uncontroulableness of the
man. He loves his own humour better than he loves you--though so fine a
creature as you are! I warned you over and over: no young lady was ever
more warned!--Miss Clarissa Harlowe to do such a thing!

You might have given your friends the meeting. If you had held your
aversion, it would have been complied with. As soon as I was intrusted
myself with their intention to give up the point, I gave you a hint--a
dark one perhaps*--but who would have thought--O Miss!--Such an artful
flight!--Such cunning preparations!

But you want to clear up things--what can you clear up? Are you not gone
off?--With a Lovelace too? What, my dear, would you clear up?

You did not design to go, you say. Why did you meet him then, chariot
and six, horsemen, all prepared by him? O my dear, how art produces
art!--Will it be believed?--If it would, what power will he be
thought to have had over you!--He--Who?--Lovelace!--The vilest of
libertines!--Over whom? A Clarissa!--Was your love for such a man above
your reason? Above your resolution? What credit would a belief of this,
if believed, bring you?--How mend the matter?--Oh! that you had stood
the next morning!

I'll tell you all that was intended if you had.

It was, indeed, imagined that you would not have been able to resist
your father's entreaties and commands. He was resolved to be all
condescension, if anew you had not provoked him. I love my Clary
Harlowe, said he, but an hour before the killing tidings were brought
him; I love her as my life: I will kneel to her, if nothing else will
do, to prevail upon her to oblige me.

Your father and mother (the reverse of what should have been!) would
have humbled themselves to you: and if you could have denied them, and
refused to sign the settlements previous to the meeting, they would have
yielded, although with regret.

But it was presumed, so naturally sweet your temper, so self-denying
as they thought you, that you could not have withstood them,
notwithstanding all your dislike of the one man, without a greater
degree of headstrong passion for the other, than you had given any of us
reason to expect from you.

If you had, the meeting on Wednesday would have been a lighter trial to
you. You would have been presented to all your assembled friends, with
a short speech only, 'That this was the young creature, till very lately
faultless, condescending, and obliging; now having cause to glory in a
triumph over th