my servants, as their stupid James was to Joseph:*
Joseph, as they supposed, by tampering with Will,** got all my secrets,
and was acquainted with all my motions: and having also undertaken to
watch all those of his young lady,***** the wise family were secure; and
so was my beloved; and so was I.

* Ibid. Letter XLVII. par. 6, and 39.
** This will be farther explained in Letter XXI. of this volume. *****
See Vol. I. Letters XXXI. and XXXIV.

I once had it in my head (and I hinted it to thee* in a former) in case
such a step should be necessary, to attempt to carry her off by surprise
from the wood-house; as it is remote from the dwelling-house. This,
had I attempted, I should have certainly effected, by the help of the
confraternity: and it would have been an action worthy of us all.--But
Joseph's conscience, as he called it, stood in my way; for he thought it
must have been known to be done by his connivance. I could, I dare say,
have overcome this scruple, as easily as I did many of the others, had
I not depended at one time upon her meeting me at midnight or late hour
[and, if she had, she never would have gone back]; at other times,
upon the cunning family's doing my work for me, equally against their
knowledge or their wills.

* See Vol. I. Letter XXXV.

For well I knew, that James and Arabella were determined never to leave
off their foolish trials and provocations, till, by tiring her out, they
had either made her Solmes's wife, or guilty of some such rashness as
should throw her for ever out of the favour of both her uncles; though
they had too much malice in their heads to intend service to me by their
persecutions of her.

LETTER XII

MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ. [IN CONTINUATION.]

I obliged the dear creature highly, I could perceive, by bringing Mrs.
Greme to attend her, and to suffer that good woman's recommendation of
lodgings to take place, on her refusal to go to The Lawn.

She must believe all my views to be honourable, when I had provided for
her no particular lodgings, leaving it to her choice, whether she would
go to M. Hall, to The Lawn, to London, or to either of the dowagers of
my family.

She was visibly pleased with my motion of putting Mrs. Greme into the
chaise with her, and riding on horseback myself.

Some people would have been apprehensive of what might pass between
her and Mrs. Greme. But as all my relations either know or believe the
justic