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lady susan-第16章

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Yours ever; &c。;







C。 VERNON



























CONCLUSION











This correspondence; by a meeting between some of the parties; and a



separation between the others; could not; to the great detriment of the



Post Office revenue; be continued any longer。 Very little assistance to the



State could be derived from the epistolary intercourse of Mrs。 Vernon and



her niece; for the former soon perceived; by the style of Frederica's



letters; that they were written under her mother's inspection! and



therefore; deferring all particular enquiry till she could make it



personally in London; ceased writing minutely or often。 Having learnt



enough; in the meanwhile; from her open…hearted brother; of what had passed



between him and Lady Susan to sink the latter lower than ever in her



opinion; she was proportionably more anxious to get Frederica removed from



such a mother; and placed under her own care; and; though with little hope



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



mother as heretofore; assured her aunt of her situation being



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



daughter's constitution!







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



than herself。























End 

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