University of Virginia Library

17051123

November 23.—Amazing, my dear Cecilia! I thought I should wonder no more at any thing, yet is my wonder now raised to astonishment—I have just received a letter from lady V—. I have read it over and over again, and can yet scarce believe my senses. Here it is in her own words:

17051121 Sidney Lady V.

'I suppose you know, my dear Mrs. 'Arnold, that your husband is in town; and that he left Mrs. Gerrarde behind him for no other reason, I imagine, but that he did not choose to be quite so scandalous as to let her travel with him; for we heard that she purposed following him in a few days. Patty, I conclude, may have informed you of thus much; but the extraordinary part of the intelligence,

I believe, is reserved for me to acquaint you with. Know then that Mrs. Gerrarde is eloped, nobody knows whither. Good, say you; good, should I say too; but for the conclusion of my story. It is with Mr. Faulkland she is eloped: 'tis positively true; she went off with him in triumph last night in her own chariot, and neither of them have been heard of since. I own I am so much confounded at this, I scarce know what I write.'

'I am very glad, for your sake, that bad creature has quitted your husband; but that she should have drawn my cousin Faulkland in, is matter of serious concern to me. It is evident the plan was previously concerted between them; for I am informed to-day, that Mrs. Gerrarde's maid decamped at the same time, and took with her every thing valuable belonging to her mistress, several of her drawers being found open and empty. Mr. Faulkland's servants have also disappeared; so that we cannot conjecture which way they are gone.'

'Mr. Faulkland, who was about leaving us, asked my permission to give a ball to the neighbouring ladies in our new room, which is just finished. As I concluded he would ask nobody but our own acquaintance, I readily consented; and my lord, you know, is fond of those frolics. I own I was surprized to see Mrs. Gerrarde amongst the company, as undaunted as the modestest face there. I would not however affront Mr. Faulkland so much, as to shew any disrespect to one, who was, at that time, his guest; but I was out of all patience to find that she, along with several others, was asked to supper; my too-good-natured lord joining in the invitation. Mr. Faulkland made a pretence to wait on her home, and the audacious creature took that opportunity to march off with him.

'Now, as Faulkland really purposed leaving V—hall the next day, I think it would have been but decent in him to have forebore this piece of barefaced libertinism, till he was fairly from under

our roof. He might have made his assignation in any other place; but, I suppose, the lady had a mind to shew the world she is above restraint, and chose to make her infamy a sort of triumph.'

'I am quite angry with my lord, for only laughing at this, and calling it a piece of spirited gallantry in them both. He says, he is delighted to think how your good man will shake his ears, when he hears his mistress has left him in the lurch, and gone off with another lover. I should smile too; but that it makes me sad to think, that Mr. Faulkland, of whom I had so good an opinion, should so impose upon my judgment, and forfeit his own character, for so vile a creature.'

'Pardon me, my dear madam; I am so full of my own reflections, on the interest I take in this affair, that I have been forgetful of how much more moment it may be to you. Heaven grant that your husband may think of making himself amends, in returning to a faithful and amiable wife, for the loss of a

deceitful, jilting mistress. Surely this event must open his eyes, or he deserves to lose them. I hope to embrace you in London in a very little time; till then, believe me,

Well, my Cecilia, what say you to this? Are you not as much surprized as I am? Mr. Faulkland to emerge at last the favoured gallant of Mrs. Gerrarde! Prodigious! I confess, my dear, I am so selfish as not to participate with lady V— in her uneasiness on this occasion. That Mrs. Gerrarde flies from my husband, I am glad; and that Mr. Faulkland is the very man she chose to fly with, I am still gladder: he, of all men living, I would have wished (though least expected) to be the person. This explains every thing that is passed. Surely, as Lady V—says, this must open Mr. Arnold's eyes. I can now discover a double

reason for my poor deluded man's having his imagination poisoned with jealousy. Mrs. Gerrarde did not aim singly at separating my husband and me: this, perhaps, was but a secondary consideration; or who knows whether it was at all intended? But she most certainly designed to secure herself against all suspicions, by making me the object of them; and effectually to blind Mr. Arnold, persuaded him, that Mr. Faulkland's visits, made to her, were only in the hopes of seeing me.

Let her views have been what they would, this event was beyond my hopes. Some glimmerings of comfort begin to break in upon me. Methinks my heart feels much lighter than it did. How Sir George will stare at this account! My mother will life up her eyes; but she has no opinion of Mr. Faulkland's morals, and therefore will be the less surprized. I pity Miss Burchell: this is an irremediable bar to her hopes; faint and unsupported as they were before, they must now intirely vanish.