Miss Howe

Dearest friend,

How you oppress me, my dearest friend, with your politeness! I cannot doubt your sincerity; but you should take care, that you give me not reason from your kind partiality to doubt your judgment.

Our family has indeed been strangely disturbed. It has been in commotion, ever since the unhappy transaction; and I have borne all the blame.

My brother being happily recovered of his fever, and his wound in a hopeful way, although he has not yet ventured abroad.

I will begin, as you command, with Mr. Lovelace's address to my sister; and be as brief as possible. I will recite facts only; and leave you to judge of the truth of the report raised, that the younger sister has robbed the elder.

It was in fulfillment of a conference between Lord M. and my uncle Antony, that Mr. Lovelace paid his respect to my sister Arabella. My brother was then in Scotland, busying himself in viewing the condition of the considerable estate which was left him there by his generous godmother, together with one as considerable in Yorkshire.

Kidnapping Clarissa

 I had never been distinguished by my grandfather as I was: since that distinction has separated from me my brother's and sister's affections; at least, has raised a jealousy with regard to the apprehended favour of my two uncles, that now-and-then overshadows their love.

My sister made me a visit there the day after Mr. Lovelace had been introduced; and seemed highly pleased with the gentleman. His birth, and his fortune in possession, a clear 2000L.

She wanted me 'to see the charming man,' as she called him.—Again concerned, 'that she was not handsome enough for him;' with, 'a sad thing, that the man should have the advantage of the woman in that particular!'

I congratulated her upon her prospects. She received my compliments with a great deal of self-complacency.

She liked the gentleman still more at his next visit; and yet he made no particular address to her, although an opportunity was given him for it.

In his third visit, Bella behaved herself: so that, according to her own account of the matter, the man might have spoken out. But he was still timid. So this visit went off as the former.

But now she began to be dissatisfied with him. She compared his general character with this his particular behaviour to her; and having never been courted before, owned herself puzzled how to deal with so odd a lover. 'What did the man mean, she wondered? Had not her uncle brought him declaredly as a suitor to her?

Here I am obliged to lay down my pen. I will soon resume it.

(Adapted from the original English novel)

Book: Clarissa, by Samuel Richardson

Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady is an epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, published in 1748. It tells the tragic story of a heroine whose quest for virtue is continually thwarted by her family, and is one of the longest novels in the English language.

An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have also come into use. 

Vocabulary

Thwarted: upset, frustrated

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