Clarissa, Volume 6 - The History Of A Young Lady
Clarissa, Volume 6 - The History Of A Young Lady Clarissa, Volume 6 - The History Of A Young Lady
Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History Of A Young Lady 110 My dearest life, Your ever−affectionate, faithful, LOVELACE. LETTER XXXVIII MR. LOVELACE, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE [SUPERSCRIBED TO MRS. LOVELACE.] M. HALL, SUNDAY NIGHT, JUNE 25. MY DEAREST LOVE, I cannot find words to express how much I am mortified at the return of my messenger without a line from you. Thursday is so near, that I will send messenger after messenger every four hours, till I have a favourable answer; the one to meet the other, till its eve arrives, to know if I may venture to appear in your presence with the hope of having my wishes answered on that day. Your love, Madam, I neither expect, nor ask for; nor will, till my future behaviour gives you cause to think I deserve it. All I at present presume to wish is, to have it in my power to do you all the justice I can now do you: and to your generosity will I leave it, to reward me, as I shall merit, with your affection. At present, revolving my poor behaviour of Friday night before you, I think I should sooner choose to go to my last audit, unprepared for it as I am, than to appear in your presence, unless you give me some hope, that I shall be received as your elected husband, rather than, (however deserved,) as a detested criminal. Let me, therefore, propose an expedient, in order to spare my own confusion; and to spare you the necessity for that soul−harrowing recrimination, which I cannot stand, and which must be disagreeable to yourself−−to name the church, and I will have every thing in readiness; so that our next interview will be, in a manner, at the very altar; and then you will have the kind husband to forgive for the faults of the ungrateful lover. If your resentment be still too high to write more, let it only be in your own dear hand, these words, St. Martin's church, Thursday−−or these, St. Giles's church, Thursday; nor will I insist upon any inscription or subscription, or so much as the initials of your name. This shall be all the favour I will expect, till the dear hand itself is given to mine, in presence of that Being whom I invoke as a witness of the inviolable faith and honour of Your adoring LOVELACE. LETTER XXXIX MR. LOVELACE, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE [SUPERSCRIBED TO MRS. LOVELACE.] M. HALL, MONDAY, JUNE 26. Once more, my dearest love, do I conjure you to send me the four requested words. There is no time to be lost. And I would not have next Thursday go over, without being entitled to call you mine, for the world; and that as well for your sake as for my own. Hitherto all that has passed is between you and me only; but, after Thursday, if my wishes are unanswered, the whole will be before the world. My Lord is extremely ill, and endures not to have me out of his sight for one half hour. But this shall not have the least weight with me, if you be pleased to hold out the olive−branch to me in the four requested words. I have the following intelligence from Captain Tomlinson.
Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History Of A Young Lady 111 'All your family are at your uncle Harlowe's. Your uncle finds he cannot go up; and names Captain Tomlinson for his proxy. He proposes to keep all your family with him till the Captain assures him that the ceremony is over. 'Already he has begun, with hope of success, to try to reconcile your mother to you.' My Lord M. but just now has told me how happy he should think himself to have an opportunity, before he dies, to salute you as his niece. I have put him in hopes that he shall see you; and have told him that I will go to town on Wednesday, in order to prevail upon you to accompany me down on Thursday or Friday. I have ordered a set to be in readiness to carry me up; and, were not my Lord so very ill, my cousin Montague tells me that she would offer her attendance on you. If you please, therefore, we can set out for this place the moment the solemnity is performed. Do not, dearest creature, dissipate all those promising appearances, and by refusing to save your own and your family's reputation in the eye of the world, use yourself worse than the ungratefullest wretch on earth has used you. For if we were married, all the disgrace you imagine you have suffered while a single lady, will be my own, and only known to ourselves. Once more, then, consider well the situation we are both in; and remember, my dearest life, that Thursday will be soon here; and that you have no time to lose. In a letter sent by the messenger whom I dispatch with this, I have desired that my friend, Mr. Belford, who is your very great admirer, and who knows all the secrets of my heart, will wait upon you, to know what I am to depend upon as to the chosen day. Surely, my dear, you never could, at any time, suffer half so much from cruel suspense, as I do. If I have not an answer to this, either from your own goodness, or through Mr. Belford's intercession, it will be too late for me to set out: and Captain Tomlinson will be disappointed, who goes to town on purpose to attend your pleasure. One motive for the gentle resistance I have presumed to lay you under is, to prevent the mischiefs that might ensue (as probably to the more innocent, as to the less) were you to write to any body while your passions were so much raised and inflamed against me. Having apprized you of my direction to the women in town on this head, I wonder you should have endeavoured to send a letter to Miss Howe, although in a cover directed to that young lady's* servant; as you must think it would be likely to fall into my hands. * The lady had made an attempt to send away a letter. The just sense of what I have deserved the contents should be, leaves me no room to doubt what they are. Nevertheless, I return it you enclosed, with the seal, as you will see, unbroken. Relieve, I beseech you, dearest Madam, by the four requested words, or by Mr. Belford, the anxiety of Your ever−affectionate and obliged LOVELACE. Remember, there will not, there cannot be time for further writing, and for coming up by Thursday, your uncle's birth−day. LETTER XL MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ. MONDAY, JUNE 26.
- Page 59 and 60: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 61 and 62: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 63 and 64: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 65 and 66: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 67 and 68: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 69 and 70: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 71 and 72: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 73 and 74: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 75 and 76: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 77 and 78: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 79 and 80: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 81 and 82: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 83 and 84: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 85 and 86: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 87 and 88: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 89 and 90: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 91 and 92: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 93 and 94: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 95 and 96: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 97 and 98: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 99 and 100: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 101 and 102: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 103 and 104: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 105 and 106: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 107 and 108: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 109: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 113 and 114: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 115 and 116: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 117 and 118: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 119 and 120: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 121 and 122: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 123 and 124: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 125 and 126: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 127 and 128: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 129 and 130: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 131 and 132: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 133 and 134: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 135 and 136: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 137 and 138: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 139 and 140: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 141 and 142: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 143 and 144: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 145 and 146: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 147 and 148: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 149 and 150: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 151 and 152: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 153 and 154: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 155 and 156: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 157 and 158: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
- Page 159 and 160: Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History
<strong>Clarissa</strong>, <strong>Volume</strong> 6 − <strong>The</strong> <strong>History</strong> <strong>Of</strong> A <strong>Young</strong> <strong>Lady</strong> 110<br />
My dearest life, Your ever−affectionate, faithful, LOVELACE.<br />
LETTER XXXVIII<br />
MR. LOVELACE, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE [SUPERSCRIBED TO MRS. LOVELACE.] M.<br />
HALL, SUNDAY NIGHT, JUNE 25.<br />
MY DEAREST LOVE,<br />
I cannot find words to express how much I am mortified at the return of my messenger without a line from<br />
you.<br />
Thursday is so near, that I will send messenger after messenger every four hours, till I have a favourable<br />
answer; the one to meet the other, till its eve arrives, to know if I may venture to appear in your presence with<br />
the hope of having my wishes answered on that day.<br />
Your love, Madam, I neither expect, nor ask for; nor will, till my future behaviour gives you cause to think I<br />
deserve it. All I at present presume to wish is, to have it in my power to do you all the justice I can now do<br />
you: and to your generosity will I leave it, to reward me, as I shall merit, with your affection.<br />
At present, revolving my poor behaviour of Friday night before you, I think I should sooner choose to go to<br />
my last audit, unprepared for it as I am, than to appear in your presence, unless you give me some hope, that I<br />
shall be received as your elected husband, rather than, (however deserved,) as a detested criminal.<br />
Let me, therefore, propose an expedient, in order to spare my own confusion; and to spare you the necessity<br />
for that soul−harrowing recrimination, which I cannot stand, and which must be disagreeable to yourself−−to<br />
name the church, and I will have every thing in readiness; so that our next interview will be, in a manner, at<br />
the very altar; and then you will have the kind husband to forgive for the faults of the ungrateful lover. If your<br />
resentment be still too high to write more, let it only be in your own dear hand, these words, St. Martin's<br />
church, Thursday−−or these, St. Giles's church, Thursday; nor will I insist upon any inscription or<br />
subscription, or so much as the initials of your name. This shall be all the favour I will expect, till the dear<br />
hand itself is given to mine, in presence of that Being whom I invoke as a witness of the inviolable faith and<br />
honour of<br />
Your adoring LOVELACE.<br />
LETTER XXXIX<br />
MR. LOVELACE, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE [SUPERSCRIBED TO MRS. LOVELACE.] M.<br />
HALL, MONDAY, JUNE 26.<br />
Once more, my dearest love, do I conjure you to send me the four requested words. <strong>The</strong>re is no time to be lost.<br />
And I would not have next Thursday go over, without being entitled to call you mine, for the world; and that<br />
as well for your sake as for my own. Hitherto all that has passed is between you and me only; but, after<br />
Thursday, if my wishes are unanswered, the whole will be before the world.<br />
My Lord is extremely ill, and endures not to have me out of his sight for one half hour. But this shall not have<br />
the least weight with me, if you be pleased to hold out the olive−branch to me in the four requested words.<br />
I have the following intelligence from Captain Tomlinson.