England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Epistolary fiction; Essays
The only difference is that all disputes on
the superior excellence of our Employments _then_ so frequent are now
no more. We have for many years entered into an agreement always to
admire each other’s works; I never fail listening to _her_ Music, and
she is as constant in eating my pies. Such at least was the case till
Henry Hervey made his appearance in Sussex. Before the arrival of his
Aunt in our neighbourhood where she established herself you know about
a twelvemonth ago, his visits to her had been at stated times, and of
equal and settled Duration; but on her removal to the Hall which is
within a walk from our House, they became both more frequent and
longer. This as you may suppose could not be pleasing to Mrs Diana who
is a professed enemy to everything which is not directed by Decorum and
Formality, or which bears the least resemblance to Ease and
Good-breeding. Nay so great was her aversion to her Nephews behaviour
that I have often heard her give such hints of it before his face that
had not Henry at such times been engaged in conversation with Eloisa,
they must have caught his Attention and have very much distressed him.
The alteration in my Sisters behaviour which I have before hinted at,
now took place. The Agreement we had entered into of admiring each
others productions she no longer seemed to regard, and tho’ I
constantly applauded even every Country-dance, she played, yet not even
a pidgeon-pye of my making could obtain from her a single word of
approbation. This was certainly enough to put any one in a Passion;
however, I was as cool as a cream-cheese and having formed my plan and
concerted a scheme of Revenge, I was determined to let her have her own
way and not even to make her a single reproach. My scheme was to treat
her as she treated me, and tho’ she might even draw my own Picture or
play Malbrook (which is the only tune I ever really liked) not to say
so much as “Thank you Eloisa;” tho’ I had for many years constantly
hollowed whenever she played, _Bravo_, _Bravissimo_, _her_, _Da capo_,
_allegretto con expressione_, and _Poco presto_ with many other such
outlandish words, all of them as Eloisa told me expressive of my
Admiration; and so indeed I suppose they are, as I see some of them in
every Page of every Music book, being the sentiments I imagine of the
composer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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