Melvyn received Mr Morgan's hand and name with all the fortitude she
could assume; but her distress was visible to all, even to Mr Morgan,
who was so little touched with it that it proved no abatement to his
joy; a symptom of such indelicacy of mind as increased his bride's grief
and apprehensions.
The day after their marriage, Mrs Morgan asked his permission to invite
Miss Mancel to his house, to which he answered, 'Madam, my wife must
have no other companion or friend but her husband; I shall never be
averse to your seeing company, but intimates I forbid; I shall not
choose to have my faults discussed between you and your friend.'
Mrs Morgan was not much less stunned by this reply than if she had been
struck with lightning. Practised as she had long been in commanding her
passions and inclinations, a torrent of tears forced their way.
'I did not want this proof,' resumed Mr Morgan, 'that I have but a small
share of your affections; and were I inclined to grant your request, you
could not have found a better means of preventing it; for I will have no
person in my house more beloved than myself. When you have no other
friend,' added he with a malicious smile, 'I may hope for the honour of
that title.'
Mrs Morgan was so well convinced before of the littleness of his mind
that she was more afflicted than surprised at this instance of it, and
wished he would not have rendered it more difficult to esteem him by so
openly professing his ungenerous temper. However she silently
acquiesced; but that her friend might not feel the pain of believing
herself neglected, she was obliged to tell her what had passed.
The new married couple stayed but two days longer at Sir Charles's.
Fortunately Mr Morgan spent the last day abroad in paying visits in the
neighbourhood, which gave the two unhappy friends leisure to lament
their ill fortune in this cruel separation, without giving the cause of
it any new offence. They took a melancholy leave that night, fearing
that even a correspondence between them might be considerably restrained
by this arbitrary husband who seemed to think his wife's affections were
to be won by force, not by gentleness and generous confidence.
This was the severest affliction they had ever yet experienced, or
indeed were capable of feeling. United from their childhood, the
connection of soul and body did not seem more indissoluble, nor were
ever divided with greater pain. They foresaw no end to this cruel
separation; for they could not expect that a husband's complaisance to
his wife should increase after he ceased to be a bridegroom. Louisa
indeed, who wished if possible to reconcile her friend to her fate,
pretended to hope that her good conduct might in time enlarge his mind
and cure him of that mean suspicious temper which then made him fear to
have his faults exposed by a wife whose chief endeavour would be to
conceal them.
But such distant views afforded no consolation to Mrs Morgan's
affectionate heart; the present pain engaged her thoughts too much to
suffer her to look so far off for comfort. She had flattered herself not
only with the hopes of enjoying Miss Mancel's company, but of delivering
her from all the difficulties of her situation, in offering her a
protection from insult or poverty. To be disappointed of so delightful a
prospect was her greatest affliction, and sat much heavier on her mind
than the loss of her beloved society.
The evening was far spent when Lady Melvyn found them drowned in tears,
anticipating the pangs of parting, the employment of that whole day; and
as her ladyship's hatred for her step-daughter was much subsided, since
she no longer feared the observation of her too-virtuous eye, her
natural disposition inclined her to prevent the wife's discovering her
real sentiments to her husband; she therefore reminded them that Mr
Morgan must then be on his way home, and advised that by all means they
should part before his return, lest he should be witness of a sorrow
which he would take amiss. They were sensible that in this her ladyship
judged well, and Louisa's fear of occasioning any additional uneasiness
to her friend gave her resolution and strength to take a last farewell.
Mrs Morgan's maid attended her home, as she was too much affected to be
able to perform that little walk without some support. Mrs Morgan's
condition was still more deplorable; more dead than alive, she followed
Louisa's steps with eager eyes, till a turning in the road robbed her of
the sight of her friend; and then, as if her eyes had no other
employment worthy of them left, they were again overwhelmed in tears.
Lady Melvyn found her incapable of consolation; but more successfully
endeavoured to make her suppress the indulgence of her grief by alarming
her fears with the approach of Mr Morgan. As soon as she was a little
composed, she led her into the garden for air. The night was fine, and
the moon shone very resplendent, the beauty of the scene and the
freshness of the air a little revived her; and as Mr Morgan stayed out
later than they expected she had time to acquire a sufficient command
over herself to receive him with an air of tolerable cheerfulness.
The new married pair set out early the next morning, and arrived at Mr
Morgan's seat the following day. The house was large and old, the
furniture not much less ancient, the situation dreary, the roads
everywhere bad, the soil a stiff clay, wet and dirty, except in the
midst of summer, the country round it disagreeable, and in short,
destitute of every thing that could afford any satisfaction to Mrs
Morgan. Nature nowhere appears graced with fewer charms. Mrs Morgan
however had vexations so superior that she paid little regard to
external circumstances, and was so fully determined to acquit herself
properly in her new sphere that she appeared pleased with every thing
around her. Hypocrisy, as she observed, was now become a virtue, and the
only one which she found it difficult to practise. They were received on
their arrival by a maiden sister of Mr Morgan's, who till then had kept
his house and he intended should still remain in it; for as through the
partiality of an aunt who had bred her up she was possessed of a large
fortune, her brother, in whom avarice was the ruling passion, was very
desirous of keeping in her favour.
Miss Susanna Morgan had lived immaculate to the age of fifty-five. The
state of virginity could not be laid to her charge as an offence against
society, for it had not been voluntary. In her youth she was rather
distinguished for sensibility. Her aunt's known riches gave the niece
the reputation of a great fortune, an attraction to which she was
indebted for many lovers, who constantly took their leave on finding the
old lady would not advance any part of the money which she designed to
bequeath her niece. Miss Susanna, extremely susceptible by nature, was
favourably disposed to all her admirers, and imagining herself
successively in love with each, lived in a course of disappointments. In
reality, the impression was made only on her vanity, and her heart
continued unengaged; but she felt such a train of mortifications very
severely, and perhaps suffered more upon the whole than if she had been
strongly impressed with one passion. In time the parsimony of her old
aunt became generally known, and the young lady then was left free from
the tender importunity of lovers, of which nothing else could probably
have deprived her; for as she never had any natural attractions, she was
not subject to a decay of charms; at near fifty-five her aunt departed
this life, and left her in possession of twenty thousand pounds, a
fortune which served to swell her pride, without increasing her
happiness.
Nature had not originally bestowed upon her much sweetness of temper,
and her frequent disappointments, each of which she termed being crossed
in love, had completely soured it. Every pretty woman was the object of
her envy, I might almost say every married woman. She despised all that
were not as rich as herself, and hated every one who was superior or
equal to her in fortune. Tormented inwardly with her own ill-nature, she
was incapable of any satisfaction but what arose from teasing others;
nothing could dispel the frown on her brow, except the satisfaction she
felt when she had the good fortune to give pain to any of her
dependants; a horrid grin then distorted her features, and her before
lifeless eyes glistened with malice and rancorous joy. She had read
just enough to make her pedantic, and too little to give her any
improving knowledge. Her understanding was naturally small, and her
self-conceit great. In her person she was tall and meagre, her hair
black, and her complexion of the darkest brown, with an additional
sallowness at her temples and round her eyes, which were dark, very
large and prominent, and entirely without lustre; they had but one look,
which was that of gloomy stupid ill-nature, except, as I have already
said, when they were enlivened by the supreme satisfaction of having
made somebody uneasy, then what before was but disagreeable became
horrible. To complete the description of her face, she had a broad flat
nose, a wide mouth, furnished with the worst set of teeth I ever saw,
and her chin was long and pointed. She had heard primness so often
mentioned as the characteristic of an old maid, that to avoid wearing
that appearance she was slatternly and dirty to an excess; besides she
had great addition of filthiness, from a load of Spanish snuff with
which her whole dress was covered, as if, by her profusion in that
particular, she thought to compensate for her general parsimony.
This lady Mrs Morgan found in possession of her house, and was received
by her with that air of superiority to which Miss Susanna thought
herself entitled by her age and fortune. Mrs Morgan's charms, though
drooping like a blighted flower, excited much envy in Susanna's breast,
and she soon congratulated her on her extraordinary happiness in having
captivated a gentleman of so large a fortune when her own was at present
so very small.
At first she commended her for not being elated with so great an
acquisition, but in a little time taxed her with ungrateful
insensibility to so prodigious a blessing. She continually criticized
her economy, accusing her of indolence; representing, how she used every
morning to rouse the servants from their idleness, by giving each such a
scold, as quickened their diligence for the whole day; nor could a
family be well managed by any one who omitted this necessary duty. Mrs
Morgan's desire that her servants should enjoy the comforts of plenty,
and when sick, receive the indulgence which that condition requires,
brought her continual admonitions against extravagance, wherein Mr
Morgan readily joined; for his avarice was so great that he repined at
the most necessary expenses.
His temper was a mixture of passion and peevishness, two things that
seldom go together; but he would fret himself into a passion, and then
through weariness of spirits cool into fretfulness, till he was
sufficiently recovered to rise again into rage. This was the common
course of his temper, which afforded variety, but no relief.
Sensible that his wife married him without affection, he seemed to think
it impossible ever to gain her love, and therefore spared himself all
fruitless endeavours. He was indeed fond of her person; he admired her
beauty, but despised her understanding, which in truth was unavoidable;
for his ideas and conversation were so low and sordid that he was not
qualified to distinguish the charms of her elegant mind. Those who know
Mrs Morgan best are convinced that she suffered less uneasiness from his
ill-humour, brutal as it was, than from his nauseous fondness. But the
account I give of him, I have received from others; Mrs Morgan never
mentions his name, if it can possibly be avoided; and when she does, it
is always with respect. In this situation, a victim to the ill-humour
both of her husband and his sister, we will leave Mrs Morgan, and return
to that friend whose letters were her only consolation.
Miss Mancel's person was so uncommonly fine, that she could not be long
settled in the country without attracting general notice. Though the
lower rank of people may be less refined in their ideas, yet her beauty
was so very striking, that it did not escape their admiration, and the
handsome lady, as they called her, became the general subject of
discourse. As church was the only place where she exposed to public
view, she had from the first endeavoured to elude observation, by
mingling in the crowd, and sitting in the most obscure seat; but when
fame had awakened the curiosity of those of higher rank, she was easily
distinguished, and in a short time many inhabitants of the neighbouring
parishes came to that church to see her. She more than answered every
expectation; for such perfection of beauty scarcely ever came out of the
hands of nature. Many ladies in the neighbourhood introduced themselves
to her, and found her behaviour as enchanting as her person. She could
not be insensible of the approbation which every eye significantly
expressed; but she was abashed and in some degree more mortified than
delighted by it. She well remembered what Mr d'Avora had said to her on
that subject and saw that in her situation beauty was a disadvantage. He
often repeated the same thing to her in letters (for she and Miss Melvyn
keeping up a constant correspondence with him, the latter had acquainted
him with the general admiration paid to Louisa) and told her that he
feared the plan they had formed for her future way of life was at a
still greater distance than they had hoped, since her beauty was the
great obstacle to its being put in execution.
The ladies of the best fashion in the neighbourhood begged leave to
visit her; and though she more than ever wished to have her time
uninterrupted, since as she had no prospect of any other means of
support, it was necessary, by such little additions as she could make to
her small fund, to prevent its quick diminution, yet she could not
decline the civilities so obligingly offered her, but avoided all
intimacy with any of them as foreign to her plan, and hurtful to her
interest. Thus was she circumstanced in respect to the neighbourhood
when Miss Melvyn married.
As after this event Louisa was determined to change her habitation, she
began to enquire for some family where she might be accommodated in the
same manner as in that where she was then fixed. Among the persons who
had taken most notice of her was Lady Lambton, a person of admirable
understanding, polite, generous and good-natured; who had no fault but a
considerable share of pride. She piqued herself upon the opulence of her
family and a distinguished birth, but her good sense, and many virtues,
so qualified this one blemish, that it did not prevent her being a very
amiable woman.
When she found Miss Mancel designed to change her abode, she told her
that at an honest farmer's near her house she might be accommodated,
but that as some little alterations would be requisite to make the place
fit for her, she, in the most obliging manner, desired her company till
the apartment was ready; which would give her opportunity to see such
things were done to it as would be most convenient and agreeable. Lady
Lambton insisted so strongly on Miss Mancel's accepting this invitation
that she could not without incivility refuse it; and as, after the loss
of her friend, all places were alike to her, she had no reason to
decline so obliging an offer.
No great preparations were required for this removal of abode. Lady
Lambton came herself to fetch Miss Mancel home. The old lady was charmed
with her new guest, many of whose accomplishments were unknown to her
till she came under the same roof, and would not suffer any preparations
to be made for another lodging, but insisted on her continuing much
longer with her.
Lady Lambton behaved in so very obliging a manner, and Louisa found so
much pleasure and improvement in the conversation of a woman whose
admirable understanding and thorough knowledge of the world are seldom
to be paralleled, that she could not be more agreeably placed; as she
dared not go even into Mrs Morgan's neighbourhood, for fear of giving
additional uneasiness to one whose situation she plainly perceived was
by no means happy; for though Mrs Morgan suppressed all complaints,
never hinted at the treatment she received, and endeavoured to represent
her way of life in the best colours, to save her friend the sympathetic
pangs of heart which she knew she would feel for her sufferings; yet the
alteration in her style, the melancholy turn of mind which in spite of
all her care was visible in her letters, could not escape the
observation of one whose natural discernment was quickened by affection.
The full persuasion of Mrs Morgan's unhappiness, and that anxious
solicitude which arose from her ignorance as to the degree of her
wretchedness, was a source of continual grief to her mind, which Lady
Lambton's sincere friendship could scarcely alleviate. But she knew too
well how few people can bear the unhappy to suffer her uneasiness to
appear. She stifled therefore every expression of that kind; for if Lady
Lambton had generously sympathized in her affliction, it would have
given her pain to know she had occasioned that lady's feeling any; and
if she had been insensible to it, complaints would not fail to disgust
her.
Lady Lambton was fond of music, and not void of taste for painting; Miss
Mancel's excellence in these arts therefore afforded her the highest
entertainment. Her ladyship was likewise a mistress of languages, and
was pleased to find Louisa equally acquainted with them. In this house
Miss Mancel had passed above a twelve month, when Sir Edward Lambton
returned from his travels, in which he had spent four years. As soon as
he arrived in the kingdom he came to wait on Lady Lambton, his
grandmother, who was likewise his guardian, his father and mother being
both dead. She had longed with impatience for his return, but thought
herself well repaid for his absence by the great improvement which was
very visible both in his manner and person.
Sir Edward was extremely handsome, his person fine and graceful, his
conversation lively and entertaining, politeness adding charms to an
excellent understanding. His behaviour, I have been told, was
particularly engaging, his temper amiable, though somewhat too warm, and
he had all his grandmother's generosity, without any of her pride.
It would have been strange if a man of three and twenty years old (for
that was Sir Edward's age) had not been much charmed with so lovely a
woman as Miss Mancel. That he was so, soon became visible, but she, as
well as his grandmother, for some time imagined the attentions he paid
her were only the natural result of the gallantry usual at his age, and
improved into a softer address, by a manner acquired in travelling
through countries where gallantry is publicly professed Lady Lambton,
however, knowing her own discernment, expressed some fears to Louisa,
lest her grandson should become seriously in love with her, in order to
discover by her countenance whether there was really any ground for her
apprehensions, which she founded on the impossibility of his marrying a
woman of small fortune, without reducing himself to the greatest
inconvenience, as his estate was extremely incumbered, and he was by an
intail deprived of the liberty of selling any part of it to discharge
the debt. She was too polite to mention her chief objection to Miss
Mancel, which was in reality the obscurity of her birth. Louisa, who
sincerely believed Sir Edward had no real passion for her, answered with
a frankness which entirely convinced Lady Lambton that she had received
no serious address from him; but Louisa, who saw herself now in the
situation which Mr d'Avora had warned her against, begged permission to
leave Lady Lambton's, to prevent her ladyship's being under any
uneasiness, and to avoid all danger of Sir Edward's receiving any strong
impression in her favour.
Lady Lambton was unwilling to part with her amiable companion; and
besides, thought if her grandson was really enamoured, she should
increase the danger rather than lessen it by not keeping Louisa under
her eye; she therefore told her she could not consent to lose her
company, and was certain she might depend on her honour. Louisa thanked
her for her good opinion, and assured her she would never do any thing
to forfeit it.
Sir Edward was more captivated than either of the ladies imagined, and
every day increased his passion. Louisa's beauty, her conversation and
accomplishments were irresistible; but as he knew the great occasion he
had to marry a woman of fortune, he long endeavoured to combat his
inclinations. He might have conceived hopes of obtaining any other woman
in her circumstances on easier terms; but there was such dignity and
virtue shone forth in her, and he was so truly in love, that such a
thought never entered his imagination. He reverenced and respected her
like a divinity, but hoped that prudence might enable him to conquer his
passion, at the same time that it had not force enough to determine him
to fly her presence, the only possible means of lessening the impression
which every hour engraved more deeply on his heart by bringing some new
attractions to his view. He little considered that the man who has not
power to fly from temptation will never be able to resist it by standing
his ground.
Louisa was not long before she grew sensible that what she had offered
to Lady Lambton for the ease of her ladyship's mind, was advisable to
secure the peace of her own. Sir Edward's merit, his sincere respect for
her, which certainly is the most powerful charm to a woman of delicacy,
could scarcely fail to make an impression on a heart so tender, so
generous as hers. She kept so strict a watch over herself that she soon
perceived her sensibility, and endeavoured to prevail on Lady Lambton to
part with her; but the old lady, imagining it was only in order to quiet
her apprehensions, would not consent; and the difficulty in finding a
place where she could be properly received, strongly discouraged her
from insisting on it. If she continued in the neighbourhood, her purpose
would not be answered; for she could not avoid Sir Edward's visits; her
only friend was denied the liberty of protecting her, and to go into a
place where she was unknown would subject a young woman of her age and
beauty to a thousand dangers.