I am afraid he will derange our little coterie; and we have been so
happy, I can't bear it.

Good night, my dear.

Yours,
A. Fermor.



LETTER 54.


To Miss Rivers, Clarges Street.

Silleri, Jan. 14.

We have passed a mighty stupid day; Sir George is civil, attentive,
and dull; Emily pensive, thoughtful, and silent; and my little self as
peevish as an old maid: nobody comes near us, not even your brother,
because we are supposed to be settling preliminaries; for you must
know Sir George has graciously condescended to change his mind, and
will marry her, if she pleases, without waiting for his mother's
letter, which resolution he has communicated to twenty people at Quebec
in his way hither; he is really extremely obliging. I suppose the
Melmoths have spirited him up to this.

One o'clock.

Emily is strangely reserved to me; she avoids seeing me alone, and