Augustus.' 'Oh! no, no, (exclaimed Sophia) I cannot go to Newgate; I shall not be able to support the sight of my Augustus in so cruel a confinement?my feelings are sufficiently shocked by the recital of his distress, but to behold it will overpower my sensibility.' As I perfectly agreed with her in the justice of her sentiments, the postilion was instantly directed to return into the country. You may perhaps have been somewhat surprised, my dearest Marianne, that in the distress I then endured, destitute of any support, and unprovided with any habitation, I should never once have remembered my father and mother or my paternal cottage in the vale of Usk. To account for this seeming forgetfulness I must inform you of a trifling circumstance concerning them which I have as yet never mentioned?. The death of my parents a few weeks after my departure is the circumstance I allude to. By their decease I became the lawful inheritress of their house and fortune. But alas! the house had never been their own, and their fortune had only been an annuity2 on their own lives.
7. I.e., the goods in the house, as property of a 1. A prison. That Augustus is thought to be there debtor who has forfeited them, will be seized by a indicates he has been arrested as a thief rather sheriff s officer. than as a debtor. 8. District in London. 2. Annual payment of a set sum. 9. Window of the coach.
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52 4 / JANE AUSTEN
Such is the depravity of the world! To your mother I should have returned with pleasure, should have been happy to have introduced to her my charming Sophia, and should have with cheerfulness have passed the remainder of my life in their dear society in the vale of Usk, had not one obstacle to the execution of so agreeable a scheme intervened; which was the marriage and removal of your mother to a distant part of Ireland.
Adieu. Laura
LETTER THE ELEVENTH Laura in continuation
'I have a relation in Scotland (said Sophia to me as we left London) who, I am certain, would not hesitate in receiving me.' 'Shall I order the boy to drive there?' said I?but instantly recollecting myself, exclaimed 'Alas, I fear it will be too long a journey for the horses.' Unwilling however to act only from my own inadequate knowledge of the strength and abilities of horses, I consulted the postilion, who was entirely of my opinion concerning the affair. We therefore determined to change horses at the next town and to travel post3 the remainder of the journey?. When we arrived at the last inn we were to stop at, which was but a few miles from the house of Sophia's relation, unwilling to intrude our society on him unexpected and unthought of, we wrote a very elegant and well-penned note to him containing an account of our destitute and melancholy situation, and of our intention to spend some months with him in Scotland. As soon as we had dispatched this letter, we immediately prepared to follow it in person and were stepping into the carriage for that purpose, when our attention was attracted by the entrance of a coroneted coach and four4 into the inn-yard. A gentleman considerably advanced in years descended from it?. At his first appearance my sensibility was wonderfully affected and ere I had gazed at him a second time, an instinctive sympathy whispered to my heart, that he was my grandfather.
Convinced that I could not be mistaken in my conjecture, I instantly sprang from the carriage I had just entered, and following the venerable stranger into the room he had been shewn to, I threw myself on my knees before him and besought him to acknowledge me as his grandchild.?He started, and, after having attentively examined my features, raised me from the ground and throwing his grandfatherly arms around my neck, exclaimed, 'Acknowledge thee! Yes, dear resemblance of my Laurina and my Laurina's daughter, sweet image of my Claudia and my Claudia's mother, I do acknowledge thee as the daughter of the one and the granddaughter of the other.' While he was thus tenderly embracing me, Sophia, astonished at my precipitate departure, entered the room in search of me?. No sooner had she caught the eye of the venerable peer, than he exclaimed with every mark of astonishment?'Another granddaughter ! Yes, yes, I see you are the daughter of my Laurina's eldest girl; your resemblance to the beauteous Matilda sufficiently proclaims it.' 'Oh!' replied Sophia, 'when I first beheld you the instinct of nature whispered me that we were in some degree related?But whether grandfathers, or grandmothers, I could not pretend to determine.' He folded her in his arms, and whilst they were tenderly embracing, the door of the apartment opened and a most beautiful young man appeared. On perceiving him Lord St. Clair started
3. By speedy and expensive post coach. with the image of a crown, indicating its occupant's 4. The coach, drawn by four horses, is adorned noble rank.
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LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP / 52 5
and, retreating back a few paces, with uplifted hands, said, 'Another grandchild! What an unexpected happiness is this! to discover in the space of three minutes, as many of my descendants! This, I am certain, is Philander, the son of my Laurina's third girl, the amiable Bertha; there wants now but the presence of Gustavus to complete the union of my Laurina's grandchildren.'
'And here he is; (said a graceful youth who that instant entered the room) here is the Gustavus you desire to see. I am the son of Agatha, your Laurina's fourth and youngest daughter.' 'I see you are indeed; replied Lord St. Clair? But tell me (continued he, looking fearfully towards the door) tell me, have I any other grandchildren in the house.' 'None, my Lord.' 'Then I will provide for you all without further delay?Here are four banknotes of 50. each?Take them and remember I have done the duty of a grandfather?.' He instantly left the room and immediately afterwards the house.
Adieu. Laura
LETTER THE TWELFTH
Laura in continuation
You may imagine how greatly we were surprised by the sudden departure of Lord St. Clair. 'Ignoble grandsire!' exclaimed Sophia. 'Unworthy grandfather!' said I, and instantly fainted in each other's arms. How long we remained in this situation I know not; but when we recovered we found ourselves alone, without either Gustavus, Philander, or the banknotes. As we were deploring our unhappy fate, the door of the apartment opened and 'Macdonald' was announced. He was Sophia's cousin. The haste with which he came to our relief so soon after the receipt of our note spoke so greatly in his favour that I hesitated not to pronounce him, at first sight, a tender and sympathetic friend. Alas! he little deserved the name?for though he told us that he was much concerned at our misfortunes, yet by his own account it appeared that the perusal of them had neither drawn from him a single sigh, nor induced him to bestow one curse on our vindictive stars?. He told Sophia that his daughter depended on her returning with him to Macdonald Hall, and that as his cousin's friend he should be happy to see me there also. To Macdonald Hall, therefore, we went, and were received with great kindness by Janetta, the daughter of Macdonald, and the mistress of the mansion. Janetta was then only fifteen; naturally well disposed, endowed with a susceptible heart, and a sympathetic disposition, she might, had these amiable qualities been properly encouraged, have been an ornament to human nature; but, unfortunately, her father possessed not a soul sufficiently exalted to admire so promising a disposition, and had endeavoured by every means in his power to prevent its increasing with her years. He had actually so far extinguished the natural noble sensibility of her heart, as to prevail on her to accept an offer from a young man of his recommendation. They were to be married in a few months, and Graham was in the house when we arrived. We soon saw through his character?. He was just such a man as one might
