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Miss Clarissa Harlowe.

7

Sadleir, and Lady Betty Lawrance; who, with his uncle, interested themselves very warmly (he being the last of his line) to see him married.

'So handsome a man! O her beloved Clary!'—(for then she was ready to love me dearly, from the overflowings of her good humour on his account!) 'He was but too handsome a man for her!—Were she but as amiable as somebody, there would be a probability of holding his affections!—For he was wild, she heard; very wild, very gay; loved intrigue—But he was young; a man of sense: Would see his error; could she but have patience with his faults, if his faults were not cured by marriage.'

Thus she ran on; and then wanted me 'to see the charming man,' as she called him.—Again concerned, that she was not handsome enough for him:' With, 'A fad thing, that the man should have the advantage of the woman in that particular.'—But then, stepping to the glass, she complimented herself, 'That she was very well: That there were many women deemed passable, who were inferior to herself: That she was always thought comely; and, let her tell me, that comeliness having not so much to lose as beauty had, would hold, when that would evaporate and fly off:—Nay, for that matter,' (and again the turn'd to the glass), 'her features were not irregular; her eyes not at all amiss'. And I remember they were more than usually brilliant at that time.—'Nothing, in short, to be found fault with, tho' nothing very engaging, she doubted—Was there, Clary?'

Excuse me, my dear, I never was thus particular before; no, not to you. Nor would I now have written thus freely of a sister; but that the makes a merit to my brother, of disowning that the ever liked him; as I shall mention hereafter: And then you will always have me give you minute descriptions, nor suffer me to pass by the air and manner in which things are

spoken

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