Clarissa, Volume 6 - The History Of A Young Lady

Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History Of A Young Lady 158
But we must step out, Nephew: your lady will faint. Maid, a glass of hartshorn and water!−−My dear you
must step out−−You will faint, child−− We must cut your laces.−−[I believe my complexion was all manner
of colours by turns]−−Indeed, you must step out, my dear.
He knew, said I, I should be well, the moment the coach drove from the door. I should not alight. By his soul,
I should not.
Lord, Lord, Nephew, Lord, Lord, Cousin, both women in a breath, what ado you make about nothing! You
persuade your lady to be afraid of alighting.−−See you not that she is just fainting?
Indeed, Madam, said the vile seducer, my dearest love must not be moved in this point against her will. I beg
it may not be insisted upon.
Fiddle−faddle, foolish man−−What a pother is here! I guess how it is: you are ashamed to let us see what sort
of people you carried your lady among−−but do you go out, and speak to your friend, and take your letters.
He stept out; but shut the coach−door after him, to oblige me.
The coach may go on, Madam, said I.
The coach shall go on, my dear life, said he.−−But he gave not, nor intended to give, orders that it should.
Let the coach go on! said I−−Mr. Lovelace may come after us.
Indeed, my dear, you are ill!−−Indeed you must alight−−alight but for one quarter of an hour.−−Alight but to
give orders yourself about your things. Whom can you be afraid of in my company, and my niece's; these
people must have behaved shockingly to you! Please the Lord, I'll inquire into it!−−I'll see what sort of people
they are!
Immediately came the old creature to the door. A thousand pardons, dear Madam, stepping to the coach−side,
if we have any way offended you−−Be pleased, Ladies, [to the other two] to alight.
Well, my dear, whispered the Lady Betty, I now find that an hideous description of a person we never saw is
an advantage to them. I thought the woman was a monster−−but, really, she seems tolerable.
I was afraid I should have fallen into fits: but still refused to go out −−Man!−−Man!−−Man!−−cried I,
gaspingly, my head out of the coach and in, by turns, half a dozen times running, drive on!−−Let us go!
My heart misgave me beyond the power of my own accounting for it; for still I did not suspect these women.
But the antipathy I had taken to the vile house, and to find myself so near it, when I expected no such matter,
with the sight of the old creature, all together made me behave like a distracted person.
The hartshorn and water was brought. The pretended Lady Betty made me drink it. Heaven knows if there was
any thing else in it!
Besides, said she, whisperingly, I must see what sort of creatures the nieces are. Want of delicacy cannot be
hid from me. You could not surely, my dear, have this aversion to re−enter a house, for a few minutes, in our
company, in which you lodged and boarded several weeks, unless these women could be so presumptuously
vile, as my nephew ought not to know.
Out stept the pretended lady; the servant, at her command, having opened the door.