Love and friendship

TO MADAMLA COMTESSE DE FEUILLDE THIS NOVEL IS INSCRIBED BY HER OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT

THE AUTHOR

“Deceived in Friendship and Betrayed in Love.”

Letter the first from Isabel to Laura

How often, in answer to my repeated ins treaties that you would give my daughter a regular detail of misfortunes and adventures in life, have I said, “No, friend, I will never comply with your request till I may be no longer a danger of again experiencing such dread ones?"

Surely that time is now at hand. You 55ttoday. 55. If a woman may ever be said to be in safety from the determiperseverance of disagreeable overseers and of obstinfathers, surely it must be at such a time of life. Isabel

Letter 2nd Laura to Isabel

Although’ I can’t agree with You in supposing that she will never again be exposed to misfortunes as unmerited as those I have already experienced, yet to avoid the imputation of obstinacy or ill-nature, I will gratify the curiosity of my daughter, and many of the fortitude with which I have suffered the many afflictions of my life prove to her a useful lesson for the support of those that may befall her in her own life. Laura

Letter 3rd Laura to Marianne

as the daughter of my most intimate friend, am I entitled to know the truth of my unhappy story, which your mother has so often solicited me to give you? My father was a native of Ireland and an inhabitant of Wales; my mother was the natudaughter of a ScopeerPeer by an Italian girl. I was born in Spain and received my education at a convent in France. When I had reached my eighteenth year, I was recalled by my parents to my paternal home in Wales. Our mansion was situated in one of the most romantic parts of the Vale Use. Though Thao’s arms are considerably softened and somewhat impaired by misfortunes I have endured, I was once beautiful. But lovely as I was, grace aces of perfection. Of every accomplishment a customary to my sex, I am a mistress. I had always exceeded instructions; my achievements had been wonderful for my age, and I had shortly surpassed masters.

In my mind, every time it clouded, it centered; it rendezvousvous of every quality and of every noble sentiment. A sensibility too tremblingly alive to every affliction of friends, acquaintances, acne and particularly to every affliction of my own was my fault; I fault, it could be called Alas! How altered now! Tended, my seven misfortunes do not make less impression on me than they ever did, yet now I never feel for those others. err. accomplishments, me too, begin fade. I can neither sing so well nor dance so gracefully as I once did, and I have entirely forgot the MINUET DELA COUR. Laura

Letter 4th Laura to Marianne

Our neighborhood was small, for it consisted only of your mother. She may probably have already told you that being left by her parents in indigent circumstances she had retired into Wales on economical motives. There it was our friendship first commenced. Isobel was then one and twenty. Though pleasing both in her person and Manners (between ourselves) she never possessed the hundreds part of my Beauty or Accomplishments. Isabel had seen the world. She has passed 2 years at one of the first Boarding-schools in London; had spent a fortnight in Southampton.

“Beware my Laura (she would often say) beware of the insipid vanities and idle dissipations of the metropolis of England; Beware of the unmeaning Luxuries of Bath and of the stinking fish of Southampton.”