Clarissa · Chapter
Letter 248: Mr. Lovelace, to John Belford, Esq. explained
Lovelace recounts a two-hour garden meeting with Clarissa at Mrs.
What happens
Lovelace recounts a two-hour garden meeting with Clarissa at Mrs. Moore's, where she remains resolute in her refusal to reconcile, citing his vile conduct and the house's corruption. She plans to live independently on her estate or flee abroad, awaiting Miss Howe's next letter. Lovelace, desperate, relies on Lady Betty and Miss Montague's mediation and hopes to intercept Miss Howe's letter.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Lovelace manipulates perceptions, feigning reconciliation while plotting to intercept letters and deceive Clarissa about his intentions.
Female Agency and Virtue
Clarissa asserts her agency by planning an independent life or escape, resisting Lovelace's coercion despite societal pressures.
Power and Manipulation
Lovelace employs strategic manipulation, using intermediaries and false promises to control Clarissa's situation and choices.
Characters to notice
- Clarissa Harlowe
Maintains her resolve against Lovelace, expresses plans for independent living or escape, and awaits Miss Howe's letter.
- Robert Lovelace
Desperate and manipulative, he recounts the meeting, notes Clarissa's tenderness, and plots to intercept Miss Howe's letter.
- John Belford
Recipient of Lovelace's letter, confidant to his schemes and frustrations.
- Anna Howe
Mentioned as the source of Clarissa's awaited letter, which Lovelace fears will expose his plots.
- Captain Tomlinson
Sent to persuade Uncle Harlowe to attend the ceremony, part of Lovelace's deception.
- Mrs. Moore
Hosts the meeting and is misled by Lovelace about the reconciliation's status.
Key passages
“She frankly owned that she had once thought of embarking out of all our ways for some one of our American colonies.”
Clarissa admitted she had considered fleeing to America to escape Lovelace and her family.
Reveals Clarissa's desperation and desire for complete separation.
“I would bind, gag, strip, rob, and do anything but murder, to intercept it.”
Lovelace would go to extreme lengths, short of killing, to get hold of Miss Howe's letter.
Highlights Lovelace's obsessive need to control information.
“She often wept as she talked, and much oftener sighed. She looked at me twice with an eye of undoubted gentleness, and three times with an eye tending to compassion and softness; but its benign rays were as often snatched back.”
Clarissa showed signs of lingering affection through tears and gentle looks, but quickly suppressed them.
Indicates Clarissa's internal conflict between resentment and residual tenderness.