Clarissa, Volume 6 - The History Of A Young Lady

Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History Of A Young Lady 90
And mayest thou enjoy that happiness in this world, which thou hast robbed me of; as thou hast of every
friend I have in it!
And saying this, away she flung, leaving me in a confusion so great, that I knew not what to think, say, or do!
But Dorcas soon roused me−−Do you know, Sir, running in hastily, that my lady is gone down stairs!
No, sure!−−And down I flew, and found her once more at the street−door, contending with Polly Horton to
get out.
She rushed by me into the fore parlour, and flew to the window, and attempted once more to throw up the
sash−−Good people! good people! cried she.
I caught her in my arms, and lifted her from the window. But being afraid of hurting the charming creature,
(charming in her very rage,) she slid through my arms on the floor.−−Let me die here! let me die here! were
her words; remaining jointless and immovable, till Sally and Mrs. Sinclair hurried in.
She was visibly terrified at the sight of the old wretch; while I (sincerely affected) appealed, Bear witness,
Mrs. Sinclair!−−bear witness, Miss Martin!−−Miss Horton!−−Every one bear witness, that I offer not violence
to this beloved creature!
She then found her feet−−O house [look towards the windows, and all round her, O house,] contrived on
purpose for my ruin! said she−−but let not that woman come into my presence−−not that Miss Horton neither,
who would not have dared to controul me, had she not been a base one!−−
Hoh, Sir! Hoh, Madam! vociferated the old dragon, her armed kemboed, and flourishing with one foot to the
extent of her petticoats−−What's ado here about nothing! I never knew such work in my life, between a
chicken of a gentleman and a tiger of a lady!−−
She was visibly affrighted: and up stairs she hastened. A bad woman is certainly, Jack, more terrible to her
own sex than even a bad man.
I followed her up. She rushed by her own apartment into the dining−room: no terror can make her forget her
punctilio.
To recite what passed there of invective, exclamations, threatenings, even of her own life, on one side; of
expostulations, supplications, and sometimes menaces, on the other; would be too affecting; and, after my
particularity in like scenes, these things may as well be imagined as expressed.
I will therefore only mention, that, at length, I extorted a concession from her. She had reason* to think it
would have been worse for her on the spot, if she had not made it. It was, That she would endeavour to make
herself easy till she saw what next Thursday, her uncle's birth−day, would produce. But Oh! that it were not a
sin, she passionately exclaimed on making this poor concession, to put and end to her own life, rather than
yield to give me but that assurance!
* The Lady mentions, in her memorandum−book, that she had no other way, as is apprehended, to save
herself from instant dishonour, but by making this concession. Her only hope, now, she says, if she cannot
escape by Dorcas's connivance, (whom, nevertheless she suspects,) is to find a way to engage the protection
of her uncle, and even of the civil magistrate, on Thursday next, if necessary. 'He shall see,' says she, 'tame
and timid as he thought me, what I dare to do, to avoid so hated a compulsion, and a man capable of a
baseness so premeditatedly vile and inhuman.'