them. I suppose I shall not see them any more, and yet as a
family party we are so stupid, that I do not know what to do with
myself. These girls have no Music, but Scotch airs, no Drawings
but Scotch Mountains, and no Books but Scotch Poems–and I hate
everything Scotch. In general I can spend half the Day at my
toilett with a great deal of pleasure, but why should I dress
here, since there is not a creature in the House whom I have any
wish to please. I have just had a conversation with my Brother in
which he has greatly offended me, and which as I have nothing
more entertaining to send you I will gave you the particulars of.
You must know that I have for these 4 or 5 Days past strongly
suspected William of entertaining a partiality to my eldest
Daughter. I own indeed that had I been inclined to fall in love
with any woman, I should not have made choice of Matilda Lesley
for the object of my passion; for there is nothing I hate so much
as a tall Woman: but however there is no accounting for some
men’s taste and as William is himself nearly six feet high, it is
not wonderful that he should be partial to that height. Now as I
have a very great affection for my Brother and should be
extremely sorry to see him unhappy, which I suppose he means to
be if he cannot marry Matilda, as moreover I know that his
circumstances will not allow him to marry any one without a
fortune, and that Matilda’s is entirely dependant on her Father,
who will neither have his own inclination nor my permission to
give her anything at present, I thought it would be doing a good-
natured action by my Brother to let him know as much, in order
that he might choose for himself, whether to conquer his passion,
or Love and Despair. Accordingly finding myself this Morning
alone with him in one of the horrid old rooms of this Castle, I
opened the cause to him in the following Manner.
“Well my dear William what do you think of these girls? for my
part, I do not find them so plain as I expected: but perhaps you
may think me partial to the Daughters of my Husband and perhaps
you are right– They are indeed so very like Sir George that it
is natural to think”–
“My Dear Susan (cried he in a tone of the greatest amazement) You
do not really think they bear the least resemblance to their
Father! He is so very plain!–but I beg your pardon–I had
entirely forgotten to whom I was speaking–”
“Oh! pray dont mind me; (replied I) every one knows Sir George
is horribly ugly, and I assure you I always thought him a
fright.”
“You surprise me extremely (answered William) by what you say
both with respect to Sir George and his Daughters. You cannot
think your Husband so deficient in personal Charms as you speak
of, nor can you surely see any resemblance between him and the
Miss Lesleys who are in my opinion perfectly unlike him and
perfectly Handsome.”
“If that is your opinion with regard to the girls it certainly is
no proof of their Fathers beauty, for if they are perfectly
unlike him and very handsome at the same time, it is natural to
suppose that he is very plain.”
“By no means, (said he) for what may be pretty in a Woman, may be
very unpleasing in a Man.”
“But you yourself (replied I) but a few minutes ago allowed him
to be very plain.”
“Men are no Judges of Beauty in their own Sex.” (said he).
“Neither Men nor Women can think Sir George tolerable.”
“Well, well, (said he) we will not dispute about HIS Beauty, but
your opinion of his DAUGHTERS is surely very singular, for if I
understood you right, you said you did not find them so plain as
you expected to do!”
“Why, do YOU find them plainer then?” (said I).
“I can scarcely beleive you to be serious (returned he) when you