LETTER LXVIII
MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE[IN CONTINUATION.]
I was very ill, and obliged to lay down my pen. I thought I should havefainted. But am better now--so will proceed.
The pretended ladies, the more we talked, the fonder they seemed to be ofme. And the Lady Betty had Mrs. Moore called up; and asked her, If shehad accommodations for her niece and self, her woman, and two menservants, for three or four days?
Mr. Lovelace answered for her that she had.
She would not ask her dear niece Lovelace, [Permit me, my dear, whisperedshe, this charming style before strangers! I will keep your uncle'ssecret,] whether she should be welcome or not to be so near her. But forthe time she should stay in these parts, she would come up every night--What say you, niece Charlotte?
The pretended Charlotte answered, she should like to do so, of allthings.
The Lady Betty called her an obliging girl. She liked the place, shesaid. Her cousin Leeson would excuse her. The air, and my company,would do her good. She never chose to lie in the smoky town, if shecould help it. In short, my dear, said she to me, I will stay with youtill you hear from Miss Howe; and till I have your consent to go with meto Glenham-hall. Not one moment will I be out of your company, when Ican have it. Stedman, my solicitor, as the distance from town is sosmall, may attend me here for instructions. Niece Charlotte, one wordwith you, child.
They retired to the further end of the room, and talked about theirnight-dresses.
The Miss Charlotte said, Morrison might be dispatched for them.
True, said the other--but I have some letters in my private box, whichI must have up. And you know, Charlotte, that I trust nobody with thekeys of that.
Could not Morrison bring up the box?
No. She thought it safest where it was. She had heard of a robberycommitted but two days ago at the food of Hampstead-hill; and she shouldbe ruined in she lost her box.
Well, then, it was but going to town to undress, and she would leave herjewels behind her, and return; and should be easier a great deal on allaccounts.
For my part, I wondered they came up with them. But that was to be takenas a respect paid to me. And then they hinted at another visit ofceremony which they had thought to make, had they not found me soinexpressibly engaging.
They talked loud enough for me to hear them; on purpose, no doubt, thoughin affected whispers; and concluded with high praises of me.
I was not fool enough to believe, or to be puffed up with theirencomiums; yet not suspecting them, I was not displeased at so favourablea beginning of acquaintance with Ladies (whether I were to be related tothem or not) of whom I had always heard honourable mention. And yet atthe time, I thought, highly as they exalted me, that in some respects(though I hardly know in what) they fell short of what I expected them tobe.
The grand deluder was at the farther end of the room, another way;probably to give me an opportunity to hear these preconcerted praises--looking into a book, which had there not been a preconcert, would nothave taken his attention for one moment. It was Taylor's Holy Living andDying.
When the pretended ladies joined me, he approached me with it in his hand--a smart book, this, my dear!--this old divine affects, I see, a mightyflowery style of an ordinary country funeral, where, the young women, inhonour of a defunct companion, especially if she were a virgin, or passedfor such, make a flower-bed of her coffin.
And then, laying down the book, turning upon his heel, with one of hisusual airs of gaiety, And are you determined, Ladies, to take up yourlodgings with my charming creature?
Indeed they were.
Never were there more cunning, more artful impostors, than these women.Practised creatures, to be sure: yet genteel; and they must have beenwell-educated--once, perhaps, as much the delight of their parents, as Iwas of mine: and who knows by what arts ruined, body and mind--O my dear!how pregnant is this reflection!
But the man!--Never was there a man so deep. Never so consummate adeceiver; except that detested Tomlinson; whose years and seriousness,joined with a solidity of sense and judgment that seemed uncommon, gavehim, one would have thought, advantages in villany, the other had nottime for. Hard, very hard, that I should fall into the knowledge of twosuch wretches; when two more such I hope are not to be met with in theworld!--both so determined to carry on the most barbarous and perfidiousprojects against a poor young creature, who never did or wished harm toeither.
Take the following slight account of these women's and of this man'sbehaviour to each other before me.
Mr. Lovelace carried himself to his pretended aunt with high respect,and paid a great deference to all she said. He permitted her to have allthe advantage over him in the repartees and retorts that passed betweenthem. I could, indeed, easily see, that it was permitted; and that heforbore that vivacity, that quickness, which he never spared showing tohis pretended Miss Montague; and which a man of wit seldom knows how tospare showing, when an opportunity offers to display his wit.
The pretended Miss Montague was still more respectful in her behaviour toher pretended aunt. While the aunt kept up the dignity of the charactershe had assumed, rallying both of them with the air of a person whodepends upon the superiority which years and fortune give over youngerpersons, who might have a view to be obliged to her, either in her life,or at her death.
The severity of her raillery, however, was turned upon Mr. Lovelace, onoccasion of the character of the people who kept the lodgings, which, shesaid, I had thought myself so well warranted to leave privately.
This startled me. For having then no suspicion of the vile Tomlinson, Iconcluded (and your letter of the 7th* favoured my conclusion) that ifthe house were notorious, either he, or Mr. Mennell, would have given meor him some hints of it--nor, although I liked not the people, did Iobserve any thing in them very culpable, till the Wednesday night before,that they offered not to come to my assistance, although within hearingof my distress, (as I am sure they were,) and having as much reason as Ito be frighted at the fire, had it been real.
* His forged letter. See Vol. V. Letter XXX.
I looked with indignation upon Mr. Lovelace, at this hint.
He seemed abashed. I have not patience, but to recollect the speciouslooks of this vile deceiver. But how was it possible, that even thatflorid countenance of his should enable him to command a blush at hispleasure? for blush he did, more than once: and the blush, on thisoccasion, was a deep-dyed crimson, unstrained for, and natural, as Ithought--but he is so much of the actor, that he seems able to enter intoany character; and his muscles and features appear entirely underobedience to his wicked will.*
* It is proper to observe, that there was a more natural reason than thisthat the Lady gives for Mr. Lovelace's blushing. It was a blush ofindignation, as he owned afterwards to his friend Belford, inconversation; for the pretended Lady Betty had mistaken her cue, incondemning the house; and he had much ado to recover the blunder; beingobliged to follow her lead, and vary from his first design; which was tohave the people of the house spoken well of, in order to induce her toreturn to it, were it but on pretence to direct her clothes to be carriedto Hampstead.
The pretended lady went on, saying, she had taken upon herself to inquireafter the people, on hearing that I had left the house in disgust; andthough she heard not any thing much amiss, yet she heard enough to makeher wonder that he could carry his spouse, a person of so much delicacy,to a house, that, if it had not a bad fame, had not a good one.
You must think, my dear, that I liked the pretended Lady Betty the betterfor this. I suppose it was designed that I should.
He was surprised, he said, that her Ladyship should hear a bad characterof the people. It was what he had never before heard that they deserved.It was easy, indeed, to see, that they had not very great delicacy,though they were not indelicate. The nature of their livelihood, lettinglodgings, and taking people to board, (and yet he had understood thatthey were nice in these particulars,
) led them to aim at being free andobliging: and it was difficult, he said, for persons of cheerfuldispositions, so to behave as to avoid censure: openness of heart andcountenance in the sex (more was the pity) too often subjected goodpeople, whose fortunes did not set them above the world, to uncharitablecensure.
He wished, however, that her Ladyship would tell what she had heard:although now it signified but little, because he would never ask me toset foot within their doors again: and he begged she would not mince thematter.
Nay, no great matter, she said. But she had been informed, that therewere more women-lodgers in the house than men: yet that their visiterswere more men than women. And this had been hinted to her (perhaps byill-wishers, she could not answer for that) in such a way, as if somewhatfurther were meant by it than was spoken.
This, he said, was the true innuendo-way of characterizing, used bydetractors. Every body and every thing had a black and a white side, ofwhich well wishers and ill wishers may make their advantage. He hadobserved that the front house was well let, and he believed more to theone sex than to the other; for he had seen, occasionally passing to orfro, several genteel modest looking women; and who, it was very probable,were not so ill-beloved, but they might have visiters and relations ofboth sexes: but they were none of them any thing to us, or we to them: wewere not once in any of their companies: but in the genteelest and mostretired house of the two, which we had in a manner to ourselves, with theuse of a parlour to the street, to serve us for a servants' hall, or toreceive common visiters, or our traders only, whom we admitted not upstairs.
He always loved to speak as he found. No man in the world had sufferedmore from calumny than he himself had done.
Women, he owned, ought to be more scrupulous than men needed to be wherethey lodged. Nevertheless he wished that fact, rather than surmise, wereto be the foundation of their judgments, especially when they spoke ofone another.
He meant no reflection upon her Ladyship's informants, or rathersurmisants, (as he might call them,) be they who they would: nor did hethink himself obliged to defend characters impeached, or not thought wellof, by women of virtue and honour. Neither were these people ofimportance enough to have so much said about them.
The pretended Lady Betty said, all who knew her, would clear her ofcensoriousness: that it gave her some opinion, she must needs say, of thepeople, that he had continued there so long with me; that I had rathernegative than positive reasons of dislike to them; and that so shrewd aman as she heard Captain Tomlinson was had not objected to them.
I think, niece Charlotte, proceeded she, as my nephew had not parted withthese lodgings, you and I, (for, as my dear Miss Harlowe dislikes thepeople, I would not ask her for her company) will take a dish of tea withmy nephew there, before we go out of town; and then we shall see whatsort of people they are. I have heard that Mrs. Sinclair is a mightyforbidding creature.
With all my heart, Madam. In your Ladyship's company I shall make noscruple of going any where.
It was Ladyship at every word; and as she seemed proud of her title, andof her dress too, I might have guessed that she was not used to either.
What say you, cousin Lovelace? Lady Sarah, though a melancholy woman, isvery inquisitive about all your affairs. I must acquaint her with everyparticular circumstance when I go down.
With all his heart. He would attend her whenever she pleased. She wouldsee very handsome apartments, and very civil people.
The deuce is in them, said the Miss Montague, if they appear other to us.
She then fell into family talk; family happiness on my hoped-foraccession into it. They mentioned Lord M.'s and Lady Sarah's greatdesire to see me: how many friends and admirers, with uplift hands, Ishould have! [Oh! my dear, what a triumph must these creatures, and he,have over the poor devoted all the time!]--What a happy man he would be!--They would not, the Lady Betty said, give themselves the mortificationbut to suppose that I should not be one of them!
Presents were hinted at. She resolved that I should go with her toGlenham-hall. She would not be refused, although she were to stay a weekbeyond her time for me.
She longed for the expected letter from you. I must write to hasten it,and to let Miss Howe know how every thing stood since I wrote last. Thatmight dispose me absolutely in her favour and in her nephew's; and thenshe hoped there would be no occasion for me to think of entering upon anynew measures.
Indeed, my dear, I did at the time intend, if I heard not from you bymorning, to dispatch a man and horse to you, with the particulars of all,that you might (if you thought proper) at least put off Mrs. Townsend'scoming up to another day.--But I was miserably prevented.
She made me promise that I would write to you upon this subject, whetherI heard from you or not. One of her servants should ride post with myletter, and wait for Miss Howe's answer.
She then launched out in deserved praises of you, my dear. How fond sheshould be of the honour of your acquaintance.
The pretended Miss Montague joined in with her, as well for herself asfor her sister.
Abominably well instructed were they both!
O my dear! what risks may poor giddy girls run, when they throwthemselves out of the protection of their natural friends, and into thewide world!
The then talked again of reconciliation and intimacy with every one of myfriends; with my mother particularly; and gave the dear good lady thepraises that every one gives her, who has the happiness to know her.
Ah, my dear Miss Howe! I had almost forgot my resentments against thepretended nephew!--So many agreeable things said, made me think, that, ifyou should advise it, and if I could bring my mind to forgive the wretchfor an outrage so premeditatedly vile, and could forbear despising himfor that and his other ungrateful and wicked ways, I might not be unhappyin an alliance with such a family. Yet, thought I at the time, with whatintermixture does every thing come to me that had the appearance of good!----However, as my lucid hopes made me see fewer faults in the behaviourof these pretended ladies, than recollection and abhorrence have helpedme since to see, I began to reproach myself, that I had not at firstthrown myself into their protection.
But amidst all these delightful prospects, I must not, said the LadyBetty, forget that I am to go to town.
She then ordered her coach to be got to the door.--We will all go to towntogether, said she, and return together. Morrison shall stay here, andsee every thing as I am used to have it, in relation to my apartment, andmy bed; for I am very particular in some respects. My cousin Leeson'sservants can do all I want to be done with regard to my night-dresses,and the like. And it will be a little airing for you, my dear, and awant of your apparel to be sent from your former lodgings to Mrs.Leeson's; and we can bring it up with us from thence.
I had no intention to comply. But as I did not imagine that she wouldinsist upon my going to town with them, I made no answer to that part ofher speech.
I must here lay down my tired pen!
Recollection! heart-affecting recollection! how it pains me!