Old friends and new fancies : $b an imaginary sequel to the novels of Jane AustenBrinton, Sybil G. (Sybil Grace)
General
Old friends and new fancies : $b an imaginary sequel to the novels of Jane Austen
Brinton, Sybil G. (Sybil Grace)
Courtship -- Fiction; England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Mate selection -- Fiction
She was assisted in her meditations by Mr. Price's remarking that he had
never been in Derbyshire, and imagined it to be a beautiful county, and
this afforded her the opportunity of descanting on the loveliness of its
scenery and the particular attractions of the country round Desborough
Park. She added that she hoped there would be nothing to prevent him
from seeing it for himself that autumn, and he replied warmly, agreeing
and saying that if he were still his own master at that time nothing
should prevent it. A question or two about Pemberley followed, and the
relative positions of the two houses; he had heard of it as being a show
place from his sister, Mrs. Bertram, who had made a tour through the
midland counties to visit all the cathedrals and old churches, but, he
declared, had actually been so worldly as to look at one or two of the
grand mansions as well. Georgiana questioned its worldliness, and was
told that his brother and sister were the dearest people, but dreadfully
good; they thought everything wrong.
This description, of which Georgiana would have liked to have heard
more, was interrupted by a song, and at its conclusion Mr. Price was
waiting with the inquiry: "Do you return to Pemberley soon, Miss Darcy?"
"In about a month, I think; but I leave town in a fortnight's time to
stay with my aunt at Hunsford."
"I am leaving London almost immediately, I am sorry to say," said
William Price. "I have to go down to Portsmouth, where my mother is
changing houses, and as she has that and a quantity of lawyers' business
on her hands, since my father died, she wishes me to help her."
Georgiana could not but approve of this decision, but she thought it
partly accounted for the young man's being in far less good spirits this
evening than on the previous occasion; he evidently did not like to quit
London. She was endeavouring to think of a way of conveying to him that
she would see Kitty almost as soon as she reached home, when the opening
of a solo on the harp caused her to forget everything but the sound of
the instrument, in which she had always taken extreme delight. Mr.
Price, too, listened with close attention, and when it was over, and
they were commending the performance, he exclaimed: "The harp always
reminds me of one of the most charming women I ever knew, who used to
play it--still does, I daresay, at all events it is associated
inseparably with her."
Curiosity as well as politeness impelled Georgiana to ask for more
particulars, for she privately wished very much to know what her
companion's idea of a charming woman might be, and he answered readily
enough: "She was a lady I first met some years ago at Mansfield before
my sister's marriage; she was a friend of the whole Bertram family, and,
in a way, of my sister's also; but circumstances divided them, Miss
Crawford's people left the neighbourhood, and now I only see her
occasionally in town."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account