V. Lady Susan Vernon to Mrs. Johnson

by Jane Austen

　　Churchhill.I received your note, my dear Alicia, just before I left town, andrejoice to be assured that Mr. Johnson suspected nothing of your engagementthe evening before. It is undoubtedly better to deceive him entirely, andsince he will be stubborn he must be tricked. I arrived here in safety, andhave no reason to complain of my reception from Mr. Vernon; but I confessmyself not equally satisfied with the behaviour of his lady. She isperfectly well-bred, indeed, and has the air of a woman of fashion, but hermanners are not such as can persuade me of her being prepossessed in myfavour. I wanted her to be delighted at seeing me. I was as amiable aspossible on the occasion, but all in vain. She does not like me. To be surewhen we consider that I did take some pains to prevent my brother-in-law'smarrying her, this want of cordiality is not very surprizing, and yet itshows an illiberal and vindictive spirit to resent a project whichinfluenced me six years ago, and which never succeeded at last.I am sometimes disposed to repent that I did not let Charles buy VernonCastle, when we were obliged to sell it; but it was a trying circumstance,especially as the sale took place exactly at the time of his marriage; andeverybody ought to respect the delicacy of those feelings which could notendure that my husband's dignity should be lessened by his youngerbrother's having possession of the family estate. Could matters have beenso arranged as to prevent the necessity of our leaving the castle, could wehave lived with Charles and kept him single, I should have been very farfrom persuading my husband to dispose of it elsewhere; but Charles was onthe point of marrying Miss De Courcy, and the event has justified me. Hereare children in abundance, and what benefit could have accrued to me fromhis purchasing Vernon? My having prevented it may perhaps have given hiswife an unfavourable impression, but where there is a disposition todislike, a motive will never be wanting; and as to money matters it has notwithheld him from being very useful to me. I really have a regard for him,he is so easily imposed upon! The house is a good one, the furniturefashionable, and everything announces plenty and elegance. Charles is veryrich I am sure; when a man has once got his name in a banking-house herolls in money; but they do not know what to do with it, keep very littlecompany, and never go to London but on business. We shall be as stupid aspossible. I mean to win my sister-in-law's heart through the children; Iknow all their names already, and am going to attach myself with thegreatest sensibility to one in particular, a young Frederic, whom I take onmy lap and sigh over for his dear uncle's sake.Poor Mainwaring! I need not tell you how much I miss him, howperpetually he is in my thoughts. I found a dismal letter from him on myarrival here, full of complaints of his wife and sister, and lamentationson the cruelty of his fate. I passed off the letter as his wife's, to theVernons, and when I write to him it must be under cover to you.Ever yours,S. VERNON.