第26章 FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME(2)

The case was this--Frederica had set herself violently against marrying Sir James.""And can your ladyship wonder that she should?"cried I with some warmth;"Frederica has an excellent understanding,and Sir James has none.""I am at least very far from regretting it,my dear sister,"said she;"on the contrary,I am grateful for so favourable a sign of my daughter's sense.Sir James is certainly below par (his boyish manners make him appear worse);and had Frederica possessed the penetration and the abilities which I could have wished in my daughter,or had I even known her to possess as much as she does,I should not have been anxious for the match.""It is odd that you should alone be ignorant of your daughter's sense!""Frederica never does justice to herself;her manners are shy and childish,and besides she is afraid of me.During her poor father's life she was a spoilt child;the severity which it has since been necessary for me to show has alienated her affection;neither has she any of that brilliancy of intellect,that genius or vigour of mind which will force itself forward.""Say rather that she has been unfortunate in her education!""Heaven knows,my dearest Mrs.Vernon,how fully I am aware of that;but I would wish to forget every circumstance that might throw blame on the memory of one whose name is sacred with me."Here she pretended to cry;I was out of patience with her."But what,"said I,"was your ladyship going to tell me about your disagreement with my brother?""It originated in an action of my daughter's,which equally marks her want of judgment and the unfortunate dread of me I have been mentioning--she wrote to Mr.De Courcy.""I know she did;you had forbidden her speaking to Mr.Vernon or to me on the cause of her distress;what could she do,therefore,but apply to my brother?""Good God!"she exclaimed,"what an opinion you must have of me!Can you possibly suppose that I was aware of her unhappiness!that it was my object to make my own child miserable,and that I had forbidden her speaking to you on the subject from a fear of your interrupting the diabolical scheme?