LETTER XII
MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ.MONDAY AFTERNOON.
A letter received from the worthy Captain Tomlinson has introduced meinto the presence of my charmer sooner than perhaps I should otherwisehave been admitted.
Sullen her brow, at her first entrance into the dining-room. But I tookno notice of what had passed, and her anger of itself subsided.
'The Captain, after letting me know that he chose not to write till hehad promised the draught of the settlements, acquaint me, that his friendMr. John Harlowe, in their first conference (which was held as soon as hegot down) was extremely surprised, and even grieved (as he feared hewould be) to hear that we were not married. The world, he said, who knewmy character, would be very censorious, were it owned, that we had livedso long together unmarried in the same lodgings; although our marriagewere now to be ever so publicly celebrated.
'His nephew James, he was sure, would make a great handle of it againstany motion that might be made towards a reconciliation; and with thegreater success, as there was not a family in the kingdom more jealous oftheir honour than theirs.'
This is true of the Harlowes, Jack: they have been called The proudHarlowes: and I have ever found, that all young honour is superciliousand touchy.
But seest thou not how right I was in my endeavour to persuade my fair-one to allow her uncle's friend to think us married; especially as hecame prepared to believe it; and as her uncle hoped it was so?--Butnothing on earth is so perverse as a woman, when she is set upon carryinga point, and has a meek man, or one who loves his peace, to deal with.
My beloved was vexed. She pulled out her handkerchief: but was moreinclined to blame me than herself.
Had you kept your word, Mr. Lovelace, and left me when we came totown--And there she stopt; for she knew, that it was her own fault thatwe were not married before we left the country; and how could I leave herafterwards, while her brother was plotting to carry her off by violence?
Nor has this brother yet given over his machinations.
For, as the Captain proceeds, 'Mr. John Harlowe owned to him (but inconfidence) that his nephew is at this time busied in endeavouring tofind out where we are; being assured (as I am not to be heard of at anyof my relations, or at my usual lodgings) that we are together. And thatwe are not married is plain, as he will have it, from Mr. Hickman'sapplication so lately made to her uncle; and which was seconded by Mrs.Norton to her mother. And her brother cannot bear that I should enjoysuch a triumph unmolested.'
A profound sigh, and the handkerchief again lifted to the eye. But didnot the sweet soul deserve this turn upon her, for feloniously resolvingto rob me of herself, had the application made by Hickman succeeded?
I read on to the following effect:
'Why (asked Mr. Harlowe) was it said to his other inquiring friend, thatwe were married; and that by his niece's woman, who ought to know? whocould give convincing reasons, no doubt'--
Here again she wept; took a turn across the room; then returned--Read on,says she--
Will you, my dearest life, read it yourself?
I will take the letter with me, by-and-by--I cannot see to read it justnow, wiping her eyes--read on--let me hear it all--that I may know yoursentiments upon this letter, as well as give my own.
'The Captain then told uncle John the reasons that induced me to give outthat we were married; and the conditions on which my beloved was broughtto countenance it; which had kept us at the most punctilious distance.
'But still Mr. Harlowe objected my character. And went awaydissatisfied. And the Captain was also so much concerned, that he carednot to write what the result of his first conference was.
'But in the next, which was held on receipt of the draughts, at theCaptain's house, (as the former was, for the greater secrecy,) when theold gentleman had read them, and had the Captain's opinion, he was muchbetter pleased. And yet he declared, that it would not be easy topersuade any other person of his family to believe so favourably of thematter, as he was now willing to believe, were they to know that we hadlived so long together unmarried.
'And then the Captain says, his dear friend made a proposal:--It wasthis--That we should marry out of hand, but as privately as possible, asindeed he found we intended, (for he could have no objection to thedraughts)--but yet, he expected to have present one trusty friend of hisown, for his better satisfaction'--
Here I stopt, with a design to be angry--but she desiring me to read on,I obeyed.
'--But that it should pass to every one living, except to that trustyperson, to himself, and to the Captain, that we were married from thetime that we had lived together in one house; and that this time shouldbe made to agree with that of Mr. Hickman's application to him from MissHowe.'
This, my dearest life, said I, is a very considerate proposal. We havenothing to do but to caution the people below properly on this head. Idid not think your uncle Harlowe capable of hitting upon such a charmingexpedient as this. But you see how much his heart is in thereconciliation.
This was the return I met with--You have always, as a mark of yourpoliteness, let me know how meanly you think of every one in my family.
Yet thou wilt think, Belford, that I could forgive her for the reproach.
'The Captain does not know, says he, how this proposal will be relishedby us. But for his part, he thinks it an expedient that will obviatemany difficulties, and may possibly put an end to Mr. James Harlowe'sfurther designs: and on this account he has, by the uncle's advice,already declared to two several persons, by whose means it may come tothat young gentleman's, that he [Captain Tomlinson] has very great reasonto believe that we were married soon after Mr. Hickman's application wasrejected.
'And this, Mr. Lovelace, (says the Captain,) will enable you to pay acompliment to the family, that will not be unsuitable to the generosityof some of the declarations you were pleased to make to the lady beforeme, (and which Mr. John Harlowe may make some advantage of in favour of areconciliation,) in that you were entitled to make the demand.' Anexcellent contriver, surely, she must think this worthy Mr. Tomlinson tobe!
But the Captain adds, 'that if either the lady or I disapprove of hisreport of our marriage, he will retract it. Nevertheless, he must tellme, that Mr. John Harlowe is very much set upon this way of proceeding;as the only one, in his opinion, capable of being improved into a generalreconciliation. But if we do acquiesce in it, he beseeches my fair-onenot to suspend my day, that he may be authorized in what he says, as tothe truth of the main fact. [How conscientious this good man!] Nor mustit be expected, he says, that her uncle will take one step towards thewished-for reconciliation, till the solemnity is actually over.'
He adds, 'that he shall be very soon in town on other affairs; and thenproposes to attend us, and give us a more particular account of all thathas passed, or shall further pass, between Mr. Harlowe and him.'
Well, my dearest life, what say you to your uncle's expedient? Shall Iwrite to the Captain, and acquaint him, that we have no objection to it?
She was silent for a few minutes. At last, with a sigh, See, Mr.Lovelace, said she, what you have brought me to, by treading after you insuch crooked paths!--See what disgrace I have incurred!--Indeed you havenot acted like a wise man.
My beloved creature, do you not remember, how earnestly I besought thehonour of your hand before we came to town?--Had I been then favoured--
Well, well, Sir; there has been much amiss somewhere; that's all I willsay at present. And since what's past cannot be recalled, my uncle mustbe obeyed, I think.
Charmingly dutiful!--I had nothing then to do, that I might not bebehind-hand with the worthy Captain and her uncle, but to press for theday. This I fervently did. But (as I might have expected) she repeatedher former answer; to wit, That when the settlements were completed; whenthe license was actually obtained; it would be time enough to name theday: and, O Mr. Lovelace, said she, turning from me with a graceinimitably tender, her handkerchief at her eyes
, what a happiness, if mydear uncle could be prevailed upon to be personally a father, on thisoccasion, to the poor fatherless girl!
What's the matter with me!--Whence this dew-drop!--A tear!--As I hope tobe saved, it is a tear, Jack!--Very ready methinks!--Only onreciting!--But her lovely image was before me, in the very attitude shespoke the words--and indeed at the time she spoke them, these lines ofShakespeare came into my head:
Thy heart is big. Get thee apart and weep! Passion, I see, is catching:--For my eye, Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, Begin to water--
I withdrew, and wrote to the Captain to the following effect--'I desiredthat he would be so good as to acquaint his dear friend that we entirelyacquiesced with what he had proposed; and had already properly cautionedthe gentlewomen of the house, and their servants, as well as our own: andto tell him, That if he would in person give me the blessing of his dearniece's hand, it would crown the wishes of both. In this case, Iconsented, that his own day, as I presumed it would be a short one,should be ours: that by this means the secret would be with fewerpersons: that I myself, as well as he, thought the ceremony could not betoo privately performed; and this not only for the sake of the wise endhe had proposed to answer by it, but because I would not have Lord M.think himself slighted; since that nobleman, as I had told him [theCaptain] had once intended to be our nuptial-father; and actually madethe offer; but that we had declined to accept of it, and that for noother reason than to avoid a public wedding; which his beloved niecewould not come into, while she was in disgrace with her friends. Butthat if he chose not to do us this honour, I wished that CaptainTomlinson might be the trusty person whom he would have be present on thehappy occasion.'
I showed this letter to my fair-one. She was not displeased with it.So, Jack, we cannot now move too fast, as to settlements and license: theday is her uncle's day, or Captain Tomlinson's, perhaps, as shall bestsuit the occasion. Miss Howe's smuggling scheme is now surely providedagainst in all events.
But I will not by anticipation make thee a judge of all the benefits thatmay flow from this my elaborate contrivance. Why will these girls put meupon my master-strokes?
And now for a little mine which I am getting ready to spring. The firstthat I have sprung, and at the rate I go on (now a resolution, and now aremorse) perhaps the last that I shall attempt to spring.
A little mine, I call it. But it may be attended with great effects. Ishall not, however, absolutely depend upon the success of it, having muchmore effectual ones in reserve. And yet great engines are often moved bysmall springs. A little spark falling by accident into a powder-magazine,hath done more execution in a siege, than an hundred cannon.
Come the worst, the hymeneal torch, and a white sheet, must be my amendehonorable, as the French have it.