We seem, however, to be drawing up our forces on both sides.—­One struggle for my dying liberty, my dear!—­The success of one pitched battle will determine which is to be the general, which the subaltern, for the rest of the campaign.  To dare to be sullen already!—­As I hope to live, my dear, I was in high good humour within myself; and when he was foolish, only intended a little play with him; and he takes it in earnest.  He worships you:  so I shall rally him before you:  but I charge you, as the man by his sullenness has taken upon him to fight his own battle, either to be on my side, or be silent.  I shall take it very ill of my Harriet, if she strengthen his hands.

Well, but enough of this husband—­husband!  What a word!—­Who do you think is arrived from abroad?—­You cannot guess for your life—­Lady Olivia!—­True as you are alive! accompanied, it seems, by an aunt of hers; a widow, whose years and character are to keep the niece in countenance in this excursion.  The pretence is, making the tour of Europe:  and England was not to be left out of the scheme.  My brother is excessively disturbed at her arrival.  She came to town but last night.  He had notice of it but this morning.  He took Emily with him to visit her:  Emily was known to her at Florence.  She and her aunt are to be here at dinner.  As she is come, Sir Charles says, he must bring her acquainted with his sisters, and their lords, in order to be at liberty to pursue the measures he has unalterably resolved upon:  and this, Harriet, is my second reason for urging you to dine with us.

Now I do wish we had known her history at large.  Dr. Bartlett shall tell it us.  Unwelcome as she is to my brother, I long to see her.  I hope I shall not hear something in her story, that will make me pity her.

Will you come?

I wonder whether she speaks English, or not.  I don’t think I can converse in Italian.

I won’t forgive you, if you refuse to come.

Lady L——­ and her good man will be here.  We shall therefore, if you come, be our whole family together.

My brother has presented this house to me, till his return.  He calls himself Lord G——­’s guest and mine:  so you can have no punctilio about it.  Besides, Lord W——­ will set out to-morrow morning for Windsor.  He dotes upon you:  and perhaps it is in your power to make a new-married man penitent and polite.

So you must come.

Hang me, if I sign by any other name, while this man is in fits, than that of

Charlotte Grandison.

LETTER XXIV

MISS BYRON, TO MISS SELBY THURSDAY, APRIL 13.

I send you enclosed a letter I received this morning from Lady G——.  I will suppose you have read it.

Emily says, that the meeting between Sir Charles and the lady mentioned in it, was very polite on both sides:  but more cold on his than on hers.  She made some difficulty, however, of dining at his house; and her aunt, Lady Maffei, more.  But on Sir Charles’s telling them, that he would bring his elder sister to attend them thither, they complied.