The novels of Charles Brockden Brown, consisting of Wieland;or, The transformation. Arthur Mervyn; or, Memoirs of the year 1793. Edgar Huntly; or, Memoirs of a sleep-walker. Jane Talbot. Ormond; or, The secret witness. Clara Howard; or, The enthusiasm of love. With a memoir of the author.

THE ENTHUSIASM OF LOVE.

93

Accuse me not of fickleness; acquit me of mean and
ungenerous behaviour. Dream not that reasoning or
entreaty will effect any change in my present sentiments.
I love you, Philip, as I ought to love you: I love your
happiness, your virtue. I resign you to this good girl,
as to one who deserves you more than I; whose happiness is more dependent on the affections of another than
mine is. What passion is now wanting in you, time will
shortly supply. In such a case, you must and will act
and feel as you ought.
Let me not hear from you till you have seen her. I
know whence will arise the failure of your efforts on such
an interview. If she withstand your eloquence, it will
be because you have betrayed your cause, or because she
acts from a romantic and groundless generosity with
regard to me. The last obstacle it will be my province
to remove; I will write to her, and convince her that by
rejecting you on my account she does me injury and
not benefit, and is an enemy to your happiness; for while
Mary lives, and is not bound to another, I will never be
to you any thing but
Your friend, CLARA HOWARD.
LETTER XXIV.
To Clara Howard.
MY FRIEND:- Philadelphia, May 13.
I do not mean to reason with you. When I tell you
that you are wrong, I am far from expecting your assent
to my assertion. I say it not in a tone of bitterness or
deprecation; I am calm, in this respect, as yourself;
there is nothing to ruffle my calm. We fluctuate and are
impatient only when doubtful of the future. Our fate
being sealed, and an end being put to suspense and to
doubt, the passions are still; sedateness and tranquillity
at least are ours.
There is nothing, I repeat, to ruffle my calm. I am
not angry with you, for I know the purity and rectitude
of your motives: your judgment only is misguided; but