love and freindship-第10部分

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leasant　Day；　and　had　a　very　good　Dinner；　tho'　to　be　sure　the　Veal　was　terribly　underdone；　and　the　Curry　had　no　seasoning。　　I　could　not　help　wishing　all　dinner…time　that　I　had　been　at　the　dressing　it。　　A　brother　of　Mrs　Marlowe；　Mr　Cleveland　is　with　them　at　present；　he　is　a　good…looking　young　Man；　and　seems　to　have　a　good　deal　to　say　for　himself。　　I　tell　Eloisa　that　she　should　set　her　cap　at　him；　but　she　does　not　at　all　seem　to　relish　the　proposal。　I　should　like　to　see　the　girl　married　and　Cleveland　has　a　very　good　estate。　　Perhaps　you　may　wonder　that　I　do　not　consider　myself　as　well　as　my　Sister　in　my　matrimonial　Projects；　but　to　tell　you　the　truth　I　never　wish　to　act　a　more　principal　part　at　a　Wedding　than　the　superintending　and　directing　the　Dinner；　and　therefore　while　I　can　get　any　of　my　acquaintance　to　marry　for　me；　I　shall　never　think　of　doing　it　myself；　as　I　very　much　suspect　that　I　should　not　have　so　much　time　for　dressing　my　own　Wedding…　dinner；　as　for　dressing　that　of　my　freinds。　Yours　sincerely　C。　L。



LETTER　the　FIFTH　Miss　MARGARET　LESLEY　to　Miss　CHARLOTTE　LUTTERELL　Lesley…Castle　　　　　March　18th

On　the　same　day　that　I　received　your　last　kind　letter；　Matilda　received　one　from　Sir　George　which　was　dated　from　Edinburgh；　and　informed　us　that　he　should　do　himself　the　pleasure　of　introducing　Lady　Lesley　to　us　on　the　following　evening。　　This　as　you　may　suppose　considerably　surprised　us；　particularly　as　your　account　of　her　Ladyship　had　given　us　reason　to　imagine　there　was　little　chance　of　her　visiting　Scotland　at　a　time　that　London　must　be　so　gay。　　As　it　was　our　business　however　to　be　delighted　at　such　a　mark　of　condescension　as　a　visit　from　Sir　George　and　Lady　Lesley；　we　prepared　to　return　them　an　answer　expressive　of　the　happiness　we　enjoyed　in　expectation　of　such　a　Blessing；　when　luckily　recollecting　that　as　they　were　to　reach　the　Castle　the　next　Evening；　it　would　be　impossible　for　my　father　to　receive　it　before　he　left　Edinburgh；　we　contented　ourselves　with　leaving　them　to　suppose　that　we　were　as　happy　as　we　ought　to　be。　　At　nine　in　the　Evening　on　the　following　day；　they　came；　accompanied　by　one　of　Lady　Lesleys　brothers。　　Her　Ladyship　perfectly　answers　the　description　you　sent　me　of　her；　except　that　I　do　not　think　her　so　pretty　as　you　seem　to　consider　her。　　She　has　not　a　bad　face；　but　there　is　something　so　extremely　unmajestic　in　her　little　diminutive　figure；　as　to　render　her　in　comparison　with　the　elegant　height　of　Matilda　and　Myself；　an　insignificant　Dwarf。　Her　curiosity　to　see　us　（which　must　have　been　great　to　bring　her　more　than　four　hundred　miles）　being　now　perfectly　gratified；　she　already　begins　to　mention　their　return　to　town；　and　has　desired　us　to　accompany　her。　　We　cannot　refuse　her　request　since　it　is　seconded　by　the　commands　of　our　Father；　and　thirded　by　the　entreaties　of　Mr。　Fitzgerald　who　is　certainly　one　of　the　most　pleasing　young　Men；　I　ever　beheld。　　It　is　not　yet　determined　when　we　are　to　go；　but　when　ever　we　do　we　shall　certainly　take　our　little　Louisa　with　us。　Adeiu　my　dear　Charlotte；　Matilda　unites　in　best　wishes　to　you；　and　Eloisa；　with　yours　ever　M。　L。



LETTER　the　SIXTH　LADY　LESLEY　to　Miss　CHARLOTTE　LUTTERELL　Lesley…Castle　　　　　　　March　20th

We　arrived　here　my　sweet　Freind　about　a　fortnight　ago；　and　I　already　heartily　repent　that　I　ever　left　our　charming　House　in　Portman…square　for　such　a　dismal　old　weather…beaten　Castle　as　this。　　You　can　form　no　idea　sufficiently　hideous；　of　its　dungeon…　like　form。　　It　is　actually　perched　upon　a　Rock　to　appearance　so　totally　inaccessible；　that　I　expected　to　have　been　pulled　up　by　a　rope；　and　sincerely　repented　having　gratified　my　curiosity　to　behold　my　Daughters　at　the　expence　of　being　obliged　to　enter　their　prison　in　so　dangerous　and　ridiculous　a　manner。　　But　as　soon　as　I　once　found　myself　safely　arrived　in　the　inside　of　this　tremendous　building；　I　comforted　myself　with　the　hope　of　having　my　spirits　revived；　by　the　sight　of　two　beautifull　girls；　such　as　the　Miss　Lesleys　had　been　represented　to　me；　at　Edinburgh。　　But　here　again；　I　met　with　nothing　but　Disappointment　and　Surprise。　Matilda　and　Margaret　Lesley　are　two　great；　tall；　out　of　the　way；　over…grown；　girls；　just　of　a　proper　size　to　inhabit　a　Castle　almost　as　large　in　comparison　as　themselves。　　I　wish　my　dear　Charlotte　that　you　could　but　behold　these　Scotch　giants；　I　am　sure　they　would　frighten　you　out　of　your　wits。　　They　will　do　very　well　as　foils　to　myself；　so　I　have　invited　them　to　accompany　me　to　London　where　I　hope　to　be　in　the　course　of　a　fortnight。　Besides　these　two　fair　Damsels；　I　found　a　little　humoured　Brat　here　who　I　beleive　is　some　relation　to　them；　they　told　me　who　she　was；　and　gave　me　a　long　rigmerole　story　of　her　father　and　a　Miss　SOMEBODY　which　I　have　entirely　forgot。　　I　hate　scandal　and　detest　Children。　　I　have　been　plagued　ever　since　I　came　here　with　tiresome　visits　from　a　parcel　of　Scotch　wretches；　with　terrible　hard…names；　they　were　so　civil；　gave　me　so　many　invitations；　and　talked　of　coming　again　so　soon；　that　I　could　not　help　affronting　them。　　I　suppose　I　shall　not　see　them　any　more；　and　yet　as　a　family　party　we　are　so　stupid；　that　I　do　not　know　what　to　do　with　myself。　　These　girls　have　no　Music；　but　Scotch　airs；　no　Drawings　but　Scotch　Mountains；　and　no　Books　but　Scotch　Poemsand　I　hate　everything　Scotch。　　In　general　I　can　spend　half　the　Day　at　my　toilett　with　a　great　deal　of　pleasure；　but　why　should　I　dress　here；　since　there　is　not　a　creature　in　the　House　whom　I　have　any　wish　to　please。　I　have　just　had　a　conversation　with　my　Brother　in　which　he　has　greatly　offended　me；　and　which　as　I　have　nothing　more　entertaining　to　send　you　I　will　gave　you　the　particulars　of。　You　must　know　that　I　have　for　these　4　or　5　Days　past　strongly　suspected　William　of　entertaining　a　partiality　to　my　eldest　Daughter。　　I　own　indeed　that　had　I　been　inclined　to　fall　in　love　with　any　woman；　I　should　not　have　made　choice　of　Matilda　Lesley　for　the　object　of　my　passion；　for　there　is　nothing　I　hate　so　much　as　a　tall　Woman：　　but　however　there　is　no　accounting　for　some　men's　taste　and　as　William　is　himself　nearly　six　feet　high；　it　is　not　wonderful　that　he　should　be　partial　to　that　height。　　Now　as　I　have　a　very　great　affection　for　my　Brother　and　should　be　extremely　sorry　to　see　him　unhappy；　which　I　suppose　he　means　to　be　if　he　cannot　marry　Matilda；　as　moreover　I　know　that　his　circumstances　will　not　allow　him　to　marry　any　one　without　a　fortune；　and　that　Matilda's　is　entirely　dependant　on　her　Father；　who　will　neither　have　his　own　inclination　nor　my　permission　to　give　her　anything　at　present；　I　thought　it　would　be　doing　a　good…　natured　action　by　my　Brother　to　let　him　know　as　much；　in　order　that　he　might　choose　for　himself；　whether　to　conquer　his　passion；　or　Love　and　Despair。　　Accordingly　finding　myself　this　Morning　alone　with　him　in　one　of　the　horrid　old　rooms　of　this　Castle；　I　opened　the　cause　to　him　in　the　following　Manner。

〃Well　my　dear　William　what　do　you　think　of　these　girls？　　for　my　part；　I　do　not　find　them　so　plain　as　I　expected：　　but　perhaps　you　may　think　me　partial　to　the　Daughters　of　my　Husband　and　perhaps　you　are　right　They　are　indeed　so　very　like　Sir　George　that　it　is　natural　to　think〃

〃My　Dear　Susan　（cried　he　in　a　tone　of　the　greatest　amazement）　You　do　not　really　think　they　bear　the　least　resemblance　to　their　Father！　　He　is　so　very　plain！but　I　beg　your　pardonI　had　entirely　forgotten　to　whom　I　was　speaking〃

〃Oh！　　pray　dont　mind　me；　（replied　I）　every　one　knows　Sir　George　is　horribly　ugly；　and　I　assure　you　I　always　thought　him　a　fright。〃

〃You　surprise　me　extremely　（answered　William）　by　what　you　say　both　with　respect　to　Sir　George　and　his　Daughters。　You　cannot　think　your　Husband　so　deficient　in　personal　Charms　as　you　speak　of；　nor　can　you　surely　see　any　resemblance　between　him　and　the　Miss　Lesleys　who　are　in　my　opinion　perfectly　unlike　him　and　perfectly　Handsome。〃

〃If　that　is　your　opinion　with　regard　to　the　girls　it　certainly　is　no　proof　of　their　Fathers　beauty；　for　if　they　are　perfectly　unlike　him　and　very　handsome　at　the　same　time；　it　is　natural　to　suppose　that　he　is　very　plain。〃

〃By　no　means；　（said　he）　for　what　may　be　pretty　in　a　Woman；　may　be　very　unpleasing　in　a　Man。〃

〃But　you　yourself　（replied　I）　but　a　few　minutes　ago　allowed　him　to　be　very　plain。〃

〃Men　are　no　Judges　of　Beauty　in　their　own　Sex。〃　（said　he）。

〃Neither　Men　nor　Women　can　think　Sir　George　tolerable。〃

〃Well；　well；　（said　he）　we　will　not　dispute　about　HIS　Beauty；　but　your　opinion　of　his　DAUGHTERS　is　surely　very　singular；　for　if　I　understood　you　right；　you　said　you　did　not　find　them　so　plain　as　you　expected　to　do！〃

〃Why；　do　YOU　find　them　plainer　then？〃　（said　I）。

〃I　can　scarcely　beleive　you　to　be　serious　（returned　he）　when　you　speak　of　their　persons　in　so　extroidinary　a　Manner。　Do　not　you　think　the　Miss　Lesleys　are　two　very　handsome　young　Women？〃

〃Lord！　　No！　　（cried　I）　I　think　them　terribly　plain！〃

〃Plain！　　（replied　He）　My　dear　Susan；　you　cannot　really　think　so！　Why　what　single　Feature　in　the　face　of　either　of　them；　can　you　possibly　find　fault　with？〃

〃Oh！　　trust　me　for　that；　（replied　I）。　　Come　I　will　begin　with　the　eldestwith　Matilda。　　Shall　I；　William？〃　（I　looked　as　cunning　as　I　could　when　I　said　it；　in　order　to