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MissVernontoMr.DeCourcy.
Sir,—IhopeyouwillexcusethislibertyIamforceduponitbythegreatestdistress,orIshouldbeashamedtotroubleyou.IamverymiserableaboutSirJamesMartin,andhavenootherwayintheworldofhelpingmyselfbutbywritingtoyou,forIamforbiddenevenspeakingtomyuncleandauntonthesubjectandthisbeingthecase,Iamafraidmyapplyingtoyouwillappearnobetterthanequivocation,andasifIattendedtotheletterandnotthespiritofmamma’scommands.Butifyoudonottakemypartandpersuadehertobreakitoff,Ishallbehalfdistracted,forIcannotbearhim.Nohumanbeingbutyoucouldhaveanychanceofprevailingwithher.Ifyouwill,therefore,havetheunspeakablygreatkindnessoftakingmypartwithher,andpersuadinghertosendSirJamesaway,Ishallbemoreobligedtoyouthanitispossibleformetoexpress.Ialwaysdislikedhimfromthefirst:itisnotasuddenfancy,Iassureyou,sirIalwaysthoughthimsillyandimpertinentanddisagreeable,andnowheisgrownworsethanever.Iwouldratherworkformybreadthanmarryhim.IdonotknowhowtoapologizeenoughforthisletterIknowitistakingsogreataliberty.Iamawarehowdreadfullyangryitwillmakemamma,butIremembertherisk.
Iam,Sir,yourmosthumbleservant,
F.S.V.
Sir,—IhopeyouwillexcusethislibertyIamforceduponitbythegreatestdistress,orIshouldbeashamedtotroubleyou.IamverymiserableaboutSirJamesMartin,andhavenootherwayintheworldofhelpingmyselfbutbywritingtoyou,forIamforbiddenevenspeakingtomyuncleandauntonthesubjectandthisbeingthecase,Iamafraidmyapplyingtoyouwillappearnobetterthanequivocation,andasifIattendedtotheletterandnotthespiritofmamma’scommands.Butifyoudonottakemypartandpersuadehertobreakitoff,Ishallbehalfdistracted,forIcannotbearhim.Nohumanbeingbutyoucouldhaveanychanceofprevailingwithher.Ifyouwill,therefore,havetheunspeakablygreatkindnessoftakingmypartwithher,andpersuadinghertosendSirJamesaway,Ishallbemoreobligedtoyouthanitispossibleformetoexpress.Ialwaysdislikedhimfromthefirst:itisnotasuddenfancy,Iassureyou,sirIalwaysthoughthimsillyandimpertinentanddisagreeable,andnowheisgrownworsethanever.Iwouldratherworkformybreadthanmarryhim.IdonotknowhowtoapologizeenoughforthisletterIknowitistakingsogreataliberty.Iamawarehowdreadfullyangryitwillmakemamma,butIremembertherisk.
Iam,Sir,yourmosthumbleservant,
F.S.V.