But since my character, before the capital enormity, was lost in the eye of the world; and that from the very hour I left my father’s house; and since all my own hopes of worldly happiness are entirely over; let me slide quietly into my grave; and let it be not remembered, except by one friendly tear, and no more, dropt from your gentle eye, mine own dear Anna Howe, on the happy day that shall shut up all my sorrows, that there was such a creature as

CLARISSA HARLOWE

Saturday, July 8.

LETTER LXXI

Miss Howe, to miss Clarissa Harlowe
Sunday, July 9.

May Heaven signalize its vengeance, in the face of all the world, upon the most abandoned and profligate of men!—­And in its own time, I doubt not but it will.—­And we must look to a world beyond this for the reward of your sufferings!

Another shocking detection, my dear!—­How have you been deluded!—­Very watchful I have thought you; very sagacious:—­but, alas! not watchful, not sagacious enough, for the horrid villain you have had to deal with! ——­

The letter you sent me enclosed as mine, of the 7th of June, is a villanous forgery.*

* See Vol.  V. Letter XXX.

The hand, indeed, is astonishingly like mine; and the cover, I see, is actually my cover:  but yet the letter is not so exactly imitated, but that, (had you had any suspicions about his vileness at the time,) you, who so well know my hand, might have detected it.

In short, this vile, forged letter, though a long one, contains but a few extracts from mine.  Mine was a very long one.  He has omitted every thing, I see, in it that could have shown you what a detestable house the house is; and given you suspicions of the vile Tomlinson.—­You will see this, and how he has turned Miss Lardner’s information, and my advices to you, [execrable villain!] to his own horrid ends, by the rough draught of the genuine letter, which I shall enclose.*

* See Vol.  V. Letter XX.

Apprehensive for both our safeties from the villany of such a daring and profligate contriver, I must call upon you, my dear, to resolve upon taking legal vengeance of the infernal wretch.  And this not only for our own sakes, but for the sakes of innocents who otherwise may yet be deluded and outraged by him.

[She then gives the particulars of the report made by the young fellow
      whom she sent to Hampstead with her letter; and who supposed he had
      delivered it into her own hand;* and then proceeds:]

* See Vol.  VI.  Letter VI.

I am astonished, that the vile wretch, who could know nothing of the time my messenger, (whose honesty I can vouch for) would come, could have a creature ready to personate you!  Strange, that the man should happen to arrive just as you were gone to church, (as I find was the fact, on comparing what he says with your hint that you were at church twice that day,) when he might have got to Mrs. Moore’s two hours before!—­But had you told me, my dear, that the villain had found you out, and was about you!—­You should have done that—­yet I blame you upon a judgment founded on the event only!