Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His SisterBehn, Aphra
General
Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister
Behn, Aphra
Epistolary fiction, English
it all, that thinks that lovely body was formed for his embraces, whom
age has rendered fitter for a grave. Form any plots, use every
stratagem to save the life of
_Your_ OCTAVIO.
* * * * *
He wrote this in haste and disorder, as you may plainly see by the
style, and went to the window with it, where he found _Sylvia_ leaning
expecting him: the sashes were up, and he tossed it in the
handkerchief into her window: she read it, and wrote an answer back as
soft as love could form, to send him pleased to bed; wherein she
commanded him to hope all things from her wit and industrious love.
This had partly the effects she wished, and after kissing his hand,
and throwing it up towards _Sylvia_, they parted as silent as the
night from day, which was now just dividing--so long they stayed,
though but to look at each other; so that all the morning was passed
in bed to make the day seem shorter, which was too tedious to both:
this pleasure he had after noon, towards the evening, that when
_Sylvia_ walked, as she always did in the garden, he could see her
through the glass of his window, but durst not open it; for the old
gentleman was ever with her. In this time _Octavio_ failed not however
to essay the good nature of the gardener in order to _Sylvia_’.
flight, but found there was no dealing with him in this affair; and
therefore durst not come right down to the point: the next night he
came under the beloved window again, and found the sacred object of
his wishes leaning in the window expecting him: to whom, as soon as
she heard his tread on the gravel, she threw down a handkerchief
again, which he took up, and tossed his own with a soft complaining
letter to entertain her till his return; for he hasted to read hers,
and swept the garden as he passed as swift as wind; so impatient he
was to see the inside--which he found thus:
SYLVIA _to_ OCTAVIO.
I beg, my charming friend, you will be assured of all I have promised
you; and to believe that but for the pleasure of those dear billets I
receive from you, I could as little support this cruel confinement as
you my absence. I have but one game to play, and I beseech you not to
be surprised at it, it is to promise to marry _Sebastian_: he is
eternally at my feet, and either I must give him my vow to become his
wife, or give him hope of other favours. I am so entirely yours, that
I will be guided by you, which I shall flatter him in to gain my
liberty; for if I grant either, he has proposed to carry me to his
country-house, two leagues from the town, and there consummate
whatever I design to bless him with; and this is it that has wrought
my consent, that we being to go alone, only my own servants, you may
easily take me thence by force upon the road, or after our arrival,
where he will not guard me perhaps so strictly as he does here: for
that, I leave it to your conduct, and expect your answer to your
impatient
SYLVIA.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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