SATURDAY, SIX IN THE AFTERNOON
What has contributed to her serenity , it seems , is , that taking the alarm her fits gave her , she has entirely finished , and signed and sealed , her last will : which she had deferred till this time , in hopes , as she said , of some good news from Harlowe-place ; which would have induced her to alter some passages in it . Miss Howe 's letter was not given her till four in the afternoon , yesterday ; at which time the messenger returned for an answer . She admitted him into her presence in the dining-room , ill as she then was , and she would have written a few lines , as desired by Miss Howe ; but , not being able to hold a pen , she bid the messenger tell her that she hoped to be well enough to write a long letter by the next day 's post ; and would not now detain him . *** SATURDAY , SIX IN THE AFTERNOON . I called just now , and found the lady writing to Miss Howe . She made me a melancholy compliment , that she showed me not Miss Howe 's letter , because I should soon have that and all her papers before me . But she told me that Miss Howe had very considerably obviated to Colonel Morden several things which might have occasioned misapprehensions between him and me ; and had likewise put a lighter construction , for the sake of peace , on some of your actions than they deserved .