21
especially as every visit is so many hours deducted
from the grand affair of Education, which I really
wish to be attended to while she remains with
Miss Summers's. — I want her to play & sing with
some portion of Taste & a good deal of assurance,
as she has my hand & arm & a tolerable voice.
I was so much indulged in my infant years that
I was never obliged to attend to anything, & conse:
:quently am without those accomplishments which
are now necessary to finish a pretty woman. Not
that I am an advocate for the prevailing fashion
of acquiring a perfect knowledge in all Languages
Arts & Sciences;— it is throwing time away;— to
be mistress of French, Italian, German, Music,
Singing, Drawing &c., will gain a Woman some
applause, but will not add one Lover to her list.
Grace & Manner after all are of the greatest im:
:portance. I do not mean therefore that Frederica's

22
acquirements should be more than superficial, & I
flatter myself that she will not remain long enough
at school to understand anything thoroughly. I
hope to see her the wife of Sir James within a
twelvemonth. — You know on what I ground my
hope, & it is certainly a good foundation, for school
must be very humiliating to a girl of Frederica's
age; & by the by, you had better not invite her
any more on that account, as I wish her to
find her situation as unpleasant as possible. — I am
sure of Sir James at any time, & could make him
renew his application by a Line. — I shall trouble
you meanwhile to prevent his forming any other
attachment when he comes to Town;— ask him
to your House occasionally, & talk to him about
Frederica that he may not forget her.
     Upon the whole, I commend my own conduct
in this affair extremely, & regard it as a very happy

23
mixture of circumspection & tenderness. Some mo:
:thers would have insisted on their daughter's ac:
:cepting so great an offer on the first overture,
but I could not answer it to myself to force
Frederica into a marriage from which her heart
revolted; & instead of adopting so harsh a mea:
:sure, merely propose to make it her own choice
by rendering her thoroughly uncomfortable till
she does accept him. But enough of this tire:
:some girl. —
     You may well wonder how I contrive to
pass my time here — & for the first week, it was
most insufferably dull. Now however, we begin
to mend; our party is enlarged by M^rs. Vernon's
brother, a handsome young man, who promises
me some amusement. There is something about
him that rather interests me, a sort of sauci:
:ness, of familiarity which I shall teach him to

24
correct. He is lively, & seems clever, & when I have
inspired him with greater respect for me than his
sister's kind offices have implanted, he may be an
agreeable Flirt. — There is exquisite pleasure in sub:
:duing an insolent spirit, in making a person
pre-determined to dislike, acknowledge one's superi:
:ority. — I have disconcerted him already by my calm
reserve, & it shall be my endeavour to humble the
Pride of these self important De Courcys still low:
:er, to convince M^rs. Vernon that her sisterly cau:
:tions have been bestowed in vain, & to persuade
Reginald that she has scandalously belied me.
This project will serve at least to amuse me, &
prevent my feeling so acutely this dreadful sepa:
:ration from you & all whom I love. Adieu.

Yours ever
S. Vernon.