MISS STANHOPE TO MRS. -
MY DEAR FANNY
I am the happiest creature in the World, for I have received an offer
of marriage from Mr. Watts. It is the first I have ever had, and I
hardly know how to value it enough. How I will triumph over the Duttons!
I do not intend to accept it, at least I believe not, but as I
am not quite certain, I gave him an equivocal answer and left him.
And now my dear Fanny, I want your Advice whether I should
accept his offer or not; but that you may be able to judge of his
merits and the situation of affairs, I will give you an account of them.
He is quite an old Man, about two and thirty, very plain, so plain
that I cannot bear to look at him. He is extremely disagreable and I
hate him more than any body else in the world. He has a large fortune
and will make great Settlements on me; but then he is very healthy.
In short, I do not know what to do. If I refuse him, he as good as told me
that he should offer himself to Sophia, and if she
refused him, to Georgiana, and I could not bear to have either of them
married before me.
If I accept him I know I shall be miserable all the rest of my Life,
for he is very ill tempered and peevish, extremely jealous, and so stingy
that there is no living in the house with him.
He told me he should mention the affair to Mama, but I insisted upon it
that he did not, for very likely she would make me marry him whether I
would or no; however probably he has before now, for he never does anything
he is desired to do.
I believe I shall have him. It will be such a triumph to be married before
Sophy, Georgiana, and the Duttons; And he promised to have a new Carriage on
the occasion, but we almost quarrelled about the colour, for I insisted upon
its being blue spotted with silver, and he declared it should be a plain
Chocolate; and to provoke me more, said it should be just as low as his old one.
I won't have him, I declare. He said he should come again tomorrow and take my
final answer, so I believe I must get him while I can. I know the Duttons
will envy me and I shall be able to chaperone Sophy and Georgiana to all the
Winter Balls.
But then, what will be the use of that when very likely he
won't let me go myself, for I know he hates dancing, and what he hates himself
he has no idea of any other person's liking; and besides he talks a great deal
of Women's always staying at home and such stuff.
I believe I shan't have him; I would refuse him at once if I were certain
that neither of my Sisters would accept him, and that if they did not,
he would not offer to the Duttons.
I cannot run such a risk, so, if he will promise to have the Carriage ordered
as I like, I will have him; if not he may ride in it by himself
for me. I hope you like my determination; I can think of nothing better;
And am your ever Affectionate
MARY STANHOPE
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