Clarissa, Volume 1 | Page 8

be taken notice of; rightly observing, that
air and manner often express more than the accompanying words.
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.
This was wondered at, as my uncle has introduced him into our family
declaredly as a visitor to my sister. But as we are ever ready to make
excuses when in good humour with ourselves for the perhaps not
unwilful slights of those whose approbation we wish to engage; so my
sister found out a reason much to Mr. Lovelace's advantage for his not
improving the opportunity that was given him.--It was bashfulness,
truly, in him. [Bashfulness in Mr. Lovelace, my dear!]--Indeed, gay and
lively as he is, he has not the look of an impudent man. But, I fancy, it
is many, many years ago since he was bashful.
Thus, however, could my sister make it out--'Upon her word, she
believed Mr. Lovelace deserved not the bad character he had as to
women.--He was really, to her thinking, a modest man. He would have
spoken out, she believed; but once or twice as he seemed to intend to
do so, he was under so agreeable a confusion! Such a profound respect
he seemed to shew her! A perfect reverence, she thought: she loved
dearly that a man in courtship should shew a reverence to his
mistress'--So indeed we all do, I believe: and with reason; since, if I
may judge from what I have seen in many families, there is little
enough of it shewn afterwards.--And she told my aunt Hervey, that she
would be a little less upon the reserve next time he came: 'She was not
one of those flirts, not she, who would give pain to a person that
deserved to be well-treated; and the more pain for the greatness of his
value for her.'--I wish she had not somebody whom I love in her eye.
In his third visit, Bella governed herself by this kind and considerate

principle: so that, according to her own account of the matter, the man
might have spoken out.--But he was still bashful: he was not able to
overcome this unseasonable reverence. 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?--It could not be bashfulness
(now she thought of it) since he might have opened his mind to her
uncle, if he wanted courage to speak directly to her.--Not that she cared
much for the man neither: but it was right, surely, that a woman should
be put out of doubt early as to a man's intentions in such a case as this,
from his own mouth.--But, truly, she had begun to think, that he was
more solicitous to cultivate her mamma's good opinion, than
hers!--Every body, she owned, admired her mother's conversation; but
he was mistaken if he thought respect to her mother only would do with
her. And then, for his own sake, surely he should put it into her power
to be complaisant to him, if he gave her reason to approve of him. This
distant behaviour, she must take upon herself to say, was the more
extraordinary, as he continued his visits, and declared himself
extremely desirous to cultivate a friendship with the whole family; and
as he could have no doubt about her sense, if she might take upon her
to join her own with the general opinion; he having taken great notice
of, and admired many of her good things as they fell from her lips.
Reserves were painful, she must needs say, to open and free spirits, like
hers: and yet she must tell my aunt,' (to whom all this was directed)
'that she should never forget what she owed to her sex, and to herself,
were Mr. Lovelace as unexceptionable in his morals as in his figure,
and were he to urge his suit ever so warmly.'
I was not of her council. I was still absent. And it was agreed upon
between my aunt Hervey and her, that she was to be quite solemn and
shy in his next visit, if there were not a peculiarity in his address to her.
But my sister it seems had not considered the matter well. This was not
the way, as it proved, to be taken for matters of