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face that had not Henry at such times been engaged in conversation with Eloisa； they must have caught his Attention and have very much distressed him。 The alteration in my Sisters behaviour which I have before hinted at； now took place。 The Agreement we had entered into of admiring each others productions she no longer seemed to regard； and tho' I constantly applauded even every Country…dance； she played； yet not even a pidgeon…pye of my making could obtain from her a single word of approbation。 This was certainly enough to put any one in a Passion； however； I was as cool as a cream…cheese and having formed my plan and concerted a scheme of Revenge； I was determined to let her have her own way and not even to make her a single reproach。 My scheme was to treat her as she treated me； and tho' she might even draw my own Picture or play Malbrook （which is the only tune I ever really liked） not to say so much as 〃Thank you Eloisa；〃 tho' I had for many years constantly hollowed whenever she played； BRAVO； BRAVISSIMO； ENCORE； DA CAPO； ALLEGRETTO； CON EXPRESSIONE； and POCO PRESTO with many other such outlandish words； all of them as Eloisa told me expressive of my Admiration； and so indeed I suppose they are； as I see some of them in every Page of every Music book； being the sentiments I imagine of the composer。
I executed my Plan with great Punctuality。 I can not say success； for alas！ my silence while she played seemed not in the least to displease her； on the contrary she actually said to me one day 〃 Well Charlotte； I am very glad to find that you have at last left off that ridiculous custom of applauding my Execution on the Harpsichord till you made my head ake； and yourself hoarse。 I feel very much obliged to you for keeping your admiration to yourself。〃 I never shall forget the very witty answer I made to this speech。 〃Eloisa （said I） I beg you would be quite at your Ease with respect to all such fears in future； for be assured that I shall always keep my admiration to myself and my own pursuits and never extend it to yours。〃 This was the only very severe thing I ever said in my Life； not but that I have often felt myself extremely satirical but it was the only time I ever made my feelings public。
I suppose there never were two Young people who had a greater affection for each other than Henry and Eloisa； no； the Love of your Brother for Miss Burton could not be so strong tho' it might be more violent。 You may imagine therefore how provoked my Sister must have been to have him play her such a trick。 Poor girl！ she still laments his Death with undiminished constancy； notwithstanding he has been dead more than six weeks； but some People mind such things more than others。 The ill state of Health into which his loss has thrown her makes her so weak； and so unable to support the least exertion； that she has been in tears all this Morning merely from having taken leave of Mrs。 Marlowe who with her Husband； Brother and Child are to leave Bristol this morning。 I am sorry to have them go because they are the only family with whom we have here any acquaintance； but I never thought of crying； to be sure Eloisa and Mrs Marlowe have always been more together than with me； and have therefore contracted a kind of affection for each other； which does not make Tears so inexcusable in them as they would be in me。 The Marlowes are going to Town； Cliveland accompanies them； as neither Eloisa nor I could catch him I hope you or Matilda may have better Luck。 I know not when we shall leave Bristol； Eloisa's spirits are so low that she is very averse to moving； and yet is certainly by no means mended by her residence here。 A week or two will I hope determine our Measuresin the mean time believe me and etcand etc Charlotte Lutterell。
LETTER the EIGHTH Miss LUTTERELL to Mrs MARLOWE Bristol April 4th
I feel myself greatly obliged to you my dear Emma for such a mark of your affection as I flatter myself was conveyed in the proposal you made me of our Corresponding； I assure you that it will be a great releif to me to write to you and as long as my Health and Spirits will allow me； you will find me a very constant correspondent； I will not say an entertaining one； for you know my situation suffciently not to be ignorant that in me Mirth would be improper and I know my own Heart too well not to be sensible that it would be unnatural。 You must not expect news for we see no one with whom we are in the least acquainted； or in whose proceedings we have any Interest。 You must not expect scandal for by the same rule we are equally debarred either from hearing or inventing it。You must expect from me nothing but the melancholy effusions of a broken Heart which is ever reverting to the Happiness it once enjoyed and which ill supports its present wretchedness。 The Possibility of being able to write； to speak； to you of my lost Henry will be a luxury to me； and your goodness will not I know refuse to read what it will so much releive my Heart to write。 I once thought that to have what is in general called a Freind （I mean one of my own sex to whom I might speak with less reserve than to any other person） independant of my sister would never be an object of my wishes； but how much was I mistaken！ Charlotte is too much engrossed by two confidential correspondents of that sort； to supply the place of one to me； and I hope you will not think me girlishly romantic； when I say that to have some kind and compassionate Freind who might listen to my sorrows without endeavouring to console me was what I had for some time wished for； when our acquaintance with you； the intimacy which followed it and the particular affectionate attention you paid me almost from the first； caused me to entertain the flattering Idea of those attentions being improved on a closer acquaintance into a Freindship which； if you were what my wishes formed you would be the greatest Happiness I could be capable of enjoying。 To find that such Hopes are realised is a satisfaction indeed； a satisfaction which is now almost the only one I can ever experience。I feel myself so languid that I am sure were you with me you would oblige me to leave off writing； and I cannot give you a greater proof of my affection for you than by acting； as I know you would wish me to do； whether Absent or Present。 I am my dear Emmas sincere freind E。 L。
LETTER the NINTH Mrs MARLOWE to Miss LUTTERELL Grosvenor Street； April 10th
Need I say my dear Eloisa how wellcome your letter was to me I cannot give a greater proof of the pleasure I received from it； or of the Desire I feel that our Correspondence may be regular and frequent than by setting you so good an example as I now do in answering it before the end of the week。 But do not imagine that I claim any merit in being so punctual； on the contrary I assure you； that it is a far greater Gratification to me to write to you； than to spend the Evening either at a Concert or a Ball。 Mr Marlowe is so desirous of my appearing at some of the Public places every evening that I do not like to refuse him； but at the same time so much wish to remain at Home； that independant of the Pleasure I experience in devoting any portion of my Time to my Dear Eloisa； yet the Liberty I claim from having a letter to write of spending an Evening at home with my little Boy； you know me well enough to be sensible； will of itself be a sufficient Inducement （if one is necessary） to my maintaining with Pleasure a Correspondence with you。 As to the subject of your letters to me； whether grave or merry； if they concern you they must be equally interesting to me； not but that I think the melancholy Indulgence of your own sorrows by repeating them and dwelling on them to me； will only encourage and increase them； and that it will be more prudent in you to avoid so sad a subject； but yet knowing as I do what a soothing and melancholy Pleasure it must afford you； I cannot prevail on myself to deny you so great an Indulgence； and will only insist on your not expecting me to encourage you in it； by my own letters； on the contrary I intend to fill them with such lively Wit and enlivening Humour as shall even provoke a smile in the sweet but sorrowfull countenance of my Eloi