hour's rest at a time. And
I own to you, Madam, that I should never have forgiven myself, had I
omitted any contrivance or forethought that would have prevented your
return without me.

Again I blamed myself for meeting him: and justly; for there were
many chances to one, that I had not met him. And if I had not, all his
fortnight's contrivances, as to me, would have come to nothing; and,
perhaps, I might nevertheless have escaped Solmes.

Yet, had he resolved to come to Harlowe-place with his friends, and been
insulted, as he certainly would have been, what mischiefs might have
followed!

But his resolutions to run away with and to hide the poor Solmes for
a month or so, O my dear! what a wretch have I let run away with me,
instead of Solmes!

I asked him, if he thought such enormities as these, such defiances of
the laws of society, would have passed unpunished?

He had the assurance to say, with one of his usual gay airs, That he
should by this means have disappointed his enemies, and saved me from a
forced marriage. He had no pleasure in such desperate pushes. Solmes
he would not have personally hurt. He must have fled his country, for a
time at least: and, truly, if he had been obliged to do so, (as all
his hopes of my favour must have been at an end,) he would have had a
fellow-traveller of his own sex out of our family, whom I little thought
of.

Was ever such a wretch!--To be sure he meant my brother!

And such, Sir, said I, in high resentment, are the uses you make of your
corrupt intelligencer--

My corrupt intelligencer, Madam! interrupted me, He is to this hour your
brother's as well as mine. By what I have ingenuously told you, you may
see who began this corruption. Let me assure you, Madam, that there are
many free things which I have been guilty of as reprisals, in which I
would not have been the aggressor.

All that I shall further say on this head, Mr. Lovelace, is this: that
as this vile double-faced wretch has probably been the cause of great
mischief on both sides, and still continues, as you own, his wicked
practices, I think it would be but just, to have my friends apprized
what a creature he is whom some of them encourage.

What you please, Madam, as to that--my service, as well as your
brother's is now almost over for him. The fellow has made a good hand of
it. He does not intend to stay long in his place. He is now actually in
treaty for an inn, which will do his business for life.