He came well off--To shew you more generosity than, noble as you are
said to be to others, you shew to me.
The man's face became his anger: it seems formed to express the passion.
At that instant, again in came my brother--Sister, Sister, Sister, said
he, with his teeth set, act on the termagant part you have so newly
assumed--most wonderfully well does it become you. It is but a
short one, however. Tyraness in your turn, accuse others of your own
guilt--But leave her, leaver her, Mr. Solmes: her time is short. You'll
find her humble and mortified enough very quickly. Then, how like a
little tame fool will she look, with her conscience upbraiding her, and
begging of you [with a whining voice, the barbarous brother spoke] to
forgive and forget!
More he said, as he flew out, with a glowing face, upon Shorey's coming
in to recall him on his violence.
I removed from chair to chair, excessively frighted and disturbed at
this brutal treatment.
The man attempted to excuse himself, as being sorry for my brother's
passion.
Leave me, leave me, Sir, fanning--or I shall faint. And indeed I thought
I should.
He recommended himself to my favour with an air of assurance; augmented,
as I thought, by a distress so visible in me; for he even snatched my
trembling, my struggling hand; and ravished it to his odious mouth.
I flung from him with high disdain: and he withdrew, bowing and
cringing; self-gratified, and enjoying, as I thought, the confusion he
saw me in.
The wretch is now, methinks, before me; and now I see him awkwardly
striding backward, as he retired, till the edge of the opened door,
which he ran against, remembered him to turn his welcome back upon me.
Upon his withdrawing, Betty brought me word, that I was permitted to
go up to my own chamber: and was bid to consider of every thing: for my
time was short. Nevertheless, she believed I might be permitted to stay
till Saturday.
She tells me, that although my brother and sister were blamed for being
so hasty with me, yet when they made their report, and my uncle Antony
his, of my provocations, they were all more determined than ever in Mr.
Solmes's favour.
The wretch himself, she tells me, pretends to be more in love with
me than before; and to be rather delighted than discouraged with the
conversation that passed between us. He ran on, she says, in raptures,
about the grace wherewith I should dignify his board; and the like sort
of stuff, either of his saying, or of her making.
She closed all with a Now is your time, Miss, to submit with a grace,
and to make your own terms with him:--else, I can tell you, were I Mr.
Solmes, it should be worse for you: And who, Miss, of our sex, proceeded
the saucy creature, would admire a rakish gentleman, when she might be
admired by a sober one to the end of the chapter?
She made this further speech to me on quitting my chamber--You have
had amazing good luck, Miss. I must tell you, to keep your writings
concealed so cunningly. You must needs think I know that you are always
at your pen: and as you endeavour to hide that knowledge from me, I
do not think myself obliged to keep your secret. But I love not to
aggravate. I had rather reconcile by much. Peace-making is my talent,
and ever was. And had I been as much your foe, as you imagine, you had
not perhaps been here now. But this, however, I do not say to make a
merit with you, Miss: for, truly, it will be the better for you the
sooner every thing is over with you. And better for me, and for every
one else; that's certain. Yet one hint I must conclude with; that your
pen and ink (soon as you are to go away) will not be long in your power,
I do assure you, Miss. And then, having lost that amusement, it will be
seen, how a mind so active as yours will be able to employ itself.
This hint alarms me so much, that I shall instantly begin to conceal, in
different places, pens, inks, and paper; and to deposit some in the ivy
summer-house, if I can find a safe place there; and, at the worst, I
have got a pencil of black, and another of red lead, which I use in my
drawings; and my patterns shall serve for paper, if I have no other.
How lucky it was, that I had got away my papers! They made a strict
search for them; that I can see, by the disorderly manner they have left
all things in: for you know that I am such an observer of method, that
I can go to a bit of ribband, or lace, or edging, blindfold. The same in
my books; which they have strangely disordered and mismatched; to look
behind them, and in some of them, I suppose. My clothes too are rumpled
not a little. No place has escaped them. To your hint, I thank you, are
they indebted for their disappointment.
The pen, through heaviness and fatigue, dropt out of my fingers, at the
word indebted. I resumed it, to finish the sentence; and to tell you,
that I am,
Your for ever obliged and affectionate CL. HARLOWE.