LETTER XVI
MR. BELFORD, TO ROBERT LOVELACE, ESQ.MONDAY, JULY 17.
About six this morning, I went to Rowland's. Mrs. Sinclair was to followme, in order to dismiss the action; but not to come in sight.
Rowland, upon inquiry, told me, that the lady was extremely ill; and thatshe had desired, that no one but his wife or maid should come near her.
I said, I must see her. I had told him my business over-night, and Imust see her.
His wife went up: but returned presently, saying, she could not get herto speak to her; yet that her eyelids moved; though she either would not,or could not, open them, to look up at her.
Oons, woman, said I, the lady may be in a fit: the lady may be dying--letme go up. Show me the way.
A horrid hole of a house, in an alley they call a court; stairswretchedly narrow, even to the first-floor rooms: and into a den they ledme, with broken walls, which had been papered, as I saw by a multitude oftacks, and some torn bits held on by the rusty heads.
The floor indeed was clean, but the ceiling was smoked with variety offigures, and initials of names, that had been the woeful employment ofwretches who had no other way to amuse themselves.
A bed at one corner, with coarse curtains tacked up at the feet to theceiling; because the curtain-rings were broken off; but a coverlid uponit with a cleanish look, though plaguily in tatters, and the corners tiedup in tassels, that the rents in it might go no farther.
The windows dark and double-barred, the tops boarded up to save mending;and only a little four-paned eyelet-hole of a casement to let in air;more, however, coming in at broken panes than could come in at that.
Four old Turkey-worked chairs, bursten-bottomed, the stuffing staringout.
An old, tottering, worm-eaten table, that had more nails bestowed inmending it to make it stand, than the table cost fifty years ago, whennew.
On the mantle-piece was an iron shove-up candlestick, with a lightedcandle in it, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, four of them, I suppose, for apenny.
Near that, on the same shelf, was an old looking-glass, cracked throughthe middle, breaking out into a thousand points; the crack given it,perhaps, in a rage, by some poor creature, to whom it gave therepresentation of his heart's woes in his face.
The chimney had two half-tiles in it on one side, and one whole one onthe other; which showed it had been in better plight; but now the verymortar had followed the rest of the tiles in every other place, and leftthe bricks bare.
An old half-barred stove grate was in the chimney; and in that a largestone-bottle without a neck, filled with baleful yew, as an evergreen,withered southern-wood, dead sweet-briar, and sprigs of rue in flower.
To finish the shocking description, in a dark nook stood an oldbroken-bottomed cane couch, without a squab, or coverlid, sunk at onecorner, and unmortised by the failing of one of its worm-eater legs,which lay in two pieces under the wretched piece of furniture it couldno longer support.
And this, thou horrid Lovelace, was the bed-chamber of the divineClarissa!!!
I had leisure to cast my eye on these things: for, going up softly, thepoor lady turned not about at our entrance; nor, till I spoke, moved herhead.
She was kneeling in a corner of the room, near the dismal window, againstthe table, on an old bolster (as it seemed to be) of the cane couch,half-covered with her handkerchief; her back to the door; which was onlyshut to, [no need of fastenings;] her arms crossed upon the table, thefore-finger of her right-hand in her Bible. She had perhaps been readingin it, and could read no longer. Paper, pens, ink, lay by her book onthe table. Her dress was white damask, exceeding neat; but her staysseemed not tight-laced. I was told afterwards, that her laces had beencut, when she fainted away at her entrance into this cursed place; andshe had not been solicitous enough about her dress to send for others.Her head-dress was a little discomposed; her charming hair, in naturalringlets, as you have heretofore described it, but a little tangled, asif not lately combed, irregularly shading one side of the loveliest neckin the world; as her disordered rumpled handkerchief did the other. Herface [O how altered from what I had seen it! yet lovely in spite of allher griefs and sufferings!] was reclined, when we entered, upon hercrossed arms; but so, as not more than one side of it could be hid.
When I surveyed the room around, and the kneeling lady, sunk with majestytoo in her white flowing robes, (for she had not on a hoop,) spreadingthe dark, though not dirty, floor, and illuminating that horrid corner;her linen beyond imagination white, considering that she had not beenundressed every since she had been here; I thought my concern would havechoked me. Something rose in my throat, I know not what, which made me,for a moment, guggle, as it were, for speech: which, at last, forcing itsway, con--con--confound you both, said I, to the man and woman, is thisan apartment for such a lady? and could the cursed devils of her own sex,who visited this suffering angel, see her, and leave her, in so d----d anook?
Sir, we would have had the lady to accept of our own bed-chamber: but sherefused it. We are poor people--and we expect nobody will stay with uslonger than they can help it.
You are people chosen purposely, I doubt not, by the d----d woman who hasemployed you: and if your usage of this lady has been but half as bad asyour house, you had better never to have seen the light.
Up then raised the charming sufferer her lovely face; but with such asignificance of woe overspreading it, that I could not, for the soul ofme, help being visibly affected.
She waved her hand two or three times towards the door, as if commandingme to withdraw; and displeased at my intrusion; but did not speak.
Permit me, Madam--I will not approach one step farther without your leave--permit me, for one moment, the favour of your ear!
No--no--go, go, MAN! with an emphasis--and would have said more; but, asif struggling in vain for words, she seemed to give up speech for lost,and dropped her head down once more, with a deep sigh, upon her left arm;her right, as if she had not the use of it (numbed, I suppose)self-moved, dropping on her side.
O that thou hadst been there! and in my place!--But by what I then felt,in myself, I am convinced, that a capacity of being moved by thedistresses of our fellow creatures, is far from being disgraceful to amanly heart. With what pleasure, at that moment, could I have given upmy own life, could I but first have avenged this charming creature, andcut the throat of her destroyer, as she emphatically calls thee, thoughthe friend that I best love: and yet, at the same time, my heart and myeyes gave way to a softness of which (though not so hardened a wretch asthou) they were never before so susceptible.
I dare not approach you, dearest lady, without your leave: but on myknees I beseech you to permit me to release you from this d----d house,and out of the power of the cursed woman, who was the occasion of yourbeing here!
She lifted up her sweet face once more, and beheld me on my knees. Neverknew I before what it was to pray so heartily.
Are you not--are you not Mr. Belford, Sir? I think your name is Belford?
It is, Madam, and I ever was a worshipper of your virtues, and anadvocate for you; and I come to release you from the hands you are in.
And in whose to place me?--O leave me, leave me! let me never rise fromthis spot! let me never, never more believe in man!
This moment, dearest lady, this very moment, if you please, you maydepart whithersoever you think fit. You are absolutely free, and yourown mistress.
I had now as lieve die here in this place, as any where. I will owe noobligation to any friend of him in whose company you have seen me. So,pray, Sir, withdraw.
Then turning to the officer, Mr. Rowland I think your name is? I ambetter reconciled to your house than I was at first. If you can butengage that I shall have nobody come near me but your wife, (no man!)and neither of those women who have sported with my calamities, I willdie with you, and in this very corner. And you shall be well satisfiedfor the trouble you have had with me--I have value enough for that--for,see, I have a diamo
nd ring; taking it out of her bosom; and I havefriends will redeem it at a high price, when I am gone.
But for you, Sir, looking at me, I beg you to withdraw. If you mean wellby me, God, I hope, will reward you for your good meaning; but to thefriend of my destroyer will I not owe an obligation.
You will owe no obligation to me, nor to any body. You have beendetained for a debt you do not owe. The action is dismissed; and youwill only be so good as to give me your hand into the coach, which standsas near to this house as it could draw up. And I will either leave youat the coach-door, or attend you whithersoever you please, till I see yousafe where you would wish to be.
Will you then, Sir, compel me to be beholden to you?
You will inexpressibly oblige me, Madam, to command me to do you eitherservice or pleasure.
Why then, Sir, [looking at me]--but why do you mock me in that humbleposture! Rise, Sir! I cannot speak to you else.
I rose.
Only, Sir, take this ring. I have a sister, who will be glad to have it,at the price it shall be valued at, for the former owner's sake!--Out ofthe money she gives, let this man be paid! handsomely paid: and I have afew valuables more at my lodging, (Dorcas, or the MAN William, can tellwhere that is;) let them, and my clothes at the wicked woman's, where youhave seen me, be sold for the payment of my lodging first, and next ofyour friend's debts, that I have been arrested for, as far as they willgo; only reserving enough to put me into the ground, any where, or anyhow, no matter----Tell your friend, I wish it may be enough to satisfythe whole demand; but if it be not, he must make it up himself; or, if hethink fit to draw for it on Miss Howe, she will repay it, and withinterest, if he insist upon it.----And this, Sir, if you promise toperform, you will do me, as you offer, both pleasure and service: and sayyou will, and take the ring and withdraw. If I want to say any thingmore to you (you seem to be an humane man) I will let you know----and so,Sir, God bless you!
I approached her, and was going to speak----
Don't speak, Sir: here's the ring.
I stood off.
And won't you take it? won't you do this last office for me?--I have noother person to ask it of; else, believe me, I would not request it ofyou. But take it, or not, laying it upon the table----you must withdraw,Sir: I am very ill. I would fain get a little rest, if I could. I findI am going to be bad again.
And offering to rise, she sunk down through excess of weakness and grief,in a fainting fit.
Why, Lovelace, was thou not present thyself?----Why dost thou commit suchvillanies, as even thou art afraid to appear in; and yet puttest a weakerheart and head upon encountering with them?
The maid coming in just then, the woman and she lifted her up on adecrepit couch; and I withdrew with this Rowland; who wept like a child,and said, he never in his life was so moved.
Yet so hardened a wretch art thou, that I question whether thou wilt sheda tear at my relation.
They recovered her by hartshorn and water. I went down mean while; forthe detestable woman had been below some time. O how I did curse her! Inever before was so fluent in curses.
She tried to wheedle me; but I renounced her; and, after she haddismissed the action, sent her away crying, or pretending to cry, becauseof my behaviour to her.
You will observe, that I did not mention one word to the lady about you.I was afraid to do it. For 'twas plain, that she could not bear yourname: your friend, and the company you have seen me in, were the wordsnearest to naming you she could speak: and yet I wanted to clear yourintention of this brutal, this sordid-looking villany.
I sent up again, by Rowland's wife, when I heard that the lady wasrecovered, beseeching her to quit that devilish place; and the womanassured her that she was at liberty to do so, for that the action wasdismissed.
But she cared not to answer her: and was so weak and low, that it wasalmost as much out of her power as inclination, the woman told me, tospeak.
I would have hastened away for my friend Doctor H., but the house is sucha den, and the room she was in such a hole, that I was ashamed to be seenin it by a man of his reputation, especially with a woman of such anappearance, and in such uncommon distress; and I found there was noprevailing upon her to quit it for the people's bed-room, which was neatand lightsome.
The strong room she was in, the wretches told me, should have been inbetter order, but that it was but the very morning that she was broughtin that an unhappy man had quitted it; for a more eligible prison, nodoubt; since there could hardly be a worse.
Being told that she desired not to be disturbed, and seemed inclined todoze, I took this opportunity to go to her lodgings in Covent-garden: towhich Dorcas (who first discovered her there, as Will. was the setterfrom church) had before given me a direction.
The man's name is Smith, a dealer in gloves, snuff, and such pettymerchandize: his wife the shopkeeper: he a maker of the gloves they sell.Honest people, it seems.
I thought to have got the woman with me to the lady; but she was notwithin.
I talked with the man, and told him what had befallen the lady; owing, asI said, to a mistake of orders; and gave her the character she deserved;and desired him to send his wife, the moment she came in, to the lady;directing him whither; not doubting that her attendance would be verywelcome to her; which he promised.
He told me that a letter was left for her there on Saturday; and, abouthalf an hour before I came, another, superscribed by the same hand; thefirst, by the post; the other, by a countryman; who having been informedof her absence, and of all the circumstances they could tell him of it,posted away, full of concern, saying, that the lady he was sent fromwould be ready to break her heart at the tidings.
I thought it right to take the two letters back with me; and, dismissingmy coach, took a chair, as a more proper vehicle for the lady, if I (thefriend of her destroyer) could prevail upon her to leave Rowland's.
And here, being obliged to give way to an indispensable avocation, I willmake thee taste a little, in thy turn, of the plague of suspense; andbreak off, without giving thee the least hint of the issue of my furtherproceedings. I know, that those least bear disappointment, who love mostto give it. In twenty instances, hast thou afforded me proof of thetruth of this observation. And I matter not thy raving.
Another letter, however, shall be ready, send for it a soon as thou wilt.But, were it not, have I not written enough to convince thee, that I am
Thy ready and obliging friend,J. BELFORD.