LETTER IX
MISS HOWE, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWETHURSDAY NIGHT, JULY 13.
Collins sets not out to-morrow. Some domestic occasion hinders him.Rogers is but now returned from you, and cannot be well spared. Mr.Hickman is gone upon an affair of my mother's, and has taken both hisservants with him, to do credit to his employer: so I am forced toventure this by post, directed by your assumed name.
I am to acquaint you, that I have been favoured with a visit from MissMontague and her sister, in Lord M.'s chariot-and-six. My Lord'sgentleman rode here yesterday, with a request that I would receive avisit from the two young ladies, on a very particular occasion; thegreater favour if it might be the next day.
As I had so little personal knowledge of either, I doubted not but itmust be in relation to the interests of my dear friend; and so consultingwith my mother, I sent them an invitation to favour me (because of thedistance) with their company at dinner; which they kindly accepted.
I hope, my dear, since things have been so very bad, that their errand tome will be as agreeable to you, as any thing that can now happen. Theycame in the name of Lord M. and Lady Sarah and Lady Betty his twosisters, to desire my interest to engage you to put yourself into theprotection of Lady Betty; who will not part with you till she sees allthe justice done you that now can be done.
Lady Sarah had not stirred out for a twelve-month before; never since shelost her agreeable daughter whom you and I saw at Mrs. Benson's: but wasinduced to take this journey by Lady Betty, purely to procure youreparation, if possible. And their joint strength, united with LordM.'s, has so far succeeded, that the wretch has bound himself to them,and to these young ladies, in the solemnest manner, to wed you in theirpresence, if they can prevail upon you to give him your hand.
This consolation you may take to yourself, that all this honourablefamily have a due (that is, the highest) sense of your merit, and greatlyadmire you. The horrid creature has not spared himself in doing justiceto your virtue; and the young ladies gave us such an account of hisconfessions, and self-condemnation, that my mother was quite charmed withyou; and we all four shed tears of joy, that there is one of our sex [I,that that one is my dearest friend,] who has done so much honour to it,as to deserve the exalted praises given you by a wretch soself-conceited; though pity for the excellent creature mixed with ourjoy.
He promises by them to make the best of husbands; and my Lord, and LadySarah, and Lady Betty, are all three to be guarantees that he will be so.Noble settlements, noble presents, they talked of: they say, they leftLord M. and his two sisters talking of nothing else but of those presentsand settlements, how most to do you honour, the greater in proportion forthe indignities you have suffered; and of changing of names by act ofparliament, preparative to the interest they will all join to make to getthe titles to go where the bulk of the estate must go, at my Lord'sdeath, which they apprehend to be nearer than they wish. Nor doubt theyof a thorough reformation in his morals, from your example and influenceover him.
I made a great many objections for you--all, I believe, that you couldhave made yourself, had you been present. But I have no doubt to adviseyou, my dear, (and so does my mother,) instantly to put yourself intoLady Betty's protection, with a resolution to take the wretch for yourhusband. All his future grandeur [he wants not pride] depends upon hissincerity to you; and the young ladies vouch for the depth of his concernfor the wrongs he has done you.
All his apprehension is, in your readiness to communicate to every one,as he fears, the evils you have suffered; which he thinks will expose youboth. But had you not revealed them to Lady Betty, you had not had sowarm a friend; since it is owing to two letters you wrote to her, thatall this good, as I hope it will prove, was brought about. But I adviseyou to be more sparing in exposing what is past, whether you havethoughts of accepting him or not: for what, my dear, can that avail now,but to give a handle to vile wretches to triumph over your friends; sinceevery one will not know how much to your honour your very sufferings havebeen?
Your melancholy letter brought by Rogers,* with his account of yourindifferent health, confirmed to him by the woman of the house, as wellas by your looks and by your faintness while you talked with him, wouldhave given me inexpressible affliction, had I not bee cheered by thisagreeable visit from the young ladies. I hope you will be equally so onmy imparting the subject of it to you.
* See Letter II. of this volume.
Indeed, my dear, you must not hesitate. You must oblige them. Thealliance is splendid and honourable. Very few will know any thing of hisbrutal baseness to you. All must end, in a little while, in a generalreconciliation; and you will be able to resume your course of doing thegood to every deserving object, which procured you blessings wherever youset your foot.
I am concerned to find, that your father's inhuman curse affects you somuch as it does. Yet you are a noble creature to put it, as you put it--I hope you are indeed more solicitous to get it revoked for their sakesthan for your own. It is for them to be penitent, who hurried you intoevils you could not well avoid. You are apt to judge by the unhappyevent, rather than upon the true merits of your case. Upon my honour, Ithink you faultless almost in every step you have taken. What has notthat vilely-insolent and ambitious, yet stupid, brother of your's toanswer for?--that spiteful thing your sister too!
But come, since what is past cannot be helped, let us look forward. Youhave now happy prospects opening to you: a family, already noble,prepared to receive you with open arms and joyful heart; and who, bytheir love to you, will teach another family (who know not what anexcellence they have confederated to persecute) how to value you. Yourprudence, your piety, will crown all. You will reclaim a wretch that,for an hundred sakes more than for his own, one would wish to bereclaimed.
Like a traveller, who has been put out of his way, by the overflowing ofsome rapid stream, you have only had the fore-right path you were inoverwhelmed. A few miles about, a day or two only lost, as I may say,and you are in a way to recover it; and, by quickening your speed, willget up the lost time. The hurry upon your spirits, mean time, will beall your inconvenience; for it was not your fault you were stopped inyour progress.
Think of this, my dear; and improve upon the allegory, as you know how.If you can, without impeding your progress, be the means of assuaging theinundation, of bounding the waters within their natural channel, andthereby of recovering the overwhelmed path for the sake of futurepassengers who travel the same way, what a merit will your's be!
I shall impatiently expect your next letter. The young ladies proposedthat you should put yourself, if in town, or near it, into the Readingstage-coach, which inns somewhere in Fleet-street: and, if you givenotice of the day, you will be met on the road, and that pretty early inyour journey, by some of both sexes; one of whom you won't be sorry tosee.
Mr. Hickman shall attend you at Slough; and Lady Betty herself, and oneof the Miss Montagues, with proper equipages, will be at Reading toreceive you; and carry you directly to the seat of the former: for I haveexpressly stipulated, that the wretch himself shall not come into yourpresence till your nuptials are to be solemnized, unless you give leave.
Adieu, my dearest friend. Be happy: and hundreds will then be happy ofconsequence. Inexpressibly so, I am sure, will then be
Your ever affectionateANNA HOWE.