And thus, as Mr. Lovelace thought fit to take it, had he his answer from
my sister. It was with very great regret, as he pretended, [I doubt
the man is an hypocrite, my dear] that he acquiesced in it. 'So much
determinedness; such a noble firmness in my sister, that there was no
hope of prevailing upon her to alter sentiments she had adopted on full
consideration.' He sighed, as Bella told us, when he took his leave of
her: 'Profoundly sighed; grasped her hand, and kissed it with such an
ardour--Withdrew with such an air of solemn respect--She could almost
find it in her heart, although he had vexed her, to pity him.' A good
intentional preparative to love, this pity; since, at the time, she
little thought that he would not renew his offer.
He waited on my mother after he had taken leave of Bella, and reported
his ill success in so respectful a manner, as well with regard to my
sister, as to the whole family, and with so much concern that he was
not accepted as a relation to it, that it left upon them all (my brother
being then, as I have said, in Scotland) impressions in his favour, and
a belief that this matter would certainly be brought on again. But Mr.
Lovelace going up directly to town, where he staid a whole fortnight,
and meeting there with my uncle Antony, to whom he regretted his niece's
cruel resolution not to change her state; it was seen that there was a
total end of the affair.
My sister was not wanting to herself on this occasion. She made a
virtue of necessity; and the man was quite another man with her. 'A vain
creature! Too well knowing his advantages: yet those not what she had
conceived them to be!--Cool and warm by fits and starts; an ague-like
lover. A steady man, a man of virtue, a man of morals, was worth a
thousand of such gay flutterers. Her sister Clary might think it worth
her while perhaps to try to engage such a man: she had patience: she
was mistress of persuasion: and indeed, to do the girl justice, had
something of a person: But as for her, she would not have a man of whose
heart she could not be sure for one moment; no, not for the world: and
most sincerely glad was she that she had rejected him.'
But when Mr. Lovelace returned into the country, he thought fit to visit
my father and mother; hoping, as he told them, that, however unhappy
he had been in the rejection of the wished-for alliance, he might be
allowed to keep up an acquaintance and friendship with a family which he
should always respect. And then unhappily, as I may say, was I at home
and present.
It was immediately observed, that his attention was fixed on me. My
sister, as soon as he was gone, in a spirit of bravery, seemed desirous
to promote his address, should it be tendered.
My aunt Hervey was there; and was pleased to say, we should make the
finest couple in England--if my sister had no objection.--No, indeed!
with a haughty toss, was my sister's reply--it would be strange if she
had, after the denial she had given him upon full deliberation.
My mother declared, that her only dislike of his alliance with either
daughter, was on account of his reputed faulty morals.
My uncle Harlowe, that his daughter Clary, as he delighted to call me
from childhood, would reform him if any woman in the world could.
My uncle Antony gave his approbation in high terms: but referred, as my
aunt had done, to my sister.
She repeated her contempt of him; and declared, that, were there not
another man in England, she would not have him. She was ready, on the
contrary, she could assure them, to resign her pretensions under hand
and seal, if Miss Clary were taken with his tinsel, and if every one
else approved of his address to the girl.
My father indeed, after a long silence, being urged by my uncle Antony
to speak his mind, said, that he had a letter from his son, on his
hearing of Mr. Lovelace's visits to his daughter Arabella; which he had
not shewn to any body but my mother; that treaty being at an end when
he received it: that in this letter he expressed great dislike to an
alliance with Mr. Lovelace on the score of his immoralities: that he
knew, indeed, there was an old grudge between them; but that, being
desirous to prevent all occasions of disunion and animosity in his
family, he would suspend the declaration of his own mind till his son
arrived, and till he had heard his further objections: that he was the
more inclined to make his son this compliment, as Mr. Lovelace's general
character gave but too much ground for his son's dislike of him; adding,
that he had hear (so, he supposed, had every one,) that he was a very
extravagant man; that he had contracted debts in his travels: and
indeed, he was pleased to say, he had the air of a spendthrift.
These particulars I had partly from my aunt Hervey, and partly from my
sister; for I was called out as soon as the subject was entered upon.
When I returned, my uncle Antony asked me, how I should like Mr.
Lovelace? Every body saw, he was pleased to say, that I had made a
conquest.
I immediately answered, that I did not like him at all: he seemed to
have too good an opinion both on his person and parts, to have any
regard to his wife, let him marry whom he would.
My sister particularly was pleased with this answer, and confirmed it to
be just; with a compliment to my judgment.--For it was hers.
But the very next day Lord M. came to Harlowe-Place [I was then absent];
and in his nephew's name made a proposal in form; declaring, that it was
the ambition of all his family to be related to ours: and he hoped his
kinsman would not have such an answer on the part of the younger sister,
as he had on that of the elder.
In short, Mr. Lovelace's visits were admitted as those of a man who had
not deserved disrespect from our family; but as to his address to
me, with a reservation, as above, on my father's part, that he would
determine nothing without his son. My discretion as to the rest was
confided in: for still I had the same objections as to the man: nor
would I, when we were better acquainted, hear any thing but general talk
from him; giving him no opportunity of conversing with me in private.
He bore this with a resignation little expected from his natural temper,
which is generally reported to be quick and hasty; unused it seems
from childhood to check or controul. A case too common in considerable
families where there is an only son: and his mother never had any
other child. But, as I have heretofore told you, I could perceive,
notwithstanding this resignation, that he had so good an opinion of
himself, as not to doubt, that his person and accomplishments would
insensibly engage me: And could that be once done, he told my aunt
Hervey, he should hope, from so steady a temper, that his hold in my
affections would be durable: While my sister accounted for his patience
in another manner, which would perhaps have had more force if it had
come from a person less prejudiced: 'That the man was not fond of
marrying at all: that he might perhaps have half a score mistresses: and
that delay might be as convenient for his roving, as for my well-acted
indifference.' That was her kind expression.
Whatever was his motive for a patience so generally believed to be out
of his usual character, and where the object of his address was supposed
to be of fortune considerable enough to engage his warmest attention,
he certainly escaped many mortifications by it: for while my father
suspended his approbation till my brother's arrival, Mr. Lovelace
received from every one those civilities which were due to his birth:
and although we heard from time to time reports to his disadvantage with
regard to morals, yet could we not question him upon them without giving
him greater advantages in his own opinion than the situation he was in
with us would justify to prudence; since it was much more likely that
his address would not be allowed of, than that it would.
And thus was he admitted to converse with our family almost upon his own
terms; for while my friends saw nothing in his behaviour but what was
extremely respectful, and observed in him no violent importunity,
they seemed to have taken a great liking to his conversation: While I
considered him only as a common guest when he came; and thought myself
no more concerned in his visits, not at his entrance and departure, than
any other of the family.
But this indifference on my side was the means of procuring him one
very great advantage; since upon it was grounded that correspondence by
letters which succeeded;--and which, had it been to be begun when the
family animosity broke out, would never have been entered into on my
part. The occasion was this:
My uncle Hervey has a young gentleman intrusted to his care, whom he has
thoughts of sending abroad a year or two hence, to make the Grand Tour,
as it is called; and finding Mr. Lovelace could give a good account
of every thing necessary for a young traveller to observe upon such an
occasion, he desired him to write down a description of the courts and
countries he had visited, and what was most worthy of curiosity in them.
He consented, on condition that I would direct his subjects, as he
called it: and as every one had heard his manner of writing commended;
and thought his narratives might be agreeable amusements in winter
evenings; and that he could have no opportunity particularly to address
me directly in them, since they were to be read in full assembly before
they were given to the young gentleman, I made the less scruple to
write, and to make observations, and put questions for our further
information--Still the less perhaps as I love writing; and those who do,
are fond, you know, of occasions to use the pen: And then, having
ever one's consent, and my uncle Hervey's desire that I would write,
I thought that if I had been the only scrupulous person, it would have
shewn a particularity that a vain man might construe to his advantage;
and which my sister would not fail to animadvert upon.
You have seen some of these letters; and have been pleased with this
account of persons, places, and things; and we have both agreed, that he
was no common observer upon what he had seen.
My sister allowed that the man had a tolerable knack of writing and
describing: And my father, who had been abroad in his youth, said, that
his remarks were curious, and shewed him to be a person of reading,
judgment and taste.
Thus was a kind of correspondence begun between him and me, with general
approbation; while every one wondered at, and was pleased with, his
patient veneration of me; for so they called it. However, it was not
doubted but he would soon be more importunate, since his visits were
more frequent, and he acknowledged to my aunt Hervey a passion for me,
accompanied with an awe that he had never known before; to which he
attributed what he called his but seeming acquiescence with my father's
pleasure, and the distance I kept him at. And yet, my dear, this may be
his usual manner of behaviour to our sex; for had not my sister at first
all his reverence?
Mean time, my father, expecting his importunity, kept in readiness the
reports he had heard in his disfavour, to charge them upon him then, as
so many objections to address. And it was highly agreeable to me that he
did so: it would have been strange if it were not; since the person who
could reject Mr. Wyerley's address for the sake of his free opinions,
must have been inexcusable, had she not rejected another's for his freer
practices.
But I should own, that in the letters he sent me upon the general
subject, he more than once inclosed a particular one, declaring his
passionate regards for me, and complaining with fervour enough, of my
reserves. But of these I took not the least notice: for, as I had not
written to him at all, but upon a subject so general, I thought it was
but right to let what he wrote upon one so particular pass off as if I
had never seen it; and the rather, as I was not then at liberty (from
the approbation his letters met with) to break off the correspondence,
unless I had assigned the true reason for doing so. Besides, with all
his respectful assiduities, it was easy to observe, (if it had not been
his general character) that his temper is naturally haughty and violent;
and I had seen too much of that untractable spirit in my brother to like
it in one who hoped to be still more nearly related to me.
I had a little specimen of this temper of his upon the very occasion I
have mentioned: For after he had sent me a third particular letter with
the general one, he asked me the next time he came to Harlowe-Place,
if I had not received such a one from him?--I told him I should never
answer one so sent; and that I had waited for such an occasion as he had
now given me, to tell him so: I desired him therefore not to write again
on the subject; assuring him, that if he did, I would return both, and
never write another line to him.
You can't imagine how saucily the man looked; as if, in short, he was
disappointed that he had not made a more sensible impression upon me:
nor, when he recollected himself (as he did immediately), what a visible
struggle it cost him to change his haughty airs for more placid ones.
But I took no notice of either; for I thought it best to convince him,
by the coolness and indifference with which I repulsed his forward hopes
(at the same time intending to avoid the affectation of pride or
vanity) that he was not considerable enough in my eyes to make me take
over-ready offence at what he said, or at his haughty looks: in other
words, that I had not value enough for him to treat him with peculiarity
either by smiles or frowns. Indeed he had cunning enough to give me,
undesignedly, a piece of instruction which taught me this caution; for
he had said in conversation once, 'That if a man could not make a woman
in courtship own herself pleased with him, it was as much and oftentimes
more to his purpose to make her angry with him.'
I must break off here, but will continue the subject the very first
opportunity. Mean time, I am
Your most affectionate friend and servant, CL. HARLOWE.