ovelace_
now could have no manner of doubt, but that she would fly that House, if
not prevented, as soon as her Strength would permit her to leave her
Bed.

As to the Indelicacy of _Clarissa's_ seeking _Lovelace_, said
_Bellario_, 'I confess I do not see it; however, I will leave that
matter to be decided by the Ladies', who all agreed, that they thought
it no Breach of the strictest Modesty to declare it was their Opinion,
that the whole Scene, as it now stands, is what it _should be_, and
would have admited of no Alteration, but for the worse; that the
picturesque Manner in which a young Woman, without Fear or Confusion,
beholds the Man who dared imagine his Guilt could baffle all her
Resolutions, and sink her Soul to Cowardice, most beautifully displays
the Power of conscious Innocence; and, on the other hand, that the
confused Mind, the flattering Speech, unavoidable even by a _Lovelace_
when his guilty Soul was awed by the Presence of an Object injured
beyond the Power of Reparation, displays the Deformity of Wickedness in
all its Force. In short, this Scene was allowed to be Virtue's Triumph,
and _Clarissa's_ Conduct to be a direct Opposition to that of all those
whining Women, who blubber out an humble Petition to be joined for Life
to the Men who have betrayed them.

Had not _Clarissa_ seen _Lovelace_, said Miss _Gibson_, her Triumph
could never have been so compleat; and as I think the Impossibility of
her Escape at that time, from Mrs. _Sinclair's_, is very apparent, had
she not sought him, the true Lovers of _Clarissa_ must have mourned the
Loss of seeing her Behaviour in such an uncommon Situation.

_Bellario_ gave these Sentiments a Sanction by his Approbation, and the
rest of the Company either concurr'd with his Opinion, or at least did
not contradict him; and the next Day Miss _Gibson_ received the
following Letter from _Bellario_.

~_MADAM_~,

You seem'd so pleased last Night with my Conversion, if I may be allowed
the Expression, to your Favourite _Clarissa_, that I could not seek any
Repose till I had thrown together my Thoughts on that Head, in order to
address them to you; nor am I ashamed to confess, that the Author's
Design is more noble, and his Execution of it much happier, than I even
suspected till I had seen the whole.

In a Series of familiar Letters to relate a compleat Story, where there
is such a Variety of Characters, every one conducing to the forming the
necessary Incidents t