"Sir Clement," cried I, angrily, "you have no right to make any conditions,-so pray give me the letter directly."
"Why such solicitude about this hateful letter? can it possibly deserve your eagerness? tell me, with truth, with sincerity tell me, does it really merit the least anxiety?"
"No matter, Sir," cried I, in great perplexity, "the letter is mine, and therefore-"
"I must conclude, then," said he, "that the letter deserves your utmost contempt,-but that the name of Orville is sufficient to make you prize it."
"Sir Clement," cried I, colouring, "you are quite-you are very much-the letter is not-"
"O, Miss Anville," cried he, "you blush!-you stammer!-Great Heaven! it is then all as I feared!"
"I know not," cried I, half-frightened, "what you mean; but I beseech you to give me the letter, and to compose yourself."
"The letter," cried he, gnashing his teeth, "you shall never see more! You ought to have burnt it the moment you had read it!" And in an instant he tore it into a thousand pieces.
Alarmed at a fury so indecently outrageous, I would have run out of the room; but he caught hold of my gown, and cried, "Not yet, not yet must you go! I am but half-mad yet, and you must stay to finish your work. Tell me, therefore, does Orville know your fatal partiality?-Say yes," added he, trembling with passion, "and I will fly you for ever!"
"For Heaven's sake, Sir Clement," cried I, "release me!-if you do not, you will force me to call for help."
"Call then," cried he, "inexorable and most unfeeling girl; call, if you please, and bid all the world witness your triumph;-but could ten worlds obey your call, I would not part from you till you had answered me. Tell me, then, does Orville know you love him?"
At any other time, an enquiry so gross would have given me inexpressible confusion; but now, the wildness of his manner terrified me, and I only said, "Whatever you wish to know, Sir Clement, I will tell you another time; but, for the present, I entreat you to let me go!"
"Enough," cried he, "I understand you!-the art of Orville has prevailed;-cold, inanimate, phlegmatic as he is, you have rendered him the most envied of men!-One thing more, and I have done:-Will he marry you?"