vil was not to be
balked; but fell a crying, sobbing, praying, begging, exclaiming,
fainting, that I never saw my lovely girl so well aped. Indeed I was
almost taken in; for I could have fancied I had her before me once more.

O this sex! this artful sex! there's no minding them. At first, indeed,
their grief and their concern may be real: but, give way to the
hurricane, and it will soon die away in soft murmurs, thrilling upon your
ears like the notes of a well-tuned viol. And, by Sally, one sees that
art will generally so well supply the place of nature, that you shall not
easily know the difference. Miss Clarisa Harlowe, indeed, is the only
woman in the world I believe that can say, in the words of her favourite
Job, (for I can quote a text as well as she,) But it is not so with me.

They were very inquisitive about my fair-one. They told me that you
seldom came near them; that, when you did, you put on plaguy grave airs;
would hardly stay five minutes; and did nothing but praise Miss Harlowe,
and lament her hard fate. In short, that you despised them; was full of
sentences; and they doubted not, in a little while, would be a lost man,
and marry.

A pretty character for thee, is it not? thou art in a blessed way; yet
hast nothing to do but to go on in it: and then what work hast thou to go
through! If thou turnest back, these sorceresses will be like the czar's
cossacks, [at Pultowa, I think it was,] who were planted with ready
primed and cocked pieces behind the regulars, in order to shoot them
dead, if they did not push on and conquer; and then wilt thou be most
lamentably despised by every harlot thou hast made--and, O Jack, how
formidable, in that case, will be the number of thy enemies!

I intend to regulate my motions by Will.'s intelligence; for see this
dear creature I must and will. Yet I have promised Lord M. to be down in
two or three days at farthest; for he is grown plaguy fond of me since I
was ill.

I am in hopes that the word I left, that I am to go out of town to-morrow
morning, will soon bring the lady back again.

Mean time, I thought I would write to divert thee, while thou art of such
importance about the dying; and as thy servant, it seems, comes backward
and forward every day, perhaps I may send thee another letter to-morrow,
with the particulars of the interview between the dear creature and me;
after which my soul thirsteth.

LETTER XIV

MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ