Love and Freindship [sic]
been the only reason of his having so long concealed the violence of
his affection for Janetta, on receiving this Billet flew on the wings
of Love to Macdonald-Hall, and so powerfully pleaded his Attachment to
her who inspired it, that after a few more private interveiws, Sophia
and I experienced the satisfaction of seeing them depart for
Gretna-Green, which they chose for the celebration of their Nuptials,
in preference to any other place although it was at a considerable
distance from Macdonald-Hall.
Adeiu
Laura.
LETTER the 13th
LAURA in continuation
They had been gone nearly a couple of Hours, before either Macdonald or
Graham had entertained any suspicion of the affair. And they might not
even then have suspected it, but for the following little Accident.
Sophia happening one day to open a private Drawer in Macdonald’s
Library with one of her own keys, discovered that it was the Place
where he kept his Papers of consequence and amongst them some bank
notes of considerable amount. This discovery she imparted to me; and
having agreed together that it would be a proper treatment of so vile a
Wretch as Macdonald to deprive him of money, perhaps dishonestly
gained, it was determined that the next time we should either of us
happen to go that way, we would take one or more of the Bank notes from
the drawer. This well meant Plan we had often successfully put in
Execution; but alas! on the very day of Janetta’s Escape, as Sophia was
majestically removing the 5th Bank-note from the Drawer to her own
purse, she was suddenly most impertinently interrupted in her
employment by the entrance of Macdonald himself, in a most abrupt and
precipitate Manner. Sophia (who though naturally all winning sweetness
could when occasions demanded it call forth the Dignity of her sex)
instantly put on a most forbidding look, and darting an angry frown on
the undaunted culprit, demanded in a haughty tone of voice “Wherefore
her retirement was thus insolently broken in on?” The unblushing
Macdonald, without even endeavouring to exculpate himself from the
crime he was charged with, meanly endeavoured to reproach Sophia with
ignobly defrauding him of his money... The dignity of Sophia was
wounded; “Wretch (exclaimed she, hastily replacing the Bank-note in the
Drawer) how darest thou to accuse me of an Act, of which the bare idea
makes me blush?” The base wretch was still unconvinced and continued to
upbraid the justly-offended Sophia in such opprobious Language, that at
length he so greatly provoked the gentle sweetness of her Nature, as to
induce her to revenge herself on him by informing him of Janetta’s
Elopement, and of the active Part we had both taken in the affair. At
this period of their Quarrel I entered the Library and was as you may
imagine equally offended as Sophia at the ill-grounded accusations of
the malevolent and contemptible Macdonald. “Base Miscreant! (cried I)
how canst thou thus undauntedly endeavour to sully the spotless
reputation of such bright Excellence? Why dost thou not suspect _my_
innocence as soon?” “Be satisfied Madam (replied he) I _do_ suspect it,
and therefore must desire that you will both leave this House in less
than half an hour.”
“We shall go willingly; (answered Sophia) our hearts have long detested
thee, and nothing but our freindship for thy Daughter could have
induced us to remain so long beneath thy roof.”
“Your Freindship for my Daughter has indeed been most powerfully
exerted by throwing her into the arms of an unprincipled
Fortune-hunter.” (replied he)
“Yes, (exclaimed I) amidst every misfortune, it will afford us some
consolation to reflect that by this one act of Freindship to Janetta,
we have amply discharged every obligation that we have received from
her father.”
“It must indeed be a most gratefull reflection, to your exalted minds.”
(said he.)
As soon as we had packed up our wardrobe and valuables, we left
Macdonald Hall, and after having walked about a mile and a half we sate
down by the side of a clear limpid stream to refresh our exhausted
limbs. The place was suited to meditation. A grove of full-grown Elms
sheltered us from the East—. A Bed of full-grown Nettles from the
West—. Before us ran the murmuring brook and behind us ran the
turn-pike road. We were in a mood for contemplation and in a
Disposition to enjoy so beautifull a spot. A mutual silence which had
for some time reigned between us, was at length broke by my
exclaiming—“What a lovely scene! Alas why are not Edward and Augustus
here to enjoy its Beauties with us?”
“Ah! my beloved Laura (cried Sophia) for pity’s sake forbear recalling
to my remembrance the unhappy situation of my imprisoned Husband. Alas,
what would I not give to learn the fate of my Augustus! to know if he
is still in Newgate, or if he is yet hung. But never shall I be able so
far to conquer my tender sensibility as to enquire after him. Oh! do
not I beseech you ever let me again hear you repeat his beloved name—.
It affects me too deeply—. I cannot bear to hear him mentioned it
wounds my feelings.”
“Excuse me my Sophia for having thus unwillingly offended you—” replied
I—and then changing the conversation, desired her to admire the noble
Grandeur of the Elms which sheltered us from the Eastern Zephyr. “Alas!
my Laura (returned she) avoid so melancholy a subject, I intreat you.
Do not again wound my Sensibility by observations on those elms. They
remind me of Augustus. He was like them, tall, magestic—he possessed
that noble grandeur which you admire in them.”
I was silent, fearfull lest I might any more unwillingly distress her
by fixing on any other subject of conversation which might again remind
her of Augustus.
“Why do you not speak my Laura? (said she after a short pause) “I
cannot support this silence you must not leave me to my own
reflections; they ever recur to Augustus.”
“What a beautifull sky! (said I) How charmingly is the azure varied by
those delicate streaks of white!”
“Oh! my Laura (replied she hastily withdrawing her Eyes from a
momentary glance at the sky) do not thus distress me by calling my
Attention to an object which so cruelly reminds me of my Augustus’s
blue sattin waistcoat striped in white! In pity to your unhappy freind
avoid a subject so distressing.” What could I do? The feelings of
Sophia were at that time so exquisite, and the tenderness she felt for
Augustus so poignant that I had not power to start any other topic,
justly fearing that it might in some unforseen manner again awaken all
her sensibility by directing her thoughts to her Husband. Yet to be
silent would be cruel; she had intreated me to talk.
From this Dilemma I was most fortunately releived by an accident truly
apropos; it was the lucky overturning of a Gentleman’s Phaeton, on the
road which ran murmuring behind us. It was a most fortunate accident as
it diverted the attention of Sophia from the melancholy reflections
which she had been before indulging. We instantly quitted our seats and
ran to the rescue of those who but a few moments before had been in so
elevated a situation as a fashionably high Phaeton, but who were now
laid low and sprawling in the Dust. “What an ample subject for
reflection on the uncertain Enjoyments of this World, would not that
Phaeton and the Life of Cardinal Wolsey afford a thinking Mind!” said I
to Sophia as we were hastening to the field of Action.
She had not time to answer me, for every thought was now engaged by the
horrid spectacle before us. Two Gentlemen most elegantly attired but
weltering in their blood was what first struck our Eyes—we
approached—they were Edward and Augustus—. Yes dearest Marianne they
were our Husbands. Sophia shreiked and fainted on the ground—I screamed
and instantly ran mad—. We remained thus mutually deprived of our
senses, some minutes, and on regaining them were deprived of them
again. For an Hour and a Quarter did we continue in this unfortunate
situation—Sophia fainting every moment and I running mad as often. At
length a groan from the hapless Edward (who alone retained any share of
life) restored us to ourselves. Had we indeed before imagined that
either of them lived, we should have been more sparing of our Greif—but
as we had supposed when we first beheld them that they were no more, we
knew that nothing could remain to be done but what we were about. No
sooner did we therefore hear my Edward’s groan than postponing our
lamentations for the present, we hastily ran to the Dear Youth and
kneeling on each side of him implored him not to die—. “Laura (said He
fixing his now languid Eyes on me) I fear I have been overturned.”
I was overjoyed to find him yet sensible.
“Oh! tell me Edward (said I) tell me I beseech you before you die, what
has befallen you since that unhappy Day in which Augustus was arrested
and we were separated—”
“I will” (said he) and instantly fetching a deep sigh, Expired—. Sophia
immediately sank again into a swoon—. _My_ greif was more audible. My
Voice faltered, My Eyes assumed a vacant stare, my face became as pale
as Death, and my senses were considerably impaired—.
“Talk not to me of Phaetons (said I, raving in a frantic, incoherent
manner)—Give me a violin—. I’ll play to him and sooth him in his
melancholy Hours—Beware ye gentle Nymphs of Cupid’s Thunderbolts, avoid
the piercing shafts of Jupiter—Look at that grove of Firs—I see a Leg
of Mutton—They told me Edward was not Dead; but they deceived me—they
took him for a cucumber—” Thus I continued wildly exclaiming on my
Edward’s Death—. For two Hours did I rave thus madly and should not
then have left off, as I was not in the least fatigued, had not Sophia
who was just recovered from her swoon, intreated me to consider that
Night was now approaching and that the Damps began to fall. “And
whither shall we go (said I) to shelter us from either?” “To that white
Cottage.” (replied she pointing to a neat Building which rose up amidst
the grove of Elms and which I had not before observed—) I agreed and we
instantly walked to it—we knocked at the door—it was opened by an old
woman; on being requested to afford us a Night’s Lodging, she informed
us that her House was but small, that she had only two Bedrooms, but
that However we should be wellcome to one of them. We were satisfied
and followed the good woman into the House where we were greatly
cheered by the sight of a comfortable fire—. She was a widow and had
only one Daughter, who was then just seventeen—One of the best of ages;
but alas! she was very plain and her name was Bridget..... Nothing
therfore could be expected from her—she could not be supposed to
possess either exalted Ideas, Delicate Feelings or refined
Sensibilities—. She was nothing more than a mere good-tempered, civil
and obliging young woman; as such we could scarcely dislike here—she
was only an Object of Contempt—.
Adeiu
Laura.
LETTER the 14th
LAURA in continuation
Arm yourself my amiable young Freind with all the philosophy you are
Mistress of; summon up all the fortitude you possess, for alas! in the
perusal of the following Pages your sensibility will be most severely
tried. Ah! what were the misfortunes I had before experienced and which
I have already related to you, to the one I am now going to inform you
of. The Death of my Father and my Mother and my Husband though almost
more than my gentle Nature could support, were trifles in comparison to
the misfortune I am now proceeding to relate. The morning after our
arrival at the Cottage, Sophia complained of a violent pain in her
delicate limbs, accompanied with a disagreable Head-ake. She attributed
it to a cold caught by her continued faintings in the open air as the
Dew was falling the Evening before. This I feared was but too probably