_Miss Vernon to Mr. De Courcy._
Sir,—I hope you will excuse this liberty; I am forced upon it by the
greatest distress, or I should be ashamed to trouble you. I am very
miserable about Sir James Martin, and have no other way in the world of
helping myself but by writing to you, for I am forbidden even speaking
to my uncle and aunt on the subject; and this being the case, I am
afraid my applying to you will appear no better than equivocation, and
as if I attended to the letter and not the spirit of mamma’s commands.
But if you do not take my part and persuade her to break it off, I
shall be half distracted, for I cannot bear him. No human being but
_you_ could have any chance of prevailing with her. If you will,
therefore, have the unspeakably great kindness of taking my part with
her, and persuading her to send Sir James away, I shall be more obliged
to you than it is possible for me to express. I always disliked him
from the first: it is not a sudden fancy, I assure you, sir; I always
thought him silly and impertinent and disagreeable, and now he is grown
worse than ever. I would rather work for my bread than marry him. I do
not know how to apologize enough for this letter; I know it is taking
so great a liberty. I am aware how dreadfully angry it will make mamma,
but I remember the risk.
I am, Sir, your most humble servant,
F. S. V.