come. In her present exile from good society, and distance from
every thing that had been wont to interest her, a letter from one belonging to
the set where her heart lived, written with affection, and some degree of
elegance, was thoroughly acceptable. - The usual plea of increasing engagements
was made in excuse for not having written to her earlier, »and now that I have
begun,« she continued, »my letter will not be worth your reading, for there will
be no little offering of love at the end, no three or four lines passionées from
the most devoted H.C. in the world, for Henry is in Norfolk; business called him
to Everingham ten days ago, or perhaps he only pretended the call, for the sake
of being travelling at the same time that you were. But there he is, and, by the
by, his absence may sufficiently account for any remissness of his sister's in
writing, for there has been no well, Mary, when do you write to Fanny? - is not
it time for you to write to Fanny? to spur me on. At last, after various
attempts at meeting, I have seen your cousins, dear Julia and dearest Mrs.
Rushworth; they found me at home yesterday, and we were glad to see each other
again. We seemed very glad to see each other, and I do really think we were a
little. - We had a vast deal to say. - Shall I tell you how Mrs. Rushworth
looked when your name was mentioned? I did not use to think her wanting in self
possession, but she had not quite enough for the demands of yesterday. Upon the
whole Julia was in the best looks of the two, at least after you were spoken of.
There was no recovering the complexion from the moment that I spoke of Fanny,
and spoke of her as a sister should. - But Mrs. Rushworth's day of good looks
will come; we have cards for her first party on the 28th. - Then she will be in
beauty, for she will open one of the best houses in Wimpole Street. I was in it
two years ago, when it was Lady Lascelles's, and prefer it to almost any I know
in London, and certainly she will then feel - to use a vulgar phrase - that she
has got her pennyworth for her penny. Henry could not have afforded her such a
house. I hope she will recollect it, and be satisfied, as well she may, with
moving the queen of a