Latest / The Letters of Jane Austen / Lady Susan (version 2) - Jane Austen

Transcript

Lady Susan (version 2) - Jane Austen · The Letters of Jane Austen

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan a novel by
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dayne. Chapter one,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan Vernon to mister.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Vernon, Langford, December, My dear brother, I can no longer
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: refuse myself the pleasure of profiting by your kind invitation
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: when last we parted of spending some weeks with you
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: at Churchill. And therefore, if quite convenient to you and
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: missus Vernon to receive me at present, I shall hope
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: within a few days to be introduced to a sister
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: whom I have so longed, dinay desire to be acquainted with.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: My kind friends here are most affectionately urgent with me
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: to prolong my stay. But their hospitable and cheerful dispositions
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: lead them too much into society for my present situation
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: and state of mind, and I impatiently look forward to
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: the hour when I shall be admitted into your delightful retirement.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: I long to be made known to your dear little children,
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: in whose hearts, I shall be very eager to secure
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: an interest I shall soon have need for all my fortitude.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: As I am on the point of separation from my
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: own daughter. The long illness of her dear father prevented
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: my paying her that attention which duty and affection equally dictated,
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: And I have too much reason to fear that the
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: governess to whose care I consign her was unequal to
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: the charge. I have therefore resolved in placing her at
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: one of the best private schools in town, where I
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: shall have an opportunity of leaving her myself in my way.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: To you, I am determined, you see, not to be
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: denied admittance at Churchill. It would indeed give me the
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: most painful sensations to know that it were not in
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: your power to receive me, your most obliged and affectionate Sister,
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: s Vernon.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dayne.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan, a novel by
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen read for LibriVox Books by Brenda Dane. Chapter two,
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan Vernon to missus.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: Johnson, Langford.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: You were mistaken, my dear Alicia, in supposing me fixed
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: at this place for the rest of the winter. It
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: grieves me to say how greatly you are mistaken, for
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: I have seldom spent three months more agreeably than those
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: which have just flown away. At present, nothing goes smoothly.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: The females of the family are united against me. You
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: foretold how it would be when I first came to Langford,
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: and man wearing is so uncommonly pleasing that I was
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: not without apprehensions for myself. I remember saying to myself
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: as I drove to the house, I like this man.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: Pray heaven no harm come of it. But I was
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: determined to be discreet, to bear in my my being
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: only four months a widow, and to be as quiet
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: as possible. And I have been so, my dear creature.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: I have admitted no one's attentions but man wearings. I
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: have avoided all general flirtation. Whatever I have distinguished no
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: creature besides all of a number's resorting hither except Sir
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: James Martin, on whom I bestowed a little noticed in
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: order to detach him from Miss Manwaring. But if the
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: world could know my motive there they would honor me.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: I have been called an unkind mother, but it was
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: the sacred impulse of maternal affection. It was the advantage
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: of my daughter that led me on, And if that
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: daughter were not the greatest simpleton on earth, I might
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: have been rewarded for my exertions as I ought. Sir
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: James did make proposals to me for Frederica. But Frederica,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: who was born to be the torment of my life,
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: chose to set herself so violently against the man that
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: I thought it better to lay aside the scheme for
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: the present. I have more than once repented that I
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: did not marry him myself, and were he but one
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: degree less contemptibly weak, I certainly should. But I must
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: own myself rather romantic in that respect, and that riches
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: only will not satisfy me. The event of all this
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: is very provoking. Sir James is gone, Mariah highly incensed,
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: and missus Manwaring insupportably jealous, so jealous, in short, and
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: so enraged against me, that, in the fury of her temper,
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: I should not be surprised at her appealing to her
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: guardian if she had the liberty of addressing him. But
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: there your husband stands, my friend, and the kindest, most
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: amiable action of his life was his throwing her off
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: forever on her marriage. Keep up his resentment. Therefore, I
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: charge you. We are now in a sad state. No
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: house was ever more altered, the whole party are at war,
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: and Man Waring scarcely dares speak to me. It is
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: time for me to be gone. I have therefore determined
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: on leaving them, and shall spend I hope a comfortable
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: day with you in town within this week. If I
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: am as little in favor with mister Johnson as ever,
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: you must come to me at ten Weegmore Street. But
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: I hope this may not be the case. For as
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: mister Johnson, with all his faults, is a man to
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: whom that great word respectable is always given, and I
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: am known to be so intimate with his wife, his
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: slighting me has an awkward look. I take London in
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: my way to that insupportable spot a country village, for
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: I really am going to Churchill. Forgive me, my dear friend.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: It is my last resource. Were there another place in
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: England open to me, I would prefer it. Charles Vernon
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: is my aversion, and I am afraid of his wife
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: at Churchill. However, I must remain till I have something
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: better in view. My young lady accompanies me to town,
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: where I shall deposit her under the care of Miss
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Summers in Wigmore Street till she becomes a little more reasonable.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: She will make good connections there, as the girls are
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: all of the best families. The price is immense and
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: much beyond what I can ever attempt to pay.
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: Adieu.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: I will send you a line as soon as I
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: arrive in town. Yours, ever, s Vernon.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Brenda Daine.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane.
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: Chapter three, missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy.
• 8:04
  Speaker 5: Church Hill, My dear mother, I am very sorry to
• 8:08
  Speaker 5: tell you that it will not be within our power
• 8:10
  Speaker 5: to keep our promise of spending our Christmas with you,
• 8:13
  Speaker 5: and we are prevented that happiness by a circumstance which
• 8:16
  Speaker 5: is not likely to make us any amends. Lady Susan,
• 8:19
  Speaker 5: in a letter to her brother in law, has declared
• 8:21
  Speaker 5: her intention of visiting us almost immediately, and as such
• 8:25
  Speaker 5: a visit is, in all probability merely an affair of convenience,
• 8:29
  Speaker 5: it is impossible to conjecture its length. I was by
• 8:32
  Speaker 5: no means prepared for such an event, nor can I
• 8:35
  Speaker 5: now account for her ladyship's conduct. Langford appeared so exactly
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: the place for her in every respect, as well from
• 8:42
  Speaker 5: the elegant and expensive style of living there, as well
• 8:45
  Speaker 5: as from her particular attachment to mister Mainwaring that I
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: was very far from expecting so speedy a distinction, though
• 8:53
  Speaker 5: I always imagined, from her increasing friendship for us since
• 8:56
  Speaker 5: her husband's death, that we should, at some future period
• 9:00
  Speaker 5: be obliged to receive her. Mister Vernon, I think was
• 9:03
  Speaker 5: a great deal too kind to her when he was
• 9:06
  Speaker 5: in Staffordshire. Her behavior to him, independent of her general
• 9:11
  Speaker 5: character has been so inexcusably artful and ungenerous since her
• 9:15
  Speaker 5: marriage was first in agitation, that no one less amiable
• 9:19
  Speaker 5: and mild than himself could overlook it all. And though
• 9:22
  Speaker 5: as his brother's widow, and in narrow circumstances, and it
• 9:25
  Speaker 5: was proper to render her pecuniary assistance, I cannot help
• 9:29
  Speaker 5: thinking that his pressing invitation to her to visit us
• 9:32
  Speaker 5: at church Hill perfectly unnecessary disposed. However, as he always
• 9:38
  Speaker 5: is to think the best of every one, her displays
• 9:40
  Speaker 5: of grief and professions of regret, and general resolutions of
• 9:44
  Speaker 5: prudence were sufficient to soften his heart and make him
• 9:47
  Speaker 5: really confide in her sincerity. But as for myself, I
• 9:51
  Speaker 5: remain unconvinced, as her ladyship has now written, and I
• 9:54
  Speaker 5: cannot make up my mind until I better understand her
• 9:57
  Speaker 5: real meaning in coming to us. You may guess therefore,
• 10:00
  Speaker 5: my dear mother, with what feelings I look forward to
• 10:03
  Speaker 5: her arrival. She will have occasion for all those attractive
• 10:07
  Speaker 5: powers for which she is celebrated to gain any share
• 10:10
  Speaker 5: of my regard, and I shall certainly endeavor to guard
• 10:13
  Speaker 5: myself against her influence, if not accompanied by something more substantial.
• 10:18
  Speaker 5: She expresses a most eager desire of becoming acquainted with me,
• 10:22
  Speaker 5: and makes very gracious mention of my children, though I
• 10:26
  Speaker 5: am not quite weak enough to suppose a woman who
• 10:28
  Speaker 5: has behaved with inattention, if not unkindness, to her own child,
• 10:33
  Speaker 5: should be attached to any of mine. Miss Vernon is
• 10:36
  Speaker 5: to be placed in a school in London before her
• 10:38
  Speaker 5: mother comes to us, which I am glad of. For
• 10:40
  Speaker 5: her sake and my own. It must be to her
• 10:44
  Speaker 5: advantage to be separated from her mother, and a girl
• 10:47
  Speaker 5: of sixteen who has received so wretched an education could
• 10:51
  Speaker 5: not be very desirable company here. Reginald has long wished,
• 10:55
  Speaker 5: I know, to see the captivating Lady Susan, and he
• 10:58
  Speaker 5: will depend on joining us party soon. I'm glad to
• 11:02
  Speaker 5: hear that my father continues so well, and I am
• 11:04
  Speaker 5: with best love, Catherine Vernon.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane.
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot Org Chapter four. Mister de COURSI
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: to missus.
• 11:48
  Speaker 6: Vernon Parklands, my dear sister, I congratulate you and mister
• 11:53
  Speaker 6: Vernon on being about to receive into your family the
• 11:56
  Speaker 6: most accomplished coquette in England. As a very distinquish flirt
• 12:00
  Speaker 6: I have always been taught to consider her, but it
• 12:02
  Speaker 6: has lately fallen in my way to hear some particulars
• 12:05
  Speaker 6: of her conduct at Langford which prove that she does
• 12:07
  Speaker 6: not confine herself to the sort of honest flirtation which
• 12:10
  Speaker 6: satisfies most people, but aspires to the more delicious gratification
• 12:14
  Speaker 6: of making a whole family miserable. By her behavior to
• 12:17
  Speaker 6: mister Mainwaring, she gave jealousy and wretchedness to his wife,
• 12:20
  Speaker 6: and by her attentions to a young man previously attached
• 12:23
  Speaker 6: to mister Maynwarring's sister deprived an amiable girl of her lover.
• 12:27
  Speaker 6: I learned all this from mister Smith. Now in this neighborhood,
• 12:30
  Speaker 6: I have dined with him at Hurst and Wilfrid, who
• 12:33
  Speaker 6: has just come from Langford, where he was a fortnight
• 12:35
  Speaker 6: ago with her ladyship, and who is therefore well qualified
• 12:38
  Speaker 6: to make the communication. What a woman. She must be.
• 12:42
  Speaker 6: I long to see her, and shall certainly accept your
• 12:44
  Speaker 6: kind invitation that I may form some idea of those
• 12:47
  Speaker 6: bewitching powers which can do so much engaging at the
• 12:50
  Speaker 6: same time, and in the same house, the affections of
• 12:53
  Speaker 6: two men who were neither of them at liberty to
• 12:55
  Speaker 6: bestow them, And all this without the charm of youth.
• 12:59
  Speaker 6: I am glad I define Miss Vernon does not accompany
• 13:01
  Speaker 6: her mother to Churchill, as she has not even manners
• 13:05
  Speaker 6: to recommend her, and, according to mister Smith's account, is
• 13:08
  Speaker 6: equally dull and proud, where pride and stupid to unite.
• 13:11
  Speaker 6: There can be no dissimulation worthy notice, and Miss Vernon
• 13:15
  Speaker 6: shall be consigned to unrelenting contempt. But by all that
• 13:19
  Speaker 6: I can gather, Lady Susan possesses a degree of captivating deceit,
• 13:23
  Speaker 6: which it must be pleasing to witness and detect. I
• 13:25
  Speaker 6: shall be with you very soon, and m ever your
• 13:28
  Speaker 6: affectionate brother R. De COURSI.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Kevin Cade.
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan a novel by
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane. Chapter five,
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan Vernon two, missus Johnson Churchhill.
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: I received your note, my dear Alicia, just before I
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: left town, and rejoiced to be assured that mister Johnson
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: suspected nothing of your engagement the evening before. It is
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: undoubtedly better to deceive him entirely, and since he will
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: be stubborn, he must be tricked. I arrived here in
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: safety and have no reason to complain of my reception
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: from mister Vernon. But I confess myself not equally satisfied
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: with the behavior of his lady. She is perfectly well bred, indeed,
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: and has the air of a woman of fashion, but
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: her manners are not such as can persuade me of
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: her being prepossessed in my favor. I wanted her to
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: be delighted at seeing me. I was as amiable as
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: possible on the occasion, but all in vain. She does
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: not like me, to be sure, when we consider that
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: I did take some pains to prevent my brother in
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: law's marrying her. This want of cordiality is not very surprising,
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: and yet it shows an illiberal and vindictive spirit to
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: resent a project which influenced me six years ago and
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: which never succeeded at last. I am sometimes disposed to
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: repent that I did not let Charles buy Vernon Castle
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: when we were obliged to sell it. But it was
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: a trying circumstance, especially as the sale took place exactly
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: at the time of his marriage, and everybody ought to
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: respect the delicacy of those feelings which could not endure
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: that my husband's dignity should be lessened by his younger
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: brother's having possession of the family estate. Could matters have
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: been so arranged as to prevent the necessity of our
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: leaving the castle? Could we have lived with Charles and
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: kept him single. I should have been very far from
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: persuading my husband to dispose of it elsewhere. But Charles
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: was on the point of marrying Miss de Courcy, and
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: the event has justified me. Here are children in abundance,
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: and what benefit could have accrued to me from his
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: purchasing Vernon. My having prevented. It may perhaps have given
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: his wife an unfavorable impression. But where there is a
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: disposition to dislike, a motive will never be wanting. And
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: as to money matters, it has not withheld him from
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: being very useful to me. I really have a regard
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: for him. He is so easily imposed upon. The house
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: is a good one, the furniture fashionable, and everything announces
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: plenty and elegance. Charles is very rich. I'm sure when
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: a man has once got his name in a banking house,
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: he rolls in money, but they do not know what
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: to do with it, keeping very little company, and never
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: go to London. But on business we shall be as
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: stupid as possible. I mean to my sister in law's heart.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: Through the children, I know all their names already, and
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: I am going to attach myself with the greatest sensibility
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: to one in particular, a young Frederick, whom I take
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: on my lap and sigh over for his dear uncle's sake,
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: poor man wearing. I need not tell you how much
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: I miss him, how perpetually he is in my thoughts.
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: I found a dismal letter from him on my arrival here,
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: full of complaints of his wife and sister, and lamentations
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: on the cruelty of his fate. I passed all the
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: letter as his wife's to the Vernons, and when I
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: write to him it must be under cover. To you, ever, yours,
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: s Vernon.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen Read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane.
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: Chapter six, Missus Vernon to mister de Courcy.
• 18:21
  Speaker 5: Church Hill, Well, my dear Reginald, I have seen this
• 18:25
  Speaker 5: dangerous creature and must give you some description of her,
• 18:29
  Speaker 5: though I hope you will soon be able to form
• 18:31
  Speaker 5: your own judgment. She is really excessively pretty. However you
• 18:36
  Speaker 5: may choose to question the allurements of a lady no
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: longer young. I must, for my own part, declare that
• 18:42
  Speaker 5: I have seldom seen so lovely a woman as Lady Susan.
• 18:45
  Speaker 5: She is delicately fair, with fine gray eyes and dark eyelashes,
• 18:49
  Speaker 5: and from her appearance, one would not suspect her more
• 18:52
  Speaker 5: than five and twenty, though she must in fact be
• 18:55
  Speaker 5: ten years older. I was certainly not disposed to admire her,
• 18:59
  Speaker 5: though always here ring she was beautiful, But I cannot
• 19:01
  Speaker 5: help feeling that she possesses an uncommon union of symmetry, brilliancy,
• 19:06
  Speaker 5: and grace. Her address to me was so gentle, frank,
• 19:09
  Speaker 5: and even affectionate, that if I had not known how
• 19:12
  Speaker 5: much she always disliked me for marrying mister Vernon, and
• 19:15
  Speaker 5: that we had never met before, I should have imagined
• 19:17
  Speaker 5: her an attached friend. One is apt I believe to
• 19:21
  Speaker 5: connect assurance of manner with coquetry, and to expect that
• 19:25
  Speaker 5: an impudent address will naturally attend an impudent mind. At
• 19:29
  Speaker 5: least I was myself prepared for an improper degree of
• 19:32
  Speaker 5: confidence in Lady Susan. But her countenance is absolutely sweet,
• 19:36
  Speaker 5: and her voice and manner winningly mild. I am sorry
• 19:39
  Speaker 5: this is so, for what is this but deceit? Unfortunately?
• 19:43
  Speaker 5: One knows her too well. She is clever and agreeable,
• 19:47
  Speaker 5: has all the knowledge of the world which makes conversation easy,
• 19:51
  Speaker 5: and talks well, with a happy command of language, which
• 19:54
  Speaker 5: is too often used, I believe, to make black a
• 19:57
  Speaker 5: pear white. She has already almost persuaded aid me of
• 20:00
  Speaker 5: being warmly attached to her daughter, though I have been
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: so long convinced to the contrary. She speaks of her
• 20:06
  Speaker 5: with so much tenderness and anxiety, lamenting so bitterly the
• 20:10
  Speaker 5: neglect of her education, which she represents, however, as wholly unavoidable.
• 20:15
  Speaker 5: Though I am forced to recollect how many successive springs
• 20:19
  Speaker 5: her ladyship spent in town while her daughter was left
• 20:22
  Speaker 5: in Staffordshire to the care of servants or a governess,
• 20:25
  Speaker 5: very little better to prevent my believing what she says.
• 20:29
  Speaker 5: If her manners have so great an influence on my
• 20:31
  Speaker 5: resentful heart, you may judge how much more strongly they
• 20:35
  Speaker 5: operate on mister Vernon's generous temper. I wish I could
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: be as well satisfied as he is that it was
• 20:41
  Speaker 5: really her choice to leave Langford for church Hill, that
• 20:44
  Speaker 5: if she had not stayed there for months before she
• 20:46
  Speaker 5: discovered that her friend's manner of living did not suit
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: her situation or feelings, I might have believed that concern
• 20:53
  Speaker 5: for the loss of such a husband as mister Vernon,
• 20:55
  Speaker 5: to whom her own behavior was far from unexceptionable, might
• 20:59
  Speaker 5: for a time make her wish for retirement. But I
• 21:02
  Speaker 5: cannot forget the length of her visit to the Mainwarings.
• 21:05
  Speaker 5: When I reflect on the different mode of life she
• 21:08
  Speaker 5: led with them from that to which she must now submit,
• 21:11
  Speaker 5: I can only suspect that the wish of establishing her
• 21:14
  Speaker 5: reputation by following, though late, the path of propriety, occasioned
• 21:18
  Speaker 5: her removal from a family where she must, in reality
• 21:22
  Speaker 5: have been particularly happy. Your friend mister Smith's story, however,
• 21:26
  Speaker 5: cannot be quite correct, as she corresponds regularly with Missus Mainwaring.
• 21:30
  Speaker 5: At any rate, it must be exaggerated. It is scarcely
• 21:33
  Speaker 5: possible that two men should be grossly deceived by her
• 21:36
  Speaker 5: at once. Yours, Catherine Vernon.
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane.
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more or to volunteer, visit www
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen,
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane, Chapter seven, Lady Susan
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: Vernon to missus Johnson.
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: Churchill, My dear Alicia, you are very good in taking
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: notice of Frederica, and I am grateful for it as
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: a mark of your friendship. But as I cannot have
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: any doubt of the warmth of your affection, I am
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: far from exacting so heavy a sacrifice. She is a
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: stupid girl and has nothing to recommend her. I would not, therefore,
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: on my account, have you encumber one moment of your
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: precious time by sending for her to Edward Street, especially
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: as every visit is so much deducted from the grand
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: affair of education, which I really wish to have attended to.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: While she remains at Miss Summers, I want her to
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: play and sing with some portion of taste and a
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: good deal of assurance, as she has my hand, an arm,
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: and a tolerable voice. I was so much indulged in
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: my infant years that I was never obliged to attend
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: to anything, and consequently am without the accomplishments which are
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: now necessary to finish a pretty woman. Not that I
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: am an advocate for the prevailing fashion of acquiring a
• 23:27
  Speaker 2: perfect knowledge of all languages, arts and sciences. It is
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: throwing time away to be mistress of French, Italian and
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: German music. Singing and drawing, et cetera. Will gain a
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: woman some applause, but it will not add one lover
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: to her list. Grace and manner, after all, are of
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: the greatest importance. I do not mean, therefore, that Frederica's
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: acquirements should be more than superficial, and I flatter myself
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: that she will not remain long enough at school to
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: understand any thing thoroughly. I hope to see her the
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: wife of Sir James within a twelvemonth. You know on
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: what I ground my hope, and it is certainly a
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: good foundation for school. Must be very humiliating to a
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: girl of Frederica's age, and by the bye, you had
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: better not invite her any more on that account, as
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: I wish her to find her situation as unpleasant as possible.
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: I am sure of Sir James at any time, and
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: could make him renew his application by a line. I
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: shall trouble you meanwhile, to prevent his forming any other attachment.
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: When he comes to town, ask him to your house
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: occasionally and talk to him of Frederica that he may
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: not forget her. Upon the whole. I commend my own
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: conduct in this affair extremely and regard it as a
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: very happy instance of circumspection and tenderness. Some mothers would
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: have insisted on their daughters accepting so good an offer
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: on the first overture. But I could not reconcile it
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: to myself to force Frederica into a marriage from which
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: her heart revolted, And instead of adopting so harsh a measure,
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: merely proposed to make it her own choice by rendering
• 25:14
  Speaker 2: her thoroughly uncomfortable till she does accept him. But enough
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: of this tiresome girl. You may well wonder how I
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: contrive to pass my time here. And for the first
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: week it was insufferably dull. Now, however, we begin to mend.
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: Our party is enlarged by missus Vernon's brother, a handsome
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: young man who promises me some amusement. There is something
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: about him which rather interests me, a sort of sauciness
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: and familiarity which I shall teach him to correct. He
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: is lively and seems clever, And when I have inspired
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: him with greater respect for me than his sister's kind
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: offices have implanted he may be an agreeable flirt. There
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: is an exquisite pleasure in subduing an insolence spirit, in
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: making a person predetermined to dislike acknowledge one's superiority. I
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: have disconcerted him already by my calm reserve, and it
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: shall be my endeavor to humble the pride of these
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: self important de coursies still lower, to convince Missus Vernon
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: that her sisterly cautions have been bestowed in vain, and
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: to persuade Reginald that she has scandalously belied me. This
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: project will serve at least to amuse me and prevent
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: my feelings so acutely, this dreadful separation from you and
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: all whom I love, Yours ever, s Vernon.
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: the public life domain. For more information or to volunteer,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: visit w w W dot LibriVox dot org. Read for
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. Chapter eight, Missus Vernon to Lady
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: de Courcy.
• 27:18
  Speaker 5: Churchill, my dear mother, you must not expect Reginald back
• 27:22
  Speaker 5: again for some time. He desires me to tell you
• 27:25
  Speaker 5: that the current open weather induces him to accept mister
• 27:28
  Speaker 5: Vernon's invitation, that he prolonged his stay in Sussex, that
• 27:31
  Speaker 5: they may have some hunting together. He means to send
• 27:34
  Speaker 5: for his horses immediately, and it is impossible to say
• 27:36
  Speaker 5: when you may see him in Kent. I will not
• 27:39
  Speaker 5: disguise my sentiments on this change from you, my dear mother,
• 27:42
  Speaker 5: though I think you had better not communicate them to
• 27:44
  Speaker 5: my father, whose excessive anxiety about Reginald would subject him
• 27:48
  Speaker 5: to an alarm which might seriously affect his health and spirits.
• 27:52
  Speaker 5: Lady Susan has certainly contrived, in the space of a
• 27:55
  Speaker 5: fortnight to make my brother like her. In short, I
• 27:59
  Speaker 5: am persuaded that his continuing here beyond the time originally
• 28:02
  Speaker 5: fixed for his visit is occasioned as much by a
• 28:05
  Speaker 5: degree of fascination toward her as by the wish of
• 28:08
  Speaker 5: hunting with mister Vernon. And of course I cannot receive
• 28:11
  Speaker 5: that pleasure from the length of his visit, which my
• 28:13
  Speaker 5: brother's company would otherwise give me. I am indeed provoked
• 28:17
  Speaker 5: at the artifice of this unprincipled woman. What stronger proof
• 28:21
  Speaker 5: of her dangerous abilities can be given than this perversion
• 28:24
  Speaker 5: of Reginald's judgment, which, when he entered this house was
• 28:27
  Speaker 5: so decidedly against her. In his last letter he actually
• 28:31
  Speaker 5: gave me some particulars of her behavior at Langford, such
• 28:34
  Speaker 5: as he received from a gentleman who knew her perfectly well,
• 28:38
  Speaker 5: which if true, raise abhorrence against her, and which Reginald
• 28:41
  Speaker 5: himself was entirely disposed to credit. His opinion of her,
• 28:45
  Speaker 5: I am sure, was as low as any woman in England.
• 28:48
  Speaker 5: And when he first came it was evident that he
• 28:50
  Speaker 5: considered her as one entitled neither to delicacy or respect,
• 28:54
  Speaker 5: and that he felt she would be delighted with the
• 28:56
  Speaker 5: attentions of any man inclined to flirt with her. Her behavior,
• 28:59
  Speaker 5: I confess, has been calculated to do away with such
• 29:01
  Speaker 5: an idea. I have not detected the slightest impropriety in her,
• 29:06
  Speaker 5: nothing of vanity, of pretension of levity. And she is
• 29:09
  Speaker 5: altogether so attractive that I should not wonder at his
• 29:11
  Speaker 5: being delighted with her, had he known nothing of her
• 29:14
  Speaker 5: previous to this personal acquaintance, and against reason, against conviction,
• 29:18
  Speaker 5: to be so well pleased with her, as I am
• 29:20
  Speaker 5: sure he is, does really astonish me. His admiration was
• 29:24
  Speaker 5: at first very strong, but no more than was natural,
• 29:27
  Speaker 5: and I did not wonder at his being much struck
• 29:29
  Speaker 5: with the gentleness and delicacy of her manners. But when
• 29:32
  Speaker 5: he has mentioned her of late, it has been in
• 29:34
  Speaker 5: terms of more extraordinary praise. Yesterday he actually said that
• 29:38
  Speaker 5: he could not be surprised at any effect produced on
• 29:41
  Speaker 5: the heart of man by such loveliness and such abilities.
• 29:44
  Speaker 5: And when I lamented in reply the badness of her disposition,
• 29:48
  Speaker 5: he observed that whatever might have been her errors, they
• 29:51
  Speaker 5: were to be imputed to her neglected education and early marriage,
• 29:55
  Speaker 5: and that she was altogether a wonderful woman. This tendency
• 29:58
  Speaker 5: to excuse her conduct to forget it in the warmth
• 30:01
  Speaker 5: of admiration vexes me. And if I did not know
• 30:04
  Speaker 5: that Reginald is too much at home at church Hill
• 30:07
  Speaker 5: to need invitation for lengthening his visit, I should regret
• 30:10
  Speaker 5: mister Vernon's giving him any. Lady Susan's intentions are of
• 30:13
  Speaker 5: course close to those of coquetry and a desire of
• 30:17
  Speaker 5: universal admiration. I cannot for a moment imagine that she
• 30:20
  Speaker 5: has anything more serious in view. But it mortifies me
• 30:23
  Speaker 5: to see a young man of Reginald's sense duped by
• 30:26
  Speaker 5: her at all. I am Catherine Vernon.
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane.
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Sage Turtle,
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Chapter nine, Missus Johnson to Lady s Vernon, Edward Street,
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: My dearest friend, I congratulate you on mister de Corcey's arrival,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: and I advise you by all means to marry him.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: His father's estate is we know, considerable, and I believe
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: certainly entailed. Sir Reginald is very infirm and not likely
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: to stand in your way. Long I hear the young
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: man well spoken of. And though no one can really
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: deserve you, my dearest Susan, mister de Courcy may be
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: worth having main wearing will storm, of course, but you
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: easily pacify him. Besides, the most scrupulous point of honor
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: could not require you to wait for his emancipation. I
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: have seen Sir James. He came to town for a
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: few days last week and called several times in Edward Street.
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: I talked him about you and your daughter, and he
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: is so far from having forgotten you that I am
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: sure he would marry either of you with pleasure. I
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: gave him hopes of Frederica's relenting and told him a
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: great deal of her improvements. I scolded him from making
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: love to Maria Mainwaring. He protested that he had been
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: only in joke, and we both laughed heartily at her disappointment.
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: And in short, we're very agreeable. He is as silly
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: as ever yours faithfully, Alicia. This has been a LibriVox
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: recording of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen, read
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: for LibriVox by Sage Turtle. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org.
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: by Brenda Dane, Chapter seven. Lady Susan Vernon to missus
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: Johnson Churchill.
• 33:15
  Speaker 2: I am much obliged to you, my dear friend, for
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: your advice respecting mister de Courcy, which I know was
• 33:21
  Speaker 2: given with a full conviction of its expediency, though I
• 33:25
  Speaker 2: am not quite determined on following it. I cannot easily
• 33:30
  Speaker 2: resolve on anything so serious as marriage, especially as I
• 33:33
  Speaker 2: am not at present in want of money, and might
• 33:36
  Speaker 2: perhaps till the old gentleman's death, be very little benefited
• 33:40
  Speaker 2: by the match. It is true that I am vain
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: enough to believe it within my reach. I have made
• 33:47
  Speaker 2: him sensible of my power, and can now enjoy the
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: pleasure of triumphing over a mind prepared to dislike me
• 33:53
  Speaker 2: and prejudiced against all my past actions. His sister, too, is,
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: I hope, convinced how little the ungenerous representations of any
• 34:03
  Speaker 2: one to the disadvantage of another will avail when opposed
• 34:07
  Speaker 2: by the immediate influence of intellect and manner. I plainly
• 34:12
  Speaker 2: see that she is uneasy at my progress in the
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: good opinion of her brother, and conclude that nothing will
• 34:18
  Speaker 2: be wanting on her part to counteract me, But having
• 34:23
  Speaker 2: once made him doubt the justice of her opinion of me,
• 34:26
  Speaker 2: I think I may defy her. It has been delightful
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: to me to watch his advances towards intimacy, especially to
• 34:33
  Speaker 2: observe his altered manner in consequence of my repressing by
• 34:37
  Speaker 2: the cool dignity of my deportment, his insolent approach to
• 34:41
  Speaker 2: direct familiarity. My conduct has been equally guarded from the first,
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: and I never behaved less like a coquette in the
• 34:50
  Speaker 2: whole course of my life. Though perhaps my desire of
• 34:53
  Speaker 2: dominion was never more decided. I have subdued him entirely
• 34:59
  Speaker 2: by sentiment and serious conversation, and made him, I may
• 35:04
  Speaker 2: venture to say, at least half in love with me,
• 35:07
  Speaker 2: without the semblance of the most commonplace flirtation. Missus Vernon's
• 35:12
  Speaker 2: consciousness of deserving every sort of revenge that it can
• 35:15
  Speaker 2: be in my power to inflict for her ill offices
• 35:18
  Speaker 2: could alone enable her to perceive that I am actuated
• 35:22
  Speaker 2: by any design in behavior so gentle and unpretending. Let
• 35:26
  Speaker 2: her think an act as she chooses. However, I have
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: never yet found that the advice of a sister could
• 35:31
  Speaker 2: prevent a young man's being in love if he chose.
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: We are advancing now to some kind of confidence, and
• 35:40
  Speaker 2: in short, are likely to be engaged in a sort
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: of platonic friendship. On my side, you may be sure
• 35:46
  Speaker 2: of its never being more, For if I were not
• 35:48
  Speaker 2: attached to another person as much as I can be
• 35:51
  Speaker 2: to any one, I should make a point of not
• 35:53
  Speaker 2: bestowing my affection on a man who had dared to
• 35:56
  Speaker 2: think so meanly of me. Retch Jerald has a good figure,
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: and he is not unworthy the praise you have given him,
• 36:04
  Speaker 2: but is still greatly inferior to our friend at Langford.
• 36:08
  Speaker 2: He is less polished, less insinuating than man wearing, and
• 36:13
  Speaker 2: is comparatively deficient in the power of saying those delightful
• 36:16
  Speaker 2: things which put one in good humor with oneself and
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: all the world. He is quite agreeable enough, however, to
• 36:24
  Speaker 2: afford me amusement, and to make many of those hours
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: pass very pleasantly, which would otherwise be spent in endeavoring
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: to overcome my sister in law's reserve and listening to
• 36:34
  Speaker 2: the insipid talk of her husband. Your account of Sir
• 36:38
  Speaker 2: James is most satisfactory, and I mean to give miss
• 36:41
  Speaker 2: Frederica a hint of my intentions very soon yours, et cetera,
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: s Vernon.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: the public domain.
• 37:07
  Speaker 4: For more information or to.
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: Volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane,
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: Chapter eleven, Missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy Churchill.
• 37:22
  Speaker 5: I really grow quite uneasy, my dear mother about Reginald,
• 37:26
  Speaker 5: from witnessing the very rapid increase of Lady Susan's influence.
• 37:30
  Speaker 5: They are now on terms of the most particular friendship,
• 37:33
  Speaker 5: frequently engaged in long conversations together, and she has contrived,
• 37:37
  Speaker 5: by the most artful coquetry, to subdue his judgment for
• 37:40
  Speaker 5: her own purposes. It is impossible to see the intimacy
• 37:43
  Speaker 5: between them so very soon established without some alarm. Though
• 37:47
  Speaker 5: I can hardly suppose Lady Susan's views extend to marriage.
• 37:51
  Speaker 5: I wish you could get Reginald home again under any
• 37:53
  Speaker 5: plausible pretense. He is not at all disposed to leave us,
• 37:57
  Speaker 5: and I have given him as many hints of my
• 37:59
  Speaker 5: father precarious state of health as common decency will allow
• 38:03
  Speaker 5: me to do in my own house. Her power over
• 38:06
  Speaker 5: him must now be boundless, as she has affected all
• 38:09
  Speaker 5: his former ill opinion and persuaded him not entirely to forget,
• 38:13
  Speaker 5: but to justify her conduct. Mister Smith's account of her
• 38:18
  Speaker 5: proceedings at Langford, where he accused her of having made
• 38:21
  Speaker 5: mister Mainwaring and a young man engaged to Miss Mainwaring
• 38:24
  Speaker 5: distractedly in love with her, which Reginald firmly believed when
• 38:28
  Speaker 5: he came to church Hill, is now he is persuaded
• 38:31
  Speaker 5: only a scandalous invention. He has told me so in
• 38:35
  Speaker 5: a warmth of manner, which spoke his regret at having
• 38:38
  Speaker 5: ever believed the contrary himself. How sincerely do I grieve
• 38:42
  Speaker 5: that she ever entered this house. I had always looked
• 38:45
  Speaker 5: forward to her coming with uneasiness, but very far it
• 38:49
  Speaker 5: was from originating in anxiety for Reginald. I expected a
• 38:52
  Speaker 5: most disagreeable companion for myself, but could not imagine that
• 38:56
  Speaker 5: my brother would be in the smallest danger of being
• 38:59
  Speaker 5: captivatd by a woman with whose principles he was so
• 39:02
  Speaker 5: well acquainted, and whose character he's so heartily despised. If
• 39:07
  Speaker 5: you can get him away, it will be a good thing.
• 39:09
  Speaker 5: Very affectionately, Catherine Vernon.
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: End of chapter eleven. This has been a LibriVox recording
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen. Read for
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org. Read
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: for LibriVox by Jim Mills, Chapter.
• 39:45
  Speaker 7: Twelve, park Lands. I know that young men in general
• 39:51
  Speaker 7: do not admit of any inquiry, even from their nearest relations,
• 39:54
  Speaker 7: into affairs of the heart. But I hope, my dear Reginald,
• 39:57
  Speaker 7: that you will be superior to such as a loud
• 39:59
  Speaker 7: nun thing for a father's anxiety, and think themselves privileged
• 40:03
  Speaker 7: to refuse him their confidence and slight his advice. You
• 40:07
  Speaker 7: must be sensible that, as an only son and the
• 40:10
  Speaker 7: representative of an ancient family, your conduct in life is
• 40:14
  Speaker 7: most interesting to your connections, and in the very important
• 40:17
  Speaker 7: concern of marriage especially, there is everything at stake your
• 40:22
  Speaker 7: own happiness that of your parents and the credit of
• 40:24
  Speaker 7: your name. I do not suppose that you would deliberately
• 40:28
  Speaker 7: form an absolute engagement of that nature without acquainting your
• 40:31
  Speaker 7: mother and myself, or at least without being convinced that
• 40:34
  Speaker 7: we should approve of your choice. But I cannot help
• 40:38
  Speaker 7: fearing that you may be drawn in by the lady
• 40:40
  Speaker 7: who has lately attached you to a marriage which the
• 40:43
  Speaker 7: whole of your family far and near, must highly reprobate.
• 40:47
  Speaker 7: Lady Susan's age is itself a material objection, but her
• 40:51
  Speaker 7: want of character is one so much more serious that
• 40:54
  Speaker 7: the difference of even twelve years becomes in comparison of
• 40:57
  Speaker 7: small amount. You not blinded by a sort of fascination,
• 41:02
  Speaker 7: It would be ridiculous in me to repeat the instances
• 41:05
  Speaker 7: of great misconduct on her side, so very generally known.
• 41:10
  Speaker 7: Her neglect of her husband, her encouragement of other men,
• 41:13
  Speaker 7: her extravagance and dissipation were so gross and notorious that
• 41:17
  Speaker 7: no one could be ignorant of them at the time,
• 41:19
  Speaker 7: nor can now have forgotten them. To our family, she
• 41:23
  Speaker 7: has always been represented in softened colors by the benevolence
• 41:26
  Speaker 7: of mister Charles Vernon, and yet in spite of his
• 41:29
  Speaker 7: generous endeavors to excuse her. We know that she did,
• 41:32
  Speaker 7: from the most selfish motives, take all possible pains to
• 41:36
  Speaker 7: prevent his marriage with Catherine. My years and increasing infirmities
• 41:41
  Speaker 7: make me very desirous of seeing you settled in the
• 41:43
  Speaker 7: world to the fortune of a wife. The goodness of
• 41:46
  Speaker 7: my own will make me indifferent, but her family and
• 41:49
  Speaker 7: character must be equally unexceptionable. When your choice is fixed
• 41:54
  Speaker 7: so that no objection can be made to it, then
• 41:57
  Speaker 7: I can promise you a ready and cheerful consent. But
• 42:00
  Speaker 7: it is my duty to oppose a match which deep
• 42:02
  Speaker 7: art only could render possible, and must in the end
• 42:06
  Speaker 7: make wretched. It is possible her behavior may arise only
• 42:10
  Speaker 7: from vanity or the wish of gaining the admiration of
• 42:13
  Speaker 7: a man whom she must imagine to be particularly prejudiced
• 42:16
  Speaker 7: against her. But it is more likely that she should
• 42:20
  Speaker 7: aim at something further. She is poor and may naturally
• 42:24
  Speaker 7: seek an alliance which must be advantageous to herself. You
• 42:27
  Speaker 7: know your own rights, and that it is out of
• 42:29
  Speaker 7: my power to prevent your inheriting the family estate. My
• 42:33
  Speaker 7: ability of distressing you during my life would be a
• 42:36
  Speaker 7: species of revenge to which I could hardly stoop under
• 42:39
  Speaker 7: any circumstances. I honestly tell you my sentiments and intentions.
• 42:44
  Speaker 7: I do not wish to work on your fears, but
• 42:47
  Speaker 7: on your sense and affection. It would destroy every comfort
• 42:50
  Speaker 7: of my life to know that you were married to
• 42:52
  Speaker 7: Lady Susan Vernon. It would be the death of that
• 42:55
  Speaker 7: honest pride with which I have hitherto considered my son.
• 42:59
  Speaker 7: I should blush to see him, to hear of him,
• 43:01
  Speaker 7: to think of him. I may perhaps do no good
• 43:04
  Speaker 7: but that of relieving my own mind by this letter.
• 43:07
  Speaker 7: But I felt it my duty to tell you that
• 43:09
  Speaker 7: your partiality for Lady Susan is no secret to your friends,
• 43:13
  Speaker 7: and to warn you against her. I should be glad
• 43:16
  Speaker 7: to hear of your reasons for disbelieving mister Smith's intelligence.
• 43:20
  Speaker 7: You had no doubt of his authenticity a month ago.
• 43:24
  Speaker 7: If you can give me your assurance of having no
• 43:26
  Speaker 7: design beyond enjoying the conversation of a clever woman for
• 43:29
  Speaker 7: a short period, and of yielding admiration only to her
• 43:33
  Speaker 7: beauty and abilities, without being blinded by them to her faults,
• 43:37
  Speaker 7: you will restore me to happiness. But if you cannot
• 43:41
  Speaker 7: do this. Explain to me at least what has occasioned
• 43:44
  Speaker 7: so great an alteration in your opinion of her? I am,
• 43:48
  Speaker 7: et cetera, et cetera, Reginald de Courcy.
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Jim Mills.
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Dreamer,
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen, Lady de Courcy to missus Vernon.
• 44:34
  Speaker 3: Parklands, my dear Catherine. Unluckily I was confined to my
• 44:39
  Speaker 3: room when your last letter came by a cold which
• 44:42
  Speaker 3: affected my eyes so much as to prevent my reading
• 44:45
  Speaker 3: it myself, so I could not refuse your father when
• 44:48
  Speaker 3: he offered to read it to me, by which means
• 44:51
  Speaker 3: he became acquainted to my great vexation with all your
• 44:54
  Speaker 3: fears about your brother. I had intended to write to
• 44:58
  Speaker 3: Reginald myself as soon as my eyes would let me,
• 45:02
  Speaker 3: to point out as well as I could the danger
• 45:05
  Speaker 3: of an intimate acquaintance with so artful a woman as
• 45:08
  Speaker 3: Lady Susan to a young man of his age and
• 45:12
  Speaker 3: high expectations. I meant moreover to have reminded him of
• 45:16
  Speaker 3: our being quite alone now and very much in need
• 45:20
  Speaker 3: of him to keep up our spirits these long winter evenings.
• 45:24
  Speaker 3: Whether it would have done any good can never be
• 45:26
  Speaker 3: settled now. But I am excessively vexed that Sir Reginald
• 45:31
  Speaker 3: should know anything of a matter which we foresaw would
• 45:34
  Speaker 3: make him so uneasy. He caught all your fears the
• 45:38
  Speaker 3: moment he had read your letter, and I am sure
• 45:41
  Speaker 3: he has not had the business out of his head
• 45:43
  Speaker 3: since he wrote, by the same poster Reginald, a long letter,
• 45:47
  Speaker 3: full of it all, and particularly asking an explanation of
• 45:51
  Speaker 3: what he may have heard from Lady Susan to contradict
• 45:54
  Speaker 3: the late shocking reports. His answer came this morning, which
• 45:59
  Speaker 3: I shall enclose to you, as I think you will like
• 46:01
  Speaker 3: to see it. I wish it was more satisfactory, but
• 46:04
  Speaker 3: it seems written with such a determination to think well
• 46:07
  Speaker 3: of Lady Susan, that all his assurances as to marriage,
• 46:11
  Speaker 3: et cetera, do not set my heart at ease. I
• 46:15
  Speaker 3: say all I can, however, to satisfy your father, and
• 46:18
  Speaker 3: he is certainly less uneasy since Reginald's letter. How provoking
• 46:23
  Speaker 3: it is, my dear Catherine, that this unwelcome guest of
• 46:26
  Speaker 3: yours should not only prevent our meeting this Christmas, but
• 46:30
  Speaker 3: be the occasion of so much vexation and trouble. Kiss
• 46:35
  Speaker 3: the dear children for me, your affectionate mother, see de corsi.
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Dreama. This
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit www
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: dot LibriVox dot org. Chapter fourteen. Mister de Courci to Sir.
• 47:25
  Speaker 6: Reginald Churchhill, My dear Sir, I have this moment received
• 47:30
  Speaker 6: a letter which has given me more astonishment than I
• 47:32
  Speaker 6: ever felt before. I am to thank my sister, I suppose,
• 47:36
  Speaker 6: for having represented me in such a light as to
• 47:38
  Speaker 6: injure me in your opinion and give you all this alarm.
• 47:42
  Speaker 6: I know not why she should choose to make herself
• 47:44
  Speaker 6: and her family uneasy by apprehending an event which no
• 47:47
  Speaker 6: one but herself I can affirm, would ever have thought
• 47:50
  Speaker 6: possible to impute such a design to Lady Susan, would
• 47:53
  Speaker 6: be taking from her every claim to that excellent understanding
• 47:56
  Speaker 6: which her bitterest enemies have never denied her, and equally
• 47:59
  Speaker 6: low must sink my pretensions to common sense. If I
• 48:02
  Speaker 6: am suspected of matrimonial views in my behavior to her,
• 48:06
  Speaker 6: our difference of age must be an insuperable objection. And
• 48:08
  Speaker 6: I entreat you, my dear father, to quiet your mind
• 48:11
  Speaker 6: and no longer harbor a suspicion which cannot be more
• 48:13
  Speaker 6: injurious to your own peace than our understandings. I can
• 48:17
  Speaker 6: have no other view in remaining with Lady Susan than
• 48:20
  Speaker 6: to enjoy, for a short time, as you have yourself
• 48:22
  Speaker 6: expressed it, the conversation of a woman of high intellectual powers.
• 48:27
  Speaker 6: Missus Vernon, would allow something to my affection for herself
• 48:30
  Speaker 6: and her husband in the length of my visit. She
• 48:33
  Speaker 6: would do more justice to us all. But my sister
• 48:35
  Speaker 6: is unhappily prejudiced beyond the hope of conviction against Lady
• 48:38
  Speaker 6: Susan from an attachment to her husband, which in itself
• 48:41
  Speaker 6: does honor to both. She cannot forgive the endeavors at
• 48:44
  Speaker 6: preventing their union, which have been attributed to selfishness in
• 48:48
  Speaker 6: Lady Susan. But in this case, as well as in
• 48:50
  Speaker 6: many others, the world has most grossly injured that lady
• 48:53
  Speaker 6: by supposing the worst. Where the motives in her conduct
• 48:56
  Speaker 6: have been doubtful, Lady Susan had heard something so materially
• 49:00
  Speaker 6: to the disadvantage of my sister as to persuade her
• 49:02
  Speaker 6: that the happiness of mister Vernon, to whom she was
• 49:05
  Speaker 6: always much attached, would be wholly destroyed by the marriage
• 49:08
  Speaker 6: and the circumstance. While it explains the true motive of
• 49:11
  Speaker 6: Lady Susan's conduct and removes all the blame which has
• 49:14
  Speaker 6: been so lavished on her, may also convince us how
• 49:17
  Speaker 6: little the general report of any one ought to be credited,
• 49:20
  Speaker 6: since no character, however upright, can escape the benevolent of slander.
• 49:24
  Speaker 6: If my sister, in the security of retirement, with as
• 49:27
  Speaker 6: little opportunity as inclination to do evil, could not avoid censure,
• 49:31
  Speaker 6: we must not rashly condemn those who, living in the
• 49:33
  Speaker 6: world and surrounded with temptations, should be accused of errors
• 49:36
  Speaker 6: which they are known to have the power of committing.
• 49:39
  Speaker 6: I blame myself severely for having so easily believed the
• 49:42
  Speaker 6: slanderous tales invented by Charles Smith to the prejudice of
• 49:45
  Speaker 6: Lady Susan, as I am now convinced how greatly they
• 49:48
  Speaker 6: have produced her. As to Missus Mainwaring's jealousy, it was
• 49:51
  Speaker 6: totally his own invention, and his account of her attaching
• 49:54
  Speaker 6: Missus Mayinwoaring's lover was scarcely better founded. Sir James Martin
• 49:57
  Speaker 6: had been drawn in by that young lady to pay
• 49:59
  Speaker 6: her some attention, and as he is a man of fortune,
• 50:02
  Speaker 6: it is easy to see her views extended to marriage.
• 50:05
  Speaker 6: It is well known that miss m is absolutely on
• 50:07
  Speaker 6: the catch for her husband, and no one can therefore
• 50:10
  Speaker 6: pity her for losing, by the superior attractions of another woman,
• 50:13
  Speaker 6: the chance of being able to make worthy man completely wretched.
• 50:16
  Speaker 6: Lady Susan was far from intending such a conquest, and
• 50:19
  Speaker 6: on finding how warmly Miss Mainwarings resented her lover's disaffection
• 50:23
  Speaker 6: determined in spite of mister and Missus Mainwaring's most urgent
• 50:27
  Speaker 6: entreaties to leave the family, I have reason to imagine
• 50:29
  Speaker 6: she did receive serious proposals from Sir James, but her
• 50:33
  Speaker 6: removing to Langford immediately on the discovery of his attachment.
• 50:36
  Speaker 6: Must acquit her on that article with any mind of
• 50:39
  Speaker 6: common candor, you will, I am sure, my dear Sir,
• 50:43
  Speaker 6: feel the truth of this, and will hereby learn to
• 50:45
  Speaker 6: do justice to the character of a very injured woman.
• 50:48
  Speaker 6: I know that Lady Susan is coming to Churchill was
• 50:50
  Speaker 6: governed only by the most honorable and amiable intentions. Her
• 50:54
  Speaker 6: prudence and economy are exemplary, her regard from mister Vernon
• 50:57
  Speaker 6: equal to his deserts, and her will wish of obtaining
• 51:00
  Speaker 6: my sister's good opinion merits a better return than it
• 51:03
  Speaker 6: is received. As a mother, she is unexceptionable. Her solid
• 51:07
  Speaker 6: affection for her child is shown by placing her in
• 51:10
  Speaker 6: hands where her education will be properly attended to. But
• 51:13
  Speaker 6: because she is not the blind and weak partiality of
• 51:15
  Speaker 6: most mothers, she is accused of wanting maternal tenderness. Every
• 51:19
  Speaker 6: person of sense, however, will know how to value and
• 51:22
  Speaker 6: command her a well directed affection, and will join me
• 51:24
  Speaker 6: in wishing that Frederica Vernon may prove more worthy than
• 51:27
  Speaker 6: she has done of her mother's tender care. I have
• 51:29
  Speaker 6: now my dear father written my real sentiments of Lady Susan.
• 51:33
  Speaker 6: You will know from this letter how highly I admire
• 51:35
  Speaker 6: her abilities and esteem her character. But if you are
• 51:38
  Speaker 6: not equally convinced of my full and solemn assurance that
• 51:41
  Speaker 6: your fears have been most idly created, you will deeply
• 51:43
  Speaker 6: mortify and distress me. I am r de coursie.
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Kevin Cade.
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: w w W dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: by Shelley Brisbane, Chapter six, Missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy.
• 52:27
  Speaker 5: Churchill, my dear mother. I return you Reginald's letter and
• 52:32
  Speaker 5: rejoice with all my heart that my father is made
• 52:34
  Speaker 5: easy by it. Tell him so with my congratulations. But
• 52:38
  Speaker 5: between ourselves I must own it has only convinced me
• 52:40
  Speaker 5: of my brother's having no present intention of marrying Lady Susan,
• 52:44
  Speaker 5: not that he is in no danger of doing so.
• 52:46
  Speaker 5: Three months hands he gives a very plausible account of
• 52:49
  Speaker 5: her behavior at Langford. I wish it may be true,
• 52:52
  Speaker 5: but his intelligence must come from herself, and I am
• 52:55
  Speaker 5: less disposed to believe it than to lament the degree
• 52:57
  Speaker 5: of intimacy subsisting between them in the discussion of such
• 53:01
  Speaker 5: a subject. I am also sorry to have incurred his displeasure,
• 53:04
  Speaker 5: but can expect nothing better. While he is so very
• 53:07
  Speaker 5: eager in Lady Susan's justification, he is very severe against me, indeed,
• 53:12
  Speaker 5: and yet I hope I have not been hasty in
• 53:14
  Speaker 5: my judgment of her. Poor woman. Though I have reasons
• 53:18
  Speaker 5: enough for my dislike, I cannot help pitying her at present,
• 53:21
  Speaker 5: as she is in real distress and with too much cause.
• 53:25
  Speaker 5: She had this morning a letter from the lady with
• 53:27
  Speaker 5: whom she has placed her daughter, to request that Miss
• 53:29
  Speaker 5: Vernon might be immediately removed, as she had been detected
• 53:32
  Speaker 5: in an attempt to run away. Why or whether she
• 53:35
  Speaker 5: intended to go does not appear, but as her situation
• 53:39
  Speaker 5: seems to have been unexceptionable, it is a sad thing,
• 53:42
  Speaker 5: and of course highly afflicting to Lady Susan. Frederica must
• 53:45
  Speaker 5: be as much as sixteen and ought to know better.
• 53:47
  Speaker 5: But from what her mother insinuates, I am afraid she
• 53:50
  Speaker 5: is a perverse girl. She has been sadly neglected, however,
• 53:53
  Speaker 5: and her mother ought to remember it. Mister Vernon set
• 53:57
  Speaker 5: off to town as soon as she had deterred what
• 54:00
  Speaker 5: should be done. He is, if possible to prevail upon
• 54:03
  Speaker 5: Miss Somers to let Frederica continue with her, and if
• 54:06
  Speaker 5: he cannot succeed, to bring her to Church Hill for
• 54:09
  Speaker 5: the present till some other situation can be found for her.
• 54:12
  Speaker 5: Her ladyship is comforting herself meanwhile, by strolling along the
• 54:16
  Speaker 5: shrubbery with Reginald and calling forth all his tender feelings.
• 54:19
  Speaker 5: I suppose on this distressing occasion she has been talking
• 54:23
  Speaker 5: a great deal about it to me. She talks vastly well.
• 54:27
  Speaker 5: I am afraid of being ungenerous, or I should say
• 54:30
  Speaker 5: too well to feel very deeply, But I will not
• 54:32
  Speaker 5: look for faults. She may be Reginald's wife, Heaven forbid it.
• 54:36
  Speaker 6: But why should I.
• 54:37
  Speaker 5: Be quicker sighted than any one else. Mister Vernon declares
• 54:40
  Speaker 5: that he never saw deeper distress than hers on receipt
• 54:42
  Speaker 5: of the letter, and is his judgment inferior to mine.
• 54:46
  Speaker 5: She was very unwilling that Frederica should be allowed to
• 54:48
  Speaker 5: come to Church Hill, and justly enough, as it seems
• 54:51
  Speaker 5: a sort of reward to behavior deserving very differently, it
• 54:55
  Speaker 5: was impossible to take her anywhere else, and she is
• 54:57
  Speaker 5: not to remain here long. It will be absolutely necessary,
• 55:01
  Speaker 5: said she, as you, my dear sister, must be sensible
• 55:04
  Speaker 5: to treat my daughter with some severity while she is here.
• 55:07
  Speaker 5: A most painful necessity. But I will endeavor to submit
• 55:11
  Speaker 5: to it. I am afraid I have often been too indulgent,
• 55:14
  Speaker 5: but my poor Frederica's temper could never bear opposition. Well,
• 55:18
  Speaker 5: you must support and encourage me. You must urge the
• 55:21
  Speaker 5: necessity of reproof if you see me too lenient. All
• 55:25
  Speaker 5: this sounds very reasonably. Reginald is incensed against the poor
• 55:28
  Speaker 5: silly girl. Surely it is not to Lady Susan's credit
• 55:31
  Speaker 5: that he be so bitter against her daughter. His idea
• 55:34
  Speaker 5: of her must be drawn from the mother's description. Well,
• 55:37
  Speaker 5: whatever may be his fate, we have the comfort of
• 55:39
  Speaker 5: knowing we have done the utmost to save him. We
• 55:42
  Speaker 5: must commit the event to an higher power. Yours ever,
• 55:46
  Speaker 5: Catherine Vernon.
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane.
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 56:10
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan a novel by
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane, Chapter sixteen,
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan Vernon to missus Johnson Churchill.
• 56:32
  Speaker 2: Never, my dearest Alicia, was I so provoked in my
• 56:35
  Speaker 2: life as by a letter this morning from Miss Summers,
• 56:39
  Speaker 2: that horrid girl of mine has been trying to run away.
• 56:43
  Speaker 2: I had not a notion of her being such a
• 56:45
  Speaker 2: little devil before she seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness.
• 56:49
  Speaker 2: But on receiving the letter in which I declared my
• 56:51
  Speaker 2: intention about Sir James, she actually attempted to elope. At
• 56:55
  Speaker 2: least I cannot otherwise account for her doing it. She
• 56:59
  Speaker 2: meant to go to a Clark's in Staffordshire, for she
• 57:02
  Speaker 2: has no other acquaintances. But she shall be punished. She
• 57:07
  Speaker 2: shall have him. I sent Charles to town to make
• 57:10
  Speaker 2: matters up if he can, For I do not by
• 57:11
  Speaker 2: any means want her here. If Miss Summers will not
• 57:15
  Speaker 2: keep her, you must find me out another school unless
• 57:18
  Speaker 2: we can get her married immediately. Miss S writes word
• 57:22
  Speaker 2: that she could not get the young lady to assign
• 57:23
  Speaker 2: any cause for her extraordinary conduct, which confirms me in
• 57:27
  Speaker 2: my own previous explanation of it. Frederica is too shy,
• 57:30
  Speaker 2: I think, and too much in awe of me to
• 57:32
  Speaker 2: tell tales. But if the mildness of her uncle should
• 57:35
  Speaker 2: get anything out of her, I am not afraid. I
• 57:38
  Speaker 2: trust I shall be able to make my story as
• 57:40
  Speaker 2: good as hers. If I am vain of anything, it
• 57:43
  Speaker 2: is of my eloquence, consideration, and esteem as surely follow
• 57:47
  Speaker 2: command of language, as admiration waits on beauty. And here
• 57:51
  Speaker 2: I have opportunity enough for the exercise of my talent,
• 57:54
  Speaker 2: as the chief of my time is spent in conversation.
• 57:59
  Speaker 2: Reginald is never easy unless we are by ourselves, and
• 58:02
  Speaker 2: when the weather is tolerable, we pace the shrubbery for
• 58:05
  Speaker 2: hours together. I like him on the whole very well.
• 58:09
  Speaker 2: He is clever and has a good deal to say,
• 58:12
  Speaker 2: but he is sometimes impertinent and troublesome. There is a
• 58:15
  Speaker 2: sort of ridiculous delicacy about him, which requires the fullest
• 58:19
  Speaker 2: explanation of whatever he may have heard, to my disadvantage,
• 58:22
  Speaker 2: and is never satisfied till he thinks he has ascertained
• 58:25
  Speaker 2: the beginning and end of everything. This is one sort
• 58:28
  Speaker 2: of love, but I confess it does not particularly recommend
• 58:32
  Speaker 2: itself to me. I infinitely prefer of a tender and
• 58:35
  Speaker 2: liberal spirit of man Wearing, which impressed with the deepest
• 58:39
  Speaker 2: conviction of my merit is satisfied that whatever I do
• 58:42
  Speaker 2: must be right, and look with a degree of contempt
• 58:45
  Speaker 2: on the inquisitive and doubtful fancies of that heart which
• 58:48
  Speaker 2: seems always debating on the reasonableness of its emotions. Man
• 58:53
  Speaker 2: Wearing is indeed beyond all compare, superior to Reginald, superior
• 58:57
  Speaker 2: in everything but the power of being with hs me
• 59:00
  Speaker 2: poor fellow. He is much distracted by jealousy, which I
• 59:04
  Speaker 2: am not sorry for, as I know no better support
• 59:07
  Speaker 2: of love. He has been teasing me to allow of
• 59:10
  Speaker 2: his coming into this country and lodging somewhere near in
• 59:13
  Speaker 2: cog But I forbat anything of the kind. Those women
• 59:17
  Speaker 2: are inexcusable, who forget what is due to themselves and
• 59:20
  Speaker 2: the opinion of the world, yours ever, s Vernon.
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: the public domain.
• 59:43
  Speaker 4: For more information or to.
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: Volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane,
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: Chapter seventeen, missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy.
• 59:57
  Speaker 5: Church Hill, my dear mother. Mister Vernon returned on Thursday night,
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 5: bringing his niece with him. Lady Susan had received a
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 5: letter from him by that day's post informing her that
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 5: Miss Summers had absolutely refused to allow Miss Vernon's continuance
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 5: in her academy. We were therefore prepared for her arrival
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 5: and expected it impatiently the whole evening. They came while
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 5: we were at tea, and I never saw any creature
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 5: look so frightened as Frederica when she entered the room.
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 5: Lady Susan, who had been shedding tears before and showing
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 5: great agitation at the idea of the meeting, received her
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 5: with perfect self command and without betraying the least tenderness
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 5: of spirit. She hardly spoke to her, and on Frederica's
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 5: bursting into tears as soon as we were seated, took
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 5: her out of the room and did not return for
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 5: some time. When she did, her eyes looked very red,
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 5: and she was as much agitated as before. We saw
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 5: no more of her daughter. Poor Reginald was beyond measure
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 5: concerned to see his fair friend in such distress, and
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 5: watched her with so much tender solicitude that I, who
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 5: occasionally caught her observing his countenance with exultation, was quite
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 5: out of patience. This pathetic representation lasted the whole evening,
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 5: and so ostentatious and artful a display had entirely convinced
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 5: me that she did, in fact feel nothing. I am
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 5: more angry with her than ever since I have seen
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 5: her daughter. The poor girl looks so unhappy that my
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 5: heart aches for her. Lady Susan is surely too severe
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 5: for Frederica does not seem to have the sort of
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 5: temper to make severity necessary. She looks perfectly timid, dejected,
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 5: and penitent. She is very pretty, though not so handsome
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 5: as her mother, nor at all like her. Her complexion
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 5: is delicate, but neither so fair nor blooming as Lady Susan's.
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 5: And she has quite the vernon cast of countenance, the
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 5: oval face and mild dark eyes. And there is a
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 5: peculiar sweetness in her look when she speaks, either to
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 5: her uncle or me. For as we behave kindly to her,
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 5: we have of course engaged her gratitude. Her mother has
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 5: insinuated that her temper is untrue act. But I never
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 5: saw a face less indicative of any evil disposition than hers.
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 5: And from what I now see of the behavior each
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 5: to the other, the invariable severity of Lady Susan and
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 5: the silent dejection of Frederica, I am led to believe,
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 5: as heretofore, that the former has no real love for
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 5: her daughter, and has never done her justice or treated
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 5: her affectionately. I have not yet been able to have
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 5: any conversation with my niece. She is shy, and I
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 5: think I can see that some pains are taken to
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 5: prevent her from being much with me. Nothing satisfactory transpires
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 5: as to her reason for running away. Her kind hearted uncle,
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 5: you may be sure, was too fearful of distressing her
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 5: to ask many questions as they traveled. I wish it
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 5: had been possible for me to fetch her instead of him.
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 5: I think I should have discovered the truth in the
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 5: course of a thirty mile journey. The small Pianoforte has
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 5: been removed within these few days at Lady Susan's request
• 1:02:55
  Speaker 5: into her dressing room, and Frederica spends a great part
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 5: of her day therecticing it is called. But I seldom
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 5: hear any noise when I pass that way. What she
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 5: does with herself there I do not know. There are
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 5: plenty of books in the room, but it is not
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 5: every girl that has been running wild for the first
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 5: fifteen years of her life that can or will read
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 5: poor creature. The prospect from her window is not very instructive,
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 5: for the room overlooks the lawn, you know, with the
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 5: shrubbery to one side, where she can see her mother
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 5: walking for an hour together in earnest conversation with Reginald,
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 5: a girl of Frederica's age must be childish. Indeed, if
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 5: such things do not strike her, is it not inexcusable
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 5: to give such an example to a daughter? Yet Reginald
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 5: still thinks Lady Susan the best of mothers still condemns
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 5: Frederica as a worthless girl. He is convinced that her
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 5: attempt to run away proceeded from no profitable cause and
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 5: had no provocation. I am sure I cannot say that
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 5: it had. While Miss Summers declared that Miss Vernon showed
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 5: no signs of obstinacy or perverseness during her whole stay
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 5: in Wigmore Street until she was detected in the scheme,
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 5: I cannot so readily credit what Lady Susan has made
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 5: him and wants to make me believe that it was
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 5: merely an impatience of restraint and a desire of escaping
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 5: from the tuition of masters, which brought on the plan
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 5: of elopement. Oh, Reginald, how is your judgment enslaved? He
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 5: scarcely dares even allow her to be handsome, and when
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 5: I speak of her beauty, replies only that her eyes
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 5: have no brilliancy. Sometimes he is sure she is deficient
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 5: in understanding, and other times that her temper is in fault.
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 5: In short, when a person is always to deceive, it
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 5: is impossible to be consistent. Lady Susan finds it necessary
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 5: for Frederica should be to blame and probably has sometimes
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 5: judged it expedient to accuse her of ill nature, and
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 5: sometimes to lament her want of sense. Reginald is only
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 5: repeating after her ladyship. I am Catherine Vernon.
• 1:04:53
  Speaker 1: End of chapter seventeen. This has been a LibriVox recording
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen. Read for
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 4: For more information or to.
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: Volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane,
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 1: Chapter eighteen. Missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy.
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 5: Church Hill, my dear mother, I am very glad to
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 5: find that my description of Frederica Vernon has interested you,
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 5: for I believe her truly deserving of your regard. And
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 5: when I have communicated a notice which has recently struck
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 5: me your kind impressions in her favor, will I am
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 5: sure be heightened. I cannot help fancying that she is
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 5: growing partial to my brother. I so very often see
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 5: her eyes fixed on his face with a remarkable expression
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 5: of pensive admiration. He is certainly very handsome, and yet more,
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 5: there is an openness in his manner that must be
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 5: highly prepossessing, and I am sure she feels it so
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 5: thoughtful and pensive. In general, her countenance always brightens into
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 5: a smile when Reginald says anything amusing. And let the
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 5: subject be ever so serious that he may be conversing on.
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 5: I am much mistaken if a syllable of his uttering
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 5: escapes her. I want to make him sensible of all this,
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 5: for the power of gratitude on such a heart as his.
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 5: And could Frederica's artless affection detach him from her mother?
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 5: We might bless the day which brought her to Church Hill.
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 5: I think, my dear madam, you would not disapprove of
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 5: her as a daughter. She is extremely young, to be sure,
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 5: has had a wretched education and a dreadful example of
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 5: levity in her mother. But yet I can pronounce her
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 5: disposition to be excellent, and her natural abilities very good.
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 5: Though totally without accomplishments, she is by no means so
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 5: ignorant as one might expect to find her, being fond
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 5: of books and spending the chief of her time in reading.
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 5: Her mother leaves her more to herself now than she did,
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 5: and I have her with me as much as possible,
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 5: and if taken in great pains to overcome her timidity,
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 5: we are very good friends. And though she never opens
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 5: her lips before her mother, she talks enough when alone
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 5: with me to make it clear that if properly treated
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 5: by Lady Susan, she would always appear too much greater advantage.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 5: There cannot be a more gentle, affectionate heart, or more
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 5: obliging manners when acting without restraint. Her little cousins are
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 5: all very fond of her. Yours affectionately, Catherine Vernon, end.
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 4: Of chapter eighteen.
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane.
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan, a novel by
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for liprivox by Brenda Dane. Chapter nineteen,
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan Vernon to missus Johnson Churchill.
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 2: You will be eager, I know to hear something further
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 2: of Frederica, and perhaps may think me negligent for not
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 2: writing before she arrived with her uncle last Thursday fortnight, when,
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 2: of course I lost no time in demanding a cause
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 2: of her behavior, and soon found myself to have been
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 2: perfectly right in attributing it to my own letter. The
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 2: prospect of it frightened her so thoroughly that, with a
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 2: mixture of true girlish perverseness and folly, she resolved on
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 2: getting out of the house and proceeding directly by the
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 2: stage to her friends, the Clarks, and had really got
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 2: as far as the length of two streets in her
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 2: journey when she was fortunately missed, pursued, and overtaken. Such
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 2: was the first distinguished as exploit of Miss Frederica Vernon,
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 2: and if we consider that it was achieved at the
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 2: tender age of sixteen, we shall have room for the
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 2: most flattering prognostics of her future renown. I'm excessively provoked, however,
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 2: at the parade of propriety which prevented Miss Summers from
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 2: keeping the girl, And it seems so extraordinary a piece
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 2: of nicety, considering my daughter's family connections. But I can
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 2: only suppose the lady to be governed by the fear
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 2: of never getting her money. Be that as it may. However,
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 2: Frederica is returned on my hands, and, having nothing else
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 2: to employ her, is busy in pursuing the plan of
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 2: romance begun at Langford. She is actually falling in love
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 2: with Reginald de COURSI. To disobey her mother by refusing
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 2: an unexceptionable offer is not enough. Her affections must also
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 2: be given without her mother's approbation. I never saw a
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 2: girl of her age bid fairer to be the sport
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 2: of mankind. Her feelings are tolerably acute, and she is
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 2: so charmingly artless in their displays to afford the most
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 2: reasonable hope of her being ridiculous and despise by every
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 2: man who sees her artlessness will never do in love matters,
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 2: and that girl is born a simpleton who has it
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 2: either by nature or affectation. I am not yet certain
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 2: that Sir Reginald sees what she is about, nor is
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 2: it of much consequence. She is now an object of
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 2: indifference to him, and she would be one of contempt
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 2: were he to understand her emotions. Her beauty is much
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 2: admired by the Vernons, but it has no effect on him.
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 2: She is in high favor with her aunt altogether because
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 2: she is so little like myself. Of course, she is
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 2: exactly the companion from Missus Vernon, who dearly loves to
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 2: be firm and to have all the sense and all
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 2: the wit of the conversation to herself. Frederica will never
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 2: eclipse her. When she first came, I was at some
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 2: pains to prevent her seeing much of her aunt. But
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 2: I have relaxed, as I believe I may depend on
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 2: her observing the rules I have laid down for their discourse.
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 2: But do not imagine that with all this lenienty, I
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 2: have for a moment given up my plan of her marriage. No,
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 2: I am unalterably fixed on this point, though I have
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 2: not yet quite decided on the manner of bringing it about.
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 2: I should not choose to have the business brought on
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 2: here and canvassed by the wise heads of mister and
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 2: Missus Vernon. And I cannot just now afford to go to town.
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 2: Miss Frederica must therefore wait a little yours ever, s Vernon.
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 1:11:38
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen Read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: the public domain.
• 1:11:50
  Speaker 4: For more information or to.
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: Volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: Brusbine Shap twenty. Missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy.
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 5: Church Hill, we have a very unexpected guest with us
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 5: at present, my dear mother. He arrived yesterday. I heard
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 5: a carriage at the door as I was sitting with
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 5: my children while they dined, and supposing I should be wanted,
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 5: left the nursery soon afterwards and was half way downstairs
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 5: when Frederica, as pale as ashes, came running up and
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 5: rushed by me into her own room. I immediately followed
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 5: and asked her what was the matter? Oh, cried she
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 5: He is come, Sir James is come, and what am
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 5: I to do? There was no explanation. I begged her
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 5: to tell me what she meant. At that moment we
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 5: were interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Reginald,
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 5: who came by Lady Susan's direction to call Frederica down.
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 5: It is mister de Courcy, said she coloring violently. Mamma's
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 5: sent for me and I must go. We all three
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 5: went down together, and I saw my brother examining the
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 5: terrified face of Frederica.
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 8: In surprise.
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 5: In the breakfast room, we fun Lady Susan and a
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 5: young man of gentle appearance, whom she introduced to me
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 5: by the name of Sir James Martin, the very person
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 5: as you may remember who It was said she had
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 5: been at pains to detach from Miss Mainwaring, but the conquest,
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 5: it seemed, was not designed for herself, or she has
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 5: since transferred it to her daughter. For Sir James is
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 5: now desperately in love with Frederica, and with full encouragement
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 5: for Mamma. The poor girl, I am sure, however, dislikes him,
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 5: and though his person and address are very well, he
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 5: appears both to mister Vernon and me, a very weak
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 5: young man. Frederica looked so shy, so confused when we
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 5: entered the room, that I felt for her exceedingly. Lady
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 5: Susan behaved with great attention to her visitor, and yet
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 5: I thought I could perceive that she had no particular
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 5: pleasure in seeing him. Sir James talked a great deal,
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 5: and made many civil excuses to me for the liberty
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 5: he had taken in coming to Church Hill, making more
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 5: frequent laughter with his discourse than the subject required, said
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 5: many things over and over again, and told Lady Susan
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 5: three times that he had seen missus Johnson a few
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 5: evenings before he now and then addressed Frederica, but more
• 1:14:09
  Speaker 5: frequently her mother. The poor girl sat all this time
• 1:14:13
  Speaker 5: without opening her lips, her eyes cast down, and her
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 5: color varying every instant, while Reginald observed all that passed
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 5: in perfect silence. At length, Lady Susan, weary I believe
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 5: of her situation, proposed walking, and we left the two
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 5: gentlemen together to put on our palaces. As we went upstairs,
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 5: Lady Susan begged permission to attend me for a few
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 5: moments in my dressing room, as she was anxious to
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 5: speak with me in private. I led her thither accordingly,
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 5: and as soon as the door was closed, she said,
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 5: I never was more surprised in my life than by
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 5: Sir James's arrival, and the suddenness of it requires some
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 5: apology to you, my dear sister, though to me as
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 5: a mother, it is highly flattering.
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 1: He is so.
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 5: Extremely attracted to my daughter that he could not exist
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 5: longer without seeing her. Sir James is a young man
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 5: of an amiable disposition and an excellent character. A little
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 5: too much of the rattle, perhaps, but a year or
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 5: two will rectify that. And he is, in other respects
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 5: so very eligible a match for Frederica that I have
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 5: always observed his attachment with the greatest pleasure, and am
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 5: persuaded that you and my brother will give the alliance
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 5: your hearty approbation. I have never before mentioned the likelihood
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 5: of its taking place to any one, because I thought
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 5: that while Frederica continued at school, it had better not
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 5: be known to exist. But now I am convinced that
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 5: Frederica is too old ever to submit to school confinement.
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 5: I have therefore begun to consider her union with Sir
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 5: James as not very distant. I had intended within a
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 5: few days to acquaint yourself and mister Vernon with the
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 5: whole business. I am sure, my dear sister, you will
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 5: excuse my remaining silence so long, and agree with me
• 1:15:50
  Speaker 5: that such circumstances, while they continue from any cause in suspense,
• 1:15:55
  Speaker 5: cannot be too cautiously concealed, when you have the happiness
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 5: of bestowing your sweet little care Catherine some years hence
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 5: on a man who in connection and character is alike unexceptionable.
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 5: You will know what I feel now, though, thank Heaven,
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 5: you cannot have all my reasons for rejoicing in such
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 5: an event. Catherine will be amply provided for, and not
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 5: like my Frederica, indebted to a fortunate establishment for the
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 5: comfort of life. She concluded by demanding my congratulations. I
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 5: gave them somewhat awkwardly. I believe, in fact, the sudden
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 5: disclosure of so important a matter took me from the
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 5: power of speaking with any clearness. She thanked me, however,
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 5: most affectionately for my kind concern in the welfare of
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 5: herself and daughter, and then said, I am not apt
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 5: to deal in professions, my dear missus Vernon, and I
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 5: never had the convenient talent of affecting sensations foreign to
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 5: my heart, and therefore I trust you will believe me
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 5: when I declare that, much as I had heard in
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 5: your praise, before I knew you, I had no idea
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 5: that I should ever love you as I now do,
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 5: and I must yd further say that your friendship toward
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 5: me is more particularly gratifying, because I have reason to
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 5: believe that some attempts were made to prejudice you against me.
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 5: I only wish that they, whoever they are, to whom
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 5: I am indebted for such kind intentions, could see the
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 5: terms on which we are now together and understand the
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 5: real affection we feel for each other. But I will
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 5: not detain you any longer. God bless you for your
• 1:17:25
  Speaker 5: goodness to me and my girl, and continue to you
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 5: all your present happiness. What can one say to such
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 5: a woman, my dear mother, such earnestness, such solemnity of expression,
• 1:17:37
  Speaker 5: And yet I cannot help suspecting the truth of everything
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 5: she said. As for Reginald, I believe he does not
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 5: know what to make of the matter. When Sir James came,
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 5: he appeared in astonishment and perplexity. The folly of the
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 5: young man in the confusion of Frederica entirely engrossed him,
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 5: and though a little private discourse with Lady Susan has
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 5: since had its effect, he is still hurt. I am
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 5: sure at her allowing of such a man's attentions to
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 5: her daughter. Sir James invited himself with great composure to
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 5: remain here for a few days, hoped we would not
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 5: think it odd. Was aware of its being very impertinent,
• 1:18:15
  Speaker 5: but he took the liberty of a relation and concluded
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 5: by wishing with a laugh, that he might be really
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 5: one soon. Even Lady Susan seemed a little disconcerted by
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 5: this forwardness in her heart. I am persuaded she sincerely
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 5: wishes him gone. But something must be done for this
• 1:18:30
  Speaker 5: poor girl. If her feelings are such as both her
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 5: uncle and I believe them to be, she must not
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 5: be sacrificed to policy or ambition. She must not be
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 5: left to suffer from the dread of it. The girl
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 5: whose heart can distinguish Reginald de Courcy deserves, however, he
• 1:18:46
  Speaker 5: may slight her a better fate than to be Sir
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 5: James Martin's wife.
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 2: As soon as I can.
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 5: Get her alone, I will discover the real truth. But
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 5: she seems to wish to avoid me. I hope this
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 5: does not proceed from anything wrong, and that I shall
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 5: not find out I have thought too well of her.
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 5: Her behavior to Sir James certainly speaks the greatest consciousness
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 5: and embarrassment, But I see nothing in it more like encouragement. Adieu,
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 5: my dear mother, Yours, Catherine.
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 1: Vernon, end of chapter twenty. This has been a LibriVox
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 1: recording of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen. Read
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org.
• 1:19:47
  Speaker 1: Read for LibriVox by Heather Ordover, Chapter twenty one. Miss
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: Vernon to mister de COURSI.
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 9: Sir, I hope you will excuse this liberty. I am
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 9: forced upon it by the greatest distress, or I should
• 1:20:05
  Speaker 9: be ashamed to trouble you. I am very miserable about
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 9: Sir James Martin, and have no other way in the
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 9: world of helping myself but by writing to you, for
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 9: I am forbidden even speaking to my uncle and aunt
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 9: on the subject, And this being the case, I am
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 9: afraid my applying to you will appear no better than equivocation,
• 1:20:25
  Speaker 9: and as if I intended to the letter and not
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 9: the spirit of Mamma's commands. But if you do not
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 9: take my part and persuade her to break it off.
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 9: I shall be half distracted, for I cannot bear him
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 9: no human being. But you could have any chance of
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 9: prevailing with her if you will therefore have the unspeakably
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 9: great kindness of taking my part with her and persuading
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 9: her to send Sir James away. I shall be more
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 9: obliged to you than it is possible for me to express.
• 1:20:56
  Speaker 9: I always disliked him from the first. It is not
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 9: a sudden fancy, I assure you, Sir. I always thought
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 9: him silly and impertinent and disagreeable, and now he has
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 9: grown worse than ever. I would rather work for my
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 9: bread than marry him. I do not know how to
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 9: apologize for this letter. I know it is taking so
• 1:21:15
  Speaker 9: great a liberty. I am aware how dreadfully angry it
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 9: will make Mamma, but I remember the risk. I am, sir,
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 9: your most humble servant. FSV.
• 1:21:28
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Heather or Dover.
• 1:21:39
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 1:21:50
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot Org. Lady Susan, a novel by
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane, Chapter twenty two.
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan Vernon to Missus Johnson.
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 2: This is insufferable, my dearest friend. I was never so
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 2: enraged before, and must relieve myself by writing to you,
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 2: who I know will enter into all my feelings. Who
• 1:22:21
  Speaker 2: should come on Tuesday? But Sir James Martin, guess my
• 1:22:26
  Speaker 2: astonishment and vexation, For as you well know, I never
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 2: wished him to be seen at Churchill. What a pity
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 2: that you should not have known his intentions. Not content
• 1:22:37
  Speaker 2: with coming, he actually invited himself to remain here a
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 2: few days. I could have poisoned him. I made the
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 2: best of it, however, and told my story with great
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 2: success to Missus Vernon, who, whatever might be her real sentiments,
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 2: said nothing in opposition to mine. I made a point
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 2: also of Frederica's behaving civilly to Sir James, and gave
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 2: to understand that I was absolutely determined on her marrying him.
• 1:23:04
  Speaker 2: She said something of her misery, but that was all.
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 2: I have for some time been more particularly resolved on
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 2: the match from seeing the rapid increase of her affection
• 1:23:14
  Speaker 2: for Reginald, and from not feeling secure that a knowledge
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 2: of such affection might not, in the end awaken a
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 2: return contemptible, as a regard founded only on compassion must
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 2: make them both in my eyes, I felt, by no
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 2: means assured that such might not be the consequence. It
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 2: is true that Reginald had not in any degree grown
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 2: cool towards me, But yet he has lately mentioned Frederica
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 2: spontaneously and unnecessarily, and once said something in praise of
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 2: her person. He was all astonishment at the appearance of
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 2: my visitor, and at first observed Sir James with an
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 2: attention which I was pleased to see not unmixed with jealousy.
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 2: But unluckily it was imposts for me to really torment him,
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 2: as Sir James, though extremely gallant to me, very soon
• 1:24:05
  Speaker 2: made the whole party understand that his heart was devoted
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 2: to my daughter. I had no great difficulty in convincing
• 1:24:13
  Speaker 2: De Corsi, when we were alone, that I was perfectly
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 2: justified all things considered in desiring the match, and the
• 1:24:20
  Speaker 2: whole business seemed most comfortably arranged. They could none of
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 2: them help perceiving that Sir James was no Solomon. But
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 2: I had positively forbidden Frederica complaining to Charles Vernon or
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 2: his wife, and they had therefore no pretense for interference,
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 2: though my impertinent sister I believe, wanted only opportunity for
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 2: doing so. Everything, however, was going on calmly and quietly,
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 2: and though I counted the hours of Sir James's stay,
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 2: my mind was entirely satisfied with the posture of affairs.
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 2: Guess then, what I must feel at the sudden disturbance
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 2: of all my schemes, and that too from a quarter
• 1:24:59
  Speaker 2: where I had least reason to expect it. Reginald came
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 2: this morning into my dressing room with a very unusual
• 1:25:06
  Speaker 2: solemnity of countenance, and after some preface, informed me in
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 2: so many words that he wished to reason with me
• 1:25:12
  Speaker 2: on the impropriety and unkindness of allowing Sir James Martin
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 2: to address my daughter contrary to her inclinations. I was
• 1:25:20
  Speaker 2: all amazement when I found that he was not to
• 1:25:24
  Speaker 2: be laughed out of his design. I calmly begged in explanation,
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 2: and desired to know by what he was impelled and
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 2: by whom commissioned to reprimand me. He then told me,
• 1:25:35
  Speaker 2: mixing in his speech a few insolent compliments and ill
• 1:25:38
  Speaker 2: timed expressions of tenderness, to which I listened with perfect indifference,
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 2: that my daughter had acquainted him with some circumstances concerning herself,
• 1:25:47
  Speaker 2: Sir James, and me, which had given him great uneasiness.
• 1:25:52
  Speaker 2: In short, I found that she had, in the first place,
• 1:25:55
  Speaker 2: actually written to him to request his interference, and that
• 1:25:58
  Speaker 2: on receiving her letter, he had conversed with her on
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 2: the subject of it, in order to understand the particulars
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 2: and to assure himself of her real wishes. I have
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 2: not a doubt but that the girl took this opportunity
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 2: of making downright love to him. I am convinced of
• 1:26:14
  Speaker 2: it by the manner in which he spoke of her.
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 2: Much good may such love do him. I shall ever
• 1:26:20
  Speaker 2: despise the man who can be gratified by the passion
• 1:26:22
  Speaker 2: which he never wished to inspire nor solicited the avowal
• 1:26:25
  Speaker 2: of I shall always detest them both. He can have
• 1:26:29
  Speaker 2: no true regard for me, or he would not have
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 2: listened to her, and she, with her little rebellious heart
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 2: and indelicate feelings to throw herself into the protection of
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 2: a young man with whom she has scarcely ever exchanged
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 2: two words before. I am equally confounded at her impudence
• 1:26:45
  Speaker 2: and his credulity. How dared he believe what she told
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 2: him in my disfavor? Ought he not to have felt
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 2: assured that I must have unanswerable motives for all that
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 2: I had done? Where was his reliance on my sense
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 2: and goodness?
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 4: Then?
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 2: And where the resentment which true love would have dictated
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 2: against the person defaming me? That person too, a chit,
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 2: a child without talent or education, whom he had always
• 1:27:10
  Speaker 2: been taught to despise. I was calm for some time,
• 1:27:14
  Speaker 2: but the greatest degree of forbearance may be overcome, and
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 2: I hope I was afterwards sufficiently keen. He endeavored long
• 1:27:22
  Speaker 2: endeavored to soften my resentment. But that woman is a fool, indeed, who,
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 2: while insulted by accusation, can be worked on by compliments.
• 1:27:31
  Speaker 2: At length, he left me as deeply provoked as myself,
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 2: and he showed his anger more. I was quite cool,
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 2: but he gave way to the most violent indignation. I
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 2: may therefore expect it will the sooner subside. And perhaps
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 2: his may be vanished forever, while mine will be found
• 1:27:46
  Speaker 2: still fresh and implacable. He is now shut up in
• 1:27:50
  Speaker 2: his apartment. Whither I heard him go on leaving mine.
• 1:27:54
  Speaker 2: How unpleasant one would think must be his reflections. But
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 2: some people's feelings are incomprehensible. I have not yet tranquilized
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 2: myself enough to see Frederica. She shall not soon forget
• 1:28:05
  Speaker 2: the occurrences of this day. She shall find that she
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 2: has poured forth her tender tale of love in vain,
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 2: and exposed herself forever to the contempt of the whole
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 2: world and the severest resentment of her injured mother, Your
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 2: affectionate s Vernon.
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 1: the public domain.
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 4: For more information or to.
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: Volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane,
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty three. Missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy church Hill.
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 5: Let me congratulate you, my dear mother. The affair which
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 5: has given us so much anxiety, is drawing to a
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 5: happy conclusion. Our prospect is most delightful. And since matters
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 5: have now taken so favorable a turn, I am quite
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 5: sorry that I ever imparted my apprehensions to you. For
• 1:29:14
  Speaker 5: the pleasure of learning that the danger is over is
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 5: perhaps dearly purchased by all that you have previously suffered.
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 5: I am so much agitated by delight that I can
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 5: scarcely hold a pen. But am determined to send you
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 5: a few short lines by James, that you may have
• 1:29:28
  Speaker 5: some explanation of what must so greatly astonish you as
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 5: that Reginald should be returning to Parkland's. I was sitting
• 1:29:36
  Speaker 5: about half an hour ago with Sir James in the
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 5: breakfast parlor when my brother called me out of the room.
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 5: I instantly saw that something was the matter. His complexion
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 5: was raised, and he spoke with great emotion. You know
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 5: his eager manner, my dear Madam, when his mind is interested.
• 1:29:51
  Speaker 5: Catherine said, he, I am going home to day, and
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 5: I am sorry to leave you, but I must go.
• 1:29:57
  Speaker 5: It is a great while since I have seen my
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 5: father and mother. I am going to send James forward
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 5: with my hunters immediately. If you have any letters, therefore,
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 5: he can take it. I shall not be home myself
• 1:30:07
  Speaker 5: till Wednesday or Thursday, as I shall go through London
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 5: where I have business. But before I leave you, he continued,
• 1:30:13
  Speaker 5: speaking in a loud voice and with still greater energy,
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 5: I must warn you of one thing. Do not let
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 5: Frederica Vernon be made unhappy by that Martin. He wants
• 1:30:24
  Speaker 5: to marry her. Her mother promotes the match, but she
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 5: cannot endure the idea of it. Be assured that I
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 5: speak from the fullest conviction of the truth of what
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 5: I say. I know that Frederica is made wretched by
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 5: Sir James, continuing here, she is a sweet girl and
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 5: deserves a better fate. Send him away immediately. He is
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 5: only a fool. But what her mother can mean Heaven
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 5: only knows. Good Bye, he added, shaking my hand with earnestness.
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 5: I do not know when you will see me again.
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 5: But remember what I tell you of Frederica. You must
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 5: make it your business to say justice done her. She
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 5: is an amiable girl and has a very superior mind,
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 5: to which we have never given her credit for. He
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 5: then left me and ran upstairs. I would not try
• 1:31:10
  Speaker 5: to stop him, for I know what the feelings must
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 5: be the nature of mine. As I listened to him,
• 1:31:15
  Speaker 5: I need not attempt to describe. For a minute or two,
• 1:31:19
  Speaker 5: I remained in the same spot, overpowered by wonder of
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 5: a most agreeable sort. Indeed, yet it required some consideration
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 5: to be tranquillity happy. In about ten minutes after my
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 5: return to the parlor, Lady Susan entered the room. I concluded,
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 5: of course, that she and Reginald had been quarreling, and
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 5: looked with anxious curiosity for a confirmation of my belief
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 5: in her face, Mistress of deceit. However, she appeared perfectly unconcerned, and,
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 5: after chatting on indifferent subjects for a short time, said
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 5: to me, I find from Wilson that we are going
• 1:31:52
  Speaker 5: to lose mister de Courcy. Is it true that he
• 1:31:55
  Speaker 5: leaves Churchill this morning? I replied that it was. He
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 5: told me nothing of this last night, said she, laughing,
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 5: or even this morning at breakfast. But perhaps he did
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 5: not know it himself. Young men are often hasty in
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 5: their resolutions, and not more sudden in forming their unsteady
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 5: in keeping them. I should not be surprised if he
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 5: should change his mind at last, and not go She
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 5: soon afterwards left the room. I trust, however, my dear mother,
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 5: that we have no reason to fear the alteration of
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 5: his present plans. Things have gone too far. They must
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 5: have quarreled, and about Frederica too. What delight will be
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 5: yours in seeing him again, in seeing him still worthy
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 5: of your esteem, still capable of forming your happiness. When
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 5: I next write, I shall be able to tell you
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 5: that Sir James is gone, Lady Susan vanquished, and Frederica
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 5: at peace. We have much to do, but it shall
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 5: be done. I am all impatience to hear how the
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 5: astonishing change was affected. I finish as I begin with
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 5: the warmest congratulations, yours ever, Catherine.
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 1: Vernon, end of chapter twenty three. This has been a
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen,
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read for
• 1:33:29
  Speaker 1: LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. Chapter twenty four. Missus Vernon to
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 1: Lady de Courcy church Hill.
• 1:33:39
  Speaker 5: Little did I imagine, my dear mother, when I sent
• 1:33:41
  Speaker 5: off my last letter, that the delightful perturbation of spirits
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 5: I was then in would undergo so speedy, so melancholy
• 1:33:48
  Speaker 5: a reverse. I never can sufficiently regret that I wrote
• 1:33:52
  Speaker 5: to you at all. Yet who could have foreseen what
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 5: has happened? My dear mother. Every hope which made me
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 5: so happy only two hours ago, has been vanished. The
• 1:34:01
  Speaker 5: quarrel between Lady Susan and Reginald is made up, and
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 5: we are all as we were before. One point only
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 5: is gained. Sir James Martin is dismissed. What are we
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 5: now to look forward to? I am indeed disappointed. Reginald
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 5: was all but gone, his horse was ordered, and all
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 5: but brought to the door. Who would have not felt safe?
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 5: For half an hour? I was in momentary expectation of
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 5: his departure. After I had sent off my letter to you,
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 5: I went to mister Vernon and sat with him in
• 1:34:29
  Speaker 5: his room, talking over the whole matter, and then determined
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 5: to look for Frederica, whom I had not seen since breakfast.
• 1:34:35
  Speaker 5: I met her on the stairs and saw that she
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 5: was crying. My dear aunt, said she. He is gone,
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 5: Mister de Courcy is gone, and it is all my fault.
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 5: I am afraid you will be very angry with me,
• 1:34:47
  Speaker 5: But indeed I had no idea it would end, so,
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 5: my love, I replied, do not think it necessary to
• 1:34:53
  Speaker 5: apologize to me on that account. I shall feel myself
• 1:34:56
  Speaker 5: under the obligation of any one who is the means
• 1:34:59
  Speaker 5: of sending my my brother home, because recollecting myself. I
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 5: know my father wants very much to see him. But
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 5: what is it you have done to occasion all this?
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 5: She blushed deeply as she answered, I was so unhappy
• 1:35:12
  Speaker 5: about Sir James that I could not help. I have
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 5: done something very wrong, I know, but you have not
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 5: an idea of the misery I have been in. And
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 5: Mamma had ordered me never to speak to you or
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 5: my uncle about it. And you therefore spoke to my
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 5: brother to engage his interference, said I, to save her
• 1:35:29
  Speaker 5: the explanation. No, but I wrote to him. I did. Indeed,
• 1:35:33
  Speaker 5: I got up this morning before it was light and
• 1:35:36
  Speaker 5: was two hours about it. And when my letter was done,
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 5: I thought I should never have courage to give it
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 5: after breakfast. However, as I was going to my room.
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 5: I met him in the passage, and then, as I
• 1:35:47
  Speaker 5: knew everything must depend on that moment, I forced myself
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 5: to give it. He was so good as to take
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 5: it immediately. I dared not look at him, and ran
• 1:35:56
  Speaker 5: away directly. I was in such a fright I could
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 5: hardly breathe. My dear aunt, you do not know how
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 5: miserable I have been, Frederica, said I. You ought to
• 1:36:06
  Speaker 5: have told me all your distresses. You would have found
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 5: in me a friend always ready to assist you. Do
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 5: you think that your uncle or I should not have
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 5: espoused your cause as warmly as my brother. Indeed, I
• 1:36:19
  Speaker 5: do not doubt your kindness, said she, coloring again. But
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 5: I thought mister de Courcy could do anything with my mother.
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 5: But I was mistaken. They have had a dreadful quarrel
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 5: about it, and he is going away. Mamma will never
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 5: forgive me, and I shall be worse off than ever.
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 5: No you shall not, I replied, in such a point
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 5: as this, your mother's prohibition should not have prevented your
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 5: speaking to me on the subject. She has no right
• 1:36:46
  Speaker 5: to make you unhappy, and she shall not do it.
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 5: Your applying, however, to Reginald can be productive only of
• 1:36:54
  Speaker 5: good to all parties. I believe it is best as
• 1:36:57
  Speaker 5: it is, depend upon it that you shall not be
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 5: made unhappy any longer. At that moment, how great was
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 5: my astonishment at seeing Reginald come out of Lady Susan's
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 5: dressing room. My heart misgave me instantly. His confusion on
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 5: seeing me was very evident. Frederica immediately disappeared. Are you going,
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 5: I said, you will find mister Vernon in his own room. No, Catherine,
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 5: he replied, I am not going. Will you let me
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 5: speak to you a moment. We went into my room.
• 1:37:27
  Speaker 5: I find he continued, his confusion increasing as he spoke,
• 1:37:31
  Speaker 5: that I have been acting with my usual foolish impetuosity.
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 5: I have entirely misunderstood Lady Susan and was on the
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 5: point of leaving the house under a false impression of
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 5: her conduct. There has been some very great mistake. We
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 5: have been all mistaken. I fear Freyka does not know
• 1:37:49
  Speaker 5: her mother. Lady Susan means nothing but her good, but
• 1:37:53
  Speaker 5: she will not make a friend of her. Lady Susan
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 5: does not always know, therefore what will make her daughter happy. Besides,
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 5: I could have no right to interfere. Miss Vernon was
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 5: mistaken in applying to me. In short, Catherine, everything is
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 5: gone wrong, but it is now all happily settled. Lady Susan,
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 5: I believe wishes to speak to you about it, if
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 5: you are at leisure. Certainly, I replied, deeply, sighing at
• 1:38:19
  Speaker 5: the recital of so lame a story. I made no comment, however,
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 5: for words would have been vain. Reginald was glad to
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 5: get away, and I went to Lady Susan, curious, indeed,
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 5: to hear her account of it. Did I not tell you?
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 5: Said she, with a smile, that your brother would not
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 5: leave us after all you did, indeed, replied I, very gravely,
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 5: But I have fettered myself. You would be mistaken. I
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 5: should not have hazarded such an opinion, returned she, if
• 1:38:48
  Speaker 5: it had not. At that moment occurred to me that
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 5: his resolution of going might be occasioned by a conversation
• 1:38:54
  Speaker 5: in which we had been this morning engaged, and which
• 1:38:57
  Speaker 5: had ended very much to his dissatisfaction by our not
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 5: rightly understanding each other's meaning. This idea struck me at
• 1:39:04
  Speaker 5: the moment, and I instantly determined that an accidental dispute
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 5: in which I might probably be as much to blame
• 1:39:11
  Speaker 5: as himself, should not deprive you of your brother. If
• 1:39:14
  Speaker 5: you remember, I left the room almost immediately. I was
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 5: resolved to lose no time in clearing those mistakes as
• 1:39:21
  Speaker 5: far as I could. The case was this, Frederica had
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 5: set herself violently against marrying Sir James. And can your
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 5: ladyship wonder that she should cried I with some warmth.
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 5: Frederica has an excellent understanding, and Sir James has none.
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 5: I am at least very far from regretting it, dear sister,
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 5: said she. On the contrary, I am grateful for so
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 5: favorable a sign of my daughter's sense. Sir James is
• 1:39:46
  Speaker 5: certainly below par. His boyish manners make him appear worse.
• 1:39:50
  Speaker 5: And had Frederica possessed the penetration and abilities I could
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 5: have wished for my daughter, or had I even known
• 1:39:57
  Speaker 5: her to possess as much as she does, I should
• 1:39:59
  Speaker 5: not have been anxious for the match. It is odd
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 5: that you should be alone ignorant of your daughter's sense.
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 5: Frederica never does justice to herself. Her manners are shy
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 5: and childish, and besides, she is afraid of me. During
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 5: her poor father's life, she was a spoiled child. The
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 5: severity which it has since been necessary for me to show,
• 1:40:19
  Speaker 5: has alienated her affection. Neither has she any of that
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 5: brilliancy of intellect, that genius or vigor of mind which
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 5: will force itself forward. Say rather that she has been
• 1:40:30
  Speaker 5: unfortunate in her education. Heaven knows, my dearest missus Vernon,
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 5: how fully I am aware of that. But I would
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 5: wish to forget every circumstance that might throw blame on
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 5: the memory of one whose name is sacred. With me
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 5: here she pretended to cry, and I was out of
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 5: patience with her. But what said I was your ladyship
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 5: going to tell me about your disagreement with my brother?
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 5: It originated in an action of my daughter, which equally
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 5: marks her want of judgment and the unfortunate dread of
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 5: me I have been mentioning, She wrote to mister de Courcy.
• 1:41:05
  Speaker 5: I know she did. You had forbidden her speaking to
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 5: mister Vernon or to me on the cause of her distress.
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 5: What could she do there for but apply to my brother?
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 5: Good God, she exclaimed, What an opinion you must have
• 1:41:18
  Speaker 5: of me? Can you possibly suppose that I was aware
• 1:41:21
  Speaker 5: of her unhappiness, that it was my object to make
• 1:41:24
  Speaker 5: my own child miserable, and that I had forbidden her
• 1:41:27
  Speaker 5: speaking to you on the subject from a fear of
• 1:41:30
  Speaker 5: your interpreting the diabolical scheme. Do you think me destitute
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 5: of every honest, every natural feeling, and capable of consigning
• 1:41:39
  Speaker 5: her to everlasting misery whose welfare it is my first
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 5: earthly duty to promote the idea? Is horrible? What then,
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 5: was your intention when you insisted on her silence? Of
• 1:41:51
  Speaker 5: what use my dear sister could be any application to you,
• 1:41:55
  Speaker 5: however the affair might stand. Why should I subject you
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 5: to entreaties which I refused to attend to myself, neither
• 1:42:03
  Speaker 5: for your sake or for hers, nor for my own?
• 1:42:06
  Speaker 5: Could such a thing be desirable? When my own resolution
• 1:42:10
  Speaker 5: I was taken, I could not wish for the interference,
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 5: however friendly of another person. I was mistaken, it is true,
• 1:42:18
  Speaker 5: but I believed myself right. But what was this mistake
• 1:42:21
  Speaker 5: to which your ladyship so often alludes from? Where arose
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 5: so astonishing a misconception of your daughter's feelings? Did you
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 5: not know that she disliked Sir James, I knew that
• 1:42:33
  Speaker 5: he was not absolutely the man she would have chosen.
• 1:42:36
  Speaker 5: But I was persuaded that her objection to him was
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 5: not from any perception of his deficiency. You must not
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 5: question me, however, my dear sister too minutely on this point,
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 5: continued she taking me affectionately by the hand. I honestly
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 5: own that there is something to conceal Frederica makes me
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 5: very unhappy. Her applying to mister de Courcy hurt me. Particularly,
• 1:42:57
  Speaker 5: what is it you mean to infer? Said I by
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 5: this appearance of mystery, if you think your daughter at
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 5: all attached to Reginald, her objection to Sir James could
• 1:43:07
  Speaker 5: not less deserve to be attended to than if the
• 1:43:10
  Speaker 5: cause of her objection had been a consciousness of his folly.
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 5: And why should your ladyship at any rate quarrel with
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 5: my brother for an interference which you must know it
• 1:43:19
  Speaker 5: is not in his nature to refuse when urged in
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 5: such a manner. His disposition, you know, is warm. And
• 1:43:25
  Speaker 5: he came to expostulate with me his compassion all alive
• 1:43:29
  Speaker 5: for this ill used girl, the heroine in distress. We
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 5: misunderstood each other. He believed me more to blame than
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 5: I really was. I considered his interference less excusable than
• 1:43:40
  Speaker 5: I now find it. I have a real regard for him,
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 5: and was beyond expression mortified to find it. So, I
• 1:43:47
  Speaker 5: thought so Ill bestowed. We were both warm, and of
• 1:43:51
  Speaker 5: course both to blame. His resolution of leaving Churchill was
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 5: consistent with his general eagerness. When I understood his intention, however,
• 1:43:59
  Speaker 5: and at the same time began to think that we
• 1:44:02
  Speaker 5: had both perhaps equally mistaken each other's meaning, I resolved
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 5: to have an explanation before it was too late. For
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 5: any member of your family, I must always feel a
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 5: degree of affection, and I own it would have sensibly
• 1:44:14
  Speaker 5: hurt me if my acquaintance with mister de Courcy had
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 5: ended so gloomily. I have now only to say further
• 1:44:21
  Speaker 5: that as I am convinced of Frederica's having a reasonable
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 5: dislike for Sir James, I shall instantly inform him that
• 1:44:27
  Speaker 5: he must give up all hope of her. I reproach
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 5: myself for having, even though innocently, made her unhappy. On
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 5: that score, she shall have all the retribution in my
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 5: power to make if she value her own happiness as
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 5: much as I do. If she judge wisely and commend
• 1:44:44
  Speaker 5: herself as she might ought. She may now be easy
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 5: excuse me, my dear sister, for thus trespassing on your time.
• 1:44:51
  Speaker 5: But I owe it to my own character, and after
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 5: this explanation, I trust that I am no danger of
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 5: sinking in your opinion. I could have said not much, indeed,
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 5: but I left her almost in silence. It was the
• 1:45:04
  Speaker 5: greatest stretch of forbearance I could practice. I could not
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 5: have stopped myself had I begun her assurance, her deceit.
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 5: But I will not allow myself to dwell on them.
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 5: They will strike you sufficiently. My heart sickens within me.
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 5: As soon as I was tolerably composed, I returned to
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 5: the parlor. Sir James's carriage was at the door, and
• 1:45:24
  Speaker 5: he merry as usual. Soon afterward took his leave. How
• 1:45:28
  Speaker 5: easy does her ladyship encourage or dismiss a lover. In
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 5: spite of this release, Frederica still looks unhappy, still fearful
• 1:45:36
  Speaker 5: perhaps of her mother's anger, and though dreading my brother's departure,
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 5: jealous it may be, of his staying. I see how
• 1:45:43
  Speaker 5: closely she observes him, and Lady Susan, poor girl, I
• 1:45:47
  Speaker 5: have no hope for her. There is not a chance
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 5: of her affection being returned. He thinks very differently of
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 5: her from what he used to do. He does her
• 1:45:54
  Speaker 5: some justice, but his reconciliation with her mother precludes every
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 5: dearer hope. Pare my dear mother for the worst. The
• 1:46:02
  Speaker 5: probability of their marrying is surely heightened. He is more
• 1:46:05
  Speaker 5: securely hers than ever. When that wretched event takes place,
• 1:46:09
  Speaker 5: Frederica must wholly belong to me. I am thankful that
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 5: my last letter will precede this by so little as
• 1:46:16
  Speaker 5: every moment that you can be saved from feeling a
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 5: joy which leads only to disappointment is of consequence, yours ever, Catherine.
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 1: Vernon, end of chapter twenty four. This has been a
• 1:46:29
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen,
• 1:46:34
  Speaker 1: read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:46:46
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org.
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen, read for Lipprivox
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: by Brenda Dane. Chapter twenty five, Lady Susan Vernon to
• 1:47:08
  Speaker 1: missus Johnson Churchill.
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 2: I call on you, dear Alicia, for congratulations. I am
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 2: my own self gay and triumphant. When I wrote you
• 1:47:20
  Speaker 2: the other day, I was in truth, in high irritation,
• 1:47:23
  Speaker 2: and with ample cause. Nay, I know not whether I
• 1:47:26
  Speaker 2: ought to be quite tranquil now, for I have had
• 1:47:29
  Speaker 2: more trouble in restoring peace than I ever intended to
• 1:47:32
  Speaker 2: submit to a spirit too, resulting from a fancied sense
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 2: of superior integrity, which is peculiarly insolent. I shall not
• 1:47:41
  Speaker 2: easily forgive him. I assure you, he was actually on
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 2: the point of leaving Churchill. I had scarcely concluded my
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 2: last when Wilson brought me word of it. I found
• 1:47:52
  Speaker 2: therefore that something must be done, For I did not
• 1:47:54
  Speaker 2: choose to leave my character at the mercy of a
• 1:47:57
  Speaker 2: man whose passions are so violent and so revenge. It
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 2: would have been trifling with my reputation to allow of
• 1:48:04
  Speaker 2: his departing with such an impression in my disfavor. In
• 1:48:07
  Speaker 2: this light, condescension was necessary. I sent Wilson to say
• 1:48:13
  Speaker 2: that I desired to speak with him before he went.
• 1:48:16
  Speaker 2: He came immediately The angry emotions which had marked every
• 1:48:21
  Speaker 2: feature when we last parted, were partially subdued. He seemed
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 2: astonished at the summons, and looked as if half wishing
• 1:48:28
  Speaker 2: and half fearing to be softened by what I might
• 1:48:30
  Speaker 2: say if my countenance expressed what I aimed at. It
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 2: was composed and dignified, and yet with a degree of
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 2: pensiveness which might convince him that I was not quite happy.
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 2: I beg your pardon, sir, for of a liberty I
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 2: have taken in sending for you, said I. But as
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 2: I have just learnt your intention of leaving this place
• 1:48:53
  Speaker 2: to day, I feel it my duty to entreat that
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 2: you will not, on my account, shorten your visit here
• 1:48:59
  Speaker 2: even an hour. I am perfectly aware that after what
• 1:49:03
  Speaker 2: has passed between us, it would ill suit the feelings
• 1:49:05
  Speaker 2: of either to remain longer in the same house. So
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 2: very great, so total a change from the intimacy of
• 1:49:12
  Speaker 2: our friendship must render any future intercourse the severest punishment,
• 1:49:17
  Speaker 2: and your resolution of quitting Churchill as undoubtedly in unison
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 2: with our situation and with those lively feelings which I
• 1:49:24
  Speaker 2: know you to possess. But at the same time, it
• 1:49:29
  Speaker 2: is not for me to suffer such a sacrifice as
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 2: it must be to leave relations to whom you are
• 1:49:35
  Speaker 2: so much attached and are so dear. My remaining here
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 2: cannot give that pleasure to mister and missus vernon which
• 1:49:43
  Speaker 2: your society must, And my visit has already perhaps been
• 1:49:47
  Speaker 2: too long. My removal, therefore, which must at any rate
• 1:49:52
  Speaker 2: take place soon, may with perfect convenience, be hastened. And
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 2: I make it my particular request that I may not
• 1:50:01
  Speaker 2: in any way be instrumental in separating a family so
• 1:50:05
  Speaker 2: affectionately attached to each other. Where I go is of
• 1:50:09
  Speaker 2: no consequence to any one, a very little to myself.
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 2: But you are of importance to all your connections here,
• 1:50:18
  Speaker 2: I concluded, and I hope you will be satisfied with
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 2: my speech. Its effect on Reginald justifies some portion of vanity,
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 2: for it was no less favorable than instantaneous. Oh how
• 1:50:30
  Speaker 2: delightful it was to watch the variations of his countenance
• 1:50:34
  Speaker 2: while I spoke, to see the struggle between returning tenderness
• 1:50:39
  Speaker 2: and the remains of displeasure. There is something agreeable in
• 1:50:43
  Speaker 2: feelings so easily worked on. Not that I envy him
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 2: their possession, nor would for the world have such myself,
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 2: but they are very convenient when one wishes to influence
• 1:50:54
  Speaker 2: the passions of another. And yet this Reginald, whom a
• 1:50:59
  Speaker 2: very few words from me, softened at once into the
• 1:51:02
  Speaker 2: utmost submission and rendered more tractable, more attached, more devoted
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 2: than ever would have left me in the first angry
• 1:51:10
  Speaker 2: swelling of his proud heart without designing to seek an explanation.
• 1:51:16
  Speaker 2: Humbled as he now is, I cannot forgive him such
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 2: an instance of pride, and am doubtful whether I ought
• 1:51:22
  Speaker 2: not to punish him by dismissing him at once after
• 1:51:24
  Speaker 2: his reconciliation, or by marrying and teasing him forever. But
• 1:51:30
  Speaker 2: these measures are each too violent to be adopted without
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 2: some deliberation. At present, my thoughts are fluctuating between various schemes.
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 2: I have many things to compass. I must punish Frederica,
• 1:51:43
  Speaker 2: and pretty severely too, for her application to Reginald. I
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 2: must punish him for receiving it so favorably, and for
• 1:51:51
  Speaker 2: the rest of his conduct. I must torment my sister
• 1:51:54
  Speaker 2: in law for the insolent triumph of her look and manner.
• 1:51:57
  Speaker 2: Since Sir James had been dismissed for in reconciling Reginald.
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 2: To me, I was not able to save that ill
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 2: fated young man, and I must make myself amends for
• 1:52:08
  Speaker 2: the humiliation to which I have stooped within these few days.
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 2: To effect all this, I have various plans. I have
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 2: also an idea of being soon in town, and whatever
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 2: may be my determination as to the rest, I shall
• 1:52:23
  Speaker 2: probably put that project in execution, for London will always
• 1:52:28
  Speaker 2: be the fairest field of action. However my views may
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 2: be directed, and at any rate I shall there be
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 2: rewarded by your society and a little dissipation for ten
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 2: weeks penance at Churchill. I believe I owe it to
• 1:52:44
  Speaker 2: my character to complete the match between my daughter and
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 2: Sir James, after having so long intended it. Let me
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 2: know your opinion on this point. Flexibility of mind a
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 2: disposition easily biased by others, is an attribute which you
• 1:52:59
  Speaker 2: know I am not very desirous of obtaining. Nor has
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 2: Frederica any claim to the indulgence of her notions at
• 1:53:05
  Speaker 2: the expense of her mother's inclinations. Her idle love for Reginald. Too,
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 2: it is surely my duty to discourage such romantic nonsense.
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 2: All things considered, therefore it seems incumbent on me to
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 2: take her to town and marry her immediately. To Sir James,
• 1:53:23
  Speaker 2: when my own will is effected contrary to his, I
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 2: shall have some credit in being on good terms with Reginald,
• 1:53:30
  Speaker 2: which at present in fact I have not, for though
• 1:53:33
  Speaker 2: he is still in my power, I have given up
• 1:53:36
  Speaker 2: the very article by which our quarrel was produced, and
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 2: at best the honor of victory is doubtful. Send me
• 1:53:43
  Speaker 2: your opinion on all these matters, my dear Alicia, and
• 1:53:46
  Speaker 2: let me know whether you can get lodgings to suit
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 2: me within a short distance of you, Your most attached
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 2: s Vernon.
• 1:53:54
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 1:53:59
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dayne.
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:54:16
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for liprivox by Sage Turtle,
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six. Missus Johnson to Lady Susan Edward Street.
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: I am gratified by your reference, and this is my
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: advice that you come to town yourself without loss of time,
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 1: but that you leave Frederica behind. It would surely be
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 1: more to the purpose to get yourself well established by
• 1:54:55
  Speaker 1: marrying mister de Courcy, than to irritate him and the
• 1:54:59
  Speaker 1: rest of his family by making her Mary.
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 4: Sir James, you should think.
• 1:55:04
  Speaker 1: More of yourself and less of your daughter. She is
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 1: not of a disposition to do you credit in the world,
• 1:55:12
  Speaker 1: and seems precisely in her proper place at Churchill with
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 1: the Vernons. But you are fitted for society, and it
• 1:55:24
  Speaker 1: is shameful to have you exiled from it.
• 1:55:27
  Speaker 4: Leave Frederica therefore, to.
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: Punish herself for the plague she has given you by
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: indulging that romantic tender heartedness which will always ensure her misery. Enough,
• 1:55:40
  Speaker 1: and come to London as soon as you can. I
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 1: have another reason for urging this. Mainwaring came to town
• 1:55:48
  Speaker 1: last week and has contrived, in spite of mister Johnson,
• 1:55:53
  Speaker 1: to make opportunities of seeing me. He is absolutely miserable
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 1: about you, and jealous to such a degree of de
• 1:56:03
  Speaker 1: COURSI that it would be highly unadvisable for them to
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 1: meet at present. And yet if you do not allow
• 1:56:10
  Speaker 1: him to see you here I cannot answer for his
• 1:56:14
  Speaker 1: not committing some great imprudence, such as going to Churchill,
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 1: for instance, which would be dreadful. Besides, if you take
• 1:56:25
  Speaker 1: my advice and resolve to marry de Corsi, it will
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 1: be indispensably necessary to you to get main Wearing out
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 1: of the way, and you only can have influence enough
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 1: to send him back to his wife.
• 1:56:42
  Speaker 3: I have still.
• 1:56:43
  Speaker 1: Another motive for your coming. Mister Johnson leaves London next Tuesday.
• 1:56:48
  Speaker 1: He is going for his health to Bath, where, if
• 1:56:51
  Speaker 1: the waters are favorable to his constitution and my wishes,
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 1: he will be laid up with the gown many weeks.
• 1:56:59
  Speaker 1: During absence we shall be able to choose our own
• 1:57:02
  Speaker 1: society and to have true enjoyment. I would ask you
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 1: to Edward Street, but that once he forced for me
• 1:57:10
  Speaker 1: a kind of promise never to invite you to my house.
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 1: Nothing but my being in the utmost distress for money,
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 1: should have extorted it from me. I can get you, however,
• 1:57:23
  Speaker 1: a nice drawing room apartment in upper Seymour Street, and
• 1:57:28
  Speaker 1: we may be always together.
• 1:57:30
  Speaker 9: There or here.
• 1:57:32
  Speaker 1: For I consider my promise to mister Johnson as comprehending
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 1: only at least in his absence, you are not sleeping
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 1: in the house. Poor Mainwaring gives me such histories of
• 1:57:45
  Speaker 1: his wife's jealousy. Silly woman to expect constancy from so
• 1:57:50
  Speaker 1: charming a man, But she always was silly, intolerably so
• 1:57:55
  Speaker 1: in marrying him at all. She the heiress of a
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 1: large fortune, and he without a shilling one title I
• 1:58:02
  Speaker 1: know she might have had besides baronet's. Her folly informing
• 1:58:07
  Speaker 1: the connection was so great that though mister Johnson was
• 1:58:11
  Speaker 1: her guardian, and I do not in general share his feelings,
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 1: I can never forgive her Adieu yours ever, Alicia. This
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 1: has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a novel
• 1:58:28
  Speaker 1: by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Sage Turtle. This
• 1:58:35
  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 1:58:39
  Speaker 1: public domain.
• 1:58:41
  Speaker 4: For more information or to.
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 1: Volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane,
• 1:58:49
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty seven. Missus Vernon to Lady de Courcy Churchill.
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 5: This letter my dear mother, will be brought you by Reginald.
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 5: His long visit is about to be concluded at last,
• 1:59:03
  Speaker 5: But I fear the separation takes place too late to
• 1:59:05
  Speaker 5: do us any good. She is going to London to
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 5: see her particular friend, Missus Johnson. It was first her
• 1:59:11
  Speaker 5: intention that Frederica should accompany her for the benefit of masters,
• 1:59:15
  Speaker 5: but we overruled her there. Frederica was wretched in the
• 1:59:18
  Speaker 5: idea of going, and I could not bear to have
• 1:59:20
  Speaker 5: her at the mercy of her mother. Not all the
• 1:59:23
  Speaker 5: masters in London could compensate for the ruin of her comfort.
• 1:59:26
  Speaker 5: I should have feared too, for her health and everything
• 1:59:29
  Speaker 5: but her principles. There I believe she is not to
• 1:59:32
  Speaker 5: be injured by her mother or her mother's friends. But
• 1:59:35
  Speaker 5: with those friends she must have mixed very bad set.
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 5: I doubt not or have been left in total solitude.
• 1:59:43
  Speaker 5: And I can hardly tell which would have been worse
• 1:59:44
  Speaker 5: for her. If she is with her mother. Moreover, she
• 1:59:48
  Speaker 5: must alas in all probability, be with Reginald, and that
• 1:59:52
  Speaker 5: would be the greatest evil of all. Here we shall
• 1:59:55
  Speaker 5: in time be in peace, our regular employment, our books
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 5: and conversations with ex sercise, the children, and every domestic
• 2:00:02
  Speaker 5: pleasure in my power to produce her will I trust
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 5: gradually overcome this youthful attachment. I should have no doubt
• 2:00:10
  Speaker 5: of it, were she slighted for any other woman in
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 5: the world but her own mother. How long Lady Susan
• 2:00:16
  Speaker 5: will be in town, or whether she returns here again,
• 2:00:19
  Speaker 5: I know not. I could not be cordial in my invitation,
• 2:00:23
  Speaker 5: but if she chooses to come, no want of cordiality
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 5: on my part will keep her away. I could not
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 5: help asking Reginald if he intended being in town this
• 2:00:33
  Speaker 5: winter as soon as I found her, Ladyship's steps would
• 2:00:36
  Speaker 5: be bent thither. And though he professed himself quite undetermined,
• 2:00:41
  Speaker 5: there was something in his look and voice as he
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 5: spoke that contradicted his words. I have done with lamentation.
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 5: I look upon the event as so far decided that
• 2:00:50
  Speaker 5: I resign myself to it in despair. If he leaves
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 5: you soon for London, everything will be concluded. Yours affectionately, Catherine.
• 2:00:59
  Speaker 1: Vernon, end of chapter twenty seven. This has been a
• 2:01:04
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen,
• 2:01:09
  Speaker 1: read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 2:01:19
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 2:01:24
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org.
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: Read for LibriVox by Sage Turtle, Chapter twenty eight. Missus
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 1: Johnson to Lady Susan Edward Street, My dearest friend, I
• 2:01:46
  Speaker 1: write in the greatest distress. The most unfortunate event has
• 2:01:50
  Speaker 1: just taken place. Mister Johnson has hit on the most
• 2:01:55
  Speaker 1: effectual manner of plaguing us all.
• 2:01:58
  Speaker 4: He has heard.
• 2:01:59
  Speaker 1: I imagine by some means or other, that you were
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 1: soon to be in London, and immediately contrived to have
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 1: such an attack of the gout as must at least
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 1: delay his journey to Bath, if not wholly prevented. I
• 2:02:12
  Speaker 1: am persuaded the gout is brought on or kept off
• 2:02:16
  Speaker 1: at pleasure. It was the same when I wanted to
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 1: join the Hamiltons to the Lakes, and three years ago,
• 2:02:22
  Speaker 1: when I had a fancy for Bath, nothing could induce
• 2:02:25
  Speaker 1: him to have a gouty symptom. I am pleased to
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 1: find that my letter hath so much effect on you,
• 2:02:31
  Speaker 1: and that de Corsi is certainly your own. Let me
• 2:02:34
  Speaker 1: hear from you as soon as you arrive, and in
• 2:02:36
  Speaker 1: particular tell me what you mean to do with main wearing.
• 2:02:40
  Speaker 1: It is impossible to say when I shall be able
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 1: to come to you. My confinement must be great. It
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 1: is such an abominable trick to be ill here instead
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 1: of at bath, that I can scarcely command myself at all.
• 2:02:53
  Speaker 1: At bath his old aunts would have nursed him. But
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 1: here it all falls upon me, and he bears pain
• 2:02:59
  Speaker 1: with such patients that I have not the common excuse
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 1: for losing my temper. Yours ever, Alicia. This has been
• 2:03:09
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen,
• 2:03:16
  Speaker 1: read for LibriVox by Sage Turtle. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 2:03:25
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 2:03:29
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org.
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: by Brenda Dayne, Chapter twenty nine, Lady Susan Vernon to
• 2:03:51
  Speaker 1: missus Johnson.
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 2: Upper Seymour Street, My dear Alicia, there needed not this
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 2: last fit of gout to make me detay hest mister Johnson.
• 2:04:02
  Speaker 2: But now the extent of my aversion is not to
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 2: be estimated to have you confined as a nurse in
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 2: his apartment. My dear Alicia, of what a mistake were
• 2:04:12
  Speaker 2: you guilty in marrying a man of his age, just
• 2:04:16
  Speaker 2: old enough to be formal, ungovernable and to have the gout,
• 2:04:20
  Speaker 2: too old to be agreeable, too young to die. I
• 2:04:24
  Speaker 2: arrived last night about five, and had scarcely swallowed my
• 2:04:28
  Speaker 2: dinner when Man Wearing made his appearance. I will not
• 2:04:33
  Speaker 2: dissemble what real pleasure his sight afforded me, nor how
• 2:04:37
  Speaker 2: strongly I felt the contrast between his person and manners
• 2:04:41
  Speaker 2: and those of Reginald, to the infinite disadvantage of the latter.
• 2:04:47
  Speaker 2: For an hour or two I was even staggered in
• 2:04:49
  Speaker 2: my resolution of marrying him. And though this was too
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 2: idle and nonsensical an idea to remain long on my mind,
• 2:04:57
  Speaker 2: I do not feel very eager for the conclusion my marriage,
• 2:05:01
  Speaker 2: nor look forward with much impatience to the time when Reginald,
• 2:05:05
  Speaker 2: according to our agreement, is to be in town. I
• 2:05:09
  Speaker 2: shall probably put off his arrival under some pretense or other.
• 2:05:15
  Speaker 2: He must not come till Man Wearing is gone. I
• 2:05:18
  Speaker 2: am still doubtful at times as to marrying. If the
• 2:05:21
  Speaker 2: old man would die, I might not hesitate, but a
• 2:05:23
  Speaker 2: state of dependence on the caprice of Sir Reginald will
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 2: not suit the freedom of my spirit, and if I
• 2:05:29
  Speaker 2: resolved to wait for that event, I shall have excuse
• 2:05:32
  Speaker 2: enough at present, In having been scarcely ten months a widow,
• 2:05:38
  Speaker 2: I have not given man Wearing any hint of my intention,
• 2:05:41
  Speaker 2: or allowed him to consider my acquaintance with Reginald as
• 2:05:43
  Speaker 2: more than the commonest flirtation, and he is tolerably appeased.
• 2:05:48
  Speaker 2: Ad you till we meet. I am enchanted with my lodgings,
• 2:05:52
  Speaker 2: Yours ever, s Vernon.
• 2:05:55
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:06:01
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 2:06:08
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:06:14
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:06:19
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan, a novel by
• 2:06:27
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane, Chapter thirty,
• 2:06:34
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan, Too, Mister de.
• 2:06:37
  Speaker 2: Courci, Upper Seymour Street. Now I have received your letter,
• 2:06:42
  Speaker 2: and though I do not attempt to conceal that, I
• 2:06:44
  Speaker 2: am gratified by your impatience for the hour of our meeting.
• 2:06:47
  Speaker 2: I yet feel myself under the necessity of delaying that
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 2: hour beyond the time originally fixed. Do not think be
• 2:06:56
  Speaker 2: unkind for such an exercise of my power, Nor canccuse
• 2:07:00
  Speaker 2: me of instability without first hearing my reasons. In the
• 2:07:05
  Speaker 2: course of my journey from Churchill, I had ample leisure
• 2:07:08
  Speaker 2: for reflection on the present state of our affairs, and
• 2:07:12
  Speaker 2: every review has served to convince me that they require
• 2:07:16
  Speaker 2: a delicacy and cautiousness of conduct to which we have
• 2:07:20
  Speaker 2: hitherto been too little attentive. And we have been hurried
• 2:07:25
  Speaker 2: on by our feelings to a degree of precipitation which
• 2:07:29
  Speaker 2: ill accords with the claims of our friends or the
• 2:07:32
  Speaker 2: opinion of the world. We have been unguarded in forming
• 2:07:37
  Speaker 2: this hasty engagement, But we must not complete the imprudence
• 2:07:43
  Speaker 2: by ratifying it, while there is so much reason to
• 2:07:45
  Speaker 2: fear the connection would be opposed by those friends on
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 2: whom you depend. It is not for us to blame
• 2:07:53
  Speaker 2: any expectations on your father's side of your marrying to advantage.
• 2:07:58
  Speaker 2: Where possessions are so exct extensive as those of your family,
• 2:08:02
  Speaker 2: the wish of increasing them, if not strictly reasonable is
• 2:08:06
  Speaker 2: too common to excite surprise or resentment. He has a
• 2:08:11
  Speaker 2: right to require a woman of fortune in his daughter
• 2:08:13
  Speaker 2: in law, And I am sometimes quarreling with myself for
• 2:08:16
  Speaker 2: suffering you to form a connection so imprudent. But the
• 2:08:21
  Speaker 2: influence of reason is often acknowledged too late by those
• 2:08:25
  Speaker 2: who feel like me. I have now been but a
• 2:08:30
  Speaker 2: few months a widow, and however little indebted to my
• 2:08:34
  Speaker 2: husband's memory for any happiness derived from him during a
• 2:08:37
  Speaker 2: union of some years. I cannot forget that the indelicacy
• 2:08:43
  Speaker 2: of so early a second marriage must subject me to
• 2:08:47
  Speaker 2: the censure of the world, and incur what would be
• 2:08:51
  Speaker 2: still more insupportable the displeasure of mister Vernon. I might
• 2:08:58
  Speaker 2: perhaps harden myself in time against the injustice of general reproach,
• 2:09:04
  Speaker 2: But the loss of his valued esteem I am, as
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 2: you well know, ill fitted to endure. And when to
• 2:09:11
  Speaker 2: this may be added the consciousness of having injured you
• 2:09:14
  Speaker 2: with your family, how am I to support myself with
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 2: feelings so poignant as mine. The conviction of having divided
• 2:09:23
  Speaker 2: the son from his parents would make me, even with you,
• 2:09:28
  Speaker 2: the most miserable of beings. It will surely therefore be
• 2:09:33
  Speaker 2: advisable to delay our union, to delay it till appearances
• 2:09:36
  Speaker 2: are more promising, till affairs have taken a more favorable
• 2:09:41
  Speaker 2: turn to assist us in such a resolution. I feel
• 2:09:46
  Speaker 2: that absence will be necessary. We must not meet cruel
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 2: as this sentence may appear. The necessity of pronouncing it,
• 2:09:57
  Speaker 2: which can alone reconcile it to myself, will be evident
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 2: to you. When you have considered our situation in the
• 2:10:03
  Speaker 2: light in which I have found myself imperiously obliged to
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 2: place it, You may be you must be well assured
• 2:10:12
  Speaker 2: that nothing but the strongest conviction of duty could induce
• 2:10:16
  Speaker 2: me to wound my own feelings by urging a lengthened separation,
• 2:10:21
  Speaker 2: and of insensibility to yours, you will hardly suspect me again. Therefore,
• 2:10:27
  Speaker 2: I say that we ought not, We must not yet meet.
• 2:10:33
  Speaker 2: By a removal for some months from each other, we
• 2:10:37
  Speaker 2: shall tranquilize the sisterly fears of missus Vernon, who accustomed
• 2:10:41
  Speaker 2: herself to the enjoyment of riches, considers fortune as necessary everywhere,
• 2:10:47
  Speaker 2: and whose sensibilities are not of a nature to comprehend ours.
• 2:10:53
  Speaker 2: Let me hear from you soon, very soon, tell me
• 2:10:57
  Speaker 2: that you submit to my arguments, and do not reproach
• 2:11:00
  Speaker 2: me for using such. I cannot bear reproaches. My spirits
• 2:11:05
  Speaker 2: are not so high as to need being repressed. I
• 2:11:10
  Speaker 2: must endeavor to seek amusement, and fortunately many of my
• 2:11:14
  Speaker 2: friends are in town. Amongst them the man wearings. You
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 2: know how sincerely I regard both husband and wife. I
• 2:11:23
  Speaker 2: am very faithfully yours, s Vernon.
• 2:11:29
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:11:34
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 2:11:42
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan Jane Austen, read
• 2:12:02
  Speaker 1: for LibriVox by Brenda Dane, Chapter thirty one, Lady Susan
• 2:12:09
  Speaker 1: Vernon to missus Johnson.
• 2:12:12
  Speaker 2: Upper Seymour Street, My dear friend, that tormenting creature Reginald
• 2:12:18
  Speaker 2: is here. My letter, which was intended to keep him
• 2:12:22
  Speaker 2: longer in the country, has hastened him to town, much
• 2:12:26
  Speaker 2: as I wish him away. However, I cannot help being
• 2:12:29
  Speaker 2: pleased with such a proof of attachment. He is devoted
• 2:12:32
  Speaker 2: to me heart and soul. He will carry this note himself,
• 2:12:37
  Speaker 2: which is to serve as an introduction to you, with
• 2:12:40
  Speaker 2: whom he longs to be acquainted. Allow him to spend
• 2:12:44
  Speaker 2: the evening with you, that I may be in no
• 2:12:46
  Speaker 2: danger of his returning here. I have told him that
• 2:12:49
  Speaker 2: I am not quite well and must be alone, and
• 2:12:52
  Speaker 2: should he call again, there might be confusion, for it
• 2:12:55
  Speaker 2: is impossible to be sure of servants. Keep him. Therefore,
• 2:12:59
  Speaker 2: I entreat you in Edward Street. You will not find
• 2:13:03
  Speaker 2: him a heavy companion, and I allow you to flirt
• 2:13:05
  Speaker 2: with him as much as you like. At the same time,
• 2:13:09
  Speaker 2: do not forget my real interest. Say all that you
• 2:13:13
  Speaker 2: can to convince him that I shall be quite wretched
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 2: if he remains here. You know my reasons, propriety and
• 2:13:19
  Speaker 2: so forth. I would urge them more myself, but that
• 2:13:21
  Speaker 2: I am impatient to be rid of him, as man
• 2:13:23
  Speaker 2: wearing comes within half an hour at you ask vernon.
• 2:13:27
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:13:32
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Daine.
• 2:13:43
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:13:49
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:13:54
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read LibriVox by Sage Turtle,
• 2:14:03
  Speaker 1: chapter twenty eight. Missus Johnson to Lady Susan Edward Street,
• 2:14:12
  Speaker 1: my dear creature, I am in agonies and know not
• 2:14:16
  Speaker 1: what to do. Mister de Courcy arrived just when he
• 2:14:20
  Speaker 1: should not. Missus Mainwaring had that instant entered the house
• 2:14:25
  Speaker 1: and forced herself into her guardian's presence, though I did
• 2:14:29
  Speaker 1: not know a syllable of it till afterwards, for I
• 2:14:32
  Speaker 1: was out when both she and Reginald came, or I
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 1: should have sent him away at all events, but she
• 2:14:38
  Speaker 1: was shut up with mister Johnson while he waited in
• 2:14:41
  Speaker 1: the drawing room for me. She arrived yesterday in pursuit
• 2:14:44
  Speaker 1: of her husband, but perhaps you know this already from himself.
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 1: She came to this house to entreat my husband's interference,
• 2:14:52
  Speaker 1: and before I could be aware of it, everything that
• 2:14:55
  Speaker 1: you could wish to be concealed was known to him,
• 2:14:58
  Speaker 1: and unluckily she had armed out of Mainwaring servant that
• 2:15:02
  Speaker 1: he had visited you every day since you were being
• 2:15:04
  Speaker 1: in town, and had just watched him to your door herself.
• 2:15:09
  Speaker 4: What could I do?
• 2:15:11
  Speaker 1: Facts are such horrid things. All is by this time
• 2:15:16
  Speaker 1: known to de Corsi, who is now alone with mister Johnson.
• 2:15:21
  Speaker 1: Do not accuse me. Indeed it was impossible to prevent it.
• 2:15:27
  Speaker 1: Mister Johnson has for some time suspected de course you
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 1: of intending to marry you, and would speak with him
• 2:15:33
  Speaker 1: alone as soon as he knew him to be in
• 2:15:35
  Speaker 1: the house. That detestable Missus Mainwaring, who for your comfort
• 2:15:41
  Speaker 1: has fretted herself thinner and uglare than ever, is still here,
• 2:15:48
  Speaker 1: and they have been all closeted together. What can be
• 2:15:53
  Speaker 1: done at any rate? I hope he will plague his
• 2:15:56
  Speaker 1: wife more than ever with anxious wishes, Yours faithfully, Alicia.
• 2:16:04
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:16:09
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Sage Turtle.
• 2:16:17
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:16:22
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:16:28
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan, a novel by
• 2:16:35
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dayne, Chapter thirty
• 2:16:43
  Speaker 1: three Lady Susan Vernon to missus Johnson.
• 2:16:47
  Speaker 2: Upper Seymour Street. This eclerciusment is rather provoking. How unlucky
• 2:16:53
  Speaker 2: that you should have been from home. I thought myself
• 2:16:55
  Speaker 2: sure of you at seven. I am undismayed. However, do
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 2: not torment yourself with fears. On my account. Depend on it.
• 2:17:03
  Speaker 2: I can make my story good. With Reginald man wearing
• 2:17:06
  Speaker 2: is just gone. He brought me the news of his
• 2:17:08
  Speaker 2: wife's arrival. Silly woman. What does she expect by such maneuvers?
• 2:17:13
  Speaker 2: Yet I wish she had stayed quietly at Langford. Reginald
• 2:17:17
  Speaker 2: will be a little enraged at first, but by tomorrow's
• 2:17:21
  Speaker 2: dinner everything will be well again.
• 2:17:23
  Speaker 1: At you sv This has been a LibriVox recording of
• 2:17:29
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox
• 2:17:35
  Speaker 1: by Brenda Dane. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 2:17:46
  Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 2:17:50
  Speaker 1: to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org. Chapter thirty four,
• 2:18:01
  Speaker 1: Mister de Corsi to Lady Susan Blank Hotel.
• 2:18:05
  Speaker 8: I write only to bid you farewell. The spell is removed.
• 2:18:11
  Speaker 8: I see you as you are since we parted yesterday.
• 2:18:15
  Speaker 8: I've received from indisputable authority such a history of you
• 2:18:18
  Speaker 8: as must bring the most mortifying conviction of the imposition
• 2:18:22
  Speaker 8: I have been under, and the absolute necessity of an
• 2:18:25
  Speaker 8: immediate and eternal separation from you. You cannot doubt to
• 2:18:28
  Speaker 8: what I allude Langford, Langford, that word will be sufficient.
• 2:18:34
  Speaker 8: I received my information in mister Johnson's house from Missus
• 2:18:37
  Speaker 8: Mainwaring herself. You know how I've loved you. You can
• 2:18:41
  Speaker 8: intimately judge of my present feelings. But I am not
• 2:18:44
  Speaker 8: so weak as to find indulgent in describing them to
• 2:18:47
  Speaker 8: a woman who will glory in having excited their anguish,
• 2:18:50
  Speaker 8: but whose affection they have never been able to gain
• 2:18:53
  Speaker 8: our DECORESI.
• 2:18:55
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan in
• 2:19:00
  Speaker 1: a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Kevin Cade.
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:19:13
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:19:19
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan, a novel by
• 2:19:26
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane, Chapter thirty
• 2:19:34
  Speaker 1: five Lady Susan to mister de Courci.
• 2:19:38
  Speaker 2: Upper Seymour Street. I will not attempt to describe my
• 2:19:43
  Speaker 2: astonishment in reading the note this moment received from you.
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 2: I am bewildered in my endeavors to form some rational
• 2:19:51
  Speaker 2: conjecture of what missus Manwaring can have told you to
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 2: occasion so extraordinary a change in your sentiments? Have I
• 2:19:59
  Speaker 2: not explained everything to you with respect to myself which
• 2:20:02
  Speaker 2: could bear a doubtful meaning, and which the ill nature
• 2:20:04
  Speaker 2: of the world had interpreted to my discredit? What can
• 2:20:08
  Speaker 2: you now have heard to stagger your esteem from me?
• 2:20:11
  Speaker 2: Have I ever had a concealment from you? Reginald? You
• 2:20:14
  Speaker 2: agitate me beyond expression. I cannot suppose that the old
• 2:20:18
  Speaker 2: story of missus Manwaring's jealousy can be revived again, or
• 2:20:21
  Speaker 2: at least be listened to again. Come to me immediately
• 2:20:26
  Speaker 2: and explain what is at present absolutely incomprehensible. Believe me,
• 2:20:31
  Speaker 2: the single word of Langford is not such a potent
• 2:20:33
  Speaker 2: intelligence as to supersede the necessity of more. If we
• 2:20:37
  Speaker 2: are to part, it will at least be handsome to
• 2:20:40
  Speaker 2: take your personal leave. But I have little heart to
• 2:20:44
  Speaker 2: jest In truth, I am serious enough for to be sunk,
• 2:20:48
  Speaker 2: though but for an hour in your esteem is a
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 2: humiliation which I know not how to submit. I shall
• 2:20:55
  Speaker 2: count every minute till your arrival.
• 2:20:59
  Speaker 4: S V.
• 2:21:00
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:21:06
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Brenda Dayne.
• 2:21:16
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:21:22
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:21:27
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Kevin Cade,
• 2:21:35
  Speaker 1: Chapter thirty six. Mister de Courcy to Lady Susan.
• 2:21:41
  Speaker 6: Why would you write to me? Why do you require particulars?
• 2:21:46
  Speaker 6: But since it must be so, I am obliged to
• 2:21:48
  Speaker 6: declare that all the accounts of your misconduct during the
• 2:21:52
  Speaker 6: life and since the death of mister Vernon, which had
• 2:21:54
  Speaker 6: reached me in common with the world in general, and
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 6: gained my entire belief before I saw you, but which you,
• 2:22:00
  Speaker 6: by the exertion of your perverted abilities, had made me
• 2:22:02
  Speaker 6: resolve to disallow, have been unanswerably proved to me. Nay more,
• 2:22:06
  Speaker 6: I am assured that a connection of which I had
• 2:22:09
  Speaker 6: never before entertained a thought has for some time existed,
• 2:22:12
  Speaker 6: and still continues to exist between you and the man
• 2:22:15
  Speaker 6: whose family you robbed of its peace in return for
• 2:22:17
  Speaker 6: the hospitality with which you were received into. It that
• 2:22:20
  Speaker 6: you have corresponded with him ever since your leaving Langford,
• 2:22:23
  Speaker 6: not with his wife, but with him, and that he
• 2:22:25
  Speaker 6: now visits you every day? Can you Dare you deny it?
• 2:22:29
  Speaker 6: And all this at the time when I was encouraged
• 2:22:32
  Speaker 6: an accepted lover, from what have I not escaped?
• 2:22:35
  Speaker 8: I have only to be grateful?
• 2:22:37
  Speaker 6: Far from me be all complained, every sigh of regret.
• 2:22:40
  Speaker 6: My own folly had endangered me. My preservation I owed
• 2:22:43
  Speaker 6: to the kindness the integrity of another. But the unfortunate
• 2:22:46
  Speaker 6: missus Mainwarring, whose agonies, while she related the past, seemed
• 2:22:50
  Speaker 6: to threaten her reason. How is she to be consoled
• 2:22:53
  Speaker 6: after such a discovery as this? You will scarcely affect further?
• 2:22:56
  Speaker 6: Wonder at my meaning in bidding you a jew. My
• 2:22:59
  Speaker 6: understanding is at length restored, and teaches no less to
• 2:23:02
  Speaker 6: abore the artifices which had subdued me than to despise
• 2:23:06
  Speaker 6: myself for the weakness on which their strength is founded. R.
• 2:23:10
  Speaker 1: Decorsi, This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan,
• 2:23:16
  Speaker 1: a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Kevin Cade.
• 2:23:23
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:23:29
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:23:34
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan, a novel by
• 2:23:42
  Speaker 1: Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane. Chapter thirty seven,
• 2:23:50
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan to mister de.
• 2:23:53
  Speaker 2: Corsi, Upper Seymour Street. I am satisfied and will trouble
• 2:23:58
  Speaker 2: you no more when these few lines are dismissed. The
• 2:24:02
  Speaker 2: engagement which you were so eager to form a fortnight
• 2:24:05
  Speaker 2: ago is no longer compatible with your views, and I
• 2:24:09
  Speaker 2: rejoice to find that the prudent advice of your parents
• 2:24:11
  Speaker 2: has not been given in vain. Your restoration to peace
• 2:24:15
  Speaker 2: will I doubt not speedily follow this act of filial obedience,
• 2:24:20
  Speaker 2: And I flatter myself with the hope of surviving my
• 2:24:22
  Speaker 2: share in this disappointment sv.
• 2:24:26
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:24:31
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 2:24:41
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:24:47
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:24:52
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Sage Turtle,
• 2:25:01
  Speaker 1: Chapter thirty eight. Missus Johnson to Lady Susan Vernon Edward Street.
• 2:25:10
  Speaker 1: I am grieved, though I cannot be astonished at your
• 2:25:15
  Speaker 1: rupture with mister de Courcy. He has just informed mister
• 2:25:18
  Speaker 1: Johnson of it by letter he leaves London. He says, today,
• 2:25:24
  Speaker 1: be assured that I've partaken all your feelings, and do
• 2:25:29
  Speaker 1: not be angry if I say that our intercourse, even
• 2:25:33
  Speaker 1: by letter, must soon be given up. It makes me miserable.
• 2:25:39
  Speaker 1: But mister Johnson vows that if I persist in the connection,
• 2:25:42
  Speaker 1: he will settle in the country for the rest of
• 2:25:45
  Speaker 1: his life. And you know it is impossible to submit
• 2:25:50
  Speaker 1: to such an extremity while any other alternative remains. You
• 2:25:55
  Speaker 1: have heard, of course, that the main Wearings are to part,
• 2:25:58
  Speaker 1: and I'm afraid Missus m will come home to us again.
• 2:26:01
  Speaker 1: But she's still so fond of her husband and frets
• 2:26:05
  Speaker 1: so much about him that perhaps she may not live long.
• 2:26:10
  Speaker 1: Miss Mainwaring is just come to town to be with
• 2:26:13
  Speaker 1: her aunt, and they say that she declares she will
• 2:26:16
  Speaker 1: have Sir James Martin before she leaves London again. If
• 2:26:21
  Speaker 1: I were you, I would certainly get him myself. I
• 2:26:25
  Speaker 1: had almost forgot to give you my opinion of mister
• 2:26:28
  Speaker 1: de Courcy. I really am delighted with him. He is
• 2:26:31
  Speaker 1: full as handsome, I think, as mainwaring, and with such
• 2:26:34
  Speaker 1: an open, good humored countenance that one cannot help loving
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 1: him at first sight. Mister Johnson and he are the
• 2:26:43
  Speaker 1: greatest friends in the world. Adieu, my dearest Susan. I
• 2:26:49
  Speaker 1: wish matters did not go so perversely that unlucky visit
• 2:26:53
  Speaker 1: to Langford. But I dare say you did all for
• 2:26:57
  Speaker 1: the best, and there is no oh defying destiny. Yours,
• 2:27:03
  Speaker 1: sincerely attached, Alicia. This has been a LibriVox recording of
• 2:27:10
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox
• 2:27:16
  Speaker 1: by Sage Turtle. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 2:27:24
  Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 2:27:29
  Speaker 1: to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org. Lady Susan,
• 2:27:37
  Speaker 1: a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Brenda Dayne,
• 2:27:44
  Speaker 1: chapter thirty nine. Lady Susan Vernon to missus Johnson.
• 2:27:50
  Speaker 2: Upper Seymour Street, My dear Alicia, I yield to the
• 2:27:56
  Speaker 2: necessity which parts us under circumstances you could not act otherwise.
• 2:28:01
  Speaker 2: Our friendship cannot be impaired by it, And in happier times,
• 2:28:06
  Speaker 2: when your situation is as independent as mine, it will
• 2:28:10
  Speaker 2: unite us again in the same intimacy as ever. For
• 2:28:13
  Speaker 2: this I shall impatiently wait, and meanwhile can safely assure
• 2:28:18
  Speaker 2: you that I never was more at ease or better
• 2:28:21
  Speaker 2: satisfied with myself at everything about me than at the
• 2:28:23
  Speaker 2: present hour. Your husband I abhor, Reginald. I despise, and
• 2:28:32
  Speaker 2: I am secure of never seeing either again. Have I
• 2:28:34
  Speaker 2: not reason to rejoice? Man wearing is more devoted to
• 2:28:38
  Speaker 2: me than ever, and here we are at liberty. I
• 2:28:41
  Speaker 2: doubt if I could resist even matrimony offered by him
• 2:28:45
  Speaker 2: this event. If his wife live with you, it may
• 2:28:48
  Speaker 2: be in your power to hasten the violence of her feelings,
• 2:28:51
  Speaker 2: which must wear her out, may be easily kept in irritation.
• 2:28:55
  Speaker 2: I rely on your friendship for this. I am now
• 2:28:58
  Speaker 2: satisfied that I could have brought myself to Mary Reginald,
• 2:29:02
  Speaker 2: and I am equally determined that Frederica never shall Tomorrow.
• 2:29:06
  Speaker 2: I shall fetch her from Churchill, and let Mariah man
• 2:29:09
  Speaker 2: wearing tremble for the consequence. Frederica shall be Sir James's
• 2:29:13
  Speaker 2: wife before she quits my house. And she may whimper,
• 2:29:16
  Speaker 2: and the Vernons may storm, I regard them not. I
• 2:29:20
  Speaker 2: am tired of submitting my will to the caprices of others,
• 2:29:23
  Speaker 2: of resigning my own judgment in deference to those to
• 2:29:26
  Speaker 2: whom I owe no duty and for whom I feel
• 2:29:29
  Speaker 2: no respect. I have given up too much, have been
• 2:29:33
  Speaker 2: too easily worked on. But Frederica shall now feel the difference. Adieu,
• 2:29:39
  Speaker 2: dearest of friends. May the next gouty attack be more favorable,
• 2:29:44
  Speaker 2: and may you always regard me as unalterably yours, s Vernon.
• 2:29:49
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:29:54
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen. Read for LibriVox by Brenda Dane.
• 2:30:05
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:30:11
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit
• 2:30:16
  Speaker 1: www dot LibriVox dot org. Read for LibriVox by Dreamer,
• 2:30:24
  Speaker 1: Chapter forty. Lady de Courcy to missus Vernon.
• 2:30:31
  Speaker 3: My dear Catherine, I have charming news for you, And
• 2:30:34
  Speaker 3: if I had not sent off my letter this morning,
• 2:30:37
  Speaker 3: you might have been spared the vexation of knowing of
• 2:30:40
  Speaker 3: Reginald's being gone to London. For he is returned. Reginald
• 2:30:44
  Speaker 3: is returned, not to ask our consent to his marrying
• 2:30:47
  Speaker 3: Lady Susan, but to tell us they are parted forever.
• 2:30:52
  Speaker 3: He has been only an hour in the house, and
• 2:30:55
  Speaker 3: I have not been able to learn particulars, for he
• 2:30:58
  Speaker 3: is so very low that I have not the heart
• 2:31:01
  Speaker 3: to ask questions. But I hope we shall soon know all.
• 2:31:05
  Speaker 3: This is the most joyful hour he has ever given
• 2:31:08
  Speaker 3: us since the day of his birth. Nothing is wanting
• 2:31:12
  Speaker 3: but to have you here, and it is our particular
• 2:31:15
  Speaker 3: wish and entreaty that you would come to us as
• 2:31:18
  Speaker 3: soon as you can. You have owed us a visit
• 2:31:20
  Speaker 3: many long weeks. I hope nothing will make it inconvenient
• 2:31:24
  Speaker 3: to mister Vernon, and pray bring all my grandchildren, and
• 2:31:28
  Speaker 3: your dear niece is included. Of course, I long to
• 2:31:31
  Speaker 3: see her. It has been a sad, heavy winter hitherto
• 2:31:35
  Speaker 3: without Reginald and seeing nobody from church Hill. I never
• 2:31:40
  Speaker 3: found the season so dreary before, but this happy meeting
• 2:31:43
  Speaker 3: will make us young again. Frederica runs much in my thoughts,
• 2:31:48
  Speaker 3: And when Reginald has recovered his usual good spirits, as
• 2:31:51
  Speaker 3: I trust he soon will, we will try to rob
• 2:31:54
  Speaker 3: him of his heart once more. And I am full
• 2:31:57
  Speaker 3: of hopes of seeing their hands joined at no great distance,
• 2:32:02
  Speaker 3: your affectionate mother see de corsi.
• 2:32:05
  Speaker 1: This has been a LibriVox recording of Lady Susan, a
• 2:32:10
  Speaker 1: novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox by Dreamer. This
• 2:32:17
  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 2:32:21
  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, visit LibriVox
• 2:32:27
  Speaker 1: dot org. Read for LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane, Chapter forty one,
• 2:32:33
  Speaker 1: Missus Vernon to Lady.
• 2:32:36
  Speaker 5: De Courcy Churchill, My dear madam, your letter has surprised
• 2:32:41
  Speaker 5: me beyond measure? Can it be true that they are
• 2:32:45
  Speaker 5: really separated and forever? I should be overjoyed if I
• 2:32:49
  Speaker 5: dared depend on it. But after all that I have seen,
• 2:32:52
  Speaker 5: how can one be secure and Reginald really with you?
• 2:32:57
  Speaker 5: My surprise is the greater because on Wednesday, the very
• 2:33:00
  Speaker 5: very Dave is coming to Parkland's. We had a most
• 2:33:02
  Speaker 5: unexpected and unwelcome visit from lady Susan, looking all cheerfulness
• 2:33:08
  Speaker 5: and good humor, and seeming more as if she were
• 2:33:10
  Speaker 5: to marry him when she got to London than as
• 2:33:12
  Speaker 5: if parted from him forever. She stayed nearly two hours,
• 2:33:17
  Speaker 5: was as affectionate and agreeable as ever, and not a syllable,
• 2:33:20
  Speaker 5: not a hint was dropped of any disagreement or coolness
• 2:33:23
  Speaker 5: between them. I asked her whether she had seen my
• 2:33:26
  Speaker 5: brother since she arrived in town, not as you may suppose,
• 2:33:29
  Speaker 5: with any doubt of the fact, but merely to see
• 2:33:32
  Speaker 5: how she looked. She immediately answered, without any embarrassment, that
• 2:33:37
  Speaker 5: he had been kind enough to call on her on Monday,
• 2:33:40
  Speaker 5: but she believed he had already returned home, which I
• 2:33:43
  Speaker 5: was very far from crediting. Your very kind invitation is
• 2:33:47
  Speaker 5: accepted by us and with pleasure, and on Thursday next
• 2:33:50
  Speaker 5: we and our little ones will be with you. Pray heaven,
• 2:33:54
  Speaker 5: Reginald may not be in town again by that time.
• 2:33:57
  Speaker 5: I wish we could bring dear Frederica too, but I
• 2:33:59
  Speaker 5: am sorry to say that her mother's errand hither was
• 2:34:02
  Speaker 5: to fetch her away, and miserable as it made the
• 2:34:05
  Speaker 5: poor girl, it was impossible to detain her. I was
• 2:34:08
  Speaker 5: thoroughly unwilling to let her go, and so was her uncle.
• 2:34:12
  Speaker 5: And all that could be urged we did urge. But
• 2:34:15
  Speaker 5: Lady Susan declared that as she was now about to
• 2:34:18
  Speaker 5: fix herself in town for several months, she could not
• 2:34:21
  Speaker 5: be easy if her daughter were not with her. For masters.
• 2:34:25
  Speaker 5: Her manners, to be sure, were very kind and proper,
• 2:34:27
  Speaker 5: And mister Vernon believes that Frederica will now be treated
• 2:34:30
  Speaker 5: with faction. I wish I could think so too. The
• 2:34:34
  Speaker 5: poor girl's heart was almost broke at taking leave of us.
• 2:34:38
  Speaker 5: I charged her to write to me very often, and
• 2:34:40
  Speaker 5: to remember that if she were in any distress, we
• 2:34:43
  Speaker 5: should be always her friends. I took care to see
• 2:34:46
  Speaker 5: her alone that I might say all this, and I
• 2:34:49
  Speaker 5: hope made her a little more comfortable. But I shall
• 2:34:52
  Speaker 5: not be easy until I go to town and judge her
• 2:34:54
  Speaker 5: situation myself. I wish there were a better proposal than
• 2:34:58
  Speaker 5: now appears at the match, which the the conclusion of
• 2:35:00
  Speaker 5: your letter declared your expectation of at present it is
• 2:35:05
  Speaker 5: not very likely, yours, Catherine Vernet, end.
• 2:35:10
  Speaker 1: Of chapter forty one. This has been a LibriVox recording
• 2:35:14
  Speaker 1: of Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen. Read for
• 2:35:18
  Speaker 1: LibriVox by Shelley Brisbane. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 2:35:29
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 2:35:34
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, visit www dot LibriVox dot org. Read
• 2:35:42
  Speaker 1: for LibriVox by Sage Turtle. Conclusion, this correspondence by a
• 2:35:49
  Speaker 1: meeting between some of the parties and a separation between
• 2:35:53
  Speaker 1: the others, could not, to the great detriment of the
• 2:35:56
  Speaker 1: post office revenue, be continued any longer. Very little assistance
• 2:36:02
  Speaker 1: to the state could be derived from the epistolary intercourse
• 2:36:05
  Speaker 1: of Missus Vernon and her niece. For the former, soon
• 2:36:09
  Speaker 1: perceived by the style of Frederica's letters that they were
• 2:36:13
  Speaker 1: written under her mother's inspection, and therefore deferring all particular
• 2:36:18
  Speaker 1: enquiry till she could make it personally in London, ceased
• 2:36:21
  Speaker 1: writing minutely or often, having learnt enough in the meanwhile
• 2:36:26
  Speaker 1: from her open hearted brother of what had passed between
• 2:36:29
  Speaker 1: him and Lady Susan to sink the latter lower than ever.
• 2:36:33
  Speaker 1: In her opinion, she was proportionably more anxious to get
• 2:36:37
  Speaker 1: Frederica removed from such a mother and placed under her
• 2:36:41
  Speaker 1: own care, and, though with little hope of success, was
• 2:36:45
  Speaker 1: resolved to leave nothing unattempted that might offer a chance
• 2:36:49
  Speaker 1: of obtaining her sister in law's consent to it. Her
• 2:36:53
  Speaker 1: anxiety on the subject made her press for an early
• 2:36:55
  Speaker 1: visit to London, and mister Vernon, who, as it must
• 2:36:59
  Speaker 1: already have appeared, lived only to do whatever he was desired,
• 2:37:03
  Speaker 1: soon found some accommodating business to call him thither. With
• 2:37:07
  Speaker 1: a heart full of the matter. Missus Vernon waited on
• 2:37:10
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan shortly after her arrival in town, and was
• 2:37:13
  Speaker 1: met with such an easy and cheerful affection as made
• 2:37:17
  Speaker 1: her almost turn from her with horror. No remembrance of Reginald,
• 2:37:22
  Speaker 1: no consciousness of guilt, gave one look of embarrassment. She
• 2:37:27
  Speaker 1: was in excellent spirits, and seemed eager to show at
• 2:37:30
  Speaker 1: once by every possible attention to her brother and sister
• 2:37:34
  Speaker 1: her sense of their kindness and her pleasure in their society.
• 2:37:39
  Speaker 1: Frederica was no more altered than Lady Susan. The same
• 2:37:43
  Speaker 1: restrained manners, the same timid look in the presence of
• 2:37:46
  Speaker 1: her mother, as heretofore assured her aunt of her situation
• 2:37:50
  Speaker 1: being uncomfortable, and confirmed her in the plan of altering it.
• 2:37:54
  Speaker 1: No unkindness, however, on the part of Lady Susan, appeared.
• 2:37:59
  Speaker 1: Persecution on the subject of Sir James was entirely at
• 2:38:03
  Speaker 1: an end. His name merely mentioned to say that he
• 2:38:06
  Speaker 1: was not in London, and indeed, in all her conversation
• 2:38:10
  Speaker 1: she was solicitous only for the welfare and improvement of
• 2:38:14
  Speaker 1: her daughter, acknowledging in terms of grateful delight that Frederica
• 2:38:19
  Speaker 1: was now growing every day more and more what a
• 2:38:22
  Speaker 1: parent could desire. Missus Vernon, surprised and incredulous, knew not
• 2:38:26
  Speaker 1: what to suspect, and without any change in her own views,
• 2:38:31
  Speaker 1: only feared greater difficulty in accomplishing them. The first hope
• 2:38:35
  Speaker 1: of anything better was derived from Lady Susan's asking her
• 2:38:39
  Speaker 1: whether she thought Frederica looked quite as well as she
• 2:38:43
  Speaker 1: had done at Churchill. As she must confess herself to
• 2:38:46
  Speaker 1: have sometimes an anxious doubt of London's Perfectly agreeing with her,
• 2:38:51
  Speaker 1: Missus Vernon encouraging the doubt directly proposed her niece's returning
• 2:38:56
  Speaker 1: with them into the country. Lady Susan was unable to
• 2:39:00
  Speaker 1: express her sense of such kindness, yet knew not from
• 2:39:03
  Speaker 1: a variety of reasons, how to part with her daughter,
• 2:39:06
  Speaker 1: And as though her own plans were not yet wholly fixed,
• 2:39:10
  Speaker 1: she trusted it would e'er be long in her power
• 2:39:13
  Speaker 1: to take Frederica into the country. Herself concluded by declining
• 2:39:18
  Speaker 1: entirely to profit by such unexampled attention. Missus Vernon persevered, however,
• 2:39:24
  Speaker 1: in the offer of it, and though Lady Susan continued
• 2:39:27
  Speaker 1: to resist, her resistance in the course of a few
• 2:39:30
  Speaker 1: days seemed somewhat less formidable. The lucky alarm of an
• 2:39:35
  Speaker 1: influenza decided what might not have been decided quite so soon.
• 2:39:39
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan's maternal fears were then too much awakened for
• 2:39:43
  Speaker 1: her to think of anything but Frederica's removal from the
• 2:39:46
  Speaker 1: risk of infection. Above all disorders in the world, she
• 2:39:50
  Speaker 1: most dreaded the influenza for her daughter's constitution. Frederica returned
• 2:39:56
  Speaker 1: to Churchill with her uncle and aunt, and three weeks
• 2:39:59
  Speaker 1: afterward words Lady Susan announced her being married to Sir
• 2:40:02
  Speaker 1: James Martin. Missus Vernon, was convinced of what she had
• 2:40:07
  Speaker 1: only suspected before, that she might have spared herself all
• 2:40:10
  Speaker 1: the trouble of urging a removal, which Lady Susan had
• 2:40:13
  Speaker 1: doubtless resolved on from the first. Frederica's visit was nominally
• 2:40:18
  Speaker 1: for six weeks, but her mother, though inviting her to
• 2:40:21
  Speaker 1: return in one or two affectionate letters, was very ready
• 2:40:24
  Speaker 1: to oblige the whole party by consenting to a prolongation
• 2:40:28
  Speaker 1: of her stay, and in the course of two months
• 2:40:31
  Speaker 1: ceased to write of her absence, and in the course
• 2:40:35
  Speaker 1: of two or more to.
• 2:40:36
  Speaker 4: Write to her at all.
• 2:40:39
  Speaker 1: Frederica was therefore fixed in the family of her uncle
• 2:40:42
  Speaker 1: and aunt till such time as Reginald de Coursi could
• 2:40:45
  Speaker 1: be talked, flattered and finessed into an affection for her, which,
• 2:40:50
  Speaker 1: allowing leisure for the conquest of his attachment to her mother,
• 2:40:54
  Speaker 1: for his abjuring all future attachments and detesting the sex,
• 2:40:58
  Speaker 1: might be reasonably looked for in the course of a twelvemonth.
• 2:41:02
  Speaker 1: Three months might have done it in general, but Reginald's
• 2:41:05
  Speaker 1: feelings were no less lasting than lively. Whether Lady Susan
• 2:41:10
  Speaker 1: was or was not happy in her second choice. I
• 2:41:14
  Speaker 1: do not see how it can ever be ascertained, for
• 2:41:18
  Speaker 1: who would take her assurance of it? On either side
• 2:41:20
  Speaker 1: of the question. The world must judge from probabilities. She
• 2:41:25
  Speaker 1: had nothing against her but her husband and her conscience.
• 2:41:30
  Speaker 1: Sir James may seem to have drawn a harder lot
• 2:41:33
  Speaker 1: than mere folly merited. I leave him therefore to all
• 2:41:38
  Speaker 1: the pity that anybody can give him. For myself, I
• 2:41:41
  Speaker 1: confess that I can pity only Miss Mainwaring, who, coming
• 2:41:45
  Speaker 1: to town, and putting herself to an expense in clothes
• 2:41:49
  Speaker 1: which impoverished her for two months on purpose to secure him,
• 2:41:53
  Speaker 1: was defrauded of her due by a woman ten years
• 2:41:56
  Speaker 1: older than herself. This has been a LibriVox recording of
• 2:42:03
  Speaker 1: Lady Susan, a novel by Jane Austen, read for LibriVox
• 2:42:09
  Speaker 1: by Sage Turtle