On the subject of dancing, I am, as it were, a little embarrassed:  you will please to observe that, in the time of scarcity, when all the men were at Montreal, I suffered a foolish little captain to sigh and say civil things to me, pour passer le tems, and the creature takes the airs of a lover, to which he has not the least pretensions, and chuses to be angry that I won’t dance with him on Thursday, and I positively won’t.

It is really pretty enough that every absurd animal, who takes upon him to make love to one, is to fancy himself entitled to a return:  I have no patience with the men’s ridiculousness:  have you, Lucy?

But I see a ship coming down under full sail; it may be Emily and her friends:  the colours are all out, they slacken sail; they drop anchor opposite the house; ’tis certainly them; I must fly to the beach:  music as I am a person, and an awning on the deck:  the boat puts off with your brother in it.  Adieu for a moment:  I must go and invite them on shore.

2 o’clock.

’Twas Emily and Mrs. Melmoth, with two or three very pretty French women; your brother is a happy man:  I found tea and coffee under the awning, and a table loaded with Montreal fruit, which is vastly better than ours; by the way, the colonel has brought me an immensity; he is so gallant and all that:  we regaled ourselves, and landed; they dine here, and we dance in the evening; we are to have a syllabub in the wood:  my father has sent for Sir George and Major Melmoth, and half a dozen of the most agreable men, from Quebec:  he is enchanted with his little Emily, he loved her when she was a child.  I cannot tell you how happy I am; my Emily is handsomer than ever; you know how partial I am to beauty:  I never had a friendship for an ugly woman in my life.

    Adieu! ma tres chere. 
      Yours,
          A. Fermor.

Your brother looks like an angel this morning; he is not drest, he is not undrest, but somehow, easy, elegant and enchanting:  he has no powder, and his hair a little degagee, blown about by the wind, and agreably disordered; such fire in his countenance; his eyes say a thousand agreable things; he is in such spirits as I never saw him:  not a man of them has the least chance to-day.  I shall be in love with him if he goes on at this rate:  not that it will be to any purpose in the world; he never would even flirt with me, though I have made him a thousand advances.

My heart is so light, Lucy, I cannot describe it:  I love Emily at my soul:  ’tis three years since I saw her, and there is something so romantic in finding her in Canada:  there is no saying how happy I am:  I want only you, to be perfectly so.

3 o’clock.

The messenger is returned; Sir George is gone with a party of French ladies to Lake Charles:  Emily blushed when the message was delivered; he might reasonably suppose they would be here to-day, as the wind was fair:  your brother dances with my sweet friend; she loses nothing by the exchange; she is however a little piqued at this appearance of disrespect.