The novel’s first thirty letters are between Clarissa Harlowe and her best friend, Anna Howe, although some copies of letters to and from other characters are enclosed within these. A dramatic event

Summary

The novel’s first thirty letters are between Clarissa Harlowe and her best friend, Anna Howe, although some copies of letters to and from other characters are enclosed within these. A dramatic event has just occurred: Clarissa’s brother James has gotten into a fight with the notorious libertine Robert Lovelace, and he lies injured. Anna has heard rumors that the fight was over Clarissa, and she asks her friend to clear up the story. Clarissa explains that Lovelace visited the Harlowes as a suitor to her older sister, Arabella. Arabella admired Lovelace, but he showed a total lack of interest in her and appeared much more attracted to Clarissa. James Harlowe returns from Scotland and learns about the family’s new relationship with Lovelace. James is furious and threatens to disown Clarissa if she ever marries Lovelace.

To explain their history, Clarissa reveals that James and Lovelace had been at college together, where Lovelace had been popular, successful, and something of a bully. James’s pride and bad temper had caused a rift between the two, and Lovelace’s power over his classmates had given him the ability to ruin James’s school experience. Siding with James, the Harlowes (except Clarissa) began to treat Lovelace rudely. James challenges Lovelace, but, as a poor swordsman, loses the fight. Lovelace acts like a gentleman by allowing James to live, and by politely sending inquiries about his recovery, to which the Harlowes respond insultingly.

In the next few weeks the Harlowes become worried that Clarissa will marry the man who is now the family enemy. They forbid her to see Lovelace and propose a new suitor: a rich, ugly man named Roger Solmes. James and Arabella convince Mr. and Mrs. Harlowe to insist on Clarissa’s marrying this man, whom she hates. Clarissa is not allowed to write any letters or leave home until she agrees to marry Solmes. She arranges to carry on a secret correspondence with Anna, and Lovelace convinces Clarissa to also correspond with him by implying that if she does not, he may not be able to contain his anger at the Harlowe’s insults.

Anna writes that Clarissa’s brother and sister are solely motivated by jealousy. From childhood, Clarissa has been admired for her beauty as well as for her virtue and intelligence. When their grandfather died, he left his estate to Clarissa instead of to her older brother and sister. James and especially Arabella have always been in Clarissa’s shadow, and Lovelace’s defeat of James and rejection of Arabella have fueled their resentment.

Anna also suggests that Clarissa is in love with Lovelace. Clarissa is alarmed by this idea and insists that she “would not be in love with him, as it is called, for the world.” Anna mocks Clarissa for her denial, then relates new information she has learned about Lovelace. He is very wild, especially with regard to women. He lives for pleasure but is generous and financially responsible, as well an intelligent and accomplished man of very good family. He is noted for his love of and talent for writing (as is Clarissa).

The Harlowes continue to lobby Clarissa to marry Solmes. His money and his property, which adjoins theirs, will greatly advance the standing of the Harlowes, possibly enabling James to buy a title. Clarissa’s confrontations with her family become increasingly dramatic and she is ever more torn between familial duty and her dislike of Solmes.

Lovelace writes to Clarissa and expresses his anger that she is, by common report, about to marry Solmes. It is clear that Lovelace has a spy in the Harlowe house, because he knows about everything that has been happening there. He tells Clarissa that his family (which is a very noble one) admires her and supports the idea of their marriage. He asks if he can approach Clarissa’s father and uncles to make his proposal, and also if Clarissa will meet him privately one night in the garden. Clarissa feels she should stop writing to Lovelace, but the threat to her brother and the fact that she has few other bargaining chips convince her to continue. She eventually responds to one of Lovelace’s letters, forbidding him to visit her father and uncles and insisting that she wants to stay single.

The Harlowes refuse to let Clarissa go to church and dismiss her maid, Hannah, who has been helping with the secret correspondences. Arabella’s maid, the pert Betty Barnes, is assigned to watch over Clarissa.

Anna’s situation provides a contrast with Clarissa’s. She and her mother have a close but tempestuous relationship, and Anna has none of Clarissa’s scruples about familial piety. Mrs. Howe wants Anna to marry a respectable man named Hickman, whom Anna mocks mercilessly. Mrs. Howe is close friends with Clarissa’s Uncle Antony. Anna recommends that Clarissa take control of her grandfather’s estate, which Clarissa had put into her father’s power. Clarissa refuses, insisting that as a daughter her proper place is in her father’s house and under her father’s control.

Letter 31 is the first written by Lovelace. It is to John Belford, one of his wild pack of friends. Lovelace writes of his hatred for the Harlowes and his love for Clarissa, whom he calls “my angel” and “my charmer.” It is revealed that early in his life Lovelace had been jilted for a man of higher status and had vowed revenge on all women. Lovelace also mentions that he is somehow manipulating Clarissa’s uncle and, through him, Mrs. Howe to turn them against Clarissa so that she will have no choice but to seek protection from Lovelace.

Summary

Clarissa writes to Solmes, telling him bluntly that she cannot like or esteem him, and accuses him of meanness and a lack of generosity if he continues to pursue her. Solmes writes back to say that her letter has only encouraged him. He is not insulted by being called selfish; he can see no reason why he should do anything just to make someone else happy. James finds out about the letter to Solmes and writes insultingly to Clarissa, telling her he will not open any letters she sends him because her “knack at letter writing” might complicate what should be a simple case of duty.

Lovelace is staying at an inn in a small town near Harlowe Place. The innkeeper has a pretty daughter whom Lovelace nicknames Rosebud. Rosebud’s grandmother beseeched Lovelace to be merciful to Rosebud—that is, not to seduce or rape her. Lovelace appreciates having his power recognized and says that he will spare the girl. He refuses to ruin a poor girl with no support to fall back on once he abandons her, and he is also concerned that his actions might get back to Clarissa. He decides that he will give Rosebud money so that she can get married and says that this good deed will balance out some of his sins.

Lovelace reveals that he is paying a Harlowe servant, Joseph Leman, to spy for him and to manipulate the family. Lovelace plans to sneak into Clarissa’s presence so he can judge her feelings for him. If he finds that he has no hope of her favor, he will simply abduct her: “That would be a rape worthy of Jupiter!”

Lovelace disguises himself and hides behind a woodpile so that he can catch Clarissa retrieving her letters from the hiding place. She is terrified, but he acts very respectfully and she is partially convinced of his good intentions. Anna teases Clarissa for pretending that she is not in love with Lovelace. Clarissa writes back in a series of letters that are continually interrupted by visits from family members and her old nurse, Mrs. Norton, who all try to convince her to marry Solmes. Clarissa evaluates Lovelace’s good and bad traits, finding plenty on each side, and admits that her family’s tyrannical opposition to him has made her like him more. She concludes that “were he now but a moral man, I would prefer him to all the men I ever saw.”

Mrs. Harlowe sends Clarissa an affectionate letter, including a list of the clothes and jewels Clarissa will be given on her marriage. Clarissa is affected by the kind tone of the letter and feels torn between duty and her sense of right. Arabella pays her a visit that becomes a battle of insults. Clarissa accuses Arabella of acting out of disappointed love. It is made clear that Arabella and James have plotted together to deprive Clarissa of her favored position and her grandfather’s estate. Mrs. Harlowe visits Clarissa, along with Aunt Hervey and Arabella. Arabella prevents her mother and aunt from softening toward Clarissa.

Anna writes a humorous letter about her feelings for Hickman and imagines what Hickman, Solmes, and Lovelace must have been like as children. She wonders why the prudent, sober men who would make good husbands cannot be as attractive and appealing as rakes. Lovelace unexpectedly visits Anna and asks her to help him win Clarissa over. Although he assures her of his love and his family’s support, his threats of revenge on the Harlowes convince Anna that he is a violent man, and she counsels Clarissa to claim her estate and become independent instead of marrying either Lovelace or Solmes.

After several more exchanges, the Harlowes decide that Clarissa should go to her Uncle Antony’s house, where Solmes will be able to visit her. Clarissa is terrified by the fact that the house is moated and has a chapel on the premises. She writes to James to ask whether the command came from him or her parents, as she does not feel compelled to obey her brother. They exchange several angry letters. Clarissa wishes that her cousin Morden, who is one of the trustees of her estate, would return from Italy so that he can help her claim her property. After several angry letters and interactions, Clarissa tries to calm herself by playing the harpsichord. She sets a poem, “Ode to Wisdom, by a Lady,” to music and copies the score to send to Anna. After calming down she writes to admonish Anna for treating Hickman disrespectfully.

Anna hears that Solmes has bragged about his ability to terrify a wife into obedience. She does not know how Clarissa can escape her situation but advises her not to go to her uncle’s, where she is likely to be forced into marriage. Mrs. Howe offers, through Anna, her advice about marriage. She says that marriages of convenience and duty are just as happy and usually happier than those founded on liking.

Solmes sends Clarissa a badly spelled letter asking if he can see her to share information about Lovelace. Clarissa refuses. She continues to plead with her family, offering to give up her estate and swearing to remain single for the rest of her life. Mrs. Harlowe refuses to open her letters, and her aunts and uncles tell her to stop writing to them. The exchange of letters between Clarissa and Lovelace continues, and after several refusals she agrees to meet him secretly at night. Clarissa asks if she can put off going to her uncle’s for two weeks, and this is agreed to on the condition that she accept a visit from Solmes. She writes to Lovelace to postpone her meeting with him. Lovelace responds with great indignation, and Clarissa is offended and demands that the correspondence be broken off.

On Anna’s advice, Clarissa sends her all of her letters, as well as some linen, to the Howes, in case she has to leave home suddenly. She cannot send clothes or jewels because that might arouse suspicion. Anna makes inquiries about Lovelace and finds out about the inn and his relations with Rosebud. Clarissa’s answer is clearly jealous, sarcastically referring to Rosebud as “this sweet pretty girl.” She speculates that Lovelace’s cold, gotten while waiting for her letters all night, is really a result of singing under Rosebud’s window. Clarissa says she despises Lovelace.

Anna meets with Rosebud and her father and reports to Clarissa that her suspicions about the young girl’s relationship with Lovelace were unfounded. Clarissa says that she will now respond to Lovelace’s letters. She chides him for his presumptions, insists that she is not denying Solmes for his sake, and criticizes his notorious aversion to marriage.

The Harlowes suddenly start treating Clarissa kindly. She suspects it is part of a plot involving her upcoming visit with Solmes. She hopes Mrs. Howe will take her in if she must leave home. Lovelace writes to express apprehension about the meeting with Solmes and to recommend several plans for escape. Clarissa responds that she would sooner die than marry Solmes, but she tells Lovelace not to take any rash steps.

On the morning of the appointment with Solmes, Clarissa is visited by her Aunt Hervey. It becomes clear that, since she has agreed to the meeting, Clarissa’s family assumes she will consider marrying him. She is terrified, but she takes heart when she sees how scared and ridiculous Solmes is. She asserts that she will not marry him and is abused by her brother and sister. At various points in the episode, Clarissa nearly faints or bursts into violent tears. She is comforted by her cousin Dolly and Arabella’s maid, Betty, the latter who had always treated Clarissa rudely but at this time offers a bit of information: Solmes would have given up his advances, but Mr. Harlowe, James, Arabella, and Uncle Antony had kept the tide from turning. While Clarissa is downstairs, her room is searched for letters, which she had just sent to Anna. She decides to hide pens and ink in various places, as these are also about to be taken from her.

Summary

Clarissa’s pens, ink, and paper are taken away, but she continues to write with her concealed stash. Lovelace threatens to interfere if Clarissa is taken to her uncle’s and suggests that she run away to his relatives’ house. Anna writes that her mother has refused to take Clarissa in. She suggests that Clarissa sneak away to London, where she can hide until Cousin Morden arrives and offers to accompany her. Clarissa defends Mrs. Howe’s right to refuse her and blames herself for corresponding with Lovelace against her parents’ injunction. She refuses to consider Anna’s offer, but she asks if Anna could find her some transportation to London.

The Harlowes learn that Lovelace has assembled a band of armed men to waylay them if they take Clarissa to her uncle’s. They are incensed but decide not to go through with the plan. Instead, they order a license so Clarissa can be married in her own room on the following Wednesday. Seeing no way out, Clarissa writes to Lovelace that she will meet him Monday night near the summer house, and she brings the letter to Lovelace’s pick-up spot. But she is uneasy, and that night she has a dream in which Lovelace carries her to a churchyard, stabs her, and throws her into a grave in which other bodies are already decomposing. On waking she finds that Lovelace has taken her letter, and she wishes she could have gotten it back first.

Anna writes that she cannot find a way to get Clarissa to London. She insists that the duties of friendship compel Clarissa to accept her assistance. If Clarissa decides to go off with Lovelace instead, Anna recommends that she marry him immediately.

Lovelace writes that his cousin Charlotte, who was supposed to escort Clarissa in her escape, is ill. This, combined with Clarissa’s reflections on the difficulty of renouncing Lovelace if she goes away with him, leads her to write to Lovelace and cancel the plan. While all the other letters to Lovelace had been retrieved immediately, this one lies where she has left it until the day appointed for the escape. Dolly writes to Clarissa to warn her that she will be forced into marriage on Wednesday, but Clarissa decides to risk staying. Since Lovelace has still not retrieved the letter, Clarissa resolves to meet him as planned, fearing that if she does not, he will go into the house and cause trouble. She writes to Anna from her summer house at eleven o’clock. Her Aunt Hervey has come to see her there and tries to comfort Clarissa with mysterious hints that all might not be as bad as she thinks. The hour of the appointment comes as she is writing, and she notes that her lines are getting shaky. She runs to deposit the letter before Lovelace arrives.

Her next letter, dated Tuesday morning, is written from a nearby town, St. Albans. It gives little information, but Clarissa blames herself for doing “a rash, an inexcusable thing, in meeting him” and asks Anna to send her linens. Anna is aghast at what Clarissa has done but says she loves her still and offers any help she can give. The letter is interrupted by the arrival of two young women at the Howe residence, apparently bearing the gossip about Clarissa’s elopement.

Clarissa writes to fill in the details of her flight: She meets Lovelace and tells him of the change in her plans. He breathlessly tells her that they must run, or that they will be discovered any moment. He will not let go of her hand and draws her out of the gate. They argue back and forth for some time, when finally Clarissa decides to turn back and call off the plan. She goes to re-enter through the gate when there is a commotion inside, followed by shouts about guns and pistols. (It’s later learned that the commotion is created by Joseph Leman on Lovelace’s instruction). Terrified and confused, Clarissa runs with Lovelace to his chariot. In their lodgings at St. Albans, Clarissa is filled with remorse and suspects that she has been tricked.

Lovelace does not comply with his earlier agreement to lodge in a different place from Clarissa. He proposes marriage, but in such a way that Clarissa cannot accept without compromising her delicacy. He sends Belford a lengthy description of how Clarissa looked when she appeared at the garden gate and says he knew he had won the moment he heard the gate unbolt. He admits that he never intended to marry Clarissa, but he is angered by her haughty refusals of his half-offers.

Anna writes after hearing the news and excuses the rash step as Clarissa was “driven on one side, and possibly tricked on the other.” She reports that the Harlowes are claiming that the Wednesday setup with Solmes was to have been their last push for marriage, and if Clarissa had resisted they would have dropped their position. Anna is unsure whether Clarissa should marry Lovelace or attempt to run away from him and regain her estate. Clarissa writes that reconciliation with her family is her goal, and she will not marry or take any action that might jeopardize the possibility. Her hopes are pinned on the arrival of her cousin Morden.

Lovelace writes several letters describing his interactions with Clarissa at their lodgings. He is focused on maintaining her confidence until she is “safe” among his acquaintances in London. In his manipulations, he pretends to be uninterested in where she chooses to go: he compares Clarissa to a fly caught in his web.

Clarissa writes that she has been trying to avoid Lovelace, while he has insisted on her company. She is blunt with him regarding her unhappiness with the situation, blaming herself for meeting him, and him for luring her away. Lovelace is angry, but he eventually assumes bashfulness and asks Clarissa to marry him immediately. She is confused and silent, which he interprets as anger and promises not to bring up marriage anymore. Lovelace enjoys Clarissa’s confusion and distress and is pleased with his ability to manipulate her. But he sincerely admires Clarissa, especially as he witnesses her true purity and virtue, and debates with himself about whether he actually might marry her. However, he argues against the idea using his hatred of the Harlowes, his annoyance with Clarissa’s refusal to acknowledge her love for him, and his general aversion to what he calls “fetters” as suitable enough reasons. He resolves that he will make his treatment of Clarissa a trial of her virtue, and if she passes, he will marry her. This will be a test not only for Clarissa, he says, but for all females; if she passes it, she will prove that there is such a thing as incorruptible virtue.

Summary

Clarissa hears from Anna that the Harlowes will not send her any clothes or money. They intend for her to suffer. Troubled by the circumstances of her escape, Clarissa confronts Lovelace and asks him how much of the event was premeditated. Lovelace boldly tells a story very close to the truth: he admits that he had employed Leman as a spy and told him to cry out if he saw anyone coming. Clarissa asks how, if someone was approaching the house, she had not seen them; Lovelace produces a letter from Leman explaining that a dog had startled him into yelling, and he had tried to follow them and let them know of the mistake. Lovelace also confesses that he had seen Clarissa’s letter and assumed it was a revocation, so he did not open it. Clarissa is shocked at the complexity of Lovelace’s contrivances, but Lovelace’s free confession of them, and his explanation that it was concern and love for her that prompted his actions, comfort her somewhat. Lovelace’s version of the story demonstrates his quick cunning: he reveals much of the wicked truth while appearing much less wicked than he really is.

Lovelace is now very agreeable to Clarissa. He seems impartial about her choice of where to go, makes generous offers, and promises to reform. Although much encouraged by Lovelace’s new attitude, Clarissa still doubts that she should marry him; however, she also wonders why Lovelace has not yet pursued the idea of marriage at all. Clarissa blames herself for her bad situation, saying she was too vain in hoping to remain an example of virtue.

Lovelace angers Clarissa by speaking disparagingly of her family, then he wins back her regard by showing her letters from his aunt and cousin. These women have very good reputations and high social standing, so Clarissa is concerned about their view of her. The letters express kindness toward Clarissa and admonish Lovelace to treat her well. Lovelace tricks her into deciding to go to London and agrees to write to a friend, Mr. Doleman, to ask about lodgings there. Doleman’s letter lists several available lodgings, and Clarissa picks what seem to be the best—the house of the widow Sinclair on Dover Street. Lovelace pretends indifference but exults to Belford that she has fallen into his trap again, implying that the house (which is not on Dover Street, and not owned by Mrs. Sinclair) is not as respectable as Doleman’s letter makes it seem.

Lovelace discovers that James Harlowe and his friend Captain Singleton are plotting to kidnap Clarissa. He makes light of it, but Clarissa is frightened. While she is in a state of confusion Lovelace suddenly proposes, knowing that she will not be able to accept in those circumstances. Leman writes to inform Lovelace that he may be prosecuted for the rape and abandonment of a woman named Miss Betterton, who had died in childbirth several years before. Lovelace tells Leman that this was a youthful folly and gives him instructions for turning the Singleton plot to his own ends. A letter from Belford disapproves of Lovelace’s actions and tells him to do justice to Clarissa.

Clarissa writes to her Aunt Hervey and receives a harsh reply, which indicates that the Harlowes had intended to stop their persecutions after the Wednesday trial meeting with Solmes. Clarissa is despondent, but things are about to get worse. She receives a letter from Arabella telling her that Mr. Harlowe has laid a curse on her, “that you may meet your punishment, both here and hereafter, by means of the very wretch in whom you have chosen to place your confidence.” Clarissa is most terrified at the extension of the curse into the afterlife. Anna tries to comfort her and sends money, which Clarissa returns. She writes that Lovelace has been very tender toward her in her distress and has finally made an earnest offer of marriage, although Clarissa could not accept it because of her agitation. Anna tells her to stop being ceremonious and get married at all costs.

Lovelace writes that he is about to be caught in his own web. Clarissa’s illness at the news of her father’s curse had frightened him into a genuine proposal, and he intends to marry Clarissa after all. But he continues to discuss his plots. He knows that James has abandoned the Singleton project but will continue to pretend it’s a threat in order to increase Clarissa’s dependence on him. He has enough doubts about marriage to leave himself loopholes. As he prepares to set out for London, Lovelace describes a battle with his roguish heart, which turns him away from his honest purposes. He reflects that it will probably be better for both him and Clarissa if they do not marry, since he will make a bad husband.

Lovelace and Clarissa arrive at Mrs. Sinclair’s whorehouse and, now that he is there, Lovelace admits to wavering in his honest purpose. The women of the whorehouse—Polly Horton, Sally Martin, and Dorcas Wykes—welcome Clarissa warmly, although she’s distrustful of them. Lovelace has gone so far as to buy second-hand books so that they will appear to be readers of moral literature. Clarissa finds that she cannot hold Lovelace to his promise of separate lodgings and that she must uncomfortably acquiesce to his story that they are already married.

It is revealed that Polly and Sally had been respectable women before they knew Lovelace, well educated and raised as if for a higher class. They had indulged in “public diversions” and became easy targets for seduction. The two are jealous of Clarissa and discourage Lovelace from behaving honorably. Lovelace tells Clarissa he has found a house for her and is in negotiations to buy it from a widow named Fretchville, which provides an excuse to put off marriage. Lovelace throws a party and invites his crew of rakes—Belford, Mowbray, Belton, and Tourville, as well as a woman named Miss Partington. Lovelace gives them all instructions to act respectably, but Clarissa finds them vulgar and offensive nonetheless.

Mrs. Howe writes to Clarissa to forbid her correspondence with Anna. Clarissa agrees, but Anna insists that they carry on in secret with the help of Hickman. Lovelace exults that it is his machinations, through Leman and Uncle Antony, that have turned Mrs. Howe against Clarissa and removed that means of escape.

Lovelace’s friends send him a letter condemning his plan to ruin Clarissa, whom even they can see is a superior being. Lovelace agrees with their praise of Clarissa but mocks their sermonizing: he has resolved to resume his scheming.

Lovelace complains of Clarissa’s chilly attitude toward him. Anna has repeatedly advised Clarissa to act more warmly toward Lovelace, for diplomacy’s sake, but Clarissa says his behavior forces her to keep him at a distance. Cousin Morden writes to Clarissa. He advocates for Solmes, stressing the importance of morality in a husband and warning her about the wicked sensuousness and profligacy of the libertine character, apparently having firsthand knowledge of it. Clarissa bemoans her lot and suggests that Anna ask Hickman to intercede for her with her uncle. She will not take any step until she hears from him.

In order to convince Clarissa that negotiations on a house are indeed underway, Lovelace assigns a friend of his, “Captain Mennell,” to play the part of house broker. Mennell meets Clarissa and has qualms about deceiving her, but Lovelace convinces him to continue. Lovelace is nervous about Clarissa’s correspondence with Anna and wishes he could see the letters. One evening Clarissa drops a letter without noticing, and Lovelace sneakily picks it up. She catches him trying to hide it, seizes it back, and locks herself in her room. She resolves to leave Lovelace if she gets any encouragement from her uncle. Anna approves and comforts Clarissa by saying her story will be not only a warning but an example to women who hear it.

Anna writes to Mrs. Norton and asks her to intervene with Mrs. Harlowe. Norton replies that as much as Mrs. Harlowe’s heart bleeds, she can do nothing for Clarissa. The request to Uncle Harlowe also fails. Anna advises Clarissa to marry Lovelace as quickly as she can. Clarissa agrees to see him the following morning. She tells him that her application to her family has failed. Lovelace is offended that she is willing to give him up and he frightens her with a violent declaration that she must be his. He apologizes and offers to draw up marriage settlements. Clarissa conveys these to Anna for consideration. They are very generous, but the conclusion is cold and makes no mention of a wedding day. Lovelace later presses for an immediate wedding but at the same time suggests reasons for delay. They will wait for the approval of Lord M., Lovelace’s uncle.

As usual, Lovelace exults in his cruelty but mentions that he has been sincerely affected by Clarissa’s virtue and distress. Belford criticizes Lovelace’s lack of feeling and respect for virtue. Lord M. writes to Belford, asking him to persuade Lovelace to marry Clarissa. Lovelace ridicules Belford’s arguments and ridicules Lord M. for his use of proverbs.

Belford tells Lovelace about the sad situation of their friend Belton: Belton is very ill and has just found out that his longtime mistress has been diverting all of his money to a lover for many years. Belton cannot get rid of her, because she has passed for his wife for a long time, and he does not know what to do about the two boys he had thought were his sons. Belford reflects that “keeping” a mistress is a worse idea than marrying one, because the mistress has no good reason to be faithful, with neither a reputation to lose nor legal consequences to fear. Lovelace refuses to take a lesson from this. He decides to get Clarissa to a play so Dorcas can search for her letters.

Anna has formed a plan with a trader named Mrs. Townsend to free and hide Clarissa. Anna is convinced that the Singleton plot is still in effect because a mysterious sailor has been hanging about.

Uncle Antony has proposed to Mrs. Howe, in a pompous, less-than-romantic letter. He sells himself on his health, money, lack of children, and collection of knickknacks; he commends Mrs. Howe on her frugality, fortune, and the fact that she has only one child (whom he hopes will not live with them). He notes that he is “none of your Lovelaces,” in that he is making his proposals as plain and direct as possible. After running the matter by Anna and getting only mockery for her pains, Mrs. Howe writes an equally ludicrous refusal but confesses a desire to see the knickknacks.

Dorcas has found and transcribed several of Anna’s letters. Lovelace reads them and is enraged by Anna’s insulting words about him. He sees that Anna has influenced Clarissa against him and finds out about the Townsend plot. Lovelace vows revenge on both girls. Egged on by the women of the house, Lovelace resolves to take more liberties with Clarissa. He treats her with enough anger and ardor to frighten her but is held back by his admiration of her. He decides he will have to surprise her at night. Clarissa had written a positive answer to his settlements, but she tears it in half when she gets back to her room. Lovelace reads this letter after Dorcas transcribes it and is softened by its display of generosity and virtue.

Lovelace makes an excuse to give up on the house plot when Mennell refuses to deceive Clarissa any longer. A strange man comes to the neighborhood, inquiring about Clarissa and Lovelace. Letters from Charlotte Montague and Lord M. pacify Clarissa. Lovelace decides to make himself sick in order to test Clarissa’s love. He takes ipecacuanha to make himself vomit, puts pig’s blood in the vomit, and instructs the women of the house to act as though the illness were very grave. Clarissa shows her love with her concern and tears; Lovelace is charmed. Clarissa knows that she has been “detected” and is confused about her position.

The man who has been hanging about is identified as Captain Tomlinson. He explains that he has been sent by Uncle Harlowe to ask whether Clarissa is married to Lovelace. If she is, Uncle Harlowe is ready to start a process to welcome Clarissa back to the family. Lovelace lets on that they are married, intending to get Clarissa to sign a note with her married name. The more he can get Clarissa to go along with this lie, the less leverage she will have in making him marry her and the more difficult it will be to run away.

Clarissa insists on telling Tomlinson the truth about her marital status. Lovelace explains that they have not yet married because Clarissa awaits reconciliation with her family, but he offers the settlements as evidence that the formalities have been put in progress. Tomlinson seems won over and professes his desire to help Clarissa be reunited with her family. Lovelace agrees to cooperate in the reconciliation. Clarissa is overjoyed at the prospect. She prophecies that her family will become warmer and warmer to Lovelace until they wonder how they could ever have opposed him. Lovelace is genuinely affected by her words and her happiness. He describes the “odd sensation” of being moved to actual tears. But in the next letter he confesses to Belford that Tomlinson is actually his friend Patrick McDonald. Lovelace has set up this trick to get Clarissa’s guard down, but he also says that he is being kind by giving her some real joy before her inevitable defeat.

Summary

The marriage settlements come back formalized from the lawyer, and Lovelace proceeds to pursue a license. He encounters unexpected difficulties with this, because he cannot prove that Clarissa’s parents have consented to the marriage. Clarissa’s happiness makes their relationship smooth and pleasant, and Lovelace’s vicious resolve falters several times. When it does, he reads over Anna’s insulting letters to stir up his desire for revenge.

Belford again writes to admonish Lovelace and ask him to give up the plot. He writes of Clarissa’s perfection and pleads with Lovelace not to debase it. He makes fun of Lovelace’s contrivances, calling them trite, stale, and poor. Lovelace responds indignantly to the latter accusation.

The next letter is written at eleven o’ clock at night. Lovelace is about to spring some new evil. Clarissa has gone to bed, and Lovelace is going to sneak into her room, hoping that if he surprises her in sleep, she will not resist him. However, his body seems to be rebelling against his plan: he speaks to his heart, his knees, his fingers to tell them to be steady. He’s about to give up the idea when someone yells “Fire!” A maid has set the kitchen curtains on fire, and there is no real danger. But there is a commotion, and Clarissa comes to her door half-dressed and about to faint with fear. Lovelace runs to her and takes her in his arms. He is enraptured to be holding her. Concerned for her health, he puts her on her bed and sits on the side to show he means no harm.

As she recovers her senses, Clarissa nevertheless accuses him of treachery. She assumes that the fire was a trick. Lovelace clasps her in his arms again. She struggles and begs him to let her go, appealing to his mercy and duty to protect a defenseless creature. He continues to kiss and caress her and she calls for help. Thinking Lovelace is about to rape her, she looks for something to kill herself with. Finding nothing, she sinks to the floor, embracing Lovelace’s knees, and begs for mercy. He is softened and promises her safety if she will promise to forgive him. She does, and he leaves her alone. He says that the trial has been a triumph for her and for her sex.

Clarissa breaks her promise and refuses to see Lovelace for a week. She will only communicate with him by letter, and in her notes she accuses him of betraying her and says that she will only think about seeing him again if it is her only route to reconciliation with her family. Lovelace tells Belford that if Clarissa would show love for him and confidence in his honor he would marry her and be hers forever. But he is not quite resolved; he reflects on the intricacies of his plots, on her distrust of him, and on the fact that she is superior to him and they both know it. He cannot imagine having a superior wife. He admits that Anna is right, that Clarissa shines even in a time of suffering.

Clarissa escapes. Lovelace is beside himself. He learns that she had told Dorcas she would stay in her room for a week and asked her to bring some rolls so she would not have to leave to eat. Dorcas had taken her to the kitchen to prove that the fire was real and Clarissa appeared surprised. She had sent Will, Lovelace’s servant, out with letters for Anna and Lovelace and took advantage of his absence to sneak out. Some time had passed before she was missed, although she had attracted attention in the neighborhood by her hurry, and a man had seen her enter a coach and overheard the direction she had given the driver. Will sets out to find her.

A letter from Anna arrives. She has been making inquiries and has finally discovered most of Lovelace’s plots, including the real character of Mrs. Sinclair’s house and the nonexistence of any Captain Tomlinson or Mrs. Fretchville—the widow from whom Lovelace was to purchase a house for Clarissa. She tells Clarissa to leave the house immediately. Lovelace is so infuriated by the letter that he puts pointers in the margin to mark the words that require vengeance.

Will finds Clarissa. She has not gone far and has decided to stay where she is, at the house of a woman named Mrs. Moore, until she has some direction from Anna. Lovelace goes to the village and disguises himself as a gouty old man. He asks to take a room in the house where Clarissa is staying and tricks his way into her presence. She recognizes him, and he throws off his cloak, to the surprise of the people of the house. Clarissa pleads with them to hide her. Lovelace tells them she is his wife and has run away; although she is telling the truth, he is a better actor and convinces them of his story. He gives Clarissa a letter from Captain Tomlinson to soften her, but she remains furious. Lovelace tells everyone to leave her alone. He tells the good women of the house his contrived story and gets them on his side, although one of them remains doubtful. Clarissa will not defend herself.

Anna sends a letter that asks if Clarissa has gotten her last, which she says is very important and cannot fall into Lovelace’s hands. Clarissa sends a servant to get it. Lovelace has replaced Anna’s letter with a forgery that contains much of the original but none of the incriminating information. On Lovelace’s orders, Will has gotten involved with the servant girl who has been carrying Clarissa’s letters, so Lovelace can intercept them easily. He forges a letter to Anna to reassure her that Clarissa is fine. He also flirts with the Widow Bevis, who is staying at the house, and is sure that she will help in his plots against Clarissa.

Summary

Tomlinson arrives at Mrs. Moore’s. He continues to pretend that Clarissa’s family is ready for a reconciliation if she is married to Lovelace and encourages her to forgive him for their sake. Although he plays his part well, Tomlinson is moved to tears by Clarissa’s grief. He asks Lovelace whether he has any thoughts of marrying Clarissa. Lovelace says that he will, if she passes what he calls the final test; that is, she must successfully resist his rape attempt. Clarissa tells him she will wait for advice from Anna before she makes any decision and insists that whatever happens she will not return to Mrs. Sinclair’s. Lovelace resolves to intercept the letter but cannot think how he will be able to do it.

The letter comes while Clarissa is at church. Lovelace convinces Widow Bevis to pretend she is Clarissa so the messenger will deliver it to her. In it Anna expresses surprise that Clarissa would think of marrying Lovelace after the information Anna has sent. She says that Mrs. Townsend, in Anna’s plot to rescue Clarissa, will arrive at Mrs. Moore’s the following Wednesday or Thursday. Once again, Anna’s letter stirs up Lovelace’s desire for revenge.

The marriage license is finally obtained. Lovelace sends a copy to Belford with sarcastic annotations, mocking its formality and pointing out all the loopholes left by its legalistic circumlocutions.

Lovelace tells Clarissa that Lady Betty and Charlotte Montague are coming to visit her, to express their eagerness to welcome her into their family. Clarissa is pleased. Lovelace explains to Belford that these ladies are actually well-trained whores, dressed in borrowed finery. The ladies arrive and succeed in their masquerade. They claim to be so charmed by Clarissa that they will stay at Mrs. Moore’s for a week, but they say they have to go to town first. They trick Clarissa into going with them and Lovelace, and into going to Mrs. Sinclair’s to pack her things while they take care of their errand. Of course, the ladies never return to Mrs. Sinclair’s to take Clarissa back to Mrs. Moore’s. When Clarissa finds herself stranded there she is distraught with fear. She tells Lovelace that she will not stay the night there and begs that he get her a coach so she can go anywhere else. Lovelace makes various delays, and finally Mrs. Sinclair comes in, angry at Clarissa for being so disrespectful to her house. She is so monster-like that Clarissa is terrified, and the process of calming both her and Mrs. Sinclair lasts well into the night so that Clarissa cannot go anywhere.

The next morning Lovelace writes a very short letter: “And now, Belford, I can go no farther. The affair is over. Clarissa lives.”

Belford writes back in extreme distress and calls Lovelace a “savage-hearted monster” and says that he is now convinced that there is an afterlife that will provide justice. Some of it seems to be affecting Lovelace, as he is depressed and regrets his action. He reveals that Clarissa had been drugged and was unconscious when he raped her. This, he says, was Mrs. Sinclair’s suggestion. Clarissa has lost her senses. She writes ten “papers,” fragments that she throws on the floor after finishing with them. They are bits of letters to Anna, Lovelace, her father, and her sister, as well as some laments about her state and metaphorical stories of ruin. The final paper is made up of fragments from different poems, written at crazy angles all over the page. She also writes a longer letter to Lovelace, in which she says that she has “wept out all [her] brain,” and concludes that he and his cohorts have driven her mad. She calls Lovelace Satan and begs him not to set Mrs. Sinclair on her again. Clarissa recognizes her own insanity and instructs Lovelace to take her to a madhouse.

Before long Clarissa is recovering. She makes several attempts to escape but is stopped by the women of the house. She has a conversation with Lovelace, in which she remains composed and stern, and this reduces him to a sniveling apology and declaration of regret. He begs her to marry him immediately, and she refuses.

Lovelace’s uncle, Lord M., is very ill and calls for Lovelace to come to him. Lovelace is torn, feeling that he cannot leave Clarissa but knowing that he has to go to his uncle if he expects to inherit his wealth and title. He continues to press for marriage, and she continues to refuse haughtily and tries to escape once again. Lovelace admits to Belford that his whole plan has failed. Because Clarissa was unconscious when he raped her, her will has not been violated. The rape has therefore failed to put her in his power.

The women of the house try to ingratiate themselves with Clarissa. Dorcas succeeds to some extent, and Clarissa writes her a note promising her money for assistance with her escape. Dorcas gives the note to Lovelace, who plans to use it as a provocation for a fight. He comes up with a new contrivance, using Dorcas to suggest a means of escape to Clarissa in which she will go outside and be picked up by a strange woman in a carriage. The lady will offer to take her to her house. In reality, the lady will be another whore, and once she has put Clarissa to bed Lovelace will surprise her there. The plan fails: Clarissa does not wholly trust Dorcas and is wary of the strange coincidence of the lady passing in the carriage. Lovelace is disappointed, but his plots are not at an end. He constructs another letter from Tomlinson, which recommends the following Thursday for the wedding because it is Uncle Harlowe’s birthday and he will come to town to celebrate it with Clarissa’s marriage. Clarissa still refuses.

Summary

Lovelace intercepts a letter from Anna, who expresses puzzlement at learning from Mrs. Townsend, who arrived at Mrs. Moore’s ready to rescue Clarissa, that Clarissa has gone back to Mrs. Sinclair’s. She asks for an explanation of her behavior, hinting that if Clarissa has given up her fight against Lovelace, but is not married to him, their friendship must be at an end. Lovelace does not give the letter to Clarissa. She demands that he let her go away, but he convinces her to stay until the following Thursday, when her uncle is supposedly coming to see her married. Clarissa thinks her uncle’s arrival will allow her to throw herself into his protection, so she agrees to the plan.

Unable to make any progress with Clarissa through love or gentleness, Lovelace goes back to his tricks and puts Dorcas’s note to effect. He pretends to find it and to be enraged, drawing his sword on Dorcas and shouting at her for betraying his trust. There is a great commotion, with all of the whores and servants adding to the fuss. Dorcas runs to Clarissa’s door for help, and when she steps outside, her natural majesty awes everyone into silence. She chastises Lovelace for the contrivance and excoriates the women, whom she now recognizes as whores, for the parts they have played in her downfall. Clarissa threatens to go to the law for vengeance. This frightens the women, and they pretend to take Clarissa’s side.

Lovelace advances on Clarissa, begging forgiveness, but she is frightened and thinks he is going to rape her again. She holds a penknife to her chest and is ready to kill herself, but Lovelace, terrified himself, retreats. He admits that it had been his original design to force her back to her bedroom and see if he could complete the plan that her unconsciousness had made impossible before. Having failed, and seeing Clarissa’s power, he finally gives up the cohabitation scheme and tells Belton he will really marry her. He leaves for M. Hall to tend after Lord M.

He writes pleading letters to Clarissa, asking her to return only four words to say she will marry him on Thursday. She will not answer. Lovelace keeps four messengers in constant motion to keep up the flow of letters to Clarissa. His uncle seems about to die. He asks Belford to visit Clarissa and intercede for him, but Belford refuses because he doubts Lovelace’s honesty. He then asks Tomlinson to go to Clarissa, which he does but finds that she has escaped. At this point, Belford and another friend, Mowbray, are at Mrs. Sinclair’s, trying to make sense of the matter. Clarissa had offered to give the maid Mabel some of her clothes, and while they were changing had taken Mabel’s clothes and left the house in them. Those at the house had been deceived, as they could see her only from the back, and it takes a while before the mixup is discovered. Clarissa is not to be found.

Lovelace writes in distress that Clarissa must be found and that he will marry her as soon as he can. He also mentions his disappointment that his uncle is recovering. Clarissa writes a barely coherent letter to Anna, saying she has escaped again but hinting that she has been ruined. In her confused state, Clarissa forgets to send the letter to the false name and address they’ve been using, so Mrs. Howe gets ahold of it. She writes a scathing letter in return, forbidding her to communicate with Anna and moralizing on the costs of disobedience to parents. Clarissa writes back meekly, asking for news of Anna’s health, since Lovelace’s forged letter had claimed that an illness prohibited Anna from writing. Clarissa also writes to Hannah, asking her to come see her, and to Mrs. Norton to ask whether Mr. Harlowe might be willing to lift the curse on his daughter, which she says has already been fulfilled on earth. Mrs. Norton replies that her family is still unforgiving. Clarissa writes to Lady Betty and to her uncle’s housekeeper to find out the truth about Lovelace’s tricks. They confirm that Lovelace had been lying.

Anna sees the letter that had been intercepted by her mother and blames Clarissa for her ruin. She asks Clarissa to clear up the story if she can. Clarissa says she did not receive the letters Anna mentions and explains as much as she knows about how she was deceived. Anna laments Clarissa’s horrible fate and encourages her to prosecute Lovelace. Clarissa declares that she’s dying, and Anna beseeches Clarissa not to give way to her sorrow. Clarissa refuses to go to court, saying she could not bear to repeat her story in public and that all appearances are against her, as it may seem she had voluntarily run off and lived with Lovelace before the rape.

Lovelace is in despair, saying he cannot see beauty in any other woman. Nevertheless, he pretends to be cheerful and saucy when his aunt and cousin confront him with his deception, and he seems to enjoy his ability to manipulate them. He convinces them to help him marry Clarissa. They decide to appeal to Anna for help, and when they visit her, Anna agrees with them that marrying Lovelace is Clarissa’s best option. She encourages Clarissa to consider it, but before she gets any reply, she also writes to Lovelace’s cousin, Charlotte Montague, frantically inquiring about Clarissa, who has disappeared from her lodgings. Lovelace discovers that the whores, thinking they were acting for his benefit, had Clarissa arrested for money owed them from her past lodgings at Mrs. Sinclair’s. Lovelace frantically implores Belford to hurry to the prison and get Clarissa out and also to clear him of involvement in this plot. He gets his aunts and cousins to sign onto a letter to Anna, explaining his innocence in this episode.

Summary

Belford goes to the prison and is appalled by the situation. Clarissa had been accosted in the street on her way out of church and, despite her fear of the strange men, is forced to go with them into a carriage. Sally Martin had been waiting at the officer’s house that serves as a prison, and she accuses Clarissa of trying to cheat Mrs. Sinclair out of £150 she owed for her lodging. She mocks Clarissa, frequently calling her “Miss” and pointing out that she is not married. Clarissa refuses any food or drink and also refuses to write to any of her friends for the money. She insists that she will not see any man.

Polly and Sally offer to bring her back to Mrs. Sinclair’s and, while Clarissa is at their mercy, she will not treat them politely, and they are rude to her in return. She at first refuses to see Belford because he is a man, but the jailers let him into her room. Belford writes an extremely detailed description of the squalid, run-down room, with Clarissa, all in white, kneeling in a corner of it with her Bible. He notes that somehow her linen is as white as ever even though she would not have been able to change it. Belford eventually gains her trust and she goes with him back to her lodgings. She is very ill and weak.

Dr. H., recommended by Belford, visits Clarissa. She has no money but insists on paying him, so she gives her landlady a diamond ring in exchange for a loan. Unable to write, she dictates a letter to be sent to Anna. Belford visits Clarissa at her lodgings and pleads for Lovelace. She convinces him that she does not hate Lovelace, and sincerely wishes for his reformation, but she maintains that she will never see him again. Belford calls her an angel and asks Lovelace how he could have treated her as he did. Clarissa begins to feel better and is grateful for her comfortable, safe situation and for the paternal treatment of Dr. H. Belford goes to visit Belton, who is dying, and he reflects again upon the folly of the rakish life, resolving to reform and marry if he can, and attributing the resolution to Clarissa’s influence on him. Clarissa sells some of her clothes so that she can pay for her expenses.

Hickman visits Lovelace in order to ascertain his earnestness about marrying Clarissa. Lovelace mocks his formality and seriousness, and he shocks Hickman by saying that Clarissa has in fact left him for another suitor. Lovelace then reveals that the suitor is Death. Hickman leaves disconcerted but convinced that Lovelace is serious.

Mrs. Smith, the owner of Clarissa’s new accommodation, asks Clarissa and Belford to join her and her husband in celebrating their anniversary. Clarissa will not, and she takes the occasion to relate her story to the people of the house. Everyone is convinced that she is an angel.

Clarissa writes to Arabella to ask her to intercede with their father. Unbeknownst to Clarissa, Anna also writes to Arabella to tell her of Clarissa’s dangerous condition. An exchange of insulting letters between the two follows. Arabella shows the offensive letters to Mrs. Harlowe, who in turn sends them to Mrs. Howe, who writes back in apology. Anna writes to encourage Clarissa to marry Lovelace, now that she is convinced of his earnestness and his innocence of the arrest. Clarissa writes that she believes in both his earnestness and innocence, but she will still not marry Lovelace, saying she has more pleasure in thinking of death than of a husband. Mrs. Norton writes and tells Clarissa that the Harlowes would have extended favor to her before Anna’s letters angered them. Clarissa chides Anna for taking such freedoms with her family. She writes again to Arabella to reconcile.

Her health worsens. Belford sends Lovelace a “meditation” Clarissa has written, composed of lines from the Bible. He is impressed by Clarissa’s equanimity in the face of death, especially when he compares it to Belton’s terror. Hickman visits Clarissa, and Belton is impressed by him.

Lovelace attends a ball where he knows he will meet Anna and Hickman. Anna had shown her fury at him, snapping her fan in his face. Mrs. Howe and the rest of their acquaintances, however, are convinced by Lovelace’s protestations of repentance and think Clarissa should marry him. Clarissa again explains her reasons for refusing and, finally, Anna is convinced. She relays Clarissa’s answer to Lovelace’s relations, who have been waiting for it. Anna tells Clarissa she should write down her story as a service to the young women who might read it.

Lovelace suspects that Clarissa’s ill health might be due to pregnancy. He is overjoyed at the thought, which would both remove the threat of death and ensure that Clarissa would marry him.

Mrs. Norton tries to influence Clarissa’s mother in her favor. Mrs. Harlowe replies that once again she is unable to change anything, but that Mr. Harlowe has indeed revoked his curse. Clarissa is grateful for this, although saddened by her mother’s distress, as well as by a harsh reply from Arabella. In response to Anna’s concerns, Clarissa writes that although she wants to die, she considers it her duty to try to stay alive. Nevertheless, she begins making arrangements for death. She decides that Belford will be her executor, showing great trust in him. She also asks Belford to send her some of Lovelace’s letters, so that she can compile a collection that will reveal her story after she’s dead. Because Lovelace and Belford always write to each other in a secret shorthand, Belford transcribes some letters for her. Clarissa is glad to see that Lovelace preserved some degree of decency as well as a strict honesty, and that the letters will be able to fill the gaps left by hers.

Arabella writes another cruel letter, which has bad effects on Clarissa’s health. In turn, she writes a humble letter to her mother, imploring forgiveness. Lovelace’s family is convinced by Clarissa’s reasoning and offers her an estate and an annuity as some kind of recompense for Lovelace’s treatment. Clarissa is touched, but she refuses. Lovelace is furious at Belford for giving Clarissa his letters and also for accepting the commission as executor. He is still intent on marrying Clarissa and threatens to visit her if she will not answer a letter from him.

Summary

A clergyman named Mr. Brand is sent by the Harlowes to examine Clarissa’s situation. He is extremely pompous and pedantic. Clarissa sends a letter to Lovelace to prevent his visit. She tells him she writes only to avoid a greater evil, but that because of her religion she forgives him and wishes him well. In response to Clarissa’s letter to her mother, Uncle Harlowe sends a nasty letter bluntly asking if she is pregnant. Clarissa writes another “meditation” and stitches it to this letter with black silk. She writes back and in answer to the “cruel question” says “a little, a very little time will better answer than I can.” She asks again for a last blessing. An even crueler letter arrives from Uncle Antony, suggesting that they have heard bad things about her. Mrs. Norton explains this: Mr. Brand had given a bad report about Clarissa, centered around Belford’s frequent visits. The family resolves to send Clarissa to Pennsylvania. Colonel Morden arrives in England.

Lovelace is very sick. He is miserable, but as he recovers, manages to trick his family into thinking he has been converted by reading them one of Clarissa’s meditations that had been sent by Belford. He is back on good terms with them and more determined than ever to see Clarissa. Belford tells Lovelace again not to come near Clarissa, but he will have to leave her unprotected because he must go attend the dying Belton. He sends Clarissa a letter to warn her, and Lovelace immediately proceeds to London. He forces his way up to Clarissa’s room, but she is not there. He then puts on a comical but insulting performance in the Smiths’ shop, terrifying everyone but also making them laugh.

Lovelace has a dream that he is saved from a fight with Morden by Clarissa, who is then surrounded by angels and taken to heaven; just then the floor starts to sink under Lovelace and he tumbles into a bottomless pit. This frightens him at first, but he soon explains it away. He keeps trying to see Clarissa, but she is never home. Even a Meditation called “On being hunted after by the enemy of my soul” fails to stop him. Finally a letter from Clarissa arrives, saying she has good news: she is setting out for her father’s house and will not have time to see Lovelace in the midst of her preparations. She tells him he can see her there and says she will send him a letter when she gets there. Lovelace is in ecstasy. He immediately leaves for Lord M.’s to wait for her letter.

Belford writes several letters about the pitiable Belton and reminds Lovelace that he one day must die too. Belton eventually dies, miserably, and Belford returns to Clarissa. He finds that she is very ill after having stayed out in carriages and boats to avoid Lovelace. She receives letters from Mrs. Norton saying that Morden had decided to visit Lovelace, because the family did not believe that he was in fact willing to marry Clarissa. This worries her, and she writes to Anna and explains that her letter to Lovelace was allegorical, that it was about her journey to heaven and not to her literal father’s house. She worries that this deception, while not really a lie, might have been wrong. Belford explains the allegory to Lovelace.

Morden visits Lovelace and, after some initial hostilities, they get along well. Morden is convinced of Lovelace’s love for and good intentions toward Clarissa. Morden writes a kind letter to Clarissa, recommending that she marry Lovelace. Clarissa is overjoyed at his kindness but tells him she cannot marry Lovelace; she can forgive him, but that is because she has risen above him. She hints that he will understand when he knows the whole story, but she asks him not to do anything for vengeance. Lovelace is furious at Clarissa’s deception and says that it is just as bad a lie as any he told.

One day while Belford is visiting Clarissa some men arrive and bring a coffin up to her room. Clarissa is embarrassed and explains that she bought it with the money from her clothes to save trouble after she dies. Everyone is shocked, but she tells them that familiarity will make them more comfortable with the coffin’s presence. She had designed the coffin’s decorations, which include several Bible verses, a winged hourglass, an urn, and a lily with the flower snapped off. She becomes very sick, and Belford predicts that she will never again leave her room. Lovelace is distraught and writes with more seriousness and humanity than usual. Clarissa recovers and hurries to finish her will.

Anna writes that Morden cannot convince the Harlowes to relent. They do not think she is as sick as she is. At Belford’s next visit to Clarissa he finds that she is sitting and writing at her coffin as though it were a desk. A letter from Mrs. Norton relates that Morden had shown the Harlowes letters he’d gotten from Lovelace and from Anna, which convince them both that Lovelace had been willing to marry Clarissa and that she is very sick. Mrs. Harlowe, the uncles, and even Arabella show some signs of softening, but James hardens everybody’s hearts. Morden is infuriated and refuses to stay with them anymore.

Clarissa has made up packets of letters, in order according to date, for Belford to open after she is dead. She has also made an inventory of her possessions and lets him know where her keys are. Her sight is becoming misty, and her breath short. Morden writes another letter, saying he is delaying his visit to her because he hopes to bring blessings from her family, as she’d requested. Against Clarissa’s wishes, Belford writes to Morden to tell him to hurry, and Dr. H. writes to Mr. Harlowe to let him know his daughter’s real condition.

Clarissa speaks of being thankful for her gradual death, which has given her time to prepare herself for heaven. Lovelace is so anxious for news that he cannot wait at home, so he rides out to meet his messenger halfway. Clarissa asks Belford about Lovelace, and he tells her of his affliction. She pities him if his conscience has woken up and says he needs no greater punishment. She admits she could have loved him. Belford and the minister urge her to see Lovelace in hopes of securing his reformation, but she says she has too little time left and is too weak to contend with Lovelace. Lovelace, hearing of this, is remorseful and repentant.

Summary

The doctor and apothecary take leave of Clarissa, not expecting to see her again. Anna is about to set out for London but waits for Clarissa’s answer before she does. Clarissa is too weak to write but dictates a letter telling Anna to rejoice in the joy Clarissa is heading for. Morden visits Clarissa and Belford escorts him to her room, describing the tableau he sees there. Clarissa is dressed in white, asleep in a chair, leaning on Mrs. Lovick (a fellow lodger at the Smiths’) so that the cheek pressed against her is flushed, while the other is already as pale as death. Morden is horrified by her condition. Clarissa takes a miniature of Anna from around her neck and asks that it be sent to Hickman.

Lovelace is riding back and forth, awaiting word on Clarissa from messengers. He demands news. Belford sends a short and cryptic note, and Mowbray, who has joined Lovelace on Belford’s orders, writes back because Lovelace is incapable. Mowbray, completely insensitive and wondering what all the fuss is about, describes Lovelace’s frenzy upon reading the note. Belford sends the details of Clarissa’s death. She spent her last moments expressing gratitude to God and sending final messages to her friends. Finally she blessed everyone and died with the words, “Oh come—blessed Lord—Jesus!”. Shortly after her death, letters arrive from the Harlowes to tell Clarissa that she is to be welcomed back into the family. Mrs. Norton arrives to see Clarissa, but of course it is too late.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-28