Tales and Novels, Vol. V Tales of a Fashionable Life

Excerpt

“I am more grieved than I can express, my dearest Miss Walsingham, by a cruel contre-temps, which must prevent my indulging myself in the long-promised and long-expected pleasure of being at your fête de famille on Tuesday, to celebrate your dear father’s birthday.  I trust, however, to your conciliating goodness, my kind young friend, to represent my distress properly to Mr. Walsingham.  Make him sensible, I conjure you, that my heart is with you all, and assure him that this is no common apology.  Indeed, I never employ such artifices with my friends:  to them, and to you in particular, my dear, I always speak with perfect frankness and candour.  Amelia, with whom, entre nous, you are more a favourite than ever, is so much vexed and mortified by this disappointment, that I see I shall not be restored to favour till I can fix a day for going to you:  yet when that may be, circumstances, which I should not feel myself quite justified in mentioning, will not permit me to decide.