Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

misuses his position and the directives of his charges,
wishing them to partake in his own narrow thinking rather
than pursue the dictates of their rightful inheritances.
Villars is a servant of the Evelyn family; he does
receive an income for his position, and later, he does
inherit a thousand pounds plus the guardianship of
Caroline Evelyn. Villars' first failure as subject and
servant to John Evelyn is to allow him to marry beneath
his station and then to leave the newly married young man
in Paris while he himself remains in England. Evelyn, on
his deathbed, implores Villars, "My friend! Forget your
resentment, in favour of your humanity!" (14). Villars
tells us that John Evelyn was seduced into marrying and
then felt compelled to flee to France with the future
Madame Duval, 'then a waiting girl at a tavern," in order
to escape gossip (14). Villars does not tell us why he
was resentful, or why he remained in England. Epstein's
dialogic silences are again at work, though one can go
much further. Villars remains silent with John Evelyn,
letting him go to France with his wife. He remains
silent when Evelyn's daughter is left in France to die,
and he remains silent when Evelina becomes deathly ill in
face of the affront she receives from Lord Orville. In
each case, Villars hesitates to act, or even make a