The Greatest Regency Romance Novels. Maria Edgeworth

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СКАЧАТЬ all day with an attentive eye, thought it proper to give her some admonitions concerning her future behaviour, before she took her leave.

      To this end, she drew her into another room, apart from the company; and having told her she had something of moment to say to her, began to entertain her in the following manner.

      'My dear child,' said she, 'you are now, I fear, more through your compliance with the desires of your friends than through your own inclination, entered into a state, the happiness of which greatly depends on the part you act in the first scenes of it: there are some women who think they can never testify too much fondness for their husbands, and that the name of wife is a sufficient sanction for giving a loose to the utmost excesses of an extravagant and romantick passion; but this is a weakness which I am pretty certain you will stand in no need of my advice to guard against. I am rather apprehensive of your running into a contrary extreme, equally dangerous to your future peace, as to that of your husband. A constant and unmoved insensibility will in time chill the most warm affection, and, perhaps, raise suspicions in him of the cause, which would be terrible indeed: beware, therefore, I conjure you, how you affect to despise, or treat with any marks of contempt, or even of too much coldness, a tenderness which he has a right to expect you should return in kind, as far, at least, as modesty and discretion will permit you to bestow.

      'As to your conduct in family affairs,' continued this good lady, 'I would have you always confine yourself to such things as properly appertain to your own province, never interfering with such as belong to your husband: be careful to give to him all the rights of his place, and, at the same time, maintain your own, though without seeming to be too tenacious of them. If any dispute happen to arise between you concerning superiority, though in matters of the slightest moment, rather recede a little from your due than contend too far; but let him see you yield more to oblige him than because you think yourself bound to do so.

      'Mr. Munden, I flatter myself, has every qualification to make you happy, and to shew that your friends, in advising you to marry him, have not misled your choice: but as perfection is not to be found on this side the grave, and the very best of us are not exempt from the frailties of human nature, whatever errors he may happen to fall into, as it does not become you to reprimand him, I wish you would never take notice you have observed them. A man of the strictest honour and good sense may sometimes slip—be guilty of some slight forgetfulness—but then he will recover of himself, and be ashamed of his mistake; whereas reproaches only serve to harden the indignant mind, and make it rather chuse to persevere in the vices it detests, than to return to the virtues it admires, if warned by the remonstrances of another.

      'But, above all things,' added she, 'I would wish you to consider that those too great gaieties of life you have hitherto indulged, which, however, innocent, could not escape censure while in a single state, will now have a much worse aspect in a married one.

      'Mistake me not, my dear,' pursued she, after a pause, finding, by Miss Betsy's countenance, that what she had said on this score had stung her to the quick; 'I would not have you deprive yourself of those pleasures of life which are becoming your sex, your age, and character; there is no necessity that, because you are a wife, you should become a mope: I only recommend a proper medium in these things.'

      Her ladyship was going on, when Miss Betsy's servants, whom she had ordered to bring such part of her baggage as she thought would be needful while she staid in that place, came with it into the chamber; on which this kind adviser told her fair friend that she would refer what she had farther to say on these subjects till another opportunity.

      Miss Betsy replied, that she would treasure up in her heart all the admonitions she should at any time be pleased to give her; and that she hoped her future conduct would demonstrate that no part of what her ladyship had said was lost upon her.

      With these words they returned into the dining-room; and the close of day soon after coming on, Sir Ralph and his lady, with the two Mr. Thoughtlesses, took leave of the bride and bridegroom, and came back to town.

CHAPTER V

       Table of Contents

      Seems to demand, for more reasons than one, a greater share of attention than ordinary, in the perusal of it

      The fair wife of Mr. Munden (Miss Betsy now no more) had promised nothing at the altar that she was not resolved religiously to perform: she began seriously to consider on the duties of her place; she was ignorant of no part of them; and soon became fully convinced that on a strict observation of them depended her honour—her reputation—her peace of mind—and, in fine, all that was dear to a woman of virtue and understanding.

      To give the more weight to these reflections, she also called to her mind the long perseverance of Mr. Munden—his constant assiduities to please her—his patient submitting to all the little caprices of her humour; and establishing in herself an assured belief of the ardour and sincerity of his affection to her, her gratitude, her good-nature, and good-sense, much more than compensated for the want of inclination; and without any of those languishments, those violent emotions, which bear the name of love, rendered her capable of giving more real and more valuable proofs of that passion than are sometimes to be found among those who profess themselves, and are looked upon by the world, as the most fond wives.

      In spite of her endeavours, the thoughts of Mr. Trueworth would, however, sometimes come into her mind; but she repelled them with all her might: and as the merits of that gentleman would, in reality, admit of no comparison with any thing that Mr. Munden had to boast of, she laboured to overbalance the perfections of the one, by that tender and passionate affection with which she flattered herself she now was, and always would be, regarded by the other.

      Thus happily disposed to make the bonds she had entered into easy to herself, and perfectly agreeable to the person with whom she was engaged, he had, indeed, a treasure in her beyond what he could ever have imagined, or her friends, from her former behaviour, had any reason to have expected; and, had he been truly sensible of the value of the jewel he possessed, he would have certainly been compleatly blessed: but happiness is not in the power of every one to enjoy, though Heaven and fortune deny nothing to their wishes. But of this hereafter.

      At present, all was joy and transport on the side of the bridegroom—all complaisance and sweetness on that of the bride. Their whole deportment to each other was such as gave the most promising expectations of a lasting harmony between them, and gladdened the hearts of as many as saw it, and interested themselves in the felicity of either of them.

      They continued but a few days in the retirement which had been made choice of for the consummation of their nuptials, Mr. Munden was naturally gay, loved company, and all the modish diversions of the times; and his wife, who, as the whole course of this history has shewn, had been always fond of them to an excess, and whose humour, in this point, was very little altered by the change of her condition, readily embraced the first proposal he made of returning to town, believing she should now have courage enough to appear in publick, without testifying any of that shamefacedness on account of her marriage, which she knew would subject her to the ridicule of those of her acquaintance who had a greater share of assurance.

      For a time, this new-married pair seemed to have no other thing in view than pleasure. Mr. Munden had a numerous acquaintance—his wife not a few. Giving and receiving entertainments, as yet, engrossed their whole attention—each smiling hour brought with it some fresh matter for satisfaction; and all was chearful, gay, and jocund.

      But this was a golden dream, which could not be expected to be of any long continuance. The gaudy scene vanished at once, and soon a darkening gloom overspread the late enchanting prospects. Mr. Munden's fortune could not support these constant expences. СКАЧАТЬ