LADY G----, TO MISS BYRON
THURSDAY, APRIL 13.
For Heaven's sake, my dearest Harriet! dine with us to-day; for two
reasons: one relates to myself; the other you shall hear by and by: To
myself, first, as is most fit--This silly creature has offended me, and
presumed to be sullen upon my resentment. Married but two days, and shew
his airs!--Were I in fault, my dear, (which, upon my honour, I am not,)
for the man to lose his patience with me, to forget his obligations to
me, in two days!--What an ungrateful wretch is he! What a poor powerless
creature your Charlotte!
Nobody knows of the matter, except he has complained to my brother--If he
has! But what if he has?--Alas! my dear, I am married; and cannot help
myself.
We seem, however, to be drawing up our forces on both sides.--One
struggle for my dying liberty, my dear!--The success of one pitched
battle will determine which is to be the general, which the subaltern,
for the rest of the campaign. To dare to be sullen already!--As I hope
to live, my dear, I was in high good humour within myself; and when he
was foolish, only intended a little play with him; and he takes it in
earnest. He worships you: so I shall rally him before you: but I charge
you, as the man by his sullenness has taken upon him to fight his own
battle, either to be on my side, or be silent. I shall take it very ill
of my Harriet, if she strengthen his hands.
Well, but enough of this husband--HUSBAND! What a word!--Who do you
think is arrived from abroad?--You cannot guess for your life--Lady
OLIVIA!--True as you are alive! accompanied, it seems, by an aunt of
hers; a widow, whose years and character are to keep the niece in
countenance in this excursion. The pretence is, making the tour of
Europe: and England was not to be left out of the scheme. My brother is
excessively disturbed at her arrival. She came to town but last night.
He had notice of it but this morning. He took Emily with him to visit
her: Emily was known to her at Florence. She and her aunt are to be here
at dinner. As she is come, Sir Charles says, he must bring her
acquainted with his sisters, and their lords, in order to be at liberty
to pursue the measures he has unalterably resolved upon: and this,
Harriet, is my second reason for urging you to dine with us.
Now I do wish we had known her history at large. Dr. Bartlett shall tell
it us. Unwelcome as she is to my brother, I long to see her. I hope I
shall not hear something in her story, that will make me pity her.
Will you come?
I wonder whether she speaks English, or not. I don't think I can
converse in Italian.