Flora is quite the charmingest creature

[the_comfortable_courtesan]

Indeed I do begin to feel stronger and somewhat more myself, proceed to sitting up and in due course to standing and tho' finding my legs very weakly at first, by gradual stages come to walk.

I am able to hold my daughter, tho’ at present she is very like unto the wombatt for she does little but feed and sleep: but to my eyes, is a great deal prettier. Mr F- greatly doats upon her: altho’ he much rehearses the suffering his careless impetuosity brought on me (because he had quite workt it out that the fatal occasion must have been when I demonstrat’d how I personated antipodean Flora) it is also quite clear that he thinks most highly of the outcome, and indeed I cannot blame him.

Eventually I am considered recover’d enough to go downstairs, though proceed holding the bannister and with Mrs F- at my side and Mr F- ahead, for I am still by no means restor’d to full strength.

This levée finds the whole household amassed in the hall waiting to greet me and I clasp their hands for I see that they are anxious to find me no ghost (for indeed I am terrible pale still). The girls manifest a certain tearfullness.

I go into the parlour, where I find I have the company of my dear friends Lord G- R- and Mr MacD-. I greet them with much warmth and sit down by the fireside. Euphemia comes in with tea, which Mrs F- offers to pour. O yes, I say, you had better, I fear my hand will tremble and make spills.

Over the tea-cups I hear the news of what’s afoot among our set. Mr S- has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Sir B- W- has made several excellent speeches in Parliament and is considered quite a coming man. Miss A- has much quietened of late and it is rumour’d that Mr J- is proposing that they should put on Romeo and Juliet. The terrifying virago continues to doat upon her, while running half the good causes in Town, having a deal of success with her subscription concerts, and is said still hopes to promote the Irish opera of Mr P- and Mr G- D-, which it is believ’d is almost completed.

Sir Z- R- worries that the wombatt is grown melancholy and pines for a mate, and has writ to Mr T- - you remember Mr T-, do you not, Madame C-, that went with the antipodes expedition - in hopes that he may be able to find a suitable parti. Mr T- has had several essays on various curious phenomena of the antipodes appear in scientifick publications, but although they appear in his name, if one reads on he always pays great tribute to the contributions of his wife to the observations he records, that was the mysterious mathematickal miss he married so sudden.

But if we talk of publications, says Sandy, where do you propose placing your novel?

I look severely at Mrs F-, who blushes a little and says, she just happened to wonder whether I had completed the work, for she really wisht to know what happened, and suppos’d that it was a known matter among my friends: and they have been reading it aloud among themselves. Oh, says I, it was a thing I did entirely for my own amusement to relieve the dullness of this place, I had no supposition that it might be publisht.

Indeed, I go on, I should really much hesitate at the prospect, for I should not like it to be named upon me, for that would be most embarrassing, and these things get out even if one publishes as Anonyma.

Do you not, says Lord G- R- to Sandy, have interest with a number of publishing firms? Sandy concedes that ‘tis quite so, and he is sure that he can go about to cover the tracks. For really, it is a deal better than some of the stuff one sees.

You are all exceeding kind, I say. I cannot suppose the work would be of much interest but I would not positively forbid Mr MacD- to look into the possibilities.

It should, says Sandy, be fair-copy'd, also I wonder whether -

Oh, says Lord G- R-, do not bother her with your critickal opinions; just because her female characters are not helpless dolls in constant need of rescuing but can save themselves and one another. Madame C- was brought up upon Shakspeare and such plays as The Recruiting Officer, in which the heroines do not just stand about looking affecting.

I merely said, responds Sandy with some heat, that excellent tho' the work was, I wondered whether it would be entirely to the taste of the present day for that reason.

'Tis entirely to my taste, says Mrs F- with a smile.

And mine, adds Mr F-.

O, I say, a little tearfull, I feel that these critickal opinions are not entirely disinterested but come from your affection.

In comes Seraphine with my lovely Flora: I do not doubt that the admiration she receives (o, she is quite the prettiest infant) is entirely on her own account. Her dear little hand clasps around my finger and I smile down at her.

She begins to squirm and pull faces: Oh, says Mrs F-, I can see she offers to do something unsuited to polite company; if you give her to me I will take her out and see to it.

That is very kind, say I, I am so very unus'd to the care of babies: as I hand her over to my dearest, who takes her in a practis'd grasp and talks nonsense to her as they leave the room. Sure I can see that she will not drop my precious bundle as I fear to do.

Comments

[davidgillon]

like unto the wombatt indeed!

[nenya_kanadka]

<3<3<3

Lucky child, with so many doting parents! And hurrah about the gothick novel.

A mate for the wombatt! Hee.

[clanwilliam]

Felicity maximised to the extent that Mrs F- nips off to change the nappy.

Although, were circumstances different, I would relish Lady J- appearing. First, for she would be utterly sympathetic to Madame C- after her ordeal, and secondly, she would utterly rout Mr G-.

If anyone could find a way to evict a clergyman from his living, I have faith she would. And Lord G- R- would hide in terror, while a press-ganged Sandy would suffer a lot of pointless advice and admonitions and wind up with a grudging respect for her.