I have received Letters from you and your Mother-in-law within this
week which have greatly entertained me, as I find by them that you are
both downright jealous of each others Beauty. It is very odd that two
pretty Women tho’ actually Mother and Daughter cannot be in the same
House without falling out about their faces. Do be convinced that you
are both perfectly handsome and say no more of the Matter. I suppose
this letter must be directed to Portman Square where probably (great as
is your affection for Lesley Castle) you will not be sorry to find
yourself. In spite of all that people may say about Green fields and
the Country I was always of opinion that London and its amusements must
be very agreable for a while, and should be very happy could my
Mother’s income allow her to jockey us into its Public-places, during
Winter. I always longed particularly to go to Vaux-hall, to see whether
the cold Beef there is cut so thin as it is reported, for I have a sly
suspicion that few people understand the art of cutting a slice of cold
Beef so well as I do: nay it would be hard if I did not know something
of the Matter, for it was a part of my Education that I took by far the
most pains with. Mama always found me _her_ best scholar, tho’ when
Papa was alive Eloisa was _his_. Never to be sure were there two more
different Dispositions in the World. We both loved Reading. _She_
preferred Histories, and I Receipts. She loved drawing, Pictures, and I
drawing Pullets. No one could sing a better song than she, and no one
make a better Pye than I.—And so it has always continued since we have
been no longer children. The only difference is that all disputes on
the superior excellence of our Employments _then_ so frequent are now
no more. We have for many years entered into an agreement always to
admire each other’s works; I never fail listening to _her_ Music, and
she is as constant in eating my pies. Such at least was the case till
Henry Hervey made his appearance in Sussex. Before the arrival of his
Aunt in our neighbourhood where she established herself you know about
a twelvemonth ago, his visits to her had been at stated times, and of
equal and settled Duration; but on her removal to the Hall which is
within a walk from our House, they became both more frequent and
longer. This as you may suppose could not be pleasing to Mrs Diana who
is a professed enemy to everything which is not directed by Decorum and
Formality, or which bears the least resemblance to Ease and
Good-breeding. Nay so great was her aversion to her Nephews behaviour
that I have often heard her give such hints of it before his face that
had not Henry at such times been engaged in conversation with Eloisa,
they must have caught his Attention and have very much distressed him.
The alteration in my Sisters behaviour which I have before hinted at,
now took place. The Agreement we had entered into of admiring each
others productions she no longer seemed to regard, and tho’ I
constantly applauded even every Country-dance, she played, yet not even
a pidgeon-pye of my making could obtain from her a single word of
approbation. This was certainly enough to put any one in a Passion;
however, I was as cool as a cream-cheese and having formed my plan and
concerted a scheme of Revenge, I was determined to let her have her own
way and not even to make her a single reproach. My scheme was to treat
her as she treated me, and tho’ she might even draw my own Picture or
play Malbrook (which is the only tune I ever really liked) not to say
so much as “Thank you Eloisa;” tho’ I had for many years constantly
hollowed whenever she played, _Bravo_, _Bravissimo_, _her_, _Da capo_,
_allegretto con expressione_, and _Poco presto_ with many other such
outlandish words, all of them as Eloisa told me expressive of my
Admiration; and so indeed I suppose they are, as I see some of them in
every Page of every Music book, being the sentiments I imagine of the
composer.
I executed my Plan with great Punctuality. I can not say success, for
alas! my silence while she played seemed not in the least to displease
her; on the contrary she actually said to me one day “Well Charlotte, I
am very glad to find that you have at last left off that ridiculous
custom of applauding my Execution on the Harpsichord till you made _my_
head ake, and yourself hoarse. I feel very much obliged to you for
keeping your admiration to yourself.” I never shall forget the very
witty answer I made to this speech. “Eloisa (said I) I beg you would be
quite at your Ease with respect to all such fears in future, for be
assured that I shall always keep my admiration to myself and my own
pursuits and never extend it to yours.” This was the only very severe
thing I ever said in my Life; not but that I have often felt myself
extremely satirical but it was the only time I ever made my feelings
public.
I suppose there never were two Young people who had a greater affection
for each other than Henry and Eloisa; no, the Love of your Brother for
Miss Burton could not be so strong tho’ it might be more violent. You
may imagine therefore how provoked my Sister must have been to have him
play her such a trick. Poor girl! she still laments his Death with
undiminished constancy, notwithstanding he has been dead more than six
weeks; but some People mind such things more than others. The ill state
of Health into which his loss has thrown her makes her so weak, and so
unable to support the least exertion, that she has been in tears all
this Morning merely from having taken leave of Mrs. Marlowe who with
her Husband, Brother and Child are to leave Bristol this morning. I am
sorry to have them go because they are the only family with whom we
have here any acquaintance, but I never thought of crying; to be sure
Eloisa and Mrs Marlowe have always been more together than with me, and
have therefore contracted a kind of affection for each other, which
does not make Tears so inexcusable in them as they would be in me. The
Marlowes are going to Town; Cliveland accompanies them; as neither
Eloisa nor I could catch him I hope you or Matilda may have better
Luck. I know not when we shall leave Bristol, Eloisa’s spirits are so
low that she is very averse to moving, and yet is certainly by no means
mended by her residence here. A week or two will I hope determine our
Measures—in the mean time believe me
and etc—and etc—Charlotte Lutterell.
LETTER the EIGHTH
Miss LUTTERELL to Mrs MARLOWE