some 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 Poems--and 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 resemb