Miss Howe has been very free with my character. I have never done her any harm. I take it very ill of her. And I hope, Sir, you come in her name to make excuses for it.
Miss Howe, Sir, is a very polite young lady. She is not accustomed to treat any man"s character unbecomingly.
Then I have the more reason to take it amiss, Mr. Hickman.
Why, Sir, you know the friendship--
No friendship should warrant such freedoms as Miss Howe has taken with my character.
(I believed he began to wish he had not come near me. He seemed quite disconcerted.)
Have you not heard Miss Howe treat my name with great--
Sir, I come not to offend or affront you: but you know what a love there is between Miss Howe and Miss Harlowe.--I doubt, Sir, you have not treated Miss Harlowe as so fine a young lady deserved to be treated. And if love for her friend has made Miss Howe take freedoms, as you call them, a mind not ungenerous, on such an occasion, will rather be sorry for having given the cause, than--
I know your consequence, Sir!--but I"d rather have this reproof from a lady than from a gentleman. I have a great desire to wait upon Miss Howe. I am persuaded we should soon come to a good understanding.
Generous minds are always of kin. I know we should agree in every thing.
Pray, Mr. Hickman, be so kind as to introduce me to Miss Howe.
Sir--I can signify your desire, if you please, to Miss Howe.
Do so. Be pleased to read on, Mr. Hickman.
He did very formally, as if I remembered not what I had written; and when he came to the pa.s.sage about the halter, the parson, and the hangman, reading it, Why, Sir, says he, does not this look like a jest?--Miss Howe thinks it does. It is not in the lady"s power, you know, Sir, to doom you to the gallows.
Then, if it were, Mr. Hickman, you think she would?
You say here to Miss Howe, proceeded he, that Miss Harlowe is the most injured of her s.e.x. I know, from Miss Howe, that she highly resents the injuries you own: insomuch that Miss Howe doubts that she shall never prevail upon her to overlook them: and as your family are all desirous you should repair her wrongs, and likewise desire Miss Howe"s interposition with her friend; Miss Howe fears, from this part of your letter, that you are too much in jest; and that your offer to do her justice is rather in compliment to your friends" entreaties, than proceeding form your own inclinations: and she desires to know your true sentiments on this occasion, before she interposes further.
Do you think, Mr. Hickman, that, if I am capable of deceiving my own relations, I have so much obligation to Miss Howe, who has always treated me with great freedom, as to acknowledge to her what I don"t to them?
Sir, I beg pardon: but Miss Howe thinks that, as you have written to her, she may ask you, by me, for an explanation of what you have written.
You see, Mr. Hickman, something of me.--Do you think I am in jest, or in earnest?
I see, Sir, you are a gay gentleman, of fine spirits, and all that. All I beg in Miss Howe"s name is, to know if you really and bona fide join with your friends in desiring her to use her interest to reconcile you to Miss Harlowe?
I should be extremely glad to be reconciled to Miss Harlowe; and should owe great obligations to Miss Howe, if she could bring about so happy an event.
Well, Sir, and you have no objections to marriage, I presume, as the condition of that reconciliation?
I never liked matrimony in my life. I must be plain with you, Mr.
Hickman.
I am sorry for it: I think it a very happy state.
I hope you will find it so, Mr. Hickman.
I doubt not but I shall, Sir. And I dare say, so would you, if you were to have Miss Harlowe.
If I could be happy in it with any body, it would be with Miss Harlowe.
I am surprised, Sir!----Then, after all, you don"t think of marrying Miss Harlowe!----After the hard usage----
What hard usage, Mr. Hickman? I don"t doubt but a lady of her niceness has represented what would appear trifles to any other, in a very strong light.
If what I have had hinted to me, Sir--excuse me--had been offered to the lady, she has more than trifles to complain of.
Let me know what you have heard, Mr. Hickman? I will very truly answer to the accusations.
Sir, you know best what you have done: you own the lady is the most injured, as well as the most deserving of her s.e.x.
I do, Sir; and yet I would be glad to know what you have heard: for on that, perhaps, depends my answer to the questions Miss Howe puts to me by you.
Why then, Sir, since you ask it, you cannot be displeased if I answer you:--in the first place, Sir, you will acknowledge, I suppose, that you promised Miss Harlowe marriage, and all that?
Well, Sir, and I suppose what you have to charge me with is, that I was desirous to have all that, without marriage?
Cot-so, Sir, I know you are deemed to be a man of wit: but may I not ask if these things sit not too light upon you?
When a thing is done, and cannot be helped, "tis right to make the best of it. I wish the lady would think so too.
I think, Sir, ladies should not be deceived. I think a promise to a lady should be as binding as to any other person, at the least.
I believe you think so, Mr. Hickman: and I believe you are a very honest, good sort of a man.
I would always keep my word, Sir, whether to man or woman.
You say well. And far be it from me to persuade you to do otherwise.
But what have you farther heard?
(Thou wilt think, Jack, I must be very desirous to know in what light my elected spouse had represented things to Miss Howe; and how far Miss Howe had communicated them to Mr. Hickman.)
Sir, this is no part of my present business.
But, Mr. Hickman, "tis part of mine. I hope you would not expect that I should answer your questions, at the same time that you refused to answer mine. What, pray, have you farther heard?
Why then, Sir, if I must say, I am told, that Miss Harlowe was carried to a very bad house.
Why, indeed, the people did not prove so good as they should be.--What farther have you heard?
I have heard, Sir, that the lady had strange advantages taken of her, very unfair ones: but what I cannot say.
And cannot you say? Cannot you guess?--Then I"ll tell you, Sir. Perhaps some liberty was taken with her when she was asleep. Do you think no lady ever was taken at such an advantage?--You know, Mr. Hickman, that ladies are very shy of trusting themselves with the modestest of our s.e.x, when they are disposed to sleep; and why so, if they did not expect that advantages would be taken of them at such times?
But, Sir, had not the lady something given her to make her sleep?
Ay, Mr. Hickman, that"s the question: I want to know if the lady says she had?