Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 5

Lovel. Then must I despair for ever!—O Captain Tomlinson, Miss Howe hates me!—Miss Howe—

Capt. Not so, perhaps—when Miss Howe knows your concern for having offended, she will never advise that, with such prospects of general reconciliation, the hopes of so many considerable persons in both families should be frustrated. Some little time, as this excellent lady had foreseen and hinted, will necessarily be taken up in actually procuring the license, and in perusing and signing the settlements. In that time Miss Howe's answer may be received; and Lady Betty may arrive; and she, no doubt, will have weight to dissipate the lady's doubts, and to accelerate the day. It shall be my part, mean time, to make Mr. Harlowe easy. All I fear is from Mr. James Harlowe's quarter; and therefore all must be conducted with prudence and privacy: as your uncle, Madam, has proposed.

She was silent, I rejoiced in her silence. The dear creature, thought I, has actually forgiven me in her heart!—But why will she not lay me under obligation to her, by the generosity of an explicit declaration?—And yet, as that would not accelerate any thing, while the license is not in my hands, she is the less to be blamed (if I do her justice) for taking more time to descend.

I proposed, as on the morrow night, to go to town; and doubted not to bring the license up with me on Monday morning; would she be pleased to assure me, that she would not depart form Mrs. Moore's.

She should stay at Mrs. Moore's till she had an answer from Miss Howe.

I told her that I hoped I might have her tacit consent at least to the obtaining of the license.

I saw by the turn of her countenance that I should not have asked this question. She was so far from tacitly consenting, that she declared to the contrary.

As I never intended, I said, to ask her to enter again into a house, with the people of which she was so much offended, would she be pleased to give orders for her clothes to be brought up hither? Or should Dorcas attend her for any of her commands on that head?

She desired not ever more to see any body belonging to that house. She might perhaps get Mrs. Moore or Mrs. Bevis to go thither for her, and take her keys with them.

I doubted not, I said, that Lady Betty would arrive by that time. I hoped she had no objection to my bringing that lady and my cousin Montague up with me?

She was silent.

To be sure, Mr. Lovelace, said the Captain, the lady can have no objection to this.

She was still silent. So silence in this case was assent.

Would she be pleased to write to Miss Howe?—

Sir! Sir! peevishly interrupting—no more questions; no prescribing to me —you will do as you think fit—so will I, as I please. I own no obligation to you. Captain Tomlinson, your servant. Recommend me to my uncle Harlowe's favour. And was going.

I took her reluctant hand, and besought her only to promise to meet me early in the morning.

To what purpose meet you? Have you more to say than has been said? I have had enough of vows and protestations, Mr. Lovelace. To what purpose should I meet you to-morrow morning?

I repeated my request, and that in the most fervent manner, naming six in the morning.

'You know that I am always stirring before that hour, at this season of the year,' was the half-expressed consent.

She then again recommended herself to her uncle's favour; and withdrew.

And thus, Belford, has she mended her markets, as Lord M. would say, and I worsted mine. Miss Howe's next letter is now the hinge on which the fate of both must turn. I shall be absolutely ruined and undone, if I cannot intercept it.

END OF VOL.5

1

See Vol. IV. Letter XXIX.

2

Ibid. Letter XLII.

3

See Vol. IV. Letter XXXIV.

4

See Vol. I. Letter XII.

5

See Vol. IV. Letter XIX, & seq.

6

See Vol. IV. Letters XXIII and XXIX.

7

See Vol. IV. Letter L.

8

See Vol. IV. Letter XIX. See also Mr. Lovelace's own confession of the delight he takes in a woman's tears, in different parts of his letters.

9

That the Lady judges rightly of him in this place, see Vol. I. Letter XXXIV. where, giving the motive for his generosity to his Rosebud, he says—'As I make it my rule, whenever I have committed a very capital enormity, to do some good by way of atonement; and as I believe I am a pretty deal indebted on that score; I intend to join an hundred pounds to Johnny's aunt's hundred pounds, to make one innocent couple happy.'— Besides which motive, he had a further view in answer in that instance of his generosity; as may be seen in Vol. II. Letters XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. See also the note, Vol. II. pp. 170, 171.

10

See Vol. IV. Letter V.

11

As this letter of the Lady to Miss Howe contains no new matter, but what may be collected from one of those of Mr. Lovelace, it is omitted.

12

See Vol. I. Letter XXXI.

13

In Pamela, Vol. III. Letter XXXII. these reasons are given, and are worthy of every parent's consideration, as is the whole Letter, which contains the debate between Mr. B. and his Pamela, on the important subject of mothers being nurses to their own children.

14

See Vol. IV. Letter VII.

15

See Vol. IV. Letter XLVIII.

16

See Vol. III. Letter XVIII.

17

Ibid. See also Letters XVI. and XVII. of that volume.

18

See Vol. III. Letter XXXIX.

19

See Vol. III. Letter XVI.

20

See Vol. II. Letter XX.

21

Ibid.

22

See Vol. III. Letter XVIII.

23

See Vol. III. Letter XLVIII.

24

See Vol. IV. Letter XXIII.

25

See Vol. IV. Letter XLVII.

26

See Vol. III. Letter XVIII.

27

See Vol. III. Letter XXXIII.

28

See Vol. IV. Letter XXIII.

29

See Vol. IV. Letter XLVI.

30

Vol. III. Letters XXXVIII. and XXXIX.

31

See Vol. III. Letter LVI. par. 12. and Letter LVIII. par. 12.—Where the reader will observe, that the proposal came from herself; which, as it was also mentioned by Mr. Lovelace, (towards the end of Letter I. in Vol. IV.) she may be presumed to have forgotten. So that Clarissa had a double inducement for acquiescing with the proposed method of carrying on the correspondence between Miss Howe and herself by Wilson's conveyance, and by the name of Laetitia Beaumont.

32

See Vol. IV. Letters XXIV.

33

She means the freedom Mr. Lovelace took with her before the fire-plot. See Vol. V. Letter XI. When Miss Howe wrote this letter she could not know of that.

34

See Vol. V. Letter XII.

35

See Letter XXI. of this volume.

36

The fashionable wigs at that time.

37

And here, Belford, lest thou, through inattention, should be surprised at my assurance, let me remind thee (and that, thus, by way of marginal observation, that I may not break in upon my narrative) that this my intrepidity concerted (as I have from time to time acquainted thee) in apprehension of such an event as has fallen out. For had not the dear creature already passed for my wife before no less than four worthy gentlemen of family and fortune?[See Vol. IV. Letter IV. towards the conclusion. ] and before Mrs. Sinclair, and her household, and Miss Partington? And had she not agreed to her uncle's expedient, that she should pass for such, from the time of Mr. Hickman's application to that uncle;[Ibid. Letter XVI. ] and that the worthy Capt. Tomlinson should be allowed to propagate that belief: as he had actually reported to two families (they possibly to more); purposely that it might come to the ears of James Harlowe; and serve for a foundation for uncle John to build his reconciliation-scheme upon?[Ibid.] And canst thou think that nothing was meant by all this contrivance? and that I am not still further prepared to support my story?

38

See Vol. IV. Letters XXIX. and XXXIV.

39

What is between hooks [ ] thou mayest suppose, Jack, I sunk upon the women, in the account I gave them of the contents of this letter.

40

I gave Mrs. Moore and Miss Rawlins room to think this reproach just, Jack.

41

See Letter XX. of this volume.

42

See Letter XXIV. of this volume.

43

See Letter XX. of this volume, where Miss Howe says, Alas! my dear, I know you loved him!

44

See Vol. IV. Letters XXIX. and XXXIV.

45

See Vol. III. Letter XXIII.

46

See Letter XX. of this volume.

47

Editor's note: In place of italics, as in the original, I have substituted hooks [ ].

48

See Letter XX. of this volume.

49

Ibid.

50

See Letter XX. of this volume.

51

Ibid.

52

Ibid.

53

See Letter XX. of this volume.

54

See Letter XX. of this volume.

55

See Letter XX. of this volume.

56

See Letter XX. of this volume.

57

See Letter XI. of this volume.

58

See Letter XX. of this volume.

59

See Letter XX. of this volume.

60

See Letter XX. of this volume.

61

See Letter XX. of this volume.

62

See Vol. III. Letter XXXIV.

63

See Vol. III. Letter XXXV. and Vol. IV. Letter XXI.

64

See Vol. III. Letter XLVII.

65

See Letter XXIX. of this volume.

66

See Letter XXIV.

67

See Vol. III. Letter XVIII.

68

See Letter XXIV. of this volume.

69

Vol. IV. Letter XLIV.

70

The nature of the Bath stone, in particular.