter. Missus Vernon waited on Lady Susan shortly after her arrival
• 2:17:24
  in town, and was met with such an easy and cheerful affection as made
• 2:17:28
  her almost turn from her with horror. No remembrance of Reginald, no consciousness
• 2:17:33
  of guilt, gave one look of embarrassment. She was in excellent spirits and
• 2:17:37
  seemed eager to show at once by ever possible attention to her brother and sister,
• 2:17:43
  her sense of their kindness and her pleasure in their society. Frederica was
• 2:17:48
  no more altered than Lady Susan. The same restrained manners, the same timid
• 2:17:52
  look in the presence of her mother as heretre four assured her aunt of her
• 2:17:56
  situation being uncomfortable, and confirmed her in the plan of altering it. No
• 2:18:01
  one kindness, however, on the part of Lady Susan, appeared. Persecution
• 2:18:05
  on the subject of Sir James was entirely at an end, his name merely
• 2:18:09
  mentioned to say that he was not in London, And indeed, in all
• 2:18:13
  her conversation she was solicitous only for the welfare and improvement of her daughter,
• 2:18:18
  acknowledging in terms of grateful delight that Frederica was now growing every day more and
• 2:18:24
  more what a parent could desire. Missus Vernon, surprised and incredulous, knew
• 2:18:28
  not what to suspect, and without any change in her own views, only
• 2:18:33
  feared a greater difficulty in accomplishing them. The first hope of anything better was
• 2:18:39
  derived from Lady Susan's asking her whether she thought Frederica looked quite as well as
• 2:18:43
  she had done at Churchill. As she must confess herself to have sometimes an
• 2:18:46
  anxious doubt of London's perfectly agreeing with her, Missus Vernon, encouraging the doubt,
• 2:18:52
  directly proposed her niece's returning with them into the country. Lady Susan was
• 2:18:56
  unable to express her sense of such kindness, yet knew not from a variety
• 2:19:01
  of reasons, how to part with her daughter, and as though her own
• 2:19:05
  plans were not yet wholly fixed, she trusted it would ere long be in
• 2:19:09
  her power to take Frederica into the country. Herself concluded by declining entirely to
• 2:19:15
  profit by such unexampled attention. Missus Vernon persevered, however, in the offer
• 2:19:20
  of it, and though Lady Susan continued to resist, her resistance in the
• 2:19:24
  course of a few days seemed somewhat less formidable. The lucky alarm of an
• 2:19:28
  influenza decided what might not have been decided quite so soon. Lady Susan's maternal
• 2:19:33
  fears were then too much awakened for her to think of anything but Frederica's removal
• 2:19:39
  from the risk of infection. Above all disorders in the world, she most
• 2:19:43
  dreaded the influenza for her daughter's constitution. Frederica returned to Churchill with her uncle
• 2:19:48
  and aunt and three weeks afterwards Lady Susan announced her being married to Sir James
• 2:19:54
  Martin. Missus Vernon was then convinced of what she had only suspected before,
• 2:19:58
  that she he might have spared herself all the trouble of urging a removal,
• 2:20:03
  which Lady Susan had doubtless resolved on from the first. Frederica's visit was nominally
• 2:20:09
  for six weeks, but her mother, though inviting her to return in one
• 2:20:11
  or two affectionate letters, was very ready to oblige the whole party by consenting
• 2:20:16
  to a prolongation of her stay, and in the course of two months ceased
• 2:20:20
  to write of her absence, and in the course of two or more to
• 2:20:24
  write to her at all. Frederica was therefore fixed in the family of her
• 2:20:28
  uncle and aunt till such time as Reginald de Corsi could be talked, flattered,
• 2:20:33
  and finessed into an affection for her, which, allowing leisure for the
• 2:20:37
  conquest of his attachment to her mother, for his abjuring all future attachments and
• 2:20:41
  detesting the sex, might be reasonably looked for in the course of a twelvemonth
• 2:20:46
  Three months might have done it in general, but Reginald's feelings were no less
• 2:20:50
  lasting than lively. Whether Lady Susan was or was not happy in her second
• 2:20:54
  choice, I do not see how it can ever be ascertained, for who
• 2:20:58
  would take her assurance of it? On either side of the question. The
• 2:21:01
  world must judge from probabilities. She had nothing against her but her husband and
• 2:21:07
  her conscience. Sir James may seem to have drawn a harder lot than mere
• 2:21:11
  folly meritth I leave him therefore to all the pity that anybody can give him.
• 2:21:16
  For myself, I confess that I can pity only Mismannering, who,
• 2:21:20
  coming to town and putting herself to an expense in clothes which impoverished her for
• 2:21:24
  two years on purpose to secure him, was defrauded of her due by a
• 2:21:30
  woman ten years older than herself. And of section six Lady Susan. The
• 2:21:41
  entire cast of readers. Lady Susan read by Kristin Hughes. Missus Vernon read
• 2:21:50
  by Rachel Ellen, Mister Decocy read by Patrick Beverly, Missus Johnson read by
• 2:21:56
  Kirsten Ferrari. To Reginald de Courcy read by Simon Taylor. Lady de Courcy
• 2:22:05
  read by Gauzina Miss Vernon read by Kara Shallenberg, Conclusion read by Justin Barrett,
• 2:22:15
  and of Lady Susan by Jane Austen