Clarissa, Volume 6 - The History Of A Young Lady

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Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History Of A Young Lady 104 for the fault. Cursed creature, and devilish creature, from every mouth. Your lady won't, she dare not come out to save you, cried Sally; though it is more his honour's mercy, than your desert, if he does not cut your vile throat this instant. Say, repeated Polly, was it your lady that made the first advances, or was it you, you creature−−−− If the lady had so much honour, bawled the mother, excuse me, so−−Excuse me, Sir, [confound the old wretch! she had like to have said son!]−−If the lady has so much honour, as we have supposed, she will appear to vindicate a poor servant, misled, as she has been, by such large promises!−−But I hope, Sir, you will do them both justice: I hope you will!−−Good lack!−−Good lack! clapping her hands together, to grant her every thing she could ask−−to indulge her in her unworthy hatred to my poor innocent house!−−to let her go to Hampstead, though your honour told us, you could get no condescension from her; no, not the least−−O Sir, O Sir−−I hope−−I hope−−if your lady will not come out−−I hope you will find a way to hear this cause in her presence. I value not my doors on such an occasion as this. Justice I ever loved. I desire you will come to the bottom of it in clearance to me. I'll be sworn I had no privity in this black corruption. Just then we heard the lady's door, unbar, unlock, unbolt−−−− Now, Sir! Now, Mr. Lovelace! Now, Sir! from every encouraging mouth!−−−− But, O Jack! Jack! Jack! I can write no more! *** If you must have it all, you must! Now, Belford, see us all sitting in judgment, resolved to punish the fair bribress−−I, and the mother, the hitherto dreaded mother, the nieces Sally, Polly, the traitress Dorcas, and Mabell, a guard, as it were, over Dorcas, that she might not run away, and hide herself:−−all pre−determined, and of necessity pre−determined, from the journey I was going to take, and my precarious situation with her−−and hear her unbolt, unlock, unbar, the door; then, as it proved afterwards, put the key into the lock on the outside, lock the door, and put it in her pocket−−Will. I knew, below, who would give me notice, if, while we were all above, she should mistake her way, and go down stairs, instead of coming into the dining−room: the street−door also doubly secured, and every shutter to the windows round the house fastened, that no noise or screaming should be heard−−[such was the brutal preparation]−−and then hear her step towards us, and instantly see her enter among us, confiding in her own innocence; and with a majesty in her person and manner, that is natural to her; but which then shone out in all its glory!−−Every tongue silent, every eye awed, every heart quaking, mine, in a particular manner sunk, throbless, and twice below its usual region, to once at my throat:−−a shameful recreant:−−She silent too, looking round her, first on me; then on the mother, no longer fearing her; then on Sally, Polly, and the culprit Dorcas!−−such the glorious power of innocence exerted at that awful moment! She would have spoken, but could not, looking down my guilt into confusion. A mouse might have been heard passing over the floor: her own light feet and rustling silks could not have prevented it; for she seemed to tread air, and to be all soul. She passed backwards and forwards, now towards me, now towards the door several times, before speech could get the better of indignation; and at last, after twice or thrice hemming to
Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History Of A Young Lady 105 recover her articulate voice−−'O thou contemptible and abandoned Lovelace, thinkest thou that I see not through this poor villanous plot of thine, and of these thy wicked accomplices? 'Thou, woman, [looking at the mother] once my terror! always my dislike! but now my detestation! shouldst once more (for thine perhaps was the preparation) have provided for me intoxicating potions, to rob me of my senses−−−− 'And then, thus, wretch, [turning to me,] mightest thou more securely have depended upon such a low contrivance as this! 'And ye, vile women, who perhaps have been the ruin, body and soul, of hundreds of innocents, (you show me how, in full assembly,) know, that I am not married−−ruined as I am, by your help, I bless God, I am not married to this miscreant−−and I have friends that will demand my honour at your hands!−−and to whose authority I will apply; for none has this man over me. Look to it then, what farther insults you offer me, or incite him to offer me. I am a person, though thus vilely betrayed, of rank and fortune. I never will be his; and, to your utter ruin, will find friends to pursue you: and now I have this full proof of your detestable wickedness, and have heard your base incitements, will have no mercy upon you!' They could not laugh at the poor figure I made.−−Lord! how every devil, conscience−shaken, trembled!−− What a dejection must ever fall to the lot of guilt, were it given to innocence always thus to exert itself! 'And as for thee, thou vile Dorcas! Thou double deceiver!−−whining out thy pretended love for me!−−Begone, wretch!−−Nobody will hurt thee!−− Begone, I say!−−thou has too well acted thy part to be blamed by any here but myself−−thou art safe: thy guilt is thy security in such a house as this!−−thy shameful, thy poor part, thou hast as well acted as the low farce could give thee to act!−−as well as they each of them (thy superiors, though not thy betters), thou seest, can act theirs.−−Steal away into darkness! No inquiry after this will be made, whose the first advances, thine or mine.' And, as I hope to live, the wench, confoundedly frightened, slunk away; so did her sentinel Mabell; though I, endeavouring to rally, cried out for Dorcas to stay−−but I believe the devil could not have stopt her, when an angel bid her begone. Madam, said I, let me tell you; and was advancing towards her with a fierce aspect, most cursedly vexed, and ashamed too−−−− But she turned to me: 'Stop where thou art, O vilest and most abandoned of men!−−Stop where thou art!−−nor, with that determined face, offer to touch me, if thou wouldst not that I should be a corps at thy feet!' To my astonishment, she held forth a penknife in her hand, the point to her own bosom, grasping resolutely the whole handle, so that there was no offering to take it from her. 'I offer not mischief to any body but myself. You, Sir, and ye women, are safe from every violence of mine. The LAW shall be all my resource: the LAW,' and she spoke the word with emphasis, the LAW! that to such people carries natural terror with it, and now struck a panic into them. No wonder, since those who will damn themselves to procure ease and plenty in this world, will tremble at every thing that seems to threaten their methods of obtaining that ease and plenty.−−−− 'The LAW only shall be my refuge!'−−−−
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