hould be
lessened by his younger brother's having possession of the family
estate. Could matters have been so arranged as to prevent the necessity
of our leaving the castle, could we have lived with Charles and kept
him single, I should have been very far from persuading my husband to
dispose of it elsewhere; but Charles was on the point of marrying
Miss De Courcy, and the event has justified me. Here are children in
abundance, and what benefit could have accrued to me from his purchasing
Vernon? My having prevented it may perhaps have given his wife an
unfavourable impression, but where there is a disposition to dislike,
a motive will never be wanting; and as to money matters it has not
withheld 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
furniture fashionable, and everything announces plenty and elegance.
Charles is very rich I am sure; when a man has once got his name in a
banking-house he rolls in money; but they do not know what to do with
it, keep very little company, and never go to London but on business. We
shall be as stupid as possible. I mean to win my sister-in-law's heart
through the children; I know all their names already, and am going to
attach myself with the greatest sensibility to one in particular, a
young Frederic, whom I take on my lap and sigh over for his dear uncle's
sake.

Poor Mainwaring! I need not tell you how much I miss him, how
perpetually he is in my thoughts. I found a dismal letter from him on
my arrival here, full of complaints of his wife and sister, and
lamentations on the cruelty of his fate. I passed off the letter as his
wife's, to the Vernons, and when I write to him it must be under cover
to you.

Ever yours, S. VERNON.

VI

MRS. VERNON TO MR. DE COURCY

Churchhill.

Well, my dear Reginald, I have seen this dangerous creature, and must
give you some description of her, though I hope you will soon be able to
form your own judgment she is really excessively pretty; however you may
choose to question the allurements of a lady no longer young, I must,
for my own part, declare that I have seldom seen so lovely a woman
as Lady Susan. She is delicately fair, with fine grey eyes and dark
eyelashes; and from her appearance one would not suppose her more than
five and twenty, though she must in fact be ten years older, I was
certainly not disposed to admire her, though always hearing