_Lady Susan Vernon to Mrs. Johnson._
Churchhill.
My dear Alicia,—You are very good in taking notice of Frederica, and I
am grateful for it as a mark of your friendship; but as I cannot have
any doubt of the warmth of your affection, I am far from exacting so
heavy a sacrifice. She is a stupid girl, and has nothing to recommend
her. I would not, therefore, on my account, have you encumber one
moment of your precious time by sending for her to Edward Street,
especially as every visit is so much deducted from the grand affair of
education, which I really wish to have attended to while she remains at
Miss Summers’s. I want her to play and sing with some portion of taste
and a good deal of assurance, as she has my hand and arm and a
tolerable voice. I was so much indulged in my infant years that I was
never obliged to attend to anything, and consequently am without the
accomplishments which are now necessary to finish a pretty woman. Not
that I am an advocate for the prevailing fashion of acquiring a perfect
knowledge of all languages, arts, and sciences. It is throwing time
away to be mistress of French, Italian, and German: music, singing, and
drawing, &c., will gain a woman some applause, but will not add one
lover to her list—grace and manner, after all, are of the greatest
importance. I do not mean, therefore, that Frederica’s acquirements
should be more than superficial, and I flatter myself that she will not
remain long enough at school to understand anything thoroughly. I hope
to see her the wife of Sir James within a twelvemonth. You know on what
I ground my hope, and it is certainly a good foundation, for school
must be very humiliating to a girl of Frederica’s age. And, by-the-by,
you had better not invite her any more on that account, as I wish her
to find her situation as unpleasant as possible. I am sure of Sir James
at any time, and could make him renew his application by a line. I
shall trouble you meanwhile to prevent his forming any other attachment
when he comes to town. Ask him to your house occasionally, and talk to
him of Frederica, that he may not forget her. Upon the whole, I commend
my own conduct in this affair extremely, and regard it as a very happy
instance of circumspection and tenderness. Some mothers would have
insisted on their daughter’s accepting so good an offer on the first
overture; but I could not reconcile it to myself to force Frederica
into a marriage from which her heart revolted, and instead of adopting
so harsh a measure merely propose to make it her own choice, by
rendering her thoroughly uncomfortable till she does accept him—but
enough of this tiresome girl. You may well wonder how I contrive to
pass my time here, and for the first week it was insufferably dull.
Now, however, we begin to mend, our party is enlarged by Mrs. Vernon’s
brother, a handsome young man, who promises me some amusement. There is
something about him which rather interests me, a sort of sauciness and
familiarity which I shall teach him to correct. He is lively, and seems
clever, and when I have inspired him with greater respect for me than
his sister’s kind offices have implanted, he may be an agreeable flirt.
There is exquisite pleasure in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a
person predetermined to dislike acknowledge one’s superiority. I have
disconcerted him already by my calm reserve, and it shall be my
endeavour to humble the pride of these self important De Courcys still
lower, to convince Mrs. Vernon that her sisterly cautions have been
bestowed in vain, and to persuade Reginald that she has scandalously
belied me. This project will serve at least to amuse me, and prevent my
feeling so acutely this dreadful separation from you and all whom I
love.
Yours ever,
S. VERNON.