EVELINA IN CONTINUATION. Clifton, Oct. 7th.
YOU will see, my dear Sir, that I was mistaken in supposing I should
write no more from this place, where my residence now seems more
uncertain than ever.
This morning, during breakfast, Lord Orville took an opportunity to
beg me, in a low voice, to allow him a moment's conversation before
I left Clifton; "May I hope," added he, "that you will stroll into
the garden after breakfast?"
I made no answer, but I believe my looks gave no denial; for, indeed,
I much wished to be satisfied concerning the letter. The moment,
therefore, that I could quit the parlour, I ran up stairs for my
calash; but, before I reached my room, Mrs. Selwyn called after me,
"If you are going to walk, Miss Anville, be so good as to bid Jenny
bring down my hat, and I'll accompany you."
Very much disconcerted, I turned into the drawing-room, without making
any answer, and there I hoped to wait unseen, till she had otherwise
disposed of herself. But, in a few minutes, the door opened, and Sir
Clement Willoughby entered.
Starting at the sight of him, in rising hastily, I let drop the letter
which I had brought for Lord Orville's inspection, and, before I could
recover it, Sir Clement, springing forward, had it in his hand. He
was just presenting it to me, and, at the same time, enquiring after
my health, when the signature caught his eye, and he read aloud,
"Orville."
I endeavoured, eagerly, to snatch it from him, but he would not permit
me; and, holding it fast, in a passionate manner exclaimed, "Good God,
Miss Anville, is it possible you can value such a letter as this?"
The question surprised and confounded me, and I was too much ashamed to
answer him; but, finding he made an attempt to secure it, I prevented
him, and vehemently demanded him to return it.
"Tell me first," said he, holding it above my reach, "tell me if you
have since received any more letters from the same person?"
"No, indeed," cried I, "never!"
"And will you also, sweetest of women, promise that you never will
receive any more? Say that, and you will make me the happiest of men."
"Sir Clement," cried I, greatly confused, "pray give me the letter."
"And will you not first satisfy my doubts?-will you not relieve me
from the torture of the most distracting suspense?-tell me but that
the detested Orville has written to you no more!"
"Sir Clement," cried I, angrily, "you have no right to make any
conditions,-so pray give me the letter directly."
"Why such solicitude about this hateful letter? can it possibly
deserve your eagerness? tell me, with truth, with sincerity tell me,
does it really merit the least anxiety?"
"No matter, Sir," cried I, in great perplexity, "the letter is mine,
and therefore-"
"I must conclude, then," said he, "that the letter deserves your
utmost contempt,-but that the name of Orville is sufficient to make
you prize it."
"Sir Clement," cried I, colouring, "you are quite-you are very much-the
letter is not-"
"O, Miss Anville," cried he, "you blush!-you stammer!-Great Heaven! it
is then all as I feared!"
"I know not," cried I, half-frightened, "what you mean; but I beseech
you to give me the letter, and to compose yourself."
"The letter," cried he, gnashing his teeth, "you shall never see
more! You ought to have burnt it the moment you had read it!" And in
an instant he tore it into a thousand pieces.
Alarmed at a fury so indecently outrageous, I would have run out of
the room; but he caught hold of my gown, and cried, "Not yet, not yet
must you go! I am but half-mad yet, and you must stay to finish your
work. Tell me, therefore, does Orville know your fatal partiality?-Say
yes," added he, trembling with passion, "and I will fly you for ever!"
"For Heaven's sake, Sir Clement," cried I, "release me!-if you do not,
you will force me to call for help."
"Call then," cried he, "inexorable and most unfeeling girl; call,
if you please, and bid all the world witness your triumph;-but could
ten worlds obey your call, I would not part from you till you had
answered me. Tell me, then, does Orville know you love him?"
At any other time, an enquiry so gross would have given me
inexpressible confusion; but now, the wildness of his manner terrified
me, and I only said, "Whatever you wish to know, Sir Clement, I will
tell you another time; but, for the present, I entreat you to let
me go!"
"Enough," cried he, "I understand you!-the art of Orville has
prevailed;-cold, inanimate, phlegmatic as he is, you have rendered
him the most envied of men!-One thing more, and I have done:-Will he
marry you?"
What a question! my cheeks glowed with indignation, and I felt too
proud to make any answer.
"I see, I see how it is," cried he, after a short pause, "and I
find I am undone for ever!" Then, letting loose my gown, he put his
hand to his forehead, and walked up and down the room in a hasty and
agitated manner.
Though now at liberty to go, I had not the courage to leave him:
for his evident distress excited all my compassion. And this was our
situation, when Lady Louisa, Mr Coverley, and Mrs. Beaumont entered
the room.
"Sir Clement Willoughby," said the latter, "I beg your pardon for
making you wait so long, but-"
She had not time for another word; Sir Clement, too much disordered to
know or care what he did, snatched up his hat, and, brushing hastily
past her, flew down stairs, and out of the house.
And with him went my sincerest pity, though I earnestly hope I shall
see him no more. But what, my dear Sir, am I to conclude from his
strange speeches concerning the letter? Does it not seem as if he was
himself the author of it? How else should he be so well acquainted
with the contempt it merits? Neither do I know another human being
who could serve any interest by such a deception. I remember, too,
that just as I had given my own letter to the maid, Sir Clement came
into the shop: probably he prevailed upon her, by some bribery, to
give it to him; and afterwards, by the same means, to deliver to me an
answer of his own writing. Indeed I can in no other manner account for
this affair. Oh, Sir Clement, were you not yourself unhappy, I know not
how I could pardon an artifice that has caused me so much uneasiness!
His abrupt departure occasioned a kind of general consternation.
"Very extraordinary behavior this!" cried Mrs. Beaumont.
"Egad," said Mr. Coverley, "the baronet has a mind to tip us a touch
of the heroics this morning!"
"I declare," cried Miss Louisa, "I never saw any thing so monstrous
in my life! it's quite abominable;-I fancy the man's mad;-I'm sure
he has given me a shocking fright!"
Soon after, Mrs. Selwyn came up stairs with Lord Merton. The former,
advancing hastily to me, said, "Miss Anville, have you an almanack?"
"Me?-no, Madam."
"Who has one, then?"
"Egad," cried Mr. Coverley, "I never bought one in my life; it would
make me quite melancholy to have such a time-keeper in my pocket. I
would as soon walk all day before an hour-glass."
"You are in the right," said Mrs. Selwyn, "not to watch time, lest
you should be betrayed, unawares, into reflecting how you employ it."
"Egad, Ma'am," cried he, "if Time thought no more of me than I do of
Time, I believe I should bid defiance, for one while, to old age and
wrinkles; for deuce take me, if ever I think about it at all."
"Pray, Mr. Coverley," said Mrs. Selwyn, "why do you think it necessary
to tell me this so often?"
"Often!" repeated he; "Egad, Madam, I don't know why I said it now;-but
I'm sure I can't recollect that ever I owned as much before."
"Owned it before!" cried she, "why, my dear Sir, you own it all day
long; for every word, every look, every action proclaims it."
I now not if he understood the full severity of her satire, but he
only turned off with a laugh: and she then applied to Mr. Lovel,
and asked if he had an almanack?
Mr. Lovel, who always looks alarmed when she addresses him, with
some hesitation answered, "I assure you, Ma'am, I have no manner of
antipathy to an almanack,-none in the least,-I assure you;-I dare
say I have four or five."
"Four or five!-pray, may I ask what use you make of so many?"
"Use!-really, Ma'am, as to that,-I don't make any particular use of
them; but one must have them, to tell one the day of the month:-I'm
sure, else I should never keep it in my head."
"And does your time pass so smoothly unmarked, that, without an
almanack, you could not distinguish one day from another?"
"Really, Ma'am," cried he, colouring, "I don't see anything so
very particular in having a few almanacks; other people have them,
I believe, as well as me."
"Don't be offended," cried she, "I have but made a little
digression. All I want to know is, the state of the moon;-for if it
is at the full, I shall be saved a world of conjectures, and know at
once to what cause to attribute the inconsistencies I have witnessed
this morning. In the first place, I heard Lord Orville excuse himself
from going out, because he had business of importance to transact at
home;-yet have I seen him sauntering alone in the garden this half
hour. Miss Anville, on the other hand, I invited to walk out with
me; and, after seeking her every where round the house, I find her
quietly seated in the drawing-room. And, but a few minutes since,
Sir Clement Willoughby, with even more than his usual politeness,
told me he was come to spend the morning here;-when, just now,
I met him flying down stairs, as if pursued by the Furies; and far
from repeating his compliments, or making any excuse, he did not even
answer a question I asked him, but rushed past me, with the rapidity
of a thief from a bailiff!"
"I protest," said Mrs. Beaumont, "I can't think what he meant; such
rudeness, from a man of any family, is quite incomprehensible."
"My Lord," cried Lady Louisa to Lord Merton, "do you know he did the
same by me?-I was just going to ask him what was the matter; but he
ran past me so quick, that I declare he quite dazzled my eyes. You
can't think, my Lord, how he frightened me; I dare say I look as
pale-don't I look very pale, my Lord?"
"Your Ladyship," said Mr. Lovel, "so well becomes the lilies, that
the roses might blush to see themselves so excelled."
"Pray, Mr. Lovel," said Mrs. Selwyn," if the roses should blush,
how would you find it out?"
"Egad," cried Mr. Coverley, "I suppose they must blush, as the saying
is, like a blue dog,-for they are red already."
"Prithee, Jack," said Lord Merton, "don't you pretend to talk about
blushes, that never knew what they were in your life."
"My Lord," said Mrs. Selwyn, "if experience alone can justify
mentioning them, what an admirable treatise upon the subject may we
not expect from your Lordship!"
"O, pray, Ma'am," answered he, "stick to Jack Coverley,-he's your only
man; for my part, I confess I have a mortal aversion to arguments."
"O, fie, my Lord," cried Mrs. Selwyn, "a senator of the nation! a
member of the noblest parliament in the world!-and yet neglect the
art of oratory!"
"Why, faith, my Lord," said Mr. Lovel, "I think, in general, your House
is not much addicted to study; we of the Lower House have indubitably
most application; and, if I did not speak before a superior power
(bowing to Lord Merton) I should presume to add, we have likewise
the most able speakers."
"Mr. Lovel," said Mrs. Selwyn, "you deserve immortality for that
discovery! But for this observation, and the confession of Lord
Merton, I protest that I should have supposed that a peer of the realm,
and an able logician, were synonymous terms."
Lord Merton, turning upon his heel, asked Lady Louisa if she would
take the air before dinner?
"Really," answered she, "I don't know;-I'm afraid it's monstrous
hot; besides (putting her hand to her forehead) I an't half well;
it's quite horrid to have such weak nerves!-the least thing in the
world discomposes me: I declare, that man's oddness has given me such
a shock,-I don't know when I shall recover from it. But I'm a sad,
weak creature;-don't you think I am, my Lord?"
"O, by no means," answered he, "your Ladyship is merely delicate,-and
devil take me if ever I had the least passion for an Amazon."
"I have the honour to be quite of your Lordship's opinion," said
Mr. Lovel, looking maliciously at Mrs. Selwyn; "for I have an
insuperable aversion to strength, either of body or mind, in a female."
"Faith, and so have I," said Mr. Coverley; "for egad, I'd as soon
see a woman chop wood, as hear her chop logic."
"So would every man in his senses," said Lord Merton, "for a
woman wants nothing to recommend her but beauty and good-nature; in
everything else she is either impertinent or unnatural. For my part,
deuce take me if ever I wish to hear a word of sense from a woman as
long as I live!"
"It has always been agreed," said Mrs. Selwyn, looking round her with
the utmost contempt, "that no man ought to be connected with a woman
whose understanding is superior to his own. Now I very much fear,
that to accommodate all this good company, according to such a rule,
would be utterly impracticable, unless we should choose subjects from
Swift's hospital of idiots."
How many enemies, my dear Sir, does this unbounded severity
excite! Lord Merton, however, only whistled; Mr. Coverley sang; and
Mr. Lovel, after biting his lips, said "'Pon honour, that lady-if
she was not a lady-I should be half tempted to observe,-that there
is something,-in such severity,-that is rather, I must say,-rather
oddish."
Just then a servant brought Lady Louisa a note upon a waiter, which
is a ceremony always used to her Ladyship; and I took the opportunity
of this interruption to the conversation to steal out of the room.
I went immediately to the parlour, which I found quite empty; for I
did not dare walk in the garden, after what Mrs. Selwyn had said.
In a few minutes a servant announced Mr. Macartney; saying, as he
entered the room, that he would acquaint Lord Orville he was there.
Mr. Macartney rejoiced much at finding me alone. He told me he had
taken the liberty to enquire for Lord Orville, by way of pretext for
coming to the house.