secure And Reginald really with you! My surprize is the greater because
on Wednesday, the very day of his coming to Parklands, we had a most
unexpected and unwelcome visit from Lady Susan, looking all cheerfulness
and good-humour, and seeming more as if she were to marry him when she
got to London than as if parted from him for ever. She stayed nearly two
hours, was as affectionate and agreeable as ever, and not a syllable,
not a hint was dropped, of any disagreement or coolness between them.
I asked her whether she had seen my brother since his arrival in town;
not, as you may suppose, with any doubt of the fact, but merely to see
how she looked. She immediately answered, without any embarrassment,
that he had been kind enough to call on her on Monday; but she believed
he had already returned home, which I was very far from crediting. Your
kind invitation is accepted by us with pleasure, and on Thursday next we
and our little ones will be with you. Pray heaven, Reginald may not be
in town again by that time! I wish we could bring dear Frederica too,
but I am sorry to say that her mother's errand hither was to fetch her
away; and, miserable as it made the poor girl, it was impossible to
detain her. I was thoroughly unwilling to let her go, and so was her
uncle; and all that could be urged we did urge; but Lady Susan declared
that as she was now about to fix herself in London for several months,
she could not be easy if her daughter were not with her for masters,
&c. Her manner, to be sure, was very kind and proper, and Mr. Vernon
believes that Frederica will now be treated with affection. I wish I
could think so too. The poor girl's heart was almost broke at taking
leave of us. I charged her to write to me very often, and to remember
that if she were in any distress we should be always her friends. I took
care to see her alone, that I might say all this, and I hope made her a
little more comfortable; but I shall not be easy till I can go to town
and judge of her situation myself. I wish there were a better prospect
than now appears of the match which the conclusion of your letter
declares your expectations of. At present, it is not very likely,

Yours ever, &c.,

C. VERNON

CONCLUSION

This correspondence, by a meeting between some of the parties, and a
separation between the others, could not, to the great detriment of the
Post Office revenue, be continued any longer. Very little assistance
to the Stat