hey would give her any thing he should leave for her
the moment she returned.) But he cared not to trust them with his
business, and went away to Wilson's, (as I find by the description of him
at both places,) and there left the letter; but not till he had a second
time called here, and found her not come in.

The letter [which I shall enclose; for it is too long to transcribe] will
account to thee for Collins's coming hither.

O this devilish Miss Howe;--something must be resolved upon and done with
that little fury!

***

Thou wilt see the margin of this cursed letter crowded with indices
[>>>]. I put them to mark the places which call for vengeance upon the
vixen writer, or which require animadversion. Return thou it to me the
moment thou hast perused it.

Read it here; and avoid trembling for me, if thou canst.

TO MISS LAETITIA BEAUMONT
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7.

MY DEAREST FRIEND,

You will perhaps think that I have been too
long silent. But I had begun two letters at differ-
ent times since my last, and written a great deal
>>> each time; and with spirit enough, I assure you;
incensed as I was against the abominable wretch you
are with; particularly on reading your's of the 21st
of the past month.*

* See Vol. IV. Letter XLVI.

>>> The first I intended to keep open till I could
give you some account of my proceedings with Mrs.
Townsend. It was some days before I saw her:
and this intervenient space giving me time to re-
peruse what I had written, I thought it proper to lay
>>> that aside, and to write in a style a little less fervent;
>>> for you would have blamed me, I know, for the free-
dom of some of my expressions. [Execrations, if
you please.] And when I had gone a good way
in the second, the change in your prospects, on his
communicating to you Miss Montague's letter, and
his better behaviour, occasioning a change in your
mind, I laid that aside also. And in this uncer-
tainty, thought I would wait to see the issue of
affairs between you before I wrote again; believing
that all would soon be decided one way or other.

I had still, perhaps, held this resolution, [as every
appearance, according to your letters, was more and
more promising,] had not the two passed days fur-
nished me with intelligence which it highly imports
you to know.