THE HISTORY OF SIR CHARLES GRANDISON, BART. LETTER I. MISS HARRIET BYRON, TO MISS LUCY SELBY. Wednesday night, March 1. MR. FOWLER set out yesterday for Gloucestershire, where he has an estate. He proposes to go from thence to Caermarthen, to the worthy Sir Rowland. He paid a visit to Mr. Reeves, and desired him to present to me his best wishes and respects. He declared, that he could not possibly take leave of me, though he doubted not but I would receive him with goodness, as he called it. But it was that which cut him to the heart: So kind, and so cruel, he said, he could not bear it. I hope poor Mr. Fowler will be more happy than I could make him. Methinks I could have been half glad to have seen him before he went and yet but half glad; since, had he shewn much concern, I should have been pained. Take now, my dear, an account of what passed this day in St. James's Square. There were at Sir Charles Grandison's, besides Lord and Lady L—, the young Lord G—, one of Miss Grandison's humble servants; Mr. Everard Grandison; Miss Emily Jervois, a young lady of about fourteen, a ward of Sir Charles; and Dr. Bartlett, a divine; of whom more by and by. Sir Charles conducted us into the drawing-room adjoining to the dining-room; where only were his two sisters. They received my cousins and me with looks of love. I will tell you, said Sir Charles, your company, before I present them to you. Lord L— is a good man. I honour him as such; and love him as my sister's husband. bowed, and looked round her, as if she Lady Ltook pride in her brother's approbation of her lord. Mr. Everard Grandison, proceeded he, is a sprightly man. He is prepared to admire you, Miss Byron. You will not believe, perhaps, half the handsome things he will say to you; but yet, will be the only person who hears them, that will not. Lord G is a modest young man: he is genteel, well-bred; but is so much in love with a certain young lady, that he does not appear with that dignity in her eye [why blushes my Charlotte?] that otherwise, perhaps, he might. Are not you, Sir Charles, a modest man? No comparisons, Charlotte. Where there is a double prepossession; no comparisons!-But Lord G-, Miss Byron, is a good kind of young man. You'll not dislike him, though my sister is pleased to thinkNo comparisons, Sir Charles. That's fair, Charlotte. I will leave Lord G-to the judgment of Miss Byron. Ladies can better account for the approbation and dislikes of ladies, than we men can. Dr. Bartlett, you'll also see. He is learned, prudent, humble. You'll read his heart in his countenance, the moment he smiles upon you. Your grandpapa, madam, had fine curling silver hair, had he not? The moment I heard that you owed obligation to your grandfather's care and delight in you, I figure to myself, that he was just such a man, habit excepted: Your grandfather was not a clergyman, I think. When I have friends whom I have a strong desire to please, I always endeavour to treat them with Dr. Bartlett's company. He has but one fault; he speaks too little but were he to speak much, every one else would wish to be silent. My ward, Emily Jervois, is an amiable girl. Her father was a good man; but not happy in his nuptials. He bequeathed to my care, on his death-bed, at Florence, this his only child. My sister loves her. I love her for her own sake, as well as for her father's. She has a great fortune and I have had the happiness to recover large sums, which her father gave over for lost. He was an Italian merchant; and driven out of England by the unhappy temper of his wife. I have had some trouble with her; and, if she be living, expect more. Unhappy temper of his wife, Sir Charles! You are very mild in your account of one of the most abandoned of women. Well, but, Charlotte, I am only giving brief hints of Emily's story, to procure for her an interest in Miss Byron's favour, and to make their first acquaintance easy to each other. Emily wants no prepossession in Miss Byron's favour. She will be very ready herself to tell her |