Your letter has had a very contrary effect upon me, to what you seem to
have expected from it. It has doubly convinced me of the excellency of
your mind, and of the honour of your disposition. Call it selfish, or
what you please, I must persist in my suit; and happy shall I be, if by
patience and perseverance, and a steady and unalterable devoir, I may at
last overcome the difficulty laid in my way.
As your good parents, your uncles, and other friends, are absolutely
determined you shall never have Mr. Lovelace, if they can help it; and
as I presume no other person is in the way, I will contentedly wait the
issue of this matter. And forgive me, dearest Miss, but a person should
sooner persuade me to give up to him my estate, as an instance of my
generosity, because he could not be happy without it, than I would a
much more valuable treasure, to promote the felicity of another, and
make his way easier to circumvent myself.
Pardon me, dear Miss; but I must persevere, though I am sorry you suffer
on my account, as you are pleased to think; for I never before saw the
woman I could love: and while there is any hope, and that you remain
undisposed of to some happier man, I must and will be
Your faithful and obsequious admirer, ROGER SOLMES.