. And what will being sick do for thee? Have patience. I don't intend to be so very bad as Dorcas shall represent me to be. But yet I know I shall retch confoundedly, and bring up some clotted.blood. To be sure, I shall break a vessel; there's no doubt of that: and a bottle of Eaton's Styptic shall be sent for; but no doctor. If she has humanity, she will be concerned. But if she has love, let it have been pushed ever so far back, it will, on this occasion, come forward, and show itself; not only in her eye, but in every line of her sweet face. Now, Belford, I shall expect that she will show some concern at the broken vessel, as it may be attended with fatal effects, especially to one so fiery in his temper as I have the reputation to be thought to be: and the rather, as I shall calmly attribute the accident to the harasses and doubts under which I have laboured for some time past. And this will be a further proof of my love, and will demand a grateful return. Well but, Lovelace, how the deuce wilt thou, with that full health and vigour of constitution, and with that bloom in thy face, make anybody believe thou art sick? How Why, take a few grains of ipecacuanha; enough to make me retch like a fury. Good-But how wilt thou manage to bring up blood, and not hurt thyself? Foolish fellow! Are there not pigeons and chickens in every poulterer's shop? Cry thy mercy. But then I will be persuaded by Mrs. Sinclair, that I have of late confined myself too much; and so will have a chair called, and be carried to the park; where I will try to walk half the length of the Mall, or so; and in my return, amuse myself at White's or the Cocoa. And what will this do? Questioning again!-I am afraid thou'rt an infidel, Belford,-why then shall I not know if my beloved offers to go out in my absence ?—And shall I not see whether she receives me with tenderness at my return? But this is not all: I have a foreboding that something affecting will happen while I am out. But of this more in its place. Meantime these plaguy women are so impertinent, so full of reproaches, that I know not how to do anything but curse them. And then, truly, they are for helping me out with some of their trite and vulgar artifices. Sally particularly, who pretends to be a mighty contriver, has just now in an insolent manner told me, on my rejecting her proffered aids, that I had no mind to conquer; and that I was so wicked as to intend to marry, though I would not own it to her. Because this little devil made her first sacrifice at my altar, she thinks she may take any liberty with me: and what makes her outrageous at times, is, that I have, for a long time, studiously as she says, slighted her too readily offered favours: but is it not very impudent in her to think that I will be any man's successor? It is not come to that neither. This, thou knowest, was always my rule -once any other man's, and I know it, and never more mine. It is for such as thou, and thy brethren, to take up with harlots. I have been always aiming at the merit of a first discoverer. We have met. All was love and unexceptionable respect on my part. Ease and complaisance on hers. She was concerned for my disorder. So sudden !-Just as we parted! But it was nothing. I should be quite well by morning. Faith, Jack, I think I am sick already. Is it possible for such a giddy fellow as me to persuade myself to be ill? I am a better mimic at this rate than I wish to be. But every nerve and fibre of me is always ready to contribute its aid, whether by health or by ailment, to carry a resolved-on roguery into execution. Dorcas has transcribed for me the whole letter of Miss Howe, dated Sunday, May 14, of which before I had only extracts. She found no other letter added to that parcel: but this, and that which I copied myself in character last Sunday while she was at church, relating to the smuggling scheme, are enough for me. Dorcas tells me, that her lady has been removing her papers from the mahogany chest into a wainscot box, which held her linen, and which she put into her dark closet. We have no key of that at present. No doubt but all her letters, previous to those I have come at, are in that box. Dorcas is uneasy upon it: yet hopes that her lady does not suspect her; for she is sure that she laid in everything as she found it. MR. LOVELACE TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ. Cocoa-tree, Saturday, May 27. HIS ipecacuanha is a most disagreeable medicine. That these cursed physical folks can find out nothing to do us good, but what would poison the devil! In the other world, were they only to take physic, it would be punishment enough of itself for a mis-spent life. A doctor at one elbow, and an apothecary at the other, and the poor soul labouring under their prescribed operations, he need no worse tormentors. It But now this was to take down my countenance. has done it for, with violent retchings, having taken enough to make me sick, and not enough water to carry it off, I presently looked as if I had kept my bed a fortnight. Ill jesting, as I thought in the midst of the exercise, with edge-tools, and worse with physical ones. Two hours it held me. I had forbid Dorcas to let her lady know anything of the matter; out of tenderness to her; being willing, when she knew my prohibition, to let her see that I expected her to be concerned for me. Well, but Dorcas was nevertheless a woman, and she can whisper to her lady the secret she is enjoined to keep! Be in a plaguy hurry running up-stairs and down, to fetch from the dining-room what you carry up on purpose to fetch, till motion extraordinary put you out of breath, and give you the sigh-natural. What's the matter, Dorcas? Nothing, madam. My beloved wonders she has not seen me this morning, no doubt; but is too shy to say she wonders. Repeated what's the matter, however, as Dorcas runs up and down stairs by her door, bring on, oh! madam, my master! my poor master? What! how! when !-And all the monosyllables of surprise. I must not tell you, madam-my master ordered me not to tell you-but he is in a worse way than he thinks for-but he would not have you frighted. High concern took possession of every sweet feature. She pitied me!—by my soul, she pitied me! Where is he? At last, O Lord! let Mrs. Lovelace know!There is danger, to be sure! whispered from one nymph to another; but at the door, and so loud, that my listening fair-one might hear. Out she darts-As how! as how, Dorcas ! O madam-a vomiting of blood! A vessel broke, to be sure! Down she hastens; finds every one as busy over my blood in the entry, as if it were that of the Neapolitan saint. In steps my charmer, with a face of sweet concern. O my best love! very well!-very well!-Nothing at all! nothing of consequence -I shall be well in an in stant!-Straining again! for I was indeed plaguy sick, though no more blood came. In short, Belford, I have gained my end. I see the dear soul loves me. I see she forgives me all that's past. I see I have credit for a new score. Miss Howe, I defy thee, my dear Mrs. Townsend !— Who the devil are you?-Troop away with your contrabands. No smuggling! nor smuggler, but myself! nor will the choicest of my fair-one's favours be long prohibited goods to me! On her requiring me to take the air, I asked, if I might have the honour of her company in a coach; and this, that I might observe if she had an intention of going out in my absence. If she thought a chair were not a more proper vehicle for my case, she would with all her heart! There's a precious! I kissed her hand again! She was all goodness! Would to heaven I better deserved it, I said!-But all were golden days before us!-Her presence and generous concern had done everything. I was well! Nothing ailed me. But since my beloved will have it so, I'll take a little airing!-Let a chair be called !-O my charmer! were I to have owed this indisposition to my late harasses, and to the uneasiness I have had for disobliging you; all is infinitely compensated by your goodness—all the art of healing is in your smiles!—Your late displeasure was the only malady! While Mrs. Sinclair, and Dorcas, and Polly, and even poor silly Mabell (for Sally went out, as my angel came in) with uplifted hands and eyes, stood thanking Heaven that I was better, in audible whispers: See the power of love, cried one! what a charming husband! anotherhappy couple, all ! O how the dear creature's cheek mantled! how her eyes sparkled!-how sweetly acceptable is praise to con |
