Indeed, ladies, said I, [with will leave you to your own fate, as assurance enough, thou'lt say] you call it; and may that be this violence is not natural to my happy! Only, that I may not beloved's temper — misapprehen- appear to be a spoiler, a robber indeed, let me know whither I shall send your apparel, and every thing that belongs to you, and I will send it.

sion.

Misapprehension, wretch!

And want I excuses from thee!
By what a scorn was every love-
ly feature agitated!

Send it to this place; and assure me, that you will never molest me more; never more come near me; and that is all I ask of you.

Then turning her face from me, I have no patience, O thou guileful betrayer, to look upon thee. Begone! begone! With a face so unblushing, how darest thou ap-a dejected air. But did I ever I will do so, madam, said I, with pear in my presence? I thought then, that the cha-think I should be so indifferent to racter of a husband obliged me to you? However, you must permit me to insist on your reading this You may one day, madam, re- Tomlinson, and hearing what he letter; and on your seeing Capt. pent this treatment: by my soul you may. You know I have has to say from your uncle. will be here by-and-by. not deserved it of you-you know I have not.

be angry.

She lifted up her hands: indignation kept her silent.

He

Don't trifle with me, said she, in an imperious tone do as you offer. I will not receive any letter from your hands. If I see Captain Tomlinson, it shall be on his own You tell account; not on yours. me you will send me my apparel: if you would have me believe any thing you say, let this be the test of your sincerity and send my things.

leave me now,

But all is of a piece with the charge you bring against me of The women stared. They did despoiling you of all succour and nothing but stare: and appeared help, of making you poor and to be more and more at a loss what low, and with other unprecedented to make of the matter between us. language. I will only say, before I pretended to be going from these two gentlewomen, that since her in a pet; but when I had got it must be so, and since your to the door, I turned back; and as former esteem for me is turned if I had recollected myself, One into so rivetted an aversion, I will word more, my dearest creature! soon, very soon, make you en- Charming even in your anger! tirely easy. I will be gone; O my fond soul! said I, turning

I

half-round, and pulling out my the Captain; but she held back handkerchief. her still open palm, that she might I believe, Jack, my eyes did not receive them]. Reflect, maglisten a little. I have no doubt dam, I beseech you, reflect, upon but they did. The women pitied the fatal consequences with which me. Honest souls! they shewed this your high resentment may be that they had each of them a hand- attended.

kerchief as well as I. So, hast Ever since I knew you, said she, thou not observed (to give a I have been in a wilderness of familiar illustration) every man in doubt and error. I bless God that a company of a dozen, or more, I am out of your hands. I will obligingly pull out his watch, transact for myself what relates to when some one has asked what's myself. I dismiss all your solicio'clock? As each man of a like tude for me. Am I not my own number, if one talks of his beard, mistress! Have you any title will fall to stroking his chin with his four fingers and thumb.

brother's active malice.

The women stared [the devil stare ye, thought I. Can ye do nothing but stare?] It was high time to stop her here.

One word only, madam, repeated I (as soon as my voice had recovered its tone): I have repre- I raised my voice to drown hers sented to Captain Tomlinson in the - You used my dearest creature, most favourable light the cause of to have a tender and apprehensive our present misunderstanding. heart you never had so much You know what your uncle insists reason for such a one as now. upon; and with which you have Let me judge for myself, upon acquiesced. The letter in my what I shall see, not upon what I hand [and again I offered it to her]| shall hear do you think I shall will acquaint you with what you ever have to apprehend from your I dreaded her going on -I must be heard, madam, raising my voice She was going to speak in a still higher. You must let me read high accent, putting the letter one paragraph or two of this letter from her with an open palm to you, if you will not read it Nay, hear me out, madam- the yourselfCaptain, you know, has reported Begone from me, man! - Beour marriage to two different per- gone from me with thy letters! sons. It is come to your brother's What pretence hast thou for torears. My own relations have also menting me thus what rightheard of it. Letters were brought what title me from town this morning, from Dearest creature, what quesLady Betty Lawrence and Miss tions you ask! questions that you Montague. Here they are [I pull- can as well answer yourself

ed them out of my pocket, and I can, I will- and thus I answer offered them to her, with that of them

Still louder raised I my voice. wretch" were the words she She was overborne. Sweet soul! did utter. I again raised my voice it would be hard, thought I, [and and drowned hers- Base wretch, yet I was very angry with her] if madam? You know that I have such a spirit as thine cannot be not deserved the violent names brought to yield to such a one as you have called me. Words so opprobrious! from a mind so gen

mine!

I lowered my voice on her si- tle! But this treatment is from lence. All gentle, all intreative, my you, madam! from you, whom accent: my head bowed; one hand I love more than my own soul! held out; the other on my honest by that soul I swear that I do heart: For Heaven's sake, my [the women looked upon each dearest creature, resolve to see other. They seemed pleased with Captain Tomlinson with temper. my ardour. Women, whether He would have come along with wives, maids, or widows, love me: but I was willing to try to ardours. Even Miss Howe, thou soften your mind first on this fatal knowest, speaks up for ardours*]. misapprehension; and this for the Nevertheless, I must say, that you sake of your own wishes: for what have carried matters too far for is it otherwise to me whether your the occasion. I see you hate friends are or are not reconciled to me

us? Do I wont any favour of them? She was just going to speak

For your own mind's sake there- If we are to separate for ever, in a fore, frustrate not Captain Tom- strong and solemn voice, prolinson's negociation. That worthy ceeded I, this island shall not gentleman will be here in the after-long be troubled with me. Meannoon Lady Betty will be in time, only be pleased to give these town with my cousin Montague, in letters a perusal, and consider a day or two. They will be your what is to be said to your uncle's visitors. I beseech you do not friend, and what he is to say to carry this misunderstanding so far, your uncleany thing will I as that Lord M. and Lady Betty come into (renounce me if you and Lady Sarah, may know it. will) that shall make for your [How considerable this made me look peace, and for the reconciliation to the women] Lady Betty will not your heart was so lately set upon. let you rest till you consent to But I humbly conceive, that it is accompany her to her own seat necessary, that you should come and to that lady you may safely into better temper with me, were entrust your cause. it but to give a favourable apAgain, upon my pausing a mo- pearance to what has passed, and ment, she was going to break out. weight to any future application I liked not the turn of her coun- to your friends, in whatever tenance, nor the tone of her voice"And thinkest thou, base

*See Vol.II. p. 279, 301.

make it.

way you shall think proper to I would give Mrs. Moore and her a brief history of an affair, which, I then put the letters into her as she said, bore the face of nolap, and retired into the next velty, mystery, and surprise: for apartment with a low bow, and a sometimes it looked to her as if very solemn air.

I was soon followed by the two women. Mrs. Moore withdrew to give the fair perverse time to read them: Miss Rawlins for the same reason; and because she was sent for home.

we were married; at other times, that point appeared doubtful; and yet the lady did not absolutely deny it; but, upon the whole, thought herself highly injured.

I said, that ours was a very particular case: that were I to acThe widow besought her speedy quaint them with it, some part of return. I joined in the same re- it would hardly appear credible. quest; and she was ready enough But, however, as they seemed to to promise to oblige us. be persons of discretion, I would

Í excused myself to Mrs. Moore give them a brief account of the for the disguise I had appeared in whole; and this in so plain and at first, and for the story I had sincere a manner, that it should invented. I told her that I held clear up to their satisfaction every myself obliged to satisfy her for thing that had passed, or might the whole floor we were upon; hereafter pass between us. and for an upper room for my. They sat down by me, and threw servant; and that for a month every feature of their faces into attention. I was resolved to go as

certain.

She made many scruples, and near the truth as possible, lest begged she might not be urged on any thing should drop from my this head, till she had consulted Clarissa to impeach my veracity; Miss Rawlins. and yet keep in view what passed

I consented; but told her, that at the Flask. she had taken my earnest, and I It is necessary, although thou hoped there was no room for knowest my whole story, and a dispute. good deal of my views, that thou shouldst be apprized of the substance of what I told them.

Just then Miss Rawlins returned with an air of eager curiosity; and having been told what had passed "I gave them, in as concise a between Mrs. Moore and me, she manner as I was able, the history gave herself airs of office imme- of our families, fortunes, alliances, diately: which I humoured, plainly antipathies; her brother's and perceiving, that if I had her with mine particularly. I averred the me, I had the other. truth of our private marriage." She wished, if there was time The Captain's letter, which I will for it, and if it were not quite im- enclose, will give thee my reasons pertinent in her to desire it, that for that. And besides, the women

might have proposed a parson to do.

Once had better prospectsme by way of compromise. "I as you, Mrs. Moore, may have had: told them the conditions my wife the relict of Colonel Sinclair; you, had made me swear to; and to Mrs. Moore, might know Colonel which she held me, in order, I Sinclair he had lodgings at said, to induce me the sooner to Hampstead." be reconciled to her relations."

She had heard of the name. "I owned, that this restraint "O, he was related to the best made me sometimes ready to fly families in Scotland: and his out.' And Mrs. Moore was so widow is not to be reflected upon, good as to declare, that she did because she lets lodgings, you not much wonder at it. know, Mrs. Moore you know, you know, Miss Rawlins."

Thou art a very good sort of a woman, Mrs. Moore, thought I.

Very true, and very true: and they must needs say, it did not look quite so pretty in such a lady to be so censorious.

As Miss Howe has actually detected our mother; and might possibly find some way still to acquaint her friend with her dis- A foundation here, thought I, coveries; I thought it proper to to procure these women's help to prepossess them in favour of Mrs. get back the fugitive, or their Sinclair and her two nieces. connivance at least at my doing

I said, "they were gentlewo-so; as well as for anticipating men born; that they had not bad any future information from Miss hearts; that indeed Mrs. Love-Howe.

lace did not love them; they hav- I gave them the character of ing once jointly taken the liberty that virago: and intimated, "that to blame her for her over-niceness for a head to contrive mischief, with regard to me. People, I said, and a heart to execute it, she had even good people who knew them- hardly her equal in her sex." selves to be guilty of a fault they To this Miss Howe it was, Mrs. had no inclination to mend, were Moore said, she supposed, that too often least patient, when told the lady was so desirous to disof it; as they could less bear than patch a man and horse, by dayothers, to be thought indifferently dawn, with a letter she wrote beof." fore she went to bed last night: Too often the case, they owned. proposing to stay no longer than "Mrs. Sinclair's house was a till she had received an answer very handsome house, and fit to to it.

receive the first quality [true] The very same, said I. I knew enough, Jack!]. Mrs. Sinclair she would have immediate rewas a woman very easy in her cir- course to her. I should have been cumstances: a widow-gentlewo- but too happy, could I have preman- as you, Mrs. Moore, are. vented such a letter from passing, Let lodgings-as you, Mrs. Moore or so to have managed, as to have