h
the question, I see by every glistening eye, is ready to be asked, What
then, Lovelace, art thou?'--

Lord M. A devil!--a d----d devil! I must answer. And may the curse of
God follow you in all you undertake, if you do not make her the best
amends now in your power to make her!

Lovel. From you, my Lord, I could expect no other: but from the Ladies
I hope for less violence from the ingenuousness of my confession.

The Ladies, elder and younger, had their handkerchiefs to their eyes, at
the just testimony which I bore to the merits of this exalted creature;
and which I would make no scruple to bear at the bar of a court of
justice, were I to be called to it.

Lady Betty. Well, Sir, this is a noble character. If you think as you
speak, surely you cannot refuse to do the lady all the justice now in
your power to do her.

They all joined in this demand.

I pleaded, that I was sure she would not have me: that, when she had
taken a resolution, she was not to be moved. Unpersuadableness was an
Harlowe sin: that, and her name, I told them, were all she had of theirs.

All were of opinion, that she might, in her present desolate
circumstances, be brought to forgive me. Lady Sarah said, that Lady
Betty and she would endeavour to find out the noble sufferer, as they
justly called her; and would take her into their protection, and be
guarantees of the justice that I would do her; as well after marriage as
before.

It was some pleasure to me, to observe the placability of these ladies of
my own family, had they, any or either of them, met with a LOVELACE. But
'twould be hard upon us honest fellows, Jack, if all women were
CLARISSAS.

Here I am obliged to break off.

LETTER VII

MR. LOVELACE
[IN CONTINUATION.]

It is much better, Jack, to tell your own story, when it must be known,
than to have an adversary tell it for you. Conscious of this, I gave
them a particular account how urgent I had been with her to fix upon the
Thursday after I left her (it being her uncle Harlowe's anniversary
birth-day, and named to oblige her) for the private celebration; having
some days before actually procured a license, which still remained with
her.

That, not being able to prevail upon her to promise any thing, while
under a supposed restraint! I offered to leave her at full liberty, if
she would give me the least hope for that day. But neither did this
offer avail me.

That this inflexibleness making me d