LETTER I
LADY HOWARD 0
TO THE REV.
MR. VILLARS 1
Howard Grove 2
,
Kent 3
.
CAN any thing ,
, be more painful to a friendly mind , than a necessity of communicating disagreeable intelligence ?
Indeed it is sometimes difficult to determine , whether
the relator 4
or
the receiver of evil tidings 5
is most to be pitied .
I 0
have just had a letter from
Madame Duval 6
;
she 6
is totally at a loss in what manner to behave ;
she 6
seems desirous to repair the wrongs
she 6
has done , yet wishes
the world 7
to believe
her 6
blameless .
She 6
would fain cast upon another the odium of those misfortunes for which
she 6
alone is answerable .
Her 6
letter is violent , sometimes abusive , and that of
you 1
!
-
you 1
, to whom
she 6
is under obligations which are greater even than
her 6
faults , but to whose advice
she 6
wickedly imputes all the sufferings of
her 6
much injured daughter
8 ,
the late Lady Belmont 17
.
The chief purport of
her 6
writing
I 0
will acquaint
you 1
with ; the letter itself is not worthy
your 1
notice .
She 6
tells
me 0
that
she 6
has , for many years past , been in continual expectation of making a journey to
England 9
, which prevented
her 6
writing for information concerning this melancholy subject , by giving
her 6
hopes of making personal inquiries ; but family occurrences have still detained
her 6
in
France 10
,
which country
she 6
now sees no prospect of quitting
50 .
She 6
has , therefore , lately used
her 6
utmost endeavors to obtain a faithful account of whatever related to
her 6
ill-advised daughter
17 ; the result of which giving
her 6
some reason to apprehend , that , upon
her 17
death-bed ,
she 17
bequeathed
an infant orphan 45
to
the world 11
,
she 6
most graciously says , that if
you 1
, with whom
she 6
understands
the child 45
is placed , will procure authentic proofs of
its 45
relationship to
her 6
,
you 1
may sent
it 45
to
Paris , where
she 6
will properly provide for
it 45
12 .
This woman 6
is , undoubtedly , at length , self-convicted of
her 6
most unnatural behaviour ; it is evident , from
her 6
writing , that
she 6
is still as vulgar and illiterate as when
,
Mr. Evelyn 46
, had the weakness to marry
her 6
; nor does
she 6
at all apologize for addressing
herself 6
to
me 0
, though
I 0
was only once in
her 6
company .
Her 5
letter has excited in
Mirvan 13
, a strong desire to be informed of the motives which induced
Madame Duval 6
to abandon
the unfortunate Lady Belmont 17
, at a time when
a mother 14
's protection was peculiarly necessary for
her 17
peace and
her 17
reputation .
Notwithstanding
I 0
was personally acquainted with
all the parties concerned in that affair 15
, the subject always appeared of too delicate a nature to be spoken of with
the principals 16
;
I 0
can not , therefore , satisfy
Mrs. Mirvan 13
otherwise than by applying to
you 0
.
By saying that
you 0
may send
the child 17
,
Madame Duval 6
aims at conferring , where
she 6
most owes obligation .
I 0
pretend not to give
you 1
advice ;
you 1
, to whose generous protection
this helpless orphan 17
is indebted for every thing , are
the best and only judge of what
she 6
ought to do
18 ; but
I 0
am much concerned at the trouble and uneasiness which
this unworthy woman 6
may occasion
you 1
.
and
join with
me 0
in desiring to be most kindly remembered to
the amiable girl 17
; and
they 20
bid
me 0
remind
you 1
, that the annual visit to
Howard Grove 2
, which
we 21
were formerly promised , has been discontinued for more than four years .
I 0
am ,
dear Sir 1
, with great regard ,
Your 1
most obedient friend and servant
0 ,
M. HOWARD 0
.
LETTER II
MR. VILLARS 1
TO
LADY HOWARD 0
Berry Hill 22
,
Dorsetshire 23
.
did but too well foresee the perplexity and uneasiness of which
Madame Duval 6
's letter has been productive .
However ,
I 1
ought rather to be thankful that
I 1
have so many years remained unmolested , than repine at
my 1
present embarrassment ; since it proves , at least , that
this wretched woman 6
is at length awakened to remorse .
In regard to
my 1
answer ,
I 1
must humbly request
to write to this effect : " That
I 1
would not , upon any account , intentionally offend
Madame Duval 6
; but that
I 1
have weighty , nay unanswerable reasons for detaining
at present in
England 9
; the principal of which is , that it was the earnest desire of one to whose will
she 6
owes implicit duty .
Madame Duval 6
may be assured , that
she 6
meets with the utmost attention and tenderness ; that
her 6
education , however short of
my 1
wishes , almost exceeds
my 1
abilities ; and
I 1
flatter
myself 1
, when the time arrives that
she 17
shall pay
her 17
duty to
,
Madame Duval 6
will find no reason to be dissatisfied with what has been done for
her 17
. "
will not ,
I 1
am sure , be surprised at this answer .
Madame Duval 6
is by no means
a proper companion or guardian for
a young woman 25
24 :
she 6
is at once uneducated and unprincipled ; ungentle in temper , and unamiable in
her 6
manners .
I 1
have long known that
she 6
has persuaded
herself 6
to harbour an aversion for me-Unhappy woman !
I 1
can only regard
her 6
as an object of pity !
I 1
dare not hesitate at a request from
Mrs. Mirvan 13
; yet , in complying with it ,
I 1
shall , for
her 6
own sake , be as concise as
I 1
possibly can ; since the cruel transactions which preceded the birth of
can afford no entertainment to a mind so humane as
her 17
's .
may probably have heard , that
I 17
had the honour to accompany
Mr. Evelyn 26
,
, when upon
his 26
travels , in the capacity of
a tutor 27
.
His 26
unhappy marriage , immediately upon
his 26
return to
England 9
, with
Madame Duval 6
, then
a waiting-girl at
a tavern 28
51 , contrary to the advice and entreaties of
, among whom
I 1
was
myself 1
the most urgent , induced
him 26
to abandon
, and fix
his 26
abode in
France 10
.
Thither
he 26
was followed by shame and repentance ; feelings which
his 26
heart was not framed to support ; for , notwithstanding
he 26
had been too weak to resist the allurements of beauty , which nature , though a niggard to
her 6
of every other boon , had with a lavish hand bestowed on
; yet
he 26
was
a young man of excellent character 48
, and , till thus unaccountably infatuated , of unblemished conduct .
He 26
survived this ill-judged marriage but two years .
Upon
his 26
death-bed , with an unsteady hand ,
he 26
wrote
me 1
the following note : "
, forget
your 26
resentment , in favour of
your 26
humanity ; -
a father 26
, trembling for the welfare of
, bequeaths
her 17
to
your 1
care .
O
Villars 1
!
hear !
pity !
And relieve
me 26
! "
Had
my 1
circumstances permitted
me 1
,
I 1
should have answered these words by an immediate journey to
Paris 12
; but
I 1
was obliged to act by the agency of
a friend , who was upon the spot , and present at the opening of the will 30
.
Mr. Evelyn 26
left to
me 1
a legacy of a thousand pounds , and the sole guardianship of
his 26
daughter 's person
17 till
her 17
eighteenth year ; conjuring
me 1
, in the most affecting terms , to take the charge of
her 17
education till
she 17
was able to act with propriety for
herself 17
; but , in regard to fortune ,
he 26
left
her 17
wholly dependent on
, to whose tenderness
he 26
earnestly recommended
her 17
.
Thus , though
he 26
would not , to
a woman low-bred and illiberal as
Mrs. Evelyn 32
31 , trust the conduct and morals of
,
he 26
nevertheless thought proper to secure to
her 32
the respect and duty to which , from
, were certainly
her 32
due ; but unhappily , it never occurred to
him 26
that
the mother 6
, on
her 6
part , could fail in affection or justice .
Miss Evelyn 17
,
Madam 0
, from the second to the eighteenth year of
her 17
life , was brought up under
my 1
care , and , except when at school under
my 1
roof .
I 1
need not speak to
of the virtues of
that excellent young creature 17
.
She 17
loved
me 1
as
; nor was
Mrs. Villars 35
less valued by
her 17
; while to
me 1
she 17
became so dear , that
her 17
loss was little less afflicting than that which
I 1
have since sustained of
Mrs. Villars 35
herself 35
.
At that period of
her 17
life
we 36
parted ;
, then married to
Monsieur Duval 37
, sent for
her 17
to
Paris 12
.
How often have
I 1
since regretted that
I 1
did not accompany
her 17
thither !
Protected and supported by
me 1
, the misery and disgrace which awaited
her 17
might perhaps have been avoided .
But , to be brief-Madame Duval , at the instigation of
, earnestly , or rather tyrannically , endeavoured to effect a union between
Miss Evelyn 17
and one of
.
And , when
she 6
found
her 6
power inadequate to
her 6
attempt , enraged at
her 6
non-compliance ,
she 6
treated
her 17
with the grossest unkindness , and threatened
her 17
with poverty and ruin .
Miss Evelyn , to whom wrath and violence had hitherto been strangers 17
, soon grew weary of such usage ; and rashly , and without
a witness 40
, consented to a private marriage with
Sir John Belmont 41
,
a very profligate young man 49
, who had but too successfully found means to insinuate
himself 41
into
her 17
favour .
He 41
promised to conduct
her 17
to England-he did.-O ,
Madam 0
,
you 0
know the rest !
- Disappointed of the fortune
he 41
expected , by the inexorable rancour of
the Duvals 42
,
he 41
infamously burnt the certificate of
their 43
marriage , and denied that
they 43
had ever been united .
She 17
flew to
me 1
for protection .
With what mixed transports of joy and anguish did
I 1
again see
her 17
!
By
my 1
advice ,
she 17
endeavoured to procure proofs of
her 17
marriage-but in vain ;
her 17
credulity had been no match for
his 41
art .
Every body 44
believed
her 17
innocent , from the guiltless tenor of
her 17
unspotted youth , and from the known libertinism of
her 17
barbarous betrayer
41 .
Yet
her 17
sufferings were too acute for
her 17
slender frame ; and the same moment that gave birth to
, put an end at once to the sorrows and the life of
.
The rage of
Madame Duval 6
at
her 17
elopement , abated not while
this injured victim of cruelty 17
yet drew breath .
She 6
probably intended , in time , to have pardoned
her 17
; but time was not allowed .
When
she 6
was informed of
her 17
death ,
I 1
have been told , that the agonies of grief and remorse , with which
she 6
was seized , occasioned
her 6
a severe fit of illness .
But , from the time of
her 6
recovery to the date of
her 6
letter to
,
I 1
had never heard that
she 6
manifested any desire to be made acquainted with the circumstances which attended the death of
Lady Belmont 17
, and the birth of
.