For so I must still call you; since dear you may be to me, in every
sense of the word--we have taken into particular consideration some
hints that fell yesterday from your good Norton, as if we had not, at
Mr. Solmes's first application, treated you with that condescension,
wherewith we have in all other instances treated you. If it even had
been so, my dear, you were not excusable to be wanting in your part,
and to set yourself to oppose your father's will in a point which he had
entered too far, to recede with honour. But all yet may be well. On your
single will, my child, depends all our happiness.
Your father permits me to tell you, that if you now at last comply with
his expectations, all past disobligations shall be buried in oblivion,
as if they had never been: but withal, that this is the last time that
that grace will be offered you.
I hinted to you, you must remember,* that patterns of the richest silks
were sent for. They are come. And as they are come, your father, to shew
how much he is determined, will have me send them up to you. I could
have wished they might not have accompanied this letter, but there is
not great matter in that. I must tell you, that your delicacy is not
quite so much regarded as I had once thought it deserved to be.
* See Letter XX.
These are the newest, as well as richest, that we could procure;
answerable to our situation in the world; answerable to the fortune,
additional to your grandfather's estate, designed you; and to the noble
settlements agreed upon.
Your father intends you six suits (three of them dressed suits) at his
own expense. You have an entire new suit; and one besides, which I think
you never wore but twice. As the new suit is rich, if you choose to
make that one of the six, your father will present you with an hundred
guineas in lieu.
Mr. Solmes intends to present you with a set of jewels. As you have your
grandmother's and your own, if you choose to have the former new set,
and to make them serve, his present will be made in money; a very round
sum--which will be given in full property to yourself; besides a fine
annual allowance for pin-money, as it is called. So that your objection
against the spirit of a man you think worse of than it deserves, will
have no weight; but you will be more independent than a wife of less
discretion than we attribute to you, perhaps ought to be. You know full
well, that I, who first and last brought a still larger fortune into the
family than you will carry to Mr. Solmes, had not a provision made me
of near this that we have made for you.--Where people marry to their
liking, terms are the least things stood upon--yet should I be sorry if
you cannot (to oblige us all) overcome a dislike.
Wonder not, Clary, that I write to you thus plainly and freely upon
this subject. Your behaviour hitherto has been such, that we have had no
opportunity of entering minutely into the subject with you. Yet, after
all that has passed between you and me in conversation, and between you
and your uncles by letter, you have no room to doubt what is to be the
consequence.--Either, child, we must give up our authority, or you your
humour. You cannot expect the one. We have all the reason in the world
to expect the other. You know I have told you more than once, that
you must resolve to have Mr. Solmes, or never to be looked upon as our
child.
The draught of the settlement you may see whenever you will. We think
there can be no room for objection to any of the articles. There is
still more in them in our family's favour, than was stipulated at first,
when your aunt talked of them to you. More so, indeed, than we
could have asked. If, upon perusal of them, you think any alteration
necessary, it shall be made.--Do, my dear girl, send to me within this
day or two, or rather ask me, for the perusal of them.
As a certain person's appearance at church so lately, and what he gives
out every where, makes us extremely uneasy, and as that uneasiness will
continue while you are single, you must not wonder that a short day
is intended. This day fortnight we design it to be, if you have no
objection to make that I shall approve of. But if you determine as we
would have you, and signify it to us, we shall not stand with you for a
week or so.
Your sightlines of person may perhaps make some think this alliance
disparaging. But I hope you will not put such a personal value upon
yourself: if you do, it will indeed be the less wonder that person
should weigh with you (however weak the consideration!) in another man.
Thus we parents, in justice, ought to judge: that our two daughters are
equally dear and valuable to us: if so, why should Clarissa think that
a disparagement, which Arabella would not (nor we for her) have thought
any, had the address been made to her?--You will know what I mean by
this, without my explaining myself farther.
Signify to us, now, therefore, your compliance with our wishes. And then
there is an end of your confinement. An act of oblivion, as I may call
it, shall pass upon all your former refractoriness: and you will once
more make us happy in you, and in one another. You may, in this case,
directly come down to your father and me, in his study; where we will
give you our opinions of the patterns, with our hearty forgiveness and
blessings.
Come, be a good child, as you used to be, my Clarissa. I have
(notwithstanding your past behaviour, and the hopelessness which some
have expressed in your compliance) undertaken this one time more for
you. Discredit not my hopes, my dear girl. I have promised never more
to interfere between your father and you, if this my most earnest
application succeed not. I expect you down, love. Your father expects
you down. But be sure don't let him see any thing uncheerful in your
compliance. If you come, I will clasp you to my fond heart, with as much
pleasure as ever I pressed you to it in my whole life. You don't know
what I have suffered within these few weeks past; nor ever will be able
to guess, till you come to be in my situation; which is that of a fond
and indulgent mother, praying night and day, and struggling to preserve,
against the attempts of more ungovernable spirits, the peace and union
of her family.
But you know the terms. Come not near us, if you have resolve to be
undutiful: but this, after what I have written, I hope you cannot be.
If you come directly, and, as I have said, cheerfully, as if your heart
were in your duty, (and you told me it was free, you know,) I shall
then, as I said, give you the most tender proofs how much I am
Your truly affectionate Mother.
***
Think for me, my dearest friend, how I must be affected by this letter;
the contents of it is so surprisingly terrifying, yet so sweetly
urged!--O why, cried I to myself, am I obliged to undergo this
severe conflict between a command that I cannot obey, and language so
condescendingly moving!--Could I have been sure of being struck dead
at the alter before the ceremony had given the man I hate a title to my
vows, I think I could have submitted to having been led to it. But to
think of living with and living for a man one abhors, what a sad thing
is that!
And then, how could the glare of habit and ornament be supposed any
inducement to one, who has always held, that the principal view of a
good wife in the adorning of her person, ought to be, to preserve the
affection of her husband, and to do credit to his choice; and that she
should be even fearful of attracting the eyes of others?--In this view,
must not the very richness of the patterns add to my disgusts?--Great
encouragement, indeed, to think of adorning one's self to be the wife of
Mr. Solmes!
Upon the whole, it was not possible for me to go down upon the
prescribed condition. Do you think it was?--And to write, if my letter
would have been read, what could I write that would be admitted, and
after what I had written and said to so little effect?
I walked backward and forward. I threw down with disdain the patterns.
Now to my closet retired I; then quitting it, threw myself upon the
settee; then upon this chair, then upon that; then into one window, then
into another--I knew not what to do!--And while I was in this suspense,
having again taken up the letter to re-peruse it, Betty came in,
reminding me, by order, that my papa and mamma waited for me in my
father's study.
Tell my mamma, said I, that I beg the favour of seeing her here for one
moment, or to permit me to attend her any where by herself.
I listened at the stairs-head--You see, my dear, how it is, cried
my father, very angrily: all your condescension (as your indulgence
heretofore) is thrown away. You blame your son's violence, as you call
it [I had some pleasure in hearing this]; but nothing else will do with
her. You shall not see her alone. Is my presence an exception to the
bold creature?
Tell her, said my mother to Betty, she knows upon what terms she may
come down to us. Nor will I see her upon any other.
The maid brought me this answer. I had recourse to my pen and ink; but
I trembled so, that I could not write, nor knew what to say, had I
steadier fingers. At last Betty brought me these lines from my father.