Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph | ||
September 12.—
Ah, my sister! my friend! What shall I do? Oh that officious lady Grimston—What ill star drove me to her house? Nothing would serve her but she must know what Mr. Arnold said to me in the drawing-room
He thence took occasion to apply particularly to my mother, apologizing at the same time for his not having done it before. What the self-sufficient creature added, I know not; for my mother, from whom I had this account, did not repeat all he said; but it seems it was enough to make her imagine I had not heard him reluctantly, and accordingly she gave him her permission to win me and wear me.
I could cry for very vexation to be made such a puppet of. This eclaircissement I dreaded before I had time to explain myself to my mother. The best of
Dear madam, said I, sure Mr. Arnold did not say, that I had encouraged his addresses. Encouraged, my dear! why sure the hearing, from a young lady of your education, is encouragement enough to a man of sense.—I heard him with complaisance, madam, because I thought that due to him; but I had not time to tell him, that it was my wish to remain single, at least for some time. My mother look surprized. "Sidney, this is not what I expected from you; I flattered myself you thought no longer of Mr. Faulkland."
She contracted her brow a little. Madam, I do not; indeed I think no more of him; but may I not be permitted to continue as I am?
Had you never had any engagement with Mr. Faulkland, answered my mother,
Lady Grimston has put your affair in such a light to me, as I never considered it in before. How mortifying must the reflection be, my dear, to think that it may be said Mr. Faulkland perhaps flew off, from some disadvantageous circumstance he discovered in regard to you. The world wants not envious malicious tongues enough to give it this turn. Your unlucky illness, and your brothers ill-timed assiduity in going so often to him when he was at Richmond, looks as if we had been endeavouring to recal him. Every body knows the marriage was almost concluded; and lady Grimston, though she thinks our reasons for breaking it off were extremely cogent, yet as she knows the world well, thinks it has not virtue enough to believe those to be the true reasons, and that it will be much more apt to put an invidious construction on the affair, that may be very detrimental to you in your future prospects. These
She left me with these cruel words; cruel in their kindness—Oh! she knows I am flexible by nature, and to her will yielding as air. What can I do? My
I have told Mrs. Vere what my mother said to me; she is intirely of her mind; every body is combined against me; I am treated like a baby, that knows not what is fit for it to choose or to reject.
Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph | ||