LETTER X
MISS HOWE, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWESUNDAY NIGHT, JULY 16.
MY DEAREST FRIEND,
Why should you permit a mind, so much devoted to your service, to labourunder such an impatience as you must know it would labour under, for wantof an answer to a letter of such consequence to you, and therefore to me,as was mine of Thursday night?--Rogers told me, on Thursday, you were soill; your letter sent by him was so melancholy!--Yet you must be illindeed, if you could not write something to such a letter; were it but aline, to say you would write as soon as you could. Sure you havereceived it. The master of your nearest post-office will pawn hisreputation that it went safe: I gave him particular charge of it.
God send me good news of your health, of your ability to write; and thenI will chide you--indeed I will--as I never yet did chide you.
I suppose your excuse will be, that the subject required consideration--Lord! my dear, so it might; but you have so right a mind, and the matterin question is so obvious, that you could not want half an hour todetermine.--Then you intended, probably, to wait Collins's call for yourletter as on to-morrow!--Suppose something were to happen, as it did onFriday, that he should not be able to go to town to-morrow?--How, child,could you serve me so!--I know not how to leave off scolding you!
Dear, honest Collins, make haste: he will: he will. He sets out, andtravels all night: for I have told him, that the dearest friend I have inthe world has it in her own choice to be happy, and to make me so; andthat the letter he will bring from her will assure it to me.
I have ordered him to go directly (without stopping at theSaracen's-head-inn) to you at your lodgings. Matters are now in so gooda way, that he safely may.
Your expected letter is ready written I hope: if it can be not, he willcall for it at your hour.
You can't be so happy as you deserve to be: but I doubt not that you willbe as happy as you can; that is, that you will choose to put yourselfinstantly into Lady Betty's protection. If you would not have the wretchfor your own sake; have him you must, for mine, for your family's, foryour honour's, sake!--Dear, honest Collins, make haste! make haste! andrelieve the impatient heart of my beloved's
Ever faithful, ever affectionate,ANNA HOWE.
Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 7 Page 11
