Letter XIII

Summary

From Miss Darnford, to her Father and Mother.

My ever-honoured Papa and Mamma,

I arriv’d safely in London on Thursday, after a tolerable Journey, considering Deb. and Imade Six in the Coach, (Two having been taken up on the Way, after you left me) and none of the Six highly agreeable. Mr. B. and his Lady, who looks very stately upon us, (from the Circumstance of Person, rather than of Mind, however) were so good as to meet me at St. Albans, in their Coach and Six. They have a fine House here, richly furnish’d in every Part, and allotted me the best Apartments in it.

We are happy beyond Expression: Mr. B. is a charming Husband; so easy, so pleas’d with, and so tender of his Lady; and she so much All that we saw her in the Country, as to Humility and Affability, and improv’d in every thing else, which we hardly thought possible she could be—that I never knew so happy a Matrimony.—All that Prerogative Sauciness, which we apprehended would so eminently display itself in his Behaviour to his Lady, had she been ever so distinguish’d by Birth and Fortune, is vanish’d, and no Traces of it left. I did not think it was in the Power of an Angel, if our Sex could have produc’d one, to have made so tender and so fond an Husband of Mr. B. as he makes. And should I have the Sense to follow Mrs B.'s Example, if ever I marry, I should not despair of making myself happy, let it be to whom it would, provided he was not a Brute, nor sordid in his Temper, which two Characters are too obvious to be conceal’d, if Persons take due Care, and make proper Inquiries, and if they are not led by blind Passion. May Mr. Murray, and Miss Nancy, make just such an happy Pair!

You commanded me, my honour’d Mamma, to write to you an Account of every thing that pleas’d me—I said I would: But what a Task should I then have!—I did not think I had undertaken to write Volumes!—You must therefore allow me to be more brief than I had intended.