The History of Sir Charles Grandison, Volume 4 (of 7)Richardson, Samuel
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The History of Sir Charles Grandison, Volume 4 (of 7)
Richardson, Samuel
England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Epistolary fiction
Miss Grandison, accompanied by Miss Jervois, has just left us. Lady
L---- has undertaken, she says, to set all hands at work, to have things
in tolerable order, early as the day is, for Tuesday next. Miss
Grandison (would you believe it?) owns, that she wants spirits to order
anything. What must be the solemnity of that circumstance, when near,
that shall make Charlotte Grandison want spirits?
She withdrew with me to my apartment. She threw herself into a chair:
'Tis a folly to deny it, Harriet, but I am very low, and very silly: I
don't like next Tuesday by any means.
Is your objection only to the day, my dear?
I do not like the man.
Is there any man whom you like better?
I can't say that neither. But this brother of mine makes me think
contemptibly of all other men. I would compound for a man but half so
good--Tender, kind, humane, polite, and even cheerful in affliction!--O,
Harriet! where is there such another man?
No where.--But you don't by marriage lose, on the contrary, you further
engage and secure, the affection of this brother. You will have a
good-natured worthy man for your husband; a man who loves you, and you
will have your brother besides.
Do you think I can be happy with Lord G----?
I am sure you may, if it be not your own fault.
That's the thing: I may, perhaps, bear with the man; but I cannot honour
him.
Then don't vow to honour him. Don't meet him at the altar.
Yet I must. But I believe I think too much: and consideration is no
friend to wedlock.--Would to Heaven that the same hour that my hand and
Lord G----'s were joined, yours and my brother's were also united!
Ah, Miss Grandison! If you love me, try to wean me; and not to encourage
hopes of what never, never can be.
Dear creature! You will be greater than Clementina, and that is greater
than the greatest, if you can conquer a passion, that overturned her
reason.
Do not, my Charlotte, make comparisons in which the conscience of your
Harriet tells her she must be a sufferer. There is no occasion for me to
despise myself, in order to hold myself inferior to Clementina.
Well, you are a noble creature!--But, the approaching Tuesday--I cannot
bear to think of it.
Dear Charlotte!
And dear Harriet too!--But the officiousness, the assiduities, of this
trifling man are disgustful to me.
You don't hate him?--
Hate him--True--I don't hate him--But I have been so much accustomed to
treat him like a fool, that I can't help thinking him one. He should not
have been so tame to such a spirit as mine. He should have been angry
when I played upon him. I have got a knack of it, and shall never leave
it off, that's certain.
Then I hope he will be angry with you. I hope that he will resent your
ill-treatment of him.
Too late, too late to begin, Harriet. I won't take it of him now. He
has never let me see that his face can become two sorts of features. The
poor man can look sorrowful; that I know full well: but I shall always
laugh when he attempts to look angry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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