Clarissa Harlowe: Or, the History of a Young Lady, Volume 8 by Samuel Richardson Read Free Book Online Page B

yesterday: and so ill, 'tis impossible she would go out.
    Where is her servant? Call her servant to me.
    Her servant, Sir, is her nurse: she has no other. And she is gone with
her.
    Well, friend, I must not believe you. You'll excuse me; but I must go up stairs myself. And was stepping up.
    John hereupon put on a serious, and a less respectful face--Sir, this
house is mine; and--
    And what, friend? not doubting then but she was above.--I must and will see her. I have authority for it. I am a justice of the peace. I have a search warrant.
    And up I went; they following me, muttering, and in a plaguy flutter.
    The first door I came to was locked. I tapped at it.
    The lady, Sir, has the key of her own apartment.
    On the inside, I question not, my honest friend; tapping again. And being assured, if she heard my voice, that her timorous and soft temper would make her betray herself, by some flutters, to my listning ear, I said aloud, I am confident Miss Harlowe is here: dearest Madam, open the door: admit me but for one moment to your presence.
    But neither answer nor fluttering saluted my ear; and, the people being very quiet, I led on to the next apartment; and, the key being on the outside, I opened it, and looked all around it, and into the closet.
    The mans said he never saw so uncivil a gentleman in his life.
    Hark thee, friend, said I; let me advise thee to be a little decent; or I shall teach thee a lesson thou never learnedst in all thy life.
    Sir, said he, 'tis not like a gentleman, to affront a man in his own
house.
    Then prythee, man, replied I, don't crow upon thine own dunghil.
    I stept back to the locked door: My dear Miss Harlowe, I beg of you to open the door, or I'll break it open;--pushing hard against it, that it cracked again.
    The man looked pale: and, trembling with his fright, made a plaguy long face; and called to one of his bodice-makers above, Joseph, come down quickly.
    Joseph came down: a lion's-face grinning fellow; thick, and short, and bushy-headed, like an old oak-pollard. Then did master John put on a sturdier look. But I only hummed a tune, traversed all the other apartments, sounded the passages with my knuckles, to find whether there were private doors, and walked up the next pair of stairs, singing all the way; John and Joseph, and Mrs. Smith, following me up, trembling.
    I looked round me there, and went into two open-door bed-chambers; searched the closets, and the passages, and peeped through the key-hole of another: no Miss Harlowe, by Jupiter! What shall I do!--what shall I do! as the girls say.--Now will she be grieved that she is out of the way.
    I said this on purpose to find out whether these people knew the lady's story; and had the answer I expected from Mrs. Smith--I believe not, Sir.
    Why so, Mrs. Smith? Do you know who I am?
    I can guess, Sir.
    Whom do you guess me to be?
    Your name is Mr. Lovelace, Sir, I make no doubt.
    The very same. But how came you to guess so well, dame Smith! You never saw me before, did you?
    Here, Jack, I laid out for a compliment, and missed it.
    'Tis easy to guess, Sir; for there cannot be two such gentlemen as you.
    Well said, dame Smith--but mean you good or bad?--Handsome was the least I thought she would have said.
    I leave you to guess, Sir.
    Condemned, thought I, by myself, on this appeal.
    Why, father Smith, thy wife is a wit, man!--Didst thou ever find that out before?--But where is widow Lovick, dame Smith? My cousin John Belford says she is a very good woman. Is she within? or is she gone with Miss Harlowe too?
    She will be within by-and-by, Sir. She is not with the lady.
    Well, but my good dear Mrs. Smith, where is the lady gone? and when will
she return?
    I can't tell, Sir.
    Don't tell fibs, dame Smith; don't tell fibs, chucking her under the chin: which made John's upper-lip, with chin shortened, rise to his nose. --I am sure you know!--But here's another pair of stairs: let us see: Who lives up there?--but hold, here's another room locked