She was however much quieter than she had been; the convulsions

she had before suffered having given way to an almost perfect
Insensibility. We endeavoured to rouse her by every means in our

power, but to no purpose. I talked to her of Henry. "Dear
Eloisa (said I) there's no occasion for your crying so much about

such a trifle. (for I was willing to make light of it in order
to comfort her) I beg you would not mind it--You see it does not

vex me in the least; though perhaps I may suffer most from it
after all; for I shall not only be obliged to eat up all the

Victuals I have dressed already, but must if Henry should recover
(which however is not very likely) dress as much for you again;

or should he die (as I suppose he will) I shall still have to
prepare a Dinner for you whenever you marry any one else. So you

see that tho' perhaps for the present it may afflict you to think
of Henry's sufferings, Yet I dare say he'll die soon, and then

his pain will be over and you will be easy, whereas my Trouble
will last much longer for work as hard as I may, I am certain

that the pantry cannot be cleared in less than a fortnight." Thus
I did all in my power to console her, but without any effect, and

at last as I saw that she did not seem to listen to me, I said no
more, but leaving her with my Mother I took down the remains of

The Ham and Chicken, and sent William to ask how Henry did. He
was not expected to live many Hours; he died the same day. We

took all possible care to break the melancholy Event to Eloisa in
the tenderest manner; yet in spite of every precaution, her

sufferings on hearing it were too violent for her reason, and she
continued for many hours in a high Delirium. She is still

extremely" target="_blank" title="ad.极端地；非常地">extremely ill, and her Physicians are greatly afraid of her going
into a Decline. We are therefore preparing for Bristol, where we

mean to be in the course of the next week. And now my dear
Margaret let me talk a little of your affairs; and in the first

place I must inform you that it is confidently reported, your
Father is going to be married; I am very unwilling to beleive so

unpleasing a report, and at the same time cannot wholly discredit
it. I have written to my freind Susan Fitzgerald, for

information concerning it, which as she is at present in Town,
she will be very able to give me. I know not who is the Lady. I

think your Brother is extremely" target="_blank" title="ad.极端地；非常地">extremely right in the resolution he has
taken of travelling, as it will perhaps contribute to obliterate

from his remembrance, those disagreable Events, which have lately
so much afflicted him-- I am happy to find that tho' secluded

from all the World, neither you nor Matilda are dull or unhappy
--that you may never know what it is to, be either is the wish of

your sincerelyaffectionate
C.L.

P. S. I have this instant received an answer from my freind
Susan, which I enclose to you, and on which you will make your

own reflections.
The enclosed LETTER

My dear CHARLOTTE
You could not have applied for information concerning the report

of Sir George Lesleys Marriage, to any one better able to give it
you than I am. Sir George is certainly married; I was myself

present at the Ceremony, which you will not be surprised at when
I subscribe myself your Affectionate

Susan Lesley
LETTER the THIRD

From Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss C. LUTTERELL
Lesley Castle February the 16th

I have made my own reflections on the letter you enclosed to me,
my Dear Charlotte and I will now tell you what those reflections

were. I reflected that if by this second Marriage Sir George
should have a second family, our fortunes must be considerably

diminushed--that if his Wife should be of an extravagant turn,
she would encourage him to persevere in that gay and Dissipated

way of Life to which little encouragement would be necessary, and
which has I fear already proved but too detrimental to his health

and fortune--that she would now become Mistress of those Jewels
which once adorned our Mother, and which Sir George had always

promised us--that if they did not come into Perthshire I should
not be able to gratify my curiosity of beholding my Mother-in-law

and that if they did, Matilda would no longer sit at the head of
her Father's table--. These my dear Charlotte were the

melancholy reflections which crowded into my imagination after
perusing Susan's letter to you, and which instantly occurred to

Matilda when she had perused it likewise. The same ideas, the
same fears, immediately occupied her Mind, and I know not which

reflection distressed her most, whether the probable Diminution
of our Fortunes, or her own Consequence. We both wish very much

to know whether Lady Lesley is handsome and what is your opinion
of her; as you honour her with the appellation of your freind, we

flatter ourselves that she must be amiable. My Brother is
already in Paris. He intends to quit it in a few Days, and to

begin his route to Italy. He writes in a most chearfull manner,
says that the air of France has greatly recovered both his Health

and Spirits; that he has now entirely ceased to think of Louisa
with any degree either of Pity or Affection, that he even feels

himself obliged to her for her Elopement, as he thinks it very
good fun to be single again. By this, you may perceive that he

has entirely regained that chearful Gaiety, and sprightly Wit,
for which he was once so remarkable. When he first became

acquainted with Louisa which was little more than three years
ago, he was one of the most lively, the most agreable young Men

of the age--. I beleive you never yet heard the particulars of
his first acquaintance with her. It commenced at our cousin

Colonel Drummond's; at whose house in Cumberland he spent the
Christmas, in which he attained the age of two and twenty.

Louisa Burton was the Daughter of a distant Relation of Mrs.
Drummond, who dieing a few Months before in extremepoverty, left

his only Child then about eighteen to the protection of any of
his Relations who would protect her. Mrs. Drummond was the only

one who found herself so disposed--Louisa was therefore removed
from a miserable Cottage in Yorkshire to an elegant Mansion in

Cumberland, and from every pecuniary Distress that Poverty could
inflict, to every elegant Enjoyment that Money could purchase--.

Louisa was naturally ill-tempered and Cunning; but she had been
taught to disguise her real Disposition, under the appearance of

insinuating Sweetness, by a father who but too well knew, that to
be married, would be the only chance she would have of not being

starved, and who flattered himself that with such an extroidinary
share of personal beauty, joined to a gentleness of Manners, and

an engaging address, she might stand a good chance of pleasing
some young Man who might afford to marry a girl without a

Shilling. Louisa perfectly entered into her father's schemes and
was determined to forward them with all her care and attention.

By dint of Perseverance and Application, she had at length so
thoroughly disguised her natural disposition under the mask of

Innocence, and Softness, as to impose upon every one who had not
by a long and constantintimacy with her discovered her real

Character. Such was Louisa when the hapless Lesley first beheld
her at Drummond-house. His heart which (to use your favourite

comparison) was as delicate as sweet and as tender as a Whipt-
syllabub, could not resist her attractions. In a very few Days,

he was falling in love, shortly after actually fell, and before
he had known her a Month, he had married her. My Father was at

first highly displeased at so hasty and imprudent a connection;
but when he found that they did not mind it, he soon became

perfectly reconciled to the match. The Estate near Aberdeen
which my brother possesses by the bounty of his great Uncle

independant of Sir George, was entirely sufficient to support him
and my Sister in Elegance and Ease. For the first twelvemonth,

no one could be happier than Lesley, and no one more amiable to
appearance than Louisa, and so plausibly did she act and so

cautiously behave that tho' Matilda and I often spent several
weeks together with them, yet we neither of us had any suspicion