ot see you upon your terms, and you are
resolved you will not see her upon hers.

Resolves but to oblige us all, my dearest Miss Clary, and you shall see
how we will clasp you every one by turns to our rejoicing hearts. If the
one man has not the wit, and the parts, and the person, of the other, no
one breathing has a worse heart than that other: and is not the love
of all your friends, and a sober man (if he be not so polished) to be
preferred to a debauchee, though ever so fine a man to look at? You have
such talents that you will be adored by the one: but the other has as
much advantage in those respects, as you have yourself, and will not set
by them one straw: for husbands are sometimes jealous of their authority
with witty wives. You will have in one, a man of virtue. Had you not
been so rudely affronting to him, he would have made your ears tingle
with what he could have told you of the other.

Come, my dear niece, let me have the honour of doing with you what no
body else yet has been able to do. Your father, mother, and I, will
divide the pleasure, and the honour, I will again call it, between us;
and all past offences shall be forgiven; and Mr. Solmes, we will engage,
shall take nothing amiss hereafter, of what has passed.

He knows, he says, what a jewel that man will have, who can obtain your
favour; and he will think light of all he has suffered, or shall suffer,
in obtaining you.

Dear, sweet creature, oblige us: and oblige us with a grace. It must be
done, whether with a grace or not. I do assure you it must. You must not
conquer father, mother, uncles, every body: depend upon that.

I have set up half the night to write this. You do not know how I
am touched at reading yours, and writing this. Yet will I be at
Harlowe-place early in the morning. So, upon reading this, if you will
oblige us all, send me word to come up to your apartment: and I will
lead you down, and present you to the embraces of every one: and you
will then see, you have more of a brother and sister in them both, than
of late your prejudices will let you think you have. This from one who
used to love to style himself,

Your paternal uncle, JOHN HARLOWE.

*****

In about an hour after this kind letter was given me, my uncle sent up
to know, if he should be a welcome visiter, upon the terms mentioned in
his letter? He bid Betty bring him down a verbal answer: a written one,
he said, would be a bad sign: and he bid her therefo