’Sally, hereupon with a curse of mercy, ordered her to retire; undertaking that she and Polly would examine her themselves, that they might be able to write all particulars to his honour; and then, if she could not clear herself, or, if guilty, give some account of the lady, (who had been so wicked as to give them all this trouble,) so as they might get her again, then the cleaver and gridiron might go to work with all their heart.

’The wench, glad of this reprieve, went up stairs; and while Sally was laying out the law, and prating away in her usual dictorial manner, whipt on another gown, and sliding down the stairs, escaped to her relations.  And this flight, which was certainly more owing to terror than guilt, was, in the true Old Bailey construction, made a confirmation of the latter.’

***

These are the particulars of Miss Harlowe’s flight.  Thou’lt hardly think me too minute.—­How I long to triumph over thy impatience and fury on the occasion!

Let me beseech thee, my dear Lovelace, in thy next letter, to rave most gloriously!—­I shall be grievously disappointed if thou dost not.

***

Where, Lovelace, can the poor lady be gone?  And who can describe the distress she must be in?

By thy former letters, it may be supposed, that she can have very little money:  nor, by the suddenness of her flight, more clothes than those she has on.  And thou knowest who once said,* ’Her parents will not receive her.  Her uncles will not entertain her.  Her Norton is in their direction, and cannot.  Miss Howe dare not.  She has not one friend or intimate in town—­entirely a stranger to it.’  And, let me add, has been despoiled of her honour by the man for whom she had made all these sacrifices; and who stood bound to her by a thousand oaths and vows, to be her husband, her protector, and friend!

* See Vol.  IV.  Letter XXI.

How strong must be her resentment of the barbarous treatment she has received! how worthy of herself, that it has made her hate the man she once loved! and, rather than marry him, choose to expose her disgrace to the whole world:  to forego the reconciliation with her friends which her heart was so set upon:  and to hazard a thousand evils to which her youth and her sex may too probably expose an indigent and friendly beauty!

Rememberest thou not that home push upon thee, in one of the papers written in her delirium; of which, however it savours not?——­

I will assure thee, that I have very often since most seriously reflected upon it:  and as thy intended second outrage convinces me that it made no impression upon thee then, and perhaps thou hast never thought of it since, I will transcribe the sentence.

’If, as religion teaches us, God will judge us, in a great measure! by our benevolent or evil actions to one another—­O wretch! bethink thee, in time bethink thee, how great must be thy condemnation.’*