It is a month to day since I first beheld my lovely Henrietta, and the
sacred anniversary must and shall be kept in a manner becoming the
day—by writing to her. Never shall I forget the moment when her
Beauties first broke on my sight—No time as you well know can erase it
from my Memory. It was at Lady Scudamores. Happy Lady Scudamore to live
within a mile of the divine Henrietta! When the lovely Creature first
entered the room, oh! what were my sensations? The sight of you was
like the sight ofa wonderful fine Thing. I started—I gazed at her with
admiration—She appeared every moment more Charming, and the unfortunate
Musgrove became a captive to your Charms before I had time to look
about me. Yes Madam, I had the happiness of adoring you, an happiness
for which I cannot be too grateful. “What said he to himself is
Musgrove allowed to die for Henrietta? Enviable Mortal! and may he pine
for her who is the object of universal admiration, who is adored by a
Colonel, and toasted by a Baronet! Adorable Henrietta how beautiful you
are! I declare you are quite divine! You are more than Mortal. You are
an Angel. You are Venus herself. In short Madam you are the prettiest
Girl I ever saw in my Life—and her Beauty is encreased in her Musgroves
Eyes, by permitting him to love her and allowing me to hope. And ah!
Angelic Miss Henrietta Heaven is my witness how ardently I do hope for
the death of your villanous Uncle and his abandoned Wife, since my fair
one will not consent to be mine till their decease has placed her in
affluence above what my fortune can procure—. Though it is an
improvable Estate—. Cruel Henrietta to persist in such a resolution! I
am at Present with my sister where I mean to continue till my own house
which tho’ an excellent one is at Present somewhat out of repair, is
ready to receive me. Amiable princess of my Heart farewell—Of that
Heart which trembles while it signs itself Your most ardent Admirer and
devoted humble servt.
T. Musgrove.
There is a pattern for a Love-letter Matilda! Did you ever read such a
master-piece of Writing? Such sense, such sentiment, such purity of
Thought, such flow of Language and such unfeigned Love in one sheet?
No, never I can answer for it, since a Musgrove is not to be met with
by every Girl. Oh! how I long to be with him! I intend to send him the
following in answer to his Letter tomorrow.
My dearest Musgrove—. Words cannot express how happy your Letter made
me; I thought I should have cried for joy, for I love you better than
any body in the World. I think you the most amiable, and the handsomest
Man in England, and so to be sure you are. I never read so sweet a
Letter in my Life. Do write me another just like it, and tell me you
are in love with me in every other line. I quite die to see you. How
shall we manage to see one another? for we are so much in love that we
cannot live asunder. Oh! my dear Musgrove you cannot think how
impatiently I wait for the death of my Uncle and Aunt—If they will not
Die soon, I beleive I shall run mad, for I get more in love with you
every day of my Life.
How happy your Sister is to enjoy the pleasure of your Company in her
house, and how happy every body in London must be because you are
there. I hope you will be so kind as to write to me again soon, for I
never read such sweet Letters as yours. I am my dearest Musgrove most
truly and faithfully yours for ever and ever
Henrietta Halton.
I hope he will like my answer; it is as good a one as I can write
though nothing to his; Indeed I had always heard what a dab he was at a
Love-letter. I saw him you know for the first time at Lady
Scudamores—And when I saw her Ladyship afterwards she asked me how I
liked her Cousin Musgrove?
“Why upon my word said I, I think he is a very handsome young Man.”
“I am glad you think so replied she, for he is distractedly in love
with you.”
“Law! Lady Scudamore said I, how can you talk so ridiculously?”
“Nay, t’is very true answered she, I assure you, for he was in love
with you from the first moment he beheld you.”
“I wish it may be true said I, for that is the only kind of love I
would give a farthing for—There is some sense in being in love at first
sight.”
“Well, I give you Joy of your conquest, replied Lady Scudamore, and I
beleive it to have been a very complete one; I am sure it is not a
contemptible one, for my Cousin is a charming young fellow, has seen a
great deal of the World, and writes the best Love-letters I ever read.”
This made me very happy, and I was excessively pleased with my
conquest. However, I thought it was proper to give myself a few Airs—so
I said to her—
“This is all very pretty Lady Scudamore, but you know that we young
Ladies who are Heiresses must not throw ourselves away upon Men who
have no fortune at all.”
“My dear Miss Halton said she, I am as much convinced of that as you
can be, and I do assure you that I should be the last person to
encourage your marrying anyone who had not some pretensions to expect a
fortune with you. Mr Musgrove is so far from being poor that he has an
estate of several hundreds an year which is capable of great
Improvement, and an excellent House, though at Present it is not quite
in repair.”
“If that is the case replied I, I have nothing more to say against him,
and if as you say he is an informed young Man and can write a good
Love-letter, I am sure I have no reason to find fault with him for
admiring me, tho’ perhaps I may not marry him for all that Lady
Scudamore.”
“You are certainly under no obligation to marry him answered her
Ladyship, except that which love himself will dictate to you, for if I
am not greatly mistaken you are at this very moment unknown to
yourself, cherishing a most tender affection for him.”
“Law, Lady Scudamore replied I blushing how can you think of such a
thing?”
“Because every look, every word betrays it, answered she; Come my dear
Henrietta, consider me as a freind, and be sincere with me—Do not you
prefer Mr Musgrove to any man of your acquaintance?”
“Pray do not ask me such questions Lady Scudamore, said I turning away
my head, for it is not fit for me to answer them.”
“Nay my Love replied she, now you confirm my suspicions. But why
Henrietta should you be ashamed to own a well-placed Love, or why
refuse to confide in me?”
“I am not ashamed to own it; said I taking Courage. I do not refuse to
confide in you or blush to say that I do love your cousin Mr Musgrove,
that I am sincerely attached to him, for it is no disgrace to love a
handsome Man. If he were plain indeed I might have had reason to be
ashamed of a passion which must have been mean since the object would
have been unworthy. But with such a figure and face, and such beautiful
hair as your Cousin has, why should I blush to own that such superior
merit has made an impression on me.”
“My sweet Girl (said Lady Scudamore embracing me with great affection)
what a delicate way of thinking you have in these matters, and what a
quick discernment for one of your years! Oh! how I honour you for such
Noble Sentiments!”
“Do you Ma’am said I; You are vastly obliging. But pray Lady Scudamore
did your Cousin himself tell you of his affection for me I shall like
him the better if he did, for what is a Lover without a Confidante?”
“Oh! my Love replied she, you were born for each other. Every word you
say more deeply convinces me that your Minds are actuated by the
invisible power of simpathy, for your opinions and sentiments so
exactly coincide. Nay, the colour of your Hair is not very different.
Yes my dear Girl, the poor despairing Musgrove did reveal to me the
story of his Love—. Nor was I surprised at it—I know not how it was,
but I had a kind of presentiment that he _would_ be in love with you.”
“Well, but how did he break it to you?”
“It was not till after supper. We were sitting round the fire together
talking on indifferent subjects, though to say the truth the
Conversation was cheifly on my side for he was thoughtful and silent,
when on a sudden he interrupted me in the midst of something I was
saying, by exclaiming in a most Theatrical tone—