Clarissa Harlowe, Samuel Richardson [black authors fiction .txt] 📗

justice in saying how much I adore her, as an angel of a woman; and begs of her, for I know not how many sakes, besides my soul’s sake, “that she will be so good as to have me for a husband:” and answers⁠—thou wilt guess how⁠—to the lady’s questions.

Well, Madam; and pray, may I be favoured with the lady’s other letter? I presume it is in reply to yours.

It is, said the Peer: but, Sir, let me ask you a few questions, before you read it⁠—give me the letter, Lady Betty.

There it is, my Lord.

Then on went the spectacles, and his head moved to the lines⁠—a charming pretty hand!⁠—I have often heard that this lady is a genius.

And so, Jack, repeating my Lord’s wise comments and questions will let thee into the contents of this merciless letter.

“Monday, July 3,” (reads my Lord).⁠—Let me see!⁠—that was last Monday; no longer ago! “Monday, July the third⁠—Madam⁠—I cannot excuse myself”⁠—um, um, um, um, um, um, (humming inarticulately, and skipping)⁠—“I must own to you, Madam, that the honour of being related”⁠—

Off went the spectacles⁠—Now, tell me, Sir-r, Has not this lady lost all the friends she had in the world for your sake?

She has very implacable friends, my Lord: we all know that.

But has she not lost them all for your sake?⁠—Tell me that.

I believe so, my Lord.

Well then!⁠—I am glad thou art not so graceless as to deny that.

On went the spectacles again⁠—“I must own to you, Madam, that the honour of being related to ladies as eminent for their virtue as for their descent.”⁠—Very pretty, truly! saith my Lord, repeating, “as eminent for their virtue as for their descent, was, at first, no small inducement with me to lend an ear to Mr. Lovelace’s address.”

There is dignity, born-dignity, in this lady, cried my Lord.

Lady Sarah. She would have been a grace to our family.

Lady Betty. Indeed she would.

Lovel. To a royal family, I will venture to say.

Lord M. Then what a devil⁠—

Lovel. Please to read on, my Lord. It cannot be her letter, if it does not make you admire her more and more as you read. Cousin Charlotte, Cousin Patty, pray attend⁠—Read on, my Lord.

Miss Charlotte. Amazing fortitude!

Miss Patty only lifted up her dove’s eyes.

Lord M. Reading. “And the rather, as I was determined, had it come to effect, to do everything in my power to deserve your favourable opinion.”

Then again they chorus’d upon me!

A blessed time of it, poor I!⁠—I had nothing for it but impudence!

Lovel. Pray read on, my Lord⁠—I told you how you would all admire her⁠—or, shall I read?

Lord M. D⁠⸺⁠d assurance! Then reading. “I had another motive, which I knew would of itself give me merit with your whole family: (they were all ear): a presumptuous one; a punishably-presumptuous one, as it has proved: in the hope that I might be an humble mean, in the hand of Providence, to reclaim a man who had, as I thought, good sense enough at bottom to be reclaimed; or at least gratitude enough to acknowledge the intended obligation, whether the generous hope were to succeed or not.”⁠—Excellent young creature!⁠—

Excellent young creature! echoed the Ladies, with their handkerchiefs at their eyes, attended with music.

Lovel. By my soul, Miss Patty, you weep in the wrong place: you shall never go with me to a tragedy.

Lady Betty. Hardened wretch.

His Lordship had pulled off his spectacles to wipe them. His eyes were misty; and he thought the fault in his spectacles.

I saw they were all cocked and primed⁠—to be sure that is a very pretty sentence, said I⁠—that is the excellency of this lady, that in every line, as she writes on, she improves upon herself. Pray, my Lord, proceed⁠—I know her style; the next sentence will still rise upon us.

Lord M. D⁠⸺⁠d fellow! Again saddling, and reading. “But I have been most egregiously mistaken in Mr. Lovelace!” Then they all clamoured again.⁠—“The only man, I persuade myself”⁠—

Lovel. Ladies may persuade themselves to anything: but how can she answer for what other men would or would not have done in the same circumstances?

I was forced to say anything to stifle their outcries. Pox take ye altogether, thought I; as if I had not vexation enough in losing her!

Lord M. Reading. “The only man, I persuade myself, pretending to be a gentleman, in whom I could have been so much mistaken.”

They were all beginning again⁠—Pray, my Lord, proceed!⁠—Hear, hear⁠—pray, Ladies, hear!⁠—Now, my Lord, be pleased to proceed. The Ladies are silent.

So they were; lost in admiration of me, hands and eyes uplifted.

Lord M. I will, to thy confusion; for he had looked over the next sentence.

What wretches, Belford, what spiteful wretches, are poor mortals!⁠—So rejoiced to sting one another! to see each other stung!

Lord M. Reading. “For while I was endeavouring to save a drowning wretch, I have been, not accidentally, but premeditatedly, and of set purpose, drawn in after him.”⁠—What say you to that, Sir-r?

Lady S. Lady B., Speaking together. Ay, Sir, what say you to this?

Lovel. Say! Why I say it is a very pretty metaphor, if it would but hold.⁠—But, if you please, my Lord, read on. Let me hear what is further said, and I will speak to it all together.

Lord M. I will. “And he has had the glory to add to the list of those he has ruined, a name that, I will be bold to say, would not have disparaged his own.”

They all looked at me, as expecting me to speak.

Lovel. Be pleased to proceed, my Lord: I will speak to this by-and-by⁠—How came she to know I kept a list?⁠—I will speak to this by-and-by.

Lord M. Reading on. “And this, Madam,