MISS HARRIET BYRON, TO MISS LUCY SELBY
FRIDAY, MARCH 31.
You now, my dear friends, have before you this affecting story, as far as
Dr. Bartlett can give it. My cousins express a good deal of concern for
your Harriet: so does Miss Grandison: so doth my Lord and Lady L----: and
the more, as I seem to carry off the matter with assumed bravery. This
their kind concern for me looks, however, as if they thought me a
hypocrite; and I suppose, therefore, that I act my part very awkwardly.
But, my dear, as this case is one of those few in which a woman can shew
a bravery of spirit, I think an endeavour after it is laudable; and the
rather, as in my conduct I aim at giving a tacit example to Miss Jervois.
The doctor has whisper'd to me, that Lady Olivia is actually on her way
to England; and that the intelligence Sir Charles received of her
intention, was one of the things that disturbed him, as the news of his
beloved Signor Jeronymo's dangerous condition was another.
Lady Anne S----, it seems, has not yet given up her hopes of Sir Charles.
The two sisters, who once favoured her above all the women they knew,
have not been able to bring themselves to acquaint a lady of her rank,
merit, and fortune, that there can be no hopes; and they are still more
loath to say, that their brother thinks himself under some obligation to
a foreign lady. Yet you know that this was always what we were afraid
of: but, who, now, will say afraid, that knows the merit of Clementina?
I wish, methinks, that this man were proud, vain, arrogant, and a
boaster. How easily then might one throw off one's shackles!
Lord G---- is very diligent in his court to Miss Grandison. His father
and aunt are to visit her this afternoon. She behaves whimsically to my
lord: yet I cannot think that she greatly dislikes him.
The Earl of D---- and the Countess Dowager are both in town. The
Countess made a visit to my cousin Reeves last Tuesday: she spoke of me
very kindly: she says that my lord has heard so much of me, that he is
very desirous of seeing me: but she was pleased to say, that, since my
heart was not disengaged, she should be afraid of the consequences of his
visit to himself.
My grandmamma, though she was so kindly fond of me, would not suffer me
to live with her; because she thought, that her contemplative temper
might influence mine, and make me grave, at a time of life, when she is
always saying, that cheerfulness is most becoming: she would therefore
turn over her girl to the best of aunts. But now I fancy, she will allow
me to be more than two days in a week her attendant. My uncle Selby will
be glad to spare me. I shall not be able to bear a jest: and then, what
shall I be good for?
I have made a fine hand of coming to town, he says: and so I have: but if
my heart is not quite so easy as it was, it is, I hope, a better, at
least not a worse heart than I brought up with me. Could I only have
admired this man, my excursion would not have been unhappy. But this
gratitude, this entangling, with all its painful consequence--But let me
say, with my grandmamma, the man is Sir Charles Grandison! The very man
by whose virtues a Clementina was attracted. Upon my word, my dear,
unhappy as she is, I rank her with the first of women.
I have not had a great deal of Sir Charles Grandison's company; but yet
more, I am afraid, than I shall ever have again. Very true--O heart! the
most wayward of hearts, sigh if thou wilt!
You have seen how little he was with us, when we were absolutely in his
reach, and when he, as we thought, was in ours. But such a man cannot,
ought not to be engrossed by one family. Bless me, Lucy, when he comes
into public life, (for has not his country a superior claim to him beyond
every private one?) what moment can he have at liberty? Let me enumerate
some of his present engagements that we know of.
The Danby family must have some farther portion of his time.
The executorship in the disposal of the 3000£. in charity, in France as
well as in England, will take up a good deal more.
My Lord W---- may be said to be under his tutelage, as to the future
happiness of his life.
Miss Jervois's affairs, and the care he has for her person, engage much
of his attention.
He is his own steward.
He is making alterations at Grandison-hall; and has a large genteel
neighbourhood there, who long to have him reside among them; and he
himself is fond of that seat.
His estate in Ireland is in a prosperous way, from the works he set on
foot there, when he was on the spot; and he talks, as Dr. Bartlett has
hinted to us, of making another visit to it.
His sister's match with Lord G---- is one of his cares.
He has services to perform for his friend Beauchamp, with his father and
mother-in-law, for the facilitating his coming over.
The apprehended visit of Olivia gives him disturbance.
And the Bologna family in its various branches, and more especially
Signor Jeronymo's dangerous state of health, and Signora Clementina's
disordered mind--O, Lucy!--What leisure has this man to be in love?--Yet
how can I say so, when he is in love already? And with Clementina.--And
don't you think, that when he goes to France on the executorship account,
he will make a visit to Bologna?--Ah, my dear, to be sure he will.
After he has left England, therefore, which I suppose he will quickly do,
and when I am in Northamptonshire, what opportunities will your Harriet
have to see him, except she can obtain, as a favour, the power of
obliging his Emily, in her request to be with her? Then, Lucy, he may,
on his return to England, once a year or so, on his visiting his ward,
see, and thank for her care and love of his Emily, his half-estranged
Harriet!--Perhaps Lady Clementina Grandison will be with him! God
restore her! Surely I shall be capable, if she be Lady Grandison, of
rejoicing in her recovery!----
Fie upon it!--Why this involuntary tear? You would see it by the large
blot it has made, if I did not mention it.
Excellent man!--Dr. Bartlett has just been telling me of a morning visit
he received, before he went out of town, from the two sons of Mrs.
Oldham.
One of them is about seven years old; the other about five; very fine
children. He embraced them, the doctor says, with as much tenderness, as
if they were children of his own mother. He enquired into their
inclinations, behaviour, diversions; and engaged equally their love and
reverence.
He told them, that, if they were good, he would love them; and said, he
had a dear friend, whom he reverenced as his father, a man with white
curling locks, he told the children, that they might know him at first
sight, who would now-and-then, as he happened to be in town, make
enquiries after their good behaviour, and reward them, as they gave him
cause. Accordingly he had desired Dr. Bartlett to give them occasionally
his countenance; as also to let their mother know, that he should be glad
of a visit from her, and her three children, on his return to town.
The doctor had been to see her when he came to me. He found all three
with her. The two younger, impressed by the venerable description Sir
Charles had given of him, voluntarily, the younger, by the elder's
example, fell down on their knees before him, and begged his blessing.
Mr. Oldham is about eighteen years of age; a well-inclined, well-educated
youth. He was full of acknowledgments of the favour done him in this
invitation.
The grateful mother could not contain herself. Blessings without number,
she invoked on her benefactor, for his goodness in taking such kind
notice of her two sons, as he had done; and said, he had been, ever since
his gracious behaviour to her in Essex, the first and last in her prayers
to Heaven. But the invitation to herself, she declared, was too great an
honour for her to accept of: she should not be able to stand in his
presence. Alas! sir, said she, can the severest, truest penitence recall
the guilty past?
The doctor said, that Sir Charles Grandison ever made it a rule with him,
to raise the dejected and humbled spirit. Your birth and education,
madam, entitle you to a place in the first company: and where there are
two lights in which the behaviour of any person may be set, though there
has been unhappiness, he always remembers the most favourable, and
forgets the other. I would advise you, madam, (as he has invited you,)
by all means to come. He speaks with pleasure of your humility and good
sense.
The doctor told me, that Sir Charles had made inquiries after the
marriage of Major O'Hara with Mrs. Jervois, and had satisfied himself
that they were actually man and wife. Methinks I am glad for Miss
Jervois's sake, that her mother has changed her name. They lived not
happily together since their last enterprise: for the man, who had long
been a sufferer from poverty, was in fear of losing one half at least of
his wife's annuity, by what passed on that occasion; and accused her of
putting him upon the misbehaviour he was guilty of; which had brought
upon him, he said, the resentments of a man admired by all the world.
The attorney, who visited Sir Charles from these people, at their
request, waited on him again, in their names, with hopes that they should
not suffer in their annuity, and expressing their concern for having
offended him.
Mrs. O'Hara also requested it as a favour to see her daughter.
Sir Charles commissioned the attorney, who is a man of repute, to tell
them, that if Mrs. O'Hara would come to St. James's-square next Wednesday
about five o'clock, Miss Jervois should be introduced to her; and she
should be welcome to bring with her her husband, and Captain Salmonet,
that they might be convinced he bore no ill-will to either of them.
Adieu, till by and by. Miss Grandison is come, in one of her usual
hurries, to oblige me to be present at the visit to be made her this
afternoon, by the Earl of G---- and Lady Gertrude, his sister, a maiden
lady advanced in years, who is exceedingly fond of her nephew, and
intends to make him heir of her large fortune.
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