Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart.
Charlotte Carpenter to Walter Scott, 22 October 1797
“Carlisle, Oct. 22.
“Your last letter, my dear sir, contains a very fine
train of perhaps, and of so many pretty conjectures,
that it is not flattering you to say you excel in the art of tormenting
yourself. As it happens, you are quite wrong in all your suppositions. I have
been waiting for Lord D.’s answer to
your letter, to give a full answer to your very proper enquiries about my
family. Miss Nicolson says, that when
she did offer to give you some information, you refused it—and advises me now to wait for Lord
D.’s letter. Don’t believe I have been idle; I have
been writing very long letters to him, and all about you. How can you think
that I will give an answer about the house until I hear
278 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. | |
from London?—that is quite impossible; and I believe you are a little out of
your senses to imagine I can be in Edinburgh before the twelfth of next month.
O, my dear sir, no—you must not think of it this great
while. I am much flattered by your mother’s remembrance; present
my respectful compliments to her. You don’t mention your father in your
last anxious letter—I hope he is better. I am expecting
every day to hear from my brother. You may tell your uncle he is commercial
resident at Salem. He will find the name of Charles
C. in his India list. My compliments to Captain Scott. Sans
adieu,
Charles Carpenter (1772-1818)
The brother of Lady Scott; after service in the East India Company (1789) he was
Commercial Resident at Salem in India.
Jane Nicolson (1755-1831)
Companion of Charlotte Carpenter prior to her marriage to Walter Scott. Lockhart's
account of her parentage appears to be inaccurate.
John Scott (1769-1816)
Walter Scott's elder brother who served in the 73rd Regiment before retiring to Edinburgh
in 1810.