Parklands

My dear Catherine,

Unluckily I was confined to my room when your last letter came, by a cold which af==fected my eyes so much as to prevent my readingit myself, so I could not refuse your Father when he offered to read it to me, by which means he became acquainted to my great vexation with allyour fears about your Brother. I had intended to write to Reginald myself, as soon as my eyes would let me, to point out as well as I could the dan::ger of an intimate acquaintance with so artfula woman as Lady Susan, to a young Man of his age & high expectations. I meant moreover to have reminded him of our being quite alone now, & very much in need of him to keep up our spirits