She rung her bell for Dorcas; and, with her door in her hand, only half
opened, gave her a billet for me.
How did the dear creature look, Dorcas?
She was dressed. She turned her face quite from me; and sighed, as if
her heart would break.
Sweet creature:--I kissed the wet wafer, and drew it from the paper with
my breath.
These are the contents.--No inscriptive Sir! No Mr. Lovelace!
I cannot see you: nor will I, if I can help it. Words cannot express the
anguish of my soul on your baseness and ingratitude.
If the circumstances of things are such, that I can have no way for
reconciliation with those who would have been my natural protectors from
such outrages, but through you, [the only inducement I have to stay a
moment longer in your knowledge,] pen and ink must be, at present, the
only means of communication between us.
Vilest of men, and most detestable of plotters! how have I deserved from
you the shocking indignities--but no more--only for your own sake, wish
not, at least for a week to come, to see
The undeservedly injured and insulted
CLARISSA HARLOWE
***
So thou seest, nothing could have stood me in stead, but this plot of
Tomlinson and her uncle! To what a pretty pass, nevertheless, have I
brought myself!--Had Caesar been such a fool, he had never passed the
rubicon. But after he had passed it, had he retreated re infecta,
intimidated by a senatorial edict, what a pretty figure would he have
made in history!--I might have known, that to attempt a robbery, and put
a person in bodily fear, is as punishable as if the robbery had been
actually committed.
But not to see her for a week!--Dear, pretty soul! how she anticipates me
in every thing! The counsellor will have finished the writings to-day or
to-morrow, at furthest: the license with the parson, or the parson
without the license, must also be procured within the next four-and-
twenty hours; Pritchard is as good as ready with his indentures
tripartite: Tomlinson is at hand with a favourable answer from her uncle
--yet not to see her for a week!----Dear sweet soul;--her good angel is
gone a journey: is truanting at least. But nevertheless, in thy week's
time, or in much less, my charmer, I doubt not to complete my triumph!
But what vexes me of all things is, that such an excellent creature
should break her word:--Fie, fie, upon her!--But nobody is absolutely
perfect! 'Tis human to err, but not to persevere--I hope my charmer
cannot be inhuman!