Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

love-Ah! Harriet! That gentleman in Northamptonshire Did you think we fhould not find you out?

This heartened me a little.

Har. O madam, do you think to come at anything by fuch methods as this? I ought to have been aware of Miss Grandifon's alarming ways.

Mifs Gr. You pay for this, alfo, Harriet. Did you not say that I should take the reins, Lady L.? I will have no mercy on our younger fifter for this abominable affectation and referve.

Har. And fo, ladies, I fuppofe you think, that Mr Orme

Lady L. Take the reins, Charlotte (making a motion, with a sweet pretty air, with her handkerchief, as if the toffed her fomething); I myself, Harriet, am against you now. I wanted a trial of that franknefs of heart, for which I have heard you fo much commended: And, furely, you might have fhewed it, if to any perfons living, to your two fifters.

Mifs Gr. No more, no you not left her to me? I will have too much lenity. riet-Don't you love Mr man you ever faw?

Har. Indeed I do not.

more, Lady L. Have will punish her. You And now tell me, HarOrme better than any

Mifs Gr. Whom do you love better, Harriet? Har. Pray, Mifs Grandifon!

Mifs Gr. And pray, Miss Byron !

Har. Refume the reins, Lady L.-Pray do!Mifs Grandifon has no mercy! Yet met with a great deal yefter

Mifs Gr. Yesterday!-Very well!-But then I was ingenuous—

Har. And am not I?-Pray, Lady L.

Lady L. I think, not

And the feemed a little too cruelly to enjoy the

Rutter I was in

7

Mifs Gr. And you fay that there is not one gmtleman in Northamptonshire

Har. What is the meaning of this, ladies? But I do affure you, there is not

Mifs Gr. See Lady L. there are fome queftions that the girl can answer readily enough.

I believe I looked ferious. I was filent. Indeed my very foul was vexed.

Mifs Gr. Ay, Harriet, be fullen: Don't anfwer any questions at all. That's your only way now -And then we go no further, you know. But tell me-Don't you repent, that you have given a denial to Lady D.?

Har. I won't be fullen, ladies. Yet I am not pleased to be thus—

Mifs Gr. Then own yourself a woman, Harriet; and that, in fome certain inftances, you have both affectation and referve. There are fome cafes, my dear, in which it is impoffible but a woman must be guilty of affectation.

Har. Well, then, fuppofe I am. I never pretended to be clear of the foibles which to the fex. I am a weak, a very weak creature: you impute you fee I am

And I put my hand in my pocket for my handkerchief.

Mifs Gr. Ay, weep, love. My fifter has heard me fay, that I never in my life saw a girl fo lovely

in tears.

Har. What have I done to deferve

Mifs Gr. Such a compliment !-Hey?-But you fhan't weep neither.-Why, why, is this fubject fo affecting, Harriet!

Har. You furprife me!-Parted with you but an hour or two ago-And nothing of these reproaches. And now, all at once, both ladies

Mifs Gr. Reproaches, Harriet!

Har. I believe fo. I don't know what else to call them.

Mifs Gr. What! is it a reproach to be taxed with love

Har. But the manner, madam

Mifs Gr. The manner you are taxed with it is the thing then-Well, putting on a grave look, and affuming a fofter accent-You are in love, however: But with whom? is the question-Are, we, your fifters, intitled to know with whom?

Surely ladies, thought I, you have fomething to fay, that will make me amends for all this intolerable teazing: And yet my proud heart, whatever it were to be, fwelled a little, that they should think that would be fuch high amends, which, however, I by myself, communing only with my own heart, would have thought fo.

Lady L. (coming to me, and taking my hand). Let me tell you, our deareft Harriet, that you are the most infenfible girl in the world, if you are not in love-And now. what fay you?

Har. Perhaps I do know, ladies, enough of the paffion, to with to be lefs alarmingly treated.

They then fitting down, one on either fide of me ; each took a hand of the trembling fool.

any

I think I will refume the reins, Charlotte, faid the Countefs. We are both cruel. But tell us my lovely fifter, in one word tell your Caroline, tell your Charlotte, if you have confidence in our love (and indeed we love you, or we would not have teazed you as we have done), if there be not one man in the world whom you love above all men in it?

I was filent. I looked down. I had, in the fame moment, an ague, in its cold and in its hot fit. They vouchfafed, each, to prefs with her lips the paffive hand each held.

Be not afraid to speak out, my dear, faid Mifs Grandifon. Affure yourself of my love; my true fifterly love. I once intended to lead the way to the opening of your heart by the discovery of my own,

before.

before my brother, as I hoped, could have found me out-But nothing can be hid

Madam! ladies! faid I, and ftood up in

and, in as great a difcompofure, fat down again— Your brother has not, could not-I would die before

Mifs Gr. Amiable delicacy!He has not-But fay you, Harriet, he could not?If you would not be teazed, don't aim at referves-But think you, that we could not fee, on a hundred occafions, your heart at your eyes? That we could not affix a proper meaning to thofe fudden throbs juft here, patting my neck; thofe half-fuppreffed, but always involuntary fighs-[I fighed]-Ay, juft fuch as that [I was confounded]-But to be ferious, we do affure you, Harriet, that had we not thought ourfelves under fome little obligation to Lady Anne S. we fhould have talked to you before on this fubject. The friends of that lady have been very folicitous with us. -And Lady Anne is not averfe

Har. Dear ladies! withdrawing the hand that Mifs Grandifon held, and taking out my handkerchief; you fay you love mé!-Won't you despise whom you love?-I do own

There I ftopt; and dried my eyes.
Lady L. What does my
Harriet own

Har. O madam, had I a greater opinion of my own merit than I have reafon to have (and I never had fo little a one as fince I have known you two), I could open to you, without referve, my whole heart-But one requeft I have to make you-You mult grant it.

They both in a breath asked what that was.

Har. It is, That you will permit your chariot to carry me to town this very afternoon-And long fhall not that town hold your Harriet-Indeed, indeed, ladies, I cannot now ever look your brother in the face-And you will also both defpife me! I know you will!

Sweet

Sweet, and as feafonable as fweet (for I was very much affected), were the affurances they gave me of their continued love.

Mifs Gr. We have talked with our brother this morning

Har. About me! I hope he has not a notion, that-There I ftopt.

Lady L. You were mentioned: But we intend not to alarm you further. We will tell you what paffed. Lady Anne was our subject.

I was all attention.

Mifs Gr. We asked him if he had any thoughts of marriage? The queftion came in properly enough, from the fubject that preceded it. He was filent: But fighed, and looked grave. [Why did Sir Charles Grandifon figh, Lucy?] We repeated the question. You told us, brother, faid I, that you do not intend to refume the treaty begun by my father for Lady Frances N. What think you of Lady Anne S.? We need not mention to you how confiderable her fortune is; what an enlargement it would give to your power of doing good; nor what her difpofition and qualities are: Her perfon is far from being difagreeable: And she has a great esteem for you.

I think Lady Anne a very agreeable woman, replied he: But if she honours me with a preferable esteem, the gives me a regret; because it is not in my power to return it.

Not in your power, brother!

It is not in my power to return it.

O Lucy! how my heart fluttered! The ague-fit came on again; and I was hot and cold as before almoft in the fame moment.

They told me, they would not teaze me further. But these are subjects that cannot be touched upon without raifing emotion in the bofom of a perfon who hopes, and is uncertain.Ọ the cruelty of sus

penfe !

« EdellinenJatka »