,
perhaps, I ought not to put, so far as they regard himself. And I hope,
Captain Tomlinson, that you, who know not Mr. Lovelace so well, as, to my
unhappiness, I do, and who have children of your own, will excuse a poor
young creature, who is deprived of all worldly protection, and who has
been insulted and endangered by the most designing man in the world, and,
perhaps, by a confederacy of his creatures.

There she stopt; and stood up, and looked at me; fear, nevertheless,
apparently mingled with her anger.--And so it ought. I was glad,
however, of this poor sign of love; no one fears whom they value not.

Women's tongues were licensed, I was going to say; but my conscience
would not let me call her a woman; nor use to her so vulgar a phrase. I
could only rave by my motions, lift up my eyes, spread my hands, rub my
face, pull my wig, and look like a fool. Indeed, I had a great mind to
run mad. Had I been alone with her, I would; and she should have taken
consequences.

The Captain interposed in my behalf; gently, however, and as a man not
quite sure that he was himself acquitted. Some of the pleas we had both
insisted on he again enforced; and, speaking low, Poor gentleman! said
he, who can but pity him? Indeed, Madam, it is easy to see, with all his
failings, the power you have over him!

Cl. I have no pleasure, Sir, in distressing any one; not even him, who
has so much distressed me. But, Sir, when I THINK, and when I see him
before me, I cannot command my temper! Indeed, indeed, Captain
Tomlinson, Mr. Lovelace has not acted by me either as a grateful or a
generous man, nor even as a prudent one!--He knows not, as I told him
yesterday, the value of the heart he has insulted!

There the angel stopt; her handkerchief at her eyes.

O Belford, Belford! that she should so greatly excel, as to make me, at
times, appear as a villain in my own eyes!

I besought her pardon. I promised that it should be the study of my
whole life to deserve it. My faults, I said, whatever they had been,
were rather faults in her apprehension than in fact. I besought her to
give way to the expedient I had hit upon--I repeated it. The Captain
enforced it, for her uncle's sake. I, once more, for the sake of the
general reconciliation; for the sake of all my family; for the sake of
preventing further mischief.

She wept. She seemed staggered in her resolution--she turned from me.
I mentioned the letter of Lord M. I beso