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 .