Thursday, April 13. For Heaven’s sake, my dearest Harriet, dine with us today; for two reasons: one relates to myself; the other you shall hear by-and-by: to myself, first, as is most fit Tins silly creature has offended me, and presumed to be sullen upon my resentment.

Married but two days, and shew his airs! Were I in fault, my dear (which, upon my honour, I am not) fof the man to lose his patience with me, to forget his obligations to me, in two days! What an ungrateful wretch is he! What a poor powerless creature your Charlotte!

Nobody knows of the matter, except he has complained to my brother // he has! But what if he has? Alas! my dear, I am married; and cannot help myself.

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 sub-altern, 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 railly 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 si-lent. 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 6he 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 rosolved upon: and this, Harriet, is my second reason for urging you to dine with us.

Now do I 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.