peace with her husband, she gives up her friend. Well, that I could have
pardoned, if she had not been so base as to go over to Mrs. Luttridge.
Mrs. Luttridge offered (I've seen the letter, and Harriot's answer) to
bring in Freke, the husband, and to make both a county and a _family_
peace, on condition that Harriot should give up all connexion with Lady
Delacour. Mrs. Luttridge knew this would provoke me beyond measure, and
there is nothing she would not do to gratify her mean, malevolent
passions. She has succeeded for once in her life. The blame of the duel,
of course, is all thrown upon me. And (would you believe it?) Harriot
Freke, I am credibly informed, throws all the blame of Lawless's business
on me; nay, hints that Lawless's deathbed declaration of my innocence was
_very generous_. Oh, the treachery, the baseness of this woman! And it was
my fate to hear all this last night at the masquerade. I waited, and
waited, and looked every where for Harriot--she was to be the widow Brady,
I knew: at last the widow Brady made her appearance, and I accosted her
with all my usual familiarity. The widow was dumb. I insisted upon knowing
the cause of this sudden loss of speech. The widow took me into another
apartment, unmasked, and there I beheld Mr. Freke, the husband. I was
astonished--had no idea of the truth. 'Where is Harriot?' I believe, were
the first words I said. 'Gone to the country.' 'To the country!' 'Yes; to
----shire, with Mrs. Luttridge.'--Mrs. Luttridge--odious Mrs. Luttridge! I
could scarcely believe my senses. But Freke, who always hated me,
believing that I led his wife, instead of her leading me into mischief,
would have enjoyed my astonishment and my rage; so I concealed both, with
all possible presence of mind. He went on over-whelming me with
explanations and copies of letters; and declared it was at Mrs. Freke's
request he did and said all this, and that he was to follow her early the
next morning to ----shire. I broke from him, simply wishing him a good
journey, and as much family peace as his patience merited. He knows that I
know his wife's history, and though _she_ has no shame, he has some. I had