_ LETTER the FIFTH
From a YOUNG LADY very much in love to her Freind
My Uncle gets more stingy, my Aunt more particular, and I more in
love every day. What shall we all be at this rate by the end of
the year! I had this morning the happiness of receiving the
following Letter from my dear Musgrove.
Sackville St: Janry 7th
It is a month to day since I first beheld my lovely Henrietta,
and the sacred anniversary must and shall be kept in a manner
becoming the day--by writing to her. Never shall I forget the
moment when her Beauties first broke on my sight--No time as you
well know can erase it from my Memory. It was at Lady
Scudamores. Happy Lady Scudamore to live within a mile of the
divine Henrietta! When the lovely Creature first entered the
room, oh! what were my sensations? The sight of you was like
the sight ofa wonderful fine Thing. I started--I gazed at her
with admiration --She appeared every moment more Charming, and
the unfortunate Musgrove became a captive to your Charms before I
had time to look about me. Yes Madam, I had the happiness of
adoring you, an happiness for which I cannot be too grateful.
"What said he to himself is Musgrove allowed to die for
Henrietta? Enviable Mortal! and may he pine for her who is the
object of universal admiration, who is adored by a Colonel, and
toasted by a Baronet! Adorable Henrietta how beautiful you are!
I declare you are quite divine! You are more than Mortal. You
are an Angel. You are Venus herself. In short Madam you are the
prettiest Girl I ever saw in my Life--and her Beauty is encreased
in her Musgroves Eyes, by permitting him to love her and allowing
me to hope. And ah! Angelic Miss Henrietta Heaven is my witness
how ardently I do hope for the death of your villanous Uncle and
his abandoned Wife, since my fair one will not consent to be mine
till their decease has placed her in affluence above what my
fortune can procure--. Though it is an improvable Estate--.
Cruel Henrietta to persist in such a resolution! I am at Present
with my sister where I mean to continue till my own house which
tho' an excellent one is at Present somewhat out of repair, is
ready to receive me. Amiable princess of my Heart farewell--Of
that Heart which trembles while it signs itself Your most ardent
Admirer and devoted humble servt.
T. Musgrove.
There is a pattern for a Love-letter Matilda! Did you ever read
such a master-piece of Writing? Such sense, such sentiment, such
purity of Thought, such flow of Language and such unfeigned Love
in one sheet? No, never I can answer for it, since a Musgrove is
not to be met with by every Girl. Oh! how I long to be with
him! I intend to send him the following in answer to his Letter
tomorrow.
My dearest Musgrove--. Words cannot express how happy your
Letter made me; I thought I should have cried for joy, for I love
you better than any body in the World. I think you the most
amiable, and the handsomest Man in England, and so to be sure you
are. I never read so sweet a Letter in my Life. Do write me
another just like it, and tell me you are in love with me in
every other line. I quite die to see you. How shall we manage
to see one another? for we are so much in love that we cannot
live asunder. Oh! my dear Musgrove you cannot think how
impatiently I wait for the death of my Uncle and Aunt--If they
will not Die soon, I beleive I shall run mad, for I get more in
love with you every day of my Life.
How happy your Sister is to enjoy the pleasure of your Company in
her house, and how happy every body in London must be because you
are there. I hope you will be so kind as to write to me again
soon, for I never read such sweet Letters as yours. I am my
dearest Musgrove most truly and faithfully yours for ever and
ever
Henrietta Halton.
I hope he will like my answer; it is as good a one as I can write
though nothing to his; Indeed I had always heard what a dab he
was at a Love-letter. I saw him you know for the first time at
Lady Scudamores--And when I saw her Ladyship afterwards she asked
me how I liked her Cousin Musgrove?
"Why upon my word said I, I think he is a very handsome young
Man."
"I am glad you think so replied she, for he is distractedly in
love with you."
"Law! Lady Scudamore said I, how can you talk so ridiculously?"
"Nay, t'is very true answered she, I assure you, for he was in
love with you from the first moment he beheld you."
"I wish it may be true said I, for that is the only kind of love
I would give a farthing for--There is some sense in being in love
at first sight."
"Well, I give you Joy of your conquest, replied Lady Scudamore,
and I beleive it to have been a very complete one; I am sure it
is not a contemptible one, for my Cousin is a charming young
fellow, has seen a great deal of the World, and writes the best
Love-letters I ever read."
This made me very happy, and I was excessively pleased with my
conquest. However, I thought it was proper to give myself a few
Airs--so I said to her--
"This is all very pretty Lady Scudamore, but you know that we
young Ladies who are Heiresses must not throw ourselves away upon
Men who have no fortune at all."
"My dear Miss Halton said she, I am as much convinced of that as
you can be, and I do assure you that I should be the last person
to encourage your marrying anyone who had not some pretensions to
expect a fortune with you. Mr Musgrove is so far from being
poor that he has an estate of several hundreds an year which is
capable of great Improvement, and an excellent House, though at
Present it is not quite in repair."
"If that is the case replied I, I have nothing more to say
against him, and if as you say he is an informed young Man and
can write a good Love-letter, I am sure I have no reason to find
fault with him for admiring me, tho' perhaps I may not marry him
for all that Lady Scudamore."
"You are certainly under no obligation to marry him answered her
Ladyship, except that which love himself will dictate to you, for
if I am not greatly mistaken you are at this very moment unknown
to yourself, cherishing a most tender affection for him."
"Law, Lady Scudamore replied I blushing how can you think of such
a thing?"
"Because every look, every word betrays it, answered she; Come my
dear Henrietta, consider me as a freind, and be sincere with me
--Do not you prefer Mr Musgrove to any man of your acquaintance?"
"Pray do not ask me such questions Lady Scudamore, said I turning
away my head, for it is not fit for me to answer them."
"Nay my Love replied she, now you confirm my suspicions. But why
Henrietta should you be ashamed to own a well-placed Love, or why
refuse to confide in me?"
"I am not ashamed to own it; said I taking Courage. I do not
refuse to confide in you or blush to say that I do love your
cousin Mr Musgrove, that I am sincerely attached to him, for it
is no disgrace to love a handsome Man. If he were plain indeed I
might have had reason to be ashamed of a passion which must have
been mean since the object would have been unworthy. But with
such a figure and face, and such beautiful hair as your Cousin
has, why should I blush to own that such superior merit has made
an impression on me."
"My sweet Girl (said Lady Scudamore embracing me with great
affection) what a delicate way of thinking you have in these
matters, and what a quick discernment for one of your years! Oh!
how I honour you for such Noble Sentiments!"
"Do you Ma'am said I; You are vastly obliging. But pray Lady
Scudamore did your Cousin himself tell you of his affection for
me I shall like him the better if he did, for what is a Lover
without a Confidante?"
"Oh! my Love replied she, you were born for each other. Every
word you say more deeply convinces me that your Minds are
actuated by the invisible power of simpathy, for your opinions
and sentiments so exactly coincide. Nay, the colour of your Hair
is not very different. Yes my dear Girl, the poor despairing
Musgrove did reveal to me the story of his Love--. Nor was I
surprised at it--I know not how it was, but I had a kind of
presentiment that he would be in love with you."
"Well, but how did he break it to you?"
"It was not till after supper. We were sitting round the fire
together talking on indifferent subjects, though to say the truth
the Conversation was cheifly on my side for he was thoughtful and
silent, when on a sudden he interrupted me in the midst of
something I was saying, by exclaiming in a most Theatrical tone--
Yes I'm in love I feel it now
And Henrietta Halton has undone me
"Oh! What a sweet way replied I, of declaring his Passion! To
make such a couple of charming lines about me! What a pity it is
that they are not in rhime!"
"I am very glad you like it answered she; To be sure there was a
great deal of Taste in it. And are you in love with her, Cousin?
said I. I am very sorry for it, for unexceptionable as you are
in every respect, with a pretty Estate capable of Great
improvements, and an excellent House tho' somewhat out of repair,
yet who can hope to aspire with success to the adorable Henrietta
who has had an offer from a Colonel and been toasted by a
Baronet"--"THAT I have--" cried I. Lady Scudamore continued.
"Ah dear Cousin replied he, I am so well convinced of the little
Chance I can have of winning her who is adored by thousands, that
I need no assurances of yours to make me more thoroughly so. Yet
surely neither you or the fair Henrietta herself will deny me the
exquisite Gratification of dieing for her, of falling a victim to
her Charms. And when I am dead"--continued her--
"Oh Lady Scudamore, said I wiping my eyes, that such a sweet
Creature should talk of dieing!"
"It is an affecting Circumstance indeed, replied Lady Scudamore."
"When I am dead said he, let me be carried and lain at her feet,
and perhaps she may not disdain to drop a pitying tear on my poor
remains."
"Dear Lady Scudamore interrupted I, say no more on this affecting
subject. I cannot bear it."
"Oh! how I admire the sweet sensibility of your Soul, and as I
would not for Worlds wound it too deeply, I will be silent."
"Pray go on." said I. She did so.
"And then added he, Ah! Cousin imagine what my transports will
be when I feel the dear precious drops trickle on my face! Who
would not die to haste such extacy! And when I am interred, may
the divine Henrietta bless some happier Youth with her affection,
May he be as tenderly attached to her as the hapless Musgrove and
while HE crumbles to dust, May they live an example of Felicity
in the Conjugal state!"
Did you ever hear any thing so pathetic? What a charming wish,
to be lain at my feet when he was dead! Oh! what an exalted mind
he must have to be capable of such a wish! Lady Scudamore went
on.
"Ah! my dear Cousin replied I to him, such noble behaviour as
this, must melt the heart of any woman however obdurate it may
naturally be; and could the divine Henrietta but hear your
generous wishes for her happiness, all gentle as is her mind, I
have not a doubt but that she would pity your affection and
endeavour to return it." "Oh! Cousin answered he, do not
endeavour to raise my hopes by such flattering assurances. No, I
cannot hope to please this angel of a Woman, and the only thing
which remains for me to do, is to die." "True Love is ever
desponding replied I, but I my dear Tom will give you even
greater hopes of conquering this fair one's heart, than I have
yet given you, by assuring you that I watched her with the
strictest attention during the whole day, and could plainly
discover that she cherishes in her bosom though unknown to
herself, a most tender affection for you."
"Dear Lady Scudamore cried I, This is more than I ever knew!"
"Did not I say that it was unknown to yourself? I did not,
continued I to him, encourage you by saying this at first, that
surprise might render the pleasure still Greater." "No Cousin
replied he in a languid voice, nothing will convince me that I
can have touched the heart of Henrietta Halton, and if you are
deceived yourself, do not attempt deceiving me." "In short my
Love it was the work of some hours for me to Persuade the poor
despairing Youth that you had really a preference for him; but
when at last he could no longer deny the force of my arguments,
or discredit what I told him, his transports, his Raptures, his
Extacies are beyond my power to describe."
"Oh! the dear Creature, cried I, how passionately he loves me!
But dear Lady Scudamore did you tell him that I was totally
dependant on my Uncle and Aunt?"
"Yes, I told him every thing."
"And what did he say."
"He exclaimed with virulence against Uncles and Aunts; Accused
the laws of England for allowing them to Possess their Estates
when wanted by their Nephews or Neices, and wished HE were in the
House of Commons, that he might reform the Legislature, and
rectify all its abuses."
"Oh! the sweet Man! What a spirit he has!" said I.
"He could not flatter himself he added, that the adorable
Henrietta would condescend for his sake to resign those Luxuries
and that splendor to which she had been used, and accept only in
exchange the Comforts and Elegancies which his limited Income
could afford her, even supposing that his house were in Readiness
to receive her. I told him that it could not be expected that
she would; it would be doing her an injustice to suppose her
capable of giving up the power she now possesses and so nobly
uses of doing such extensive Good to the poorer part of her
fellow Creatures, merely for the gratification of you and
herself."
"To be sure said I, I AM very Charitable every now and then. And
what did Mr Musgrove say to this?"
"He replied that he was under a melancholy necessity of owning
the truth of what I said, and that therefore if he should be the
happy Creature destined to be the Husband of the Beautiful
Henrietta he must bring himself to wait, however impatiently, for
the fortunate day, when she might be freed from the power of
worthless Relations and able to bestow herself on him."
What a noble Creature he is! Oh! Matilda what a fortunate one I
am, who am to be his Wife! My Aunt is calling me to come and
make the pies, so adeiu my dear freind, and beleive me yours etc--
H. Halton.
Finis.
-THE END-
A Collection of Letters, A collection of juvenile writings by Jane Austen _