Lady OLIVIA is really a lovely woman. Her complexion is fine. Her face
oval. Every feature of it is delicate. Her hair is black; and, I think,
I never saw brighter black eyes in my life: if possible, they are
brighter, and shine with a more piercing lustre, than even Sir Charles
Grandison's: but yet I give his the preference; for we see in them a
benignity, that hers, though a woman's, has not; and a thoughtfulness, as
if something lay upon his mind, which nothing but patience could
overcome; yet mingled with an air that shews him to be equal to any
thing, that can be undertaken by man. While Olivia's eyes shew more fire
and impetuosity than sweetness. Had I not been told it, I should have
been sure that she has a violent spirit: but on the whole, she is a very
fine figure of a woman.
She talked of taking a house, and staying in England a year at least; and
was determined, she said, to perfect herself in the language, and to
become an Englishwoman: but when Sir Charles, in the way of discourse,
mentioned his obligation to leave England, as on next Friday morning, how
did she and her aunt look upon each other! And how was the sunshine that
gilded her fine countenance, shut in! Surely, sir, said her aunt, you
are not in earnest!
After dinner, the two ladies retired with Sir Charles, at his motion.
Dr. Bartlett, at Lady G----'s request, then gave us this short sketch of
her history. He said, she had a vast fortune: she had had indiscretions;
but none that had affected her character as to virtue: but her spirit
could not bear control. She had shewn herself to be vindictive, even to
a criminal degree. Lord bless me, my dear! the doctor has mentioned to
me in confidence, that she always carries a poniard about her; and that
once she used it. Had the person died, she would have been called to
public account for it. The man, it seems, was of rank, and offered some
slight affront to her. She now comes over, the doctor said, as he had
reason to believe, with a resolution to sacrifice even her religion, if
it were insisted upon, to the passion she had so long in vain endeavoured
to conquer.
She has, he says, an utter hatred to Lady Clementina; and will not be
able to govern her passion, he is sure, when Sir Charles shall acquaint
her, that he is going to attend that lady, and her family: for he has
only mentioned his obligation to go abroad; but not said whither.
Lord W---- praised the person of the lady, and her majestic air. Lord
L---- and Lord G---- wished to be within hearing of the conference
between her and Sir Charles: so did Lady G----: and while they were thus
wishing, in came Sir Charles, his face all in a glow; Lady L----, said
he, be so good as to attend Lady Olivia.
She went to her; Sir Charles staid not with us: yet went not to the lady;
but into his study. Dr. Bartlett attended him there: the doctor returned
soon after to us. His noble heart is vexed, said he: Lady Olivia has
greatly disturbed him: he chooses to be alone.
Lady L---- afterwards told us, that she found the lady in violent anguish
of spirit; her aunt endeavouring to calm her: she, however, politely
addressed herself to Lady L----, and begging her aunt to withdraw for a
few moments, she owned to her, in French, her passion for her brother:
She was not, she said, ashamed to own it to his sister, who must know
that his merit would dignify the passion of the noblest woman. She had
endeavoured, she said, to conquer hers: she had been willing to give way
to the prior attachments that he had pleaded for a lady of her own
country, Signora Clementina della Porretta, whom she allowed to have had
great merit; but who, having irrecoverably been put out of her right
mind, was shut up at Naples by a brother, who vowed eternal enmity to Sir
Charles; and from whom his life would be in the utmost hazard, if he went
over. She owned, that her chief motive for coming to England was, to
cast her fortune at her brother's feet; and, as she knew him to be a man
of honour, to comply with any terms he should propose to her. He had
offered to the family della Porretta to allow their daughter her
religion, and her confessor, and to live with her every other year in
Italy. She herself, not inferior in birth, in person, in mind, as she
said, she presumed, and superior in fortune, the riches of three branches
of her family, all rich, having centred in her, insisted not now upon
such conditions. Her aunt, she said, knew not that she proposed, on
conviction, a change of her religion; but she was resolved not to conceal
anything from Lady L----. She left her to judge how much she must be
affected, when he declared his obligation to leave England; and
especially when he owned, that it was to go to Bologna, and that so
suddenly, as if, as she apprehended at first, it was to avoid her. She
had been in tears, she said, and even would have kneeled to him, to
induce him to suspend his journey for one month, and then to have taken
her over with him, and seen her safe in her own palace, if he would go
upon so hated, and so fruitless, as well as so hazardous an errand: but
he had denied her this poor favour.
This refusal, she owned, had put her out of all patience. She was
unhappily passionate; but was the most placable of her sex. What, madam,
said she, can affect a woman, if slight, indignity, and repulse, from a
favoured person, is not able to do it? A woman of my condition to come
over to England, to solicit--how can I support the thought--and to be
refused the protection of the man she prefers to all men; and her request
to see her safe back again, though but as the fool she came over!--You
may blame me, madam--but you must pity me, even were you to have a heart
the sister heart of your inflexible brother.
In vain did Lady L---- plead to her Lady Clementina's deplorable
situation; the reluctance of his own relations to part with him; and the
magnanimity of his self-denial in a hundred instances, on the bare
possibility of being an instrument to restore her: she could not bear to
hear her speak highly of the unhappy lady. She charged Clementina with
the pride of her family, to which she attributed their deserved calamity;
[Deserved! Cruel lady! How could her pitiless heart allow her lips to
utter such a word!] and imputed meanness to the noblest of human minds,
for yielding to the entreaties of a family, some of the principals of
which, she said, had treated him with an arrogance that a man of his
spirit ought not to bear.
Lady Maffei came in. She seems dependent upon her niece. She is her
aunt by marriage only: and Lady L---- speaks very favourably of her from
the advice she gave, and her remonstrances to her kinswoman. Lady Maffei
besought her to compose herself, and return to the company.
She could not bear, she said, to return to the company, the slighted, the
contemned object, she must appear to be to every one in it. I am an
intruder, said she, haughtily; a beggar, with a fortune that would
purchase a sovereignty in some countries. Make my excuses to your
sister, to the rest of the company--and to that fine young lady--whose
eyes, by their officious withdrawing from his, and by the consciousness
that glowed in her face whenever he addressed her, betrayed, at least to
a jealous eye, more than she would wish to have seen--But tell her, that
all lovely and blooming as she is, she must have no hope, while
Clementina lives.
I hope, Lucy, it is only to a jealous eye that my heart is so
discoverable!--I thank her for her caution. But I can say what she
cannot; that from my heart, cost me what it may, I do subscribe to a
preference in favour of a lady, who has acted, in the most arduous
trials, in a greater manner than I fear either Olivia or I could have
acted, in the same circumstances. We see that her reason, but not her
piety, deserted her in the noble struggle between her love and her
religion. In the most affecting absences of her reason, the soul of the
man she loved was the object of her passion. However hard it is to
prefer another to one's self, in such a case as this; yet if my judgment
is convinced, my acknowledgment shall follow it. Heaven will enable me
to be reconciled to the event, because I pursue the dictates of that
judgment, against the biases of my more partial heart. Let that Heaven,
which only can, restore Clementina, and dispose as it pleases of Olivia
and Harriet. We cannot either of us, I humbly hope, be so unhappy as the
lady has been whom I rank among the first of women; and whose whole
family deserves almost equal compassion.
Lady Olivia asked Lady L----, if her brother had not a very tender regard
for me? He had, Lady L---- answered; and told her, that he had rescued
me from a very great distress; and that mine was the most grateful of
human hearts.
She called me sweet young creature; (supposing me, I doubt not, younger
than I am;) but said, that the graces of my person and mind alarmed her
not, as they would have done, had not his attachment to Clementina been
what now she saw, but never could have believed it was; having supposed,
that compassion only was the tie that bound him to her.
But compassion, Lucy, from such a heart as his, the merit so great in the
lady, must be love; a love of the nobler kind--And if it were not, it
would be unworthy of Clementina's.
Lady Maffei called upon her dignity, her birth, to carry her above a
passion that met not with a grateful return. She advised her to dispose
herself to stay in England some months, now she was here. And as her
friends in Italy would suppose what her view was in coming to England,
their censures would be obviated by her continuing here for some time,
while Sir Charles was abroad, and in Italy: and that she should divert
herself with visiting the court, the public places, and in seeing the
principal curiosities of this kingdom, as she had done those of others;
in order to give credit to an excursion that might otherwise be freely
spoken of, in her own country.
She seemed to listen to this advice. She bespoke, and was promised, the
friendship of the two sisters; and included in her request, through their
interests, mine; and Lady G---- was called in, by her sister, to join in
the promise.
She desired that Sir Charles might be requested to walk in; but would not
suffer the sisters to withdraw, as they would have done, when he
returned. He could not but be polite; but, it seems, looked still
disturbed. I beg you to excuse, sir, said she, my behaviour to you: it
was passionate; it was unbecoming. But, in compliment to your own
consequence, you ought to excuse it. I have only to request one favour
of you: That you will suspend for one week, in regard to me, your
proposed journey; but for one week; and I will, now I am in England, stay
some months; perhaps till your return.
Excuse me, madam.
I will not excuse you--But one week, sir. Give me so much importance
with myself, as for one week's suspension. You will. You must.
Indeed I cannot. My soul, I own to you, is in the distresses of the
family of Porretta. Why should I repeat what I said to you before?
I have bespoken, sir, the civilities of your sisters, of your family: you
forbid them not?
You expect not an answer, madam, to that question. My sisters will be
glad, and so will their lords, to attend you wherever you please, with a
hope to make England agreeable to you.
How long do you propose to stay in Italy, sir?
It is not possible for me to determine.
Are you not apprehensive of danger to your person?