The INFORMATION.
Being at the play with a friend &longs;ome months
after, I ob&longs;erved La&longs;&longs;onia in a box oppo&longs;ite to that
in which I &longs;at, adorned with the very jewels which
Selby had obtained from his affectionate wife.
Who that &longs;ees that woman, &longs;aid I to my friend,
but would think her the lovelie&longs;t work of creation.
I have been admiring her for &longs;ome time, &longs;aid he;
can you give me any information concerning her?
I have &longs;een her once before, and am quite captivated
with her beauty; if her mind is equal to her
per&longs;on, I could freely devote my life to &longs;uch a woman.
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There is no more compari&longs;on between her mind
and her form, &longs;aid an old gentleman, in a black coat
and a &longs;nug round wig, who &longs;at ju&longs;t behind us—
there is no more compari&longs;on between them, &longs;aid he,
than there is between an angel of Light and a dæ
mon of Hell.
Do you know her, Sir, &longs;aid my friend, turning
ha&longs;tily round.
I do, young man, &longs;aid he; and to guard you
from the effects of her pernicious charms, if you
will &longs;up with me after the play, I will tell you a tale
that &longs;hall make you hate her.
When the play was over we adjourned to a tavern,
and after &longs;upper our new friend gave us the
hi&longs;tory of La&longs;&longs;onia.
Mi&longs;s Freeman and Mi&longs;s Eldridge, &longs;aid, he, were
the daughters of two opulent trade&longs;men; their fathers
were united in the clo&longs;e&longs;t bonds of amity.
Emily Freeman and La&longs;&longs;onia Eldridge were playmates
in infancy, educated at the &longs;ame &longs;chool, and
contracted for each other the affection of &longs;i&longs;ter. —
Emily had ju&longs;t entered her &longs;ixteenth year, when &longs;he
was called from &longs;chool to attend an excellent mother,
who was ha&longs;tily advancing to that “bourne
from whence no traveller returns.” La&longs;&longs;onia would
not be &longs;eparated from her friend on this trying occasion,
and Mrs. Freeman &longs;oon after paying the
debt of nature, &longs;he was retained by Mr. Freeman
as a companion, who&longs;e vivacity would prevent
Emily from too frequently mu&longs;ing on her recent
lo&longs;s.
Mr. Selby became acquainted with the lovely
friends before Emily had attained her eighteenth
year—her &longs;en&longs;e and penetration charmed him; and
her per&longs;on, having then all the attractions of
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blooming youth, he declared him&longs;elf her lover—he frequently
laughed and romped with La&longs;&longs;onia, but never
entertained a thought of love, as her conduct
in general was &longs;o &longs;lighty, and her conver&longs;ation &longs;o
trifling, that though it was impo&longs;&longs;ible to avoid admiring
her beauty, &longs;he had not one requi&longs;ite calculation
to create e&longs;teem.
About this time Mr. Eldridge was taken ill—
the phy&longs;icians feared a con&longs;umption, and advi&longs;ed a
journey to Montpelier—La&longs;&longs;onia accompanied her
father, and during their ab&longs;ence Emily gave her
hand to Mr. Selby. Mr. Eldridge recovered his
health, and they revi&longs;ited England; when, no mention
being made of La&longs;&longs;onia's returning to Mrs.
Selby, &longs;he continued with her father to &longs;uperintend
his family. Two years pa&longs;&longs;ed on in delightful
harmony between Mr. and Mrs. Selby, in which
time &longs;he pre&longs;ented him with a boy and a girl.
During that period the father of La&longs;&longs;onia died insolvent,
and &longs;he was reduced to the nece&longs;&longs;ity of going
to &longs;ervice, as there was not the lea&longs;t provi&longs;ion
for her future &longs;ub&longs;i&longs;tence.
It was then the generous, di&longs;intere&longs;ted Emily offered
her an a&longs;ylum in her hou&longs;e, appointed her an
apartment, a &longs;ervant to attend her, and &longs;upplied her
with cloaths and money from her own private
pur&longs;e.
La&longs;&longs;onia had not long been an inmate in the
hou&longs;e of her friend, before, envious of her felicity,
&longs;he determined to imbitter it by alienating the affection
of Selby from his truly amiable wife—Selby
was young, and fond of variety; his pa&longs;&longs;ion for
Emily was greatly abated by po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;ion, and though
he almo&longs;t venerated her for her virtues, the charms
of her faithle&longs;s friend enflamed his heart, and he
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eagerly caught at the frequent opportunities which
&longs;he intentionally gave him to plead his pa&longs;&longs;ion.
La&longs;&longs;onia is a proud woman; her &longs;ituation was
irk&longs;ome, though every favour from Emily was conferred
in &longs;o delicate a manner that an indifferent
&longs;pectator would have imagined her the per&longs;on
obliged.
She was likewi&longs;e an artful woman; &longs;he &longs;oon
gained &longs;uch an a&longs;cendancy over Selby, that while
Emily &longs;carcely dared to hint her wi&longs;hes, La&longs;&longs;onia
demanded with authority, and gained every de&longs;ire.
Yet of &longs;o gentle, un&longs;u&longs;picious, a temper was Mrs.
Selby, and &longs;o great a confidence did &longs;he place in the
honor of her friend and her hu&longs;band, that though
La&longs;&longs;onia remained in the family near a twelve-month
after her connection with Selby, &longs;he never
once thought &longs;uch a thing could happen. She frequently
lamented to her treacherous friend the alteration
in her hu&longs;band's behaviour, but &longs;he never
&longs;u&longs;pected her as the cau&longs;e of her unea&longs;ine&longs;s.
But La&longs;&longs;onia now found it nece&longs;&longs;ary to remove
from Mrs. Selby's, to prevent her &longs;hame from becoming
public; &longs;he told Emily that &longs;he was distressed
at being &longs;o great an incumbrance to her, and
that having an opportunity of going abroad with a
lady, who wanted a companion, &longs;he would embrace
it, and endeavour to contribute to her own
&longs;upport. By this conduct &longs;he laid a plan to prevent
returning to the family, which &longs;he predetermined
not to do before &longs;he left it.
Mrs. Selby loaded her with obligations at parting.
She retired to a &longs;mall hou&longs;e about twenty
miles from town which Selby had provided for her
reception, and where &longs;he remained three years,
Selby &longs;pending great part of his time with her.
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About &longs;ix months &longs;ince &longs;he came to town, assumed
the name of Green, took an elegant hou&longs;e,
and &longs;et up a carriage. Mrs. Selby hearing of her
arrival, and &longs;uppo&longs;ing &longs;he was married, reque&longs;ted
me, who at that time was ignorant of the circumstances
I have now related, to go with her and
pay La&longs;&longs;onia a morning vi&longs;it.
We were &longs;hewn into the drawing room by a
&longs;ervant, who informed us his mi&longs;ter&longs;s would be
down in a few minutes, but that &longs;he was then dressing.
How agreeably &longs;urpri&longs;ed my dear La&longs;&longs;onia will
be, &longs;aid Emily, to find I am the lady who wanted
to &longs;peak with her—for &longs;he had &longs;ent up no
name.
We were chatting on indifferent &longs;ubjects, when
a child ran into the room, crying, I will have papa's
picture; I won't break it indeed; a maid following
him in; he ran to Emily, who&longs;e arms were
extended to receive him, and throwing the picture
into her lap, judge her feelings when &longs;he &longs;aw the
portrait of Mr. Selby, which &longs;he had given him
but two days before with the greate&longs;t regret, imagining
him in want of money. Her feelings over-powered
her, and &longs;he fell lifele&longs;s on the floor. The
cries of the &longs;ervant alarmed the family, and Lassonia,
thinking &longs;ome misfortune had happened to
her child, ru&longs;hed into the room followed by Selby
him&longs;elf.
It is impo&longs;&longs;ible to de&longs;cribe the &longs;cene that en&longs;ued
on the recovery of Emily—La&longs;&longs;onia raved, Mrs.
Selby wept, and Selby appeared motionle&longs;s as a
&longs;tatue.
As &longs;oon as Emily was able to walk, I took her
hand and led her to the carriage. Upon her
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return home, her fainting fits returned; &longs;he pa&longs;&longs;ed a
night of inconceivable di&longs;tre&longs;s, for Selby never
came near her; and in the morning &longs;he was in a
violent fever. I then went in pur&longs;uit of the perfidious
hu&longs;band; but as the &longs;uffering faint de&longs;ired,
forbore to reproach him.
I found him, and he returned with me to
her.
She beheld him approach with a faint &longs;mile—It
is kind, my Selby, &longs;aid &longs;he, to come and receive the
parting &longs;igh of her who has &longs;o long been a barrier to
your happine&longs;s; indeed I did not know, or I never
would have vi&longs;ited my happy rival—I never thought
your love was divided, and the certainty of it came
&longs;o &longs;udden upon my heart, that weak and unprepared
as it was, it could not bear the &longs;hock—take
care of my children, &longs;aid &longs;he, adieu my love; my
heart may break, but my tongue will never reproach
you.
Her di&longs;order hourly increa&longs;ed; a delirium ensued;
and before the next morning &longs;he breathed
her la&longs;t, invoking ble&longs;&longs;ings on the head of her
faithle&longs;s hu&longs;band and treacherous friend.
Rowson, Mrs., 1762-1824 [1793], The inquisitor, or, Invisible rambler, volume 3 (William Gibbons, Philadelphia) [word count] [eaf324v3].
