MISS HOWE, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE
THURSDAY NIGHT, JULY 13.
Collins sets not out to-morrow. Some domestic occasion hinders him.
Rogers is but now returned from you, and cannot be well spared. Mr.
Hickman is gone upon an affair of my mother's, and has taken both his
servants with him, to do credit to his employer: so I am forced to
venture this by post, directed by your assumed name.
I am to acquaint you, that I have been favoured with a visit from Miss
Montague and her sister, in Lord M.'s chariot-and-six. My Lord's
gentleman rode here yesterday, with a request that I would receive a
visit from the two young ladies, on a very particular occasion; the
greater favour if it might be the next day.
As I had so little personal knowledge of either, I doubted not but it
must be in relation to the interests of my dear friend; and so consulting
with my mother, I sent them an invitation to favour me (because of the
distance) with their company at dinner; which they kindly accepted.
I hope, my dear, since things have been so very bad, that their errand to
me will be as agreeable to you, as any thing that can now happen. They
came in the name of Lord M. and Lady Sarah and Lady Betty his two
sisters, to desire my interest to engage you to put yourself into the
protection of Lady Betty; who will not part with you till she sees all
the justice done you that now can be done.
Lady Sarah had not stirred out for a twelve-month before; never since she
lost her agreeable daughter whom you and I saw at Mrs. Benson's: but was
induced to take this journey by Lady Betty, purely to procure you
reparation, if possible. And their joint strength, united with Lord
M.'s, has so far succeeded, that the wretch has bound himself to them,
and to these young ladies, in the solemnest manner, to wed you in their
presence, if they can prevail upon you to give him your hand.
This consolation you may take to yourself, that all this honourable
family have a due (that is, the highest) sense of your merit, and greatly
admire you. The horrid creature has not spared himself in doing justice
to your virtue; and the young ladies gave us such an account of his
confessions, and self-condemnation, that my mother was quite charmed with
you; and we all four shed tears of joy, that there is one of our sex [I,
that that one is my dearest friend,] who has done so much honour to it,
as to deserve the exalted praises given you by a wretch so
self-conceited; though pity for the excellent creature mixed with our
joy.
He promises by them to make the best of husbands; and my Lord, and Lady
Sarah, and Lady Betty, are all three to be guarantees that he will be so.
Noble settlements, noble presents, they talked of: they say, they left
Lord M. and his two sisters talking of nothing else but of those presents
and settlements, how most to do you honour, the greater in proportion for
the indignities you have suffered; and of changing of names by act of
parliament, preparative to the interest they will all join to make to get
the titles to go where the bulk of the estate must go, at my Lord's
death, which they apprehend to be nearer than they wish. Nor doubt they
of a thorough reformation in his morals, from your example and influence
over him.
I made a great many objections for you--all, I believe, that you could
have made yourself, had you been present. But I have no doubt to advise
you, my dear, (and so does my mother,) instantly to put yourself into
Lady Betty's protection, with a resolution to take the wretch for your
husband. All his future grandeur [he wants not pride] depends upon his
sincerity to you; and the young ladies vouch for the depth of his concern
for the wrongs he has done you.
All his apprehension is, in your readiness to communicate to every one,
as he fears, the evils you have suffered; which he thinks will expose you
both. But had you not revealed them to Lady Betty, you had not had so
warm a friend; since it is owing to two letters you wrote to her, that
all this good, as I hope it will prove, was brought about. But I advise
you to be more sparing in exposing what is past, whether you have
thoughts of accepting him or not: for what, my dear, can that avail now,
but to give a handle to vile wretches to triumph over your friends; since
every one will not know how much to your honour your very sufferings have
been?
Your melancholy letter brought by Rogers,* with his account of your
indifferent health, confirmed to him by the woman of the house, as well
as by your looks and by your faintness while you talked with him, would
have given me inexpressible affliction, had I not been cheered by this
agreeable visit from the young ladies. I hope you will be equally so on
my imparting the subject of it to you.
* See Letter II. of this volume.
Indeed, my dear, you must not hesitate. You must oblige them. The
alliance is splendid and honourable. Very few will know any thing of his
brutal baseness to you. All must end, in a little while, in a general
reconciliation; and you will be able to resume your course of doing the
good to every deserving object, which procured you blessings wherever you
set your foot.
I am concerned to find, that your father's inhuman curse affects you so
much as it does. Yet you are a noble creature to put it, as you put it--
I hope you are indeed more solicitous to get it revoked for their sakes
than for your own. It is for them to be penitent, who hurried you into
evils you could not well avoid. You are apt to judge by the unhappy
event, rather than upon the true merits of your case. Upon my honour, I
think you faultless almost in every step you have taken. What has not
that vilely-insolent and ambitious, yet stupid, brother of your's to
answer for?--that spiteful thing your sister too!
But come, since what is past cannot be helped, let us look forward. You
have now happy prospects opening to you: a family, already noble,
prepared to receive you with open arms and joyful heart; and who, by
their love to you, will teach another family (who know not what an
excellence they have confederated to persecute) how to value you. Your
prudence, your piety, will crown all. You will reclaim a wretch that,
for an hundred sakes more than for his own, one would wish to be
reclaimed.
Like a traveller, who has been put out of his way, by the overflowing of
some rapid stream, you have only had the fore-right path you were in
overwhelmed. A few miles about, a day or two only lost, as I may say,
and you are in a way to recover it; and, by quickening your speed, will
get up the lost time. The hurry upon your spirits, mean time, will be
all your inconvenience; for it was not your fault you were stopped in
your progress.
Think of this, my dear; and improve upon the allegory, as you know how.
If you can, without impeding your progress, be the means of assuaging the
inundation, of bounding the waters within their natural channel, and
thereby of recovering the overwhelmed path for the sake of future
passengers who travel the same way, what a merit will your's be!
I shall impatiently expect your next letter. The young ladies proposed
that you should put yourself, if in town, or near it, into the Reading
stage-coach, which inns somewhere in Fleet-street: and, if you give
notice of the day, you will be met on the road, and that pretty early in
your journey, by some of both sexes; one of whom you won't be sorry to
see.
Mr. Hickman shall attend you at Slough; and Lady Betty herself, and one
of the Miss Montagues, with proper equipages, will be at Reading to
receive you; and carry you directly to the seat of the former: for I have
expressly stipulated, that the wretch himself shall not come into your
presence till your nuptials are to be solemnized, unless you give leave.
Adieu, my dearest friend. Be happy: and hundreds will then be happy of
consequence. Inexpressibly so, I am sure, will then be
Your ever affectionate
ANNA HOWE.