<p>CATHERINE VERNON. <SPAN name="link2H_4_0009" id="link2H_4_0009"></SPAN></p>
<h2> IX </h2>
<p>MRS. JOHNSON TO LADY S. VERNON</p>
<p>Edward Street.</p>
<p>My dearest Friend,—I congratulate you on Mr. De Courcy's arrival,
and I advise you by all means to marry him; his father's estate is, we
know, considerable, and I believe certainly entailed. Sir Reginald is very
infirm, and not likely to stand in your way long. I hear the young man
well spoken of; and though no one can really deserve you, my dearest
Susan, Mr. De Courcy may be worth having. Mainwaring will storm of course,
but you easily pacify him; besides, the most scrupulous point of honour
could not require you to wait for HIS emancipation. I have seen Sir James;
he came to town for a few days last week, and called several times in
Edward Street. I talked to him about you and your daughter, and he is so
far from having forgotten you, that I am sure he would marry either of you
with pleasure. I gave him hopes of Frederica's relenting, and told him a
great deal of her improvements. I scolded him for making love to Maria
Mainwaring; he protested that he had been only in joke, and we both
laughed heartily at her disappointment; and, in short, were very
agreeable. He is as silly as ever.</p>
<p>Yours faithfully,</p>
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