Love and Friendship, and Other Early Works, Jane Austen [bts books to read txt] 📗

tell your Maid to come

for you at night—There will be no Moon—and you will have an

horrid walk home—My compts to Your Mother—I am afraid your

dinner will be cold—Drive on—” And away she went, leaving me in

a great passion with her as she always does.

Maria Williams.

 

LETTER the FOURTH

From a YOUNG LADY rather impertinent to her freind

 

We dined yesterday with Mr Evelyn where we were introduced to a

very agreable looking Girl his Cousin. I was extremely pleased

with her appearance, for added to the charms of an engaging face,

her manner and voice had something peculiarly interesting in

them. So much so, that they inspired me with a great curiosity

to know the history of her Life, who were her Parents, where she

came from, and what had befallen her, for it was then only known

that she was a relation of Mr Evelyn, and that her name was

Grenville. In the evening a favourable opportunity offered to me

of attempting at least to know what I wished to know, for every

one played at Cards but Mrs Evelyn, My Mother, Dr Drayton, Miss

Grenville and myself, and as the two former were engaged in a

whispering Conversation, and the Doctor fell asleep, we were of

necessity obliged to entertain each other. This was what I

wished and being determined not to remain in ignorance for want

of asking, I began the Conversation in the following Manner.

 

“Have you been long in Essex Ma’am?”

 

“I arrived on Tuesday.”

 

“You came from Derbyshire?”

 

“No, Ma’am! appearing surprised at my question, from Suffolk.”

You will think this a good dash of mine my dear Mary, but you

know that I am not wanting for Impudence when I have any end in

veiw. “Are you pleased with the Country Miss Grenville? Do you

find it equal to the one you have left?”

 

“Much superior Ma’am in point of Beauty.” She sighed. I longed to

know for why.

 

“But the face of any Country however beautiful said I, can be but

a poor consolation for the loss of one’s dearest Freinds.” She

shook her head, as if she felt the truth of what I said. My

Curiosity was so much raised, that I was resolved at any rate to

satisfy it.

 

“You regret having left Suffolk then Miss Grenville?” “Indeed I

do.” “You were born there I suppose?” “Yes Ma’am I was and

passed many happy years there—”

 

“That is a great comfort—said I—I hope Ma’am that you never

spent any unhappy one’s there.”

 

“Perfect Felicity is not the property of Mortals, and no one has

a right to expect uninterrupted Happiness.—Some Misfortunes I

have certainly met with.”

 

“WHAT Misfortunes dear Ma’am? replied I, burning with impatience

to know every thing. “NONE Ma’am I hope that have been the

effect of any wilfull fault in me.” ” I dare say not Ma’am, and

have no doubt but that any sufferings you may have experienced

could arise only from the cruelties of Relations or the Errors of

Freinds.” She sighed—“You seem unhappy my dear Miss Grenville

—Is it in my power to soften your Misfortunes?” “YOUR power

Ma’am replied she extremely surprised; it is in NO ONES power to

make me happy.” She pronounced these words in so mournfull and

solemn an accent, that for some time I had not courage to reply.

I was actually silenced. I recovered myself however in a few

moments and looking at her with all the affection I could, “My

dear Miss Grenville said I, you appear extremely young—and may

probably stand in need of some one’s advice whose regard for you,

joined to superior Age, perhaps superior Judgement might

authorise her to give it. I am that person, and I now challenge

you to accept the offer I make you of my Confidence and

Freindship, in return to which I shall only ask for yours—”

 

“You are extremely obliging Ma’am—said she—and I am highly

flattered by your attention to me—But I am in no difficulty, no

doubt, no uncertainty of situation in which any advice can be

wanted. Whenever I am however continued she brightening into a

complaisant smile, I shall know where to apply.”

 

I bowed, but felt a good deal mortified by such a repulse; still

however I had not given up my point. I found that by the

appearance of sentiment and Freindship nothing was to be gained

and determined therefore to renew my attacks by Questions and

suppositions. “Do you intend staying long in this part of

England Miss Grenville?”

 

“Yes Ma’am, some time I beleive.”

 

“But how will Mr and Mrs Grenville bear your absence?”

 

“They are neither of them alive Ma’am.”

This was an answer I did not expect—I was quite silenced, and

never felt so awkward in my Life–.

 

LETTER the FIFTH

From a YOUNG LADY very much in love to her Freind

 

My Uncle gets more stingy, my Aunt more particular, and I more in

love every day. What shall we all be at this rate by the end of

the year! I had this morning the happiness of receiving the

following Letter from my dear Musgrove.

 

Sackville St: Janry 7th

It is a month to day since I first beheld my lovely Henrietta,

and the sacred anniversary must and shall be kept in a manner

becoming the day—by writing to her. Never shall I forget the

moment when her Beauties first broke on my sight—No time as you

well know can erase it from my Memory. It was at Lady

Scudamores. Happy Lady Scudamore to live within a mile of the

divine Henrietta! When the lovely Creature first entered the

room, oh! what were my sensations? The sight of you was like

the sight ofa wonderful fine Thing. I started—I gazed at her

with admiration —She appeared every moment more Charming, and

the unfortunate Musgrove became a captive to your Charms before I

had time to look about me. Yes Madam, I had the happiness of

adoring you, an happiness for which I cannot be too grateful.

“What said he to himself is Musgrove allowed to die for

Henrietta? Enviable Mortal! and may he pine for her who is the

object of universal admiration, who is adored by a Colonel, and

toasted by a Baronet! Adorable Henrietta how beautiful you are!

I declare you are quite divine! You are more than Mortal. You

are an Angel. You are Venus herself. In short Madam you are the

prettiest Girl I ever saw in my Life—and her Beauty is encreased

in her Musgroves Eyes, by permitting him to love her and allowing

me to hope. And ah! Angelic Miss Henrietta Heaven is my witness

how ardently I do hope for the death of your villanous Uncle and

his abandoned Wife, since my fair one will not consent to be mine

till their decease has placed her in affluence above what my

fortune can procure—. Though it is an improvable Estate—.

Cruel Henrietta to persist in such a resolution! I am at Present

with my sister where I mean to continue till my own house which

tho’ an excellent one is at Present somewhat out of repair, is

ready to receive me. Amiable princess of my Heart farewell—Of

that Heart which trembles while it signs itself Your most ardent

Admirer and devoted humble servt.

T. Musgrove.

 

There is a pattern for a Love-letter Matilda! Did you ever read

such a master-piece of Writing? Such sense, such sentiment, such

purity of Thought, such flow of Language and such unfeigned Love

in one sheet? No, never I can answer for it, since a Musgrove is

not to be met with by every Girl. Oh! how I long to be with

him! I intend to send him the following in answer to his Letter

tomorrow.

 

My dearest Musgrove—. Words cannot express how happy your

Letter made me; I thought I should have cried for joy, for I love

you better than any body in the World. I think you the most

amiable, and the handsomest Man in England, and so to be sure you

are. I never read so sweet a Letter in my Life. Do write me

another just like it, and tell me you are in love with me in

every other line. I quite die to see you. How shall we manage

to see one another? for we are so much in love that we cannot

live asunder. Oh! my dear Musgrove you cannot think how

impatiently I wait for the death of my Uncle and Aunt—If they

will not Die soon, I beleive I shall run mad, for I get more in

love with you every day of my Life.

 

How happy your Sister is to enjoy the pleasure of your Company in

her house, and how happy every body in London must be because you

are there. I hope you will be so kind as to write to me again

soon, for I never read such sweet Letters as yours. I am my

dearest Musgrove most truly and faithfully yours for ever and

ever

Henrietta Halton.

 

I hope he will like my answer; it is as good a one as I can write

though nothing to his; Indeed I had always heard what a dab he

was at a Love-letter. I saw him you know for the first time at

Lady Scudamores—And when I saw her Ladyship afterwards she asked

me how I liked her Cousin Musgrove?

 

“Why upon my word said I, I think he is a very handsome young

Man.”

 

“I am glad you think so replied she, for he is distractedly in

love with you.”

 

“Law! Lady Scudamore said I, how can you talk so ridiculously?”

 

“Nay, t’is very true answered she, I assure you, for he was in

love with you from the first moment he beheld you.”

 

“I wish it may be true said I, for that is the only kind of love

I would give a farthing for—There is some sense in being in love

at first sight.”

 

“Well, I give you Joy of your conquest, replied Lady Scudamore,

and I beleive it to have been a very complete one; I am sure it

is not a contemptible one, for my Cousin is a charming young

fellow, has seen a great deal of the World, and writes the best

Love-letters I ever read.”

 

This made me very happy, and I was excessively pleased with my

conquest. However, I thought it was proper to give myself a few

Airs—so I said to her—

 

“This is all very pretty Lady Scudamore, but you know that we

young Ladies who are Heiresses must not throw ourselves away upon

Men who have no fortune at all.”

 

“My dear Miss Halton said she, I am as much convinced of that as

you can be, and I do assure you that I should be the last person

to encourage your marrying anyone who had not some pretensions to

expect a fortune with you. Mr Musgrove is so far from being

poor that he has an estate of several hundreds an year which is

capable of great Improvement, and an excellent House, though at

Present it is not quite in repair.”

 

“If that is the case replied I, I have nothing more to say

against him, and if as you say he is an informed young Man and

can write a good Love-letter, I am sure I have no reason to find

fault with him for admiring me, tho’ perhaps I may not marry him

for all that Lady Scudamore.”

 

“You are certainly under no obligation to marry him answered her

Ladyship, except that which love himself will dictate to you, for

if I am not greatly mistaken you