He then told them, that he had the day before waited upon Miss Howe, and had been shown a letter from you to her,* and permitted to take some memorandums from it, in which you appeared, both by handwriting, and the contents, to be so very ill, that it seemed doubtful to him, if it were possible for you to get over it.  And when he read to them that passage, where you ask Miss Howe, ’What can be done for you now, were your friends to be ever so favourable? and wish for their sakes, more than for your own, that they would still relent;’ and then say, ’You are very ill—­you must drop your pen—­and ask excuse for your crooked writing; and take, as it were, a last farewell of Miss Howe;—­adieu, my dear, adieu,’ are your words—­

* Ibid.  Letter XXXIII.

O my child! my child! said you mamma, weeping, and clasping her hands.

Dear Madam, said your brother, be so good as to think you have more children than this ungrateful one.

Yet your sister seemed affected.

Your uncle Harlowe, wiping his eyes, O cousin, said he, if one thought the poor girl was really so ill—­

She must, said your uncle Antony.  This is written to her private friend. 
God forbid she should be quite lost!

Your uncle Harlowe wished they did not carry their resentments too far.

I begged for God’s sake, wringing my hands, and with a bended knee, that they would permit me to go up to you; engaging to give them a faithful account of the way you were in.  But I was chidden by your brother; and this occasioned some angry words between him and Mr. Morden.

I believe, Sir, I believe, Madam, said your sister to her father and mother, we need not trouble my cousin to read any more.  It does but grieve and disturb you.  My sister Clary seems to be ill:  I think, if Mrs. Norton were permitted to go up to her, it would be right; wickedly as she has acted, if she be truly penitent—­

Here she stopt; and every one being silent, I stood up once more, and besought them to let me go; and then I offered to read a passage or two in your letter to me of the 24th.  But I was taken up again by your brother, and this occasioned still higher words between the Colonel and him.

Your mother, hoping to gain upon your inflexible brother, and to divert the anger of the two gentlemen from each other, proposed that the Colonel should proceed in reading the minutes he had taken from your letter.

He accordingly read, ’of your resuming your pen; that you thought you had taken your last farewell; and the rest of that very affecting passage, in which you are obliged to break off more than once, and afterwards to take an airing in a chair.’  Your brother and sister were affected at this; and he had recourse to his snuff-box.  And where you comfort Miss Howe, and say, ‘You shall be happy;’ It is more, said he, than she will let any body else be.

Your sister called you sweet soul! but with a low voice:  then grew hard-hearted again; set said [sic], Nobody could help being affected by your pathetic grief—­but that it was your talent.