Evelina

The novel, told in a series of letters by different characters, begins with a discussion of the young Evelina's past. Her mother had died and her father (Sir John Belmont) had refused to acknowledge her, so she is being raised by her guardian, the Reverend Mr. Villars. A friend of the family, Lady Howard, asks Mr. Villars to allow the sweet and innocent Evelina to spend time with her family. Mr. Villars gives his consent, and Evelina travels to Howard Grove. She knows the particulars of her background, but uses the name "Anville" to escape public scrutiny. Lady Howard's daughter, Mrs. Mirvan, and her granddaughter, Miss Maria Mirvan (who was Evelina's age) take Evelina to London to reunite with Mrs. Mirvan's husband, Captain Mirvan, who had returned from seven years at sea. Evelina writes of her adventures in London – her trips to the theater, her promenades and shopping outings, and her first time at an assembly. There, her ignorance and delicacy are made manifest when she declines to dance with a Mr. Lovel, whose foppishness irritates her. She then agrees to dance with another man whose appearance and manner pleases her more – Lord Orville. Being very diffident, she has little to say, but he is charmed nonetheless. She encounters him frequently in London, but is much harassed by another nobleman named Sir Clement Willoughby, who is charming but also immoral, disrespectful, and libidinous. During her stay in London, Evelina's maternal grandmother, a brassy and outspoken Frenchwoman named Madame Duval, finds Evelina and pushes herself into her granddaughter's life. Madame Duval is an obnoxious presence who quarrels constantly with Captain Mirvan, to the point where Evelina's London life grows tiresome. The group returns to Howard Grove for a short time before Madame Duval forces Mr. Villars to allow Evelina to return with her for a month in London away from the Mirvans. She also proposes that they attempt to secure Evelina's inheritance from Sir John Belmont through a lawsuit, but Mr. Villars refuses. Before they leave Howard Grove, Madame Duval is tortured by Captain Mirvan and Sir Clement (who endears himself to the Captain in order to be close to Evelina) via a staged robbery and assault on the old woman. Evelina travels to London with her grandmother. The two are in the constant company of the Branghton family, kinsmen of Madame Duval. The young man and his two sisters are boorish, superficial, and unkind. Evelina is ashamed to be in their company in public. At their lodgings, she encounters a depressed young man named Macartney whom she assists by preventing him from committing suicide. She then learns his sad story of a failed romance and an ill-fated duel with his beloved's father; he then discovered that the father was actually his own, meaning he loved his own sister. Moved by his story, Evelina decides to render Macartney any assistance she could. While in London, Sir Clement finds her once again, and pesters her a great deal. Evelina also sees Lord Orville and tries to remain in his good opinion, although she blunders in several ways, and is embarrassed by her family.After her month in London, Evelina returns to stay with Mr. Villars. She is very melancholy there because she had written to Lord Orville apologizing for the Branghtons, and his response was inappropriately sentimental. Her good opinion of him has been ruined, and his impertinence suggests she is not to be respected. Evelina grows ill from the insult, and she is sent to take the waters of Bristol with a widowed neighbor of Mr. Villars, Mrs. Selwyn.In Bristol, Evelina regains her health, and once more enters into fashionable society. She and the satirical, bold Mrs. Selwyn spend time at the house of Mrs. Beaumont, a society matron who was also kinswoman to Lord Orville and his sister, Lady Louisa. Both are soon in Bristol. The latter was engaged to a man named Lord Merton, whose dissipation and lascivious nature makes Evelina extremely uncomfortable. At Mrs. Beaumont's house, Evelina grows closer to Lord Orville, who continues to prove himself a kindhearted and worthy man. He finally declares his love for her, and she reciprocates. She discovers that he knows nothing of the inappropriate letter; Sir Clement had stolen Evelina's letter and written a fake response to try and win her for himself. While there, the situation with Mr. Macartney and Sir John Belmont grows complicated. When Macartney arrives and confesses that Sir John Belmont is his father, Evelina realizes that they are siblings. Mrs. Selwyn visits Sir John to pursue the inheritance issue. She meets with the man, and is shocked when he claims he has raised his daughter. Once he sees Evelina, however, and recognizes his late wife in her face, he pursues and discovers the truth behind what had happened seventeen years before: a nurse to Evelina's dying mother learned Mr. Villars was to raise Evelina himself, and so she brought her own infant daughter to Sir John Belmont to be raised as an heiress.Sir John and Evelina have an emotional reconciliation. The other girl is quietly married off to Mr. Macartney, who is not her brother, and Evelina comes into her inheritance. She then marries Lord Orville, who is now acquainted with her history, and all are happy.

About Evelina

Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World, published anonymously in January of 1778, is the first novel written by Frances Burney. It is often considered her best work, and it is certainly her most popular and widely-read. Perhaps its most defining characteristic is that it is an epistolary novel, meaning the story is told exclusively through letters written by several different characters. Most critics consider it to be a "sentimental" novel, and it certainly possesses some components of early Romanticism. Burney's work – Evelina in particular – proved a great influence on later authors like Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth. She is equally generous to her novel's own influences - in its preface, she proclaims herself indebted to Samuel Richardson, Dr. Johnson, Henry Fielding, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Tobias Smollett.The novel has its genesis in a much more melancholy story Burney had composed but destroyed, a chronicle inspired by her mother's life entitled The History of Caroline Evelyn. Due largely to pressure from her family insisting that it was improper for a woman to write, she ceased attempts to craft fiction and instead focused on writing her private journals before again attempting the novel that became Evelina.Burney published the novel anonymously to avoid censure from both her father

and a literary public that frowned upon women who read and wrote novels. She first appealed to the publisher Robert Dodsley, who rejected the work because he did not want to print it anonymously. However, she was able to attain Thomas Lowndes's approval when her eldest brother posed as Evelina's author. She did not tell her father the truth until the novel has achieved indisputable critical success.Frances Burney considered her novel as not just the story of a young and naive woman's entry into London society, but also as a depiction of that society's various entertainments. When she first applied for publication to Mr. Lowndes in December 1776, she drew attention to this dual focus: "The plan of the first Volume, is the Introduction of a well educated, but inexperienced young woman into public company, and a round of the most fashionable Spring diversions of London. I believe it has not before been executed." She later sent him the second volume, explaining he will there find the heroine "descending into a lower circle, now [partaking] of a round of Summer Diversions."

Burney's basic subject matter - a young woman's moral, social and sexual development - did have illustrious predecessors in the works of Samuel Richardson and Eliza Haywood. Richardson's Clarissa (1747-48) is a modern seduction novel that ends with the heroine's ruin. Haywood's 1751 novel The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless is less depressing and thus more similar to Evelina; its heroine journeys from ignorance to understanding, and from childhood to adulthood. It was similarly set in London, and the heroines of both works write of the awe they feel at their new environs and its oftentimes uncouth inhabitants. However, Evelina is revolutionary in that it possesses what scholar Vivien Jones calls "a newly systematic, and newly detailed, quality...[and] critique of the pleasure-seeking culture of the 1770's." During Burney's lifetime, Evelina saw at least eighteen British editions, as well as a reissue. The earliest publications were released in three volumes; in 1784, editions were printed in two volumes; and starting in the 19th century, the novel was released as a single volume. Burney did not particularly approve of the book's condensation, as she considered each of the three volumes to reflect a distinct structural entity. However, it remained immensely popular through the 19th century. During the 1780's and 1790's alone, it was published in German, French, and Dutch. Today, the novel has lost some of its ubiquity. It is studied particularly in English and Women's Studies courses, and in relation to the work of Jane Austen. Harold Bloom, the famous literary critic, was somewhat reserved in his review of the novel's merits, writing, "Its largest strength is in its humor and in Fanny Burney's quite extraordinary ear for modes of speech. What is rather disappointing is Evelina herself, who records the wit and spirits of others, while herself manifesting a steady goodness that is not ideally suited for fictional representation."

Major Themes

Sensibility

In the 18th century, being called "sensible" was a profound compliment. It referred to forms of intellectual, emotional, or artistic awareness, as well as the relationship between physical and emotional response. It meant having moral perception and quick intellectual feeling. Sensibility was a virtue that the upper class prized, and even though Evelina is not raised in that environment, she demonstrates and is acclaimed for her natural sensibility. In a variety of situations, she reveals her appropriately sensible responses: she is annoyed and vexed by the behavior of the foppish and licentious men around her; she is pleased by the good manners of the admirable Lord Orville; she intervenes to save Macartney; she delights in opera and higher forms of entertainment. Most of the elite characters demonstrate that sensibility is difficult to attain, and Evelina thus proves herself worthy of approbation. Much of her virtue for the reader is meant to derive from the sensibility reflected in her behavior.

Female delicacy / Reputation

In the world of Evelina, a young woman's delicacy (her innocence and fragility) must be protected above all else. A young woman who was not careful with her reputation would encourage unwanted attention, and would ultimately be unable to secure herself a good husband. To guard herself, a young woman was expected to avoid the world's depravity, and any situation that could compromise her virtue. Often, the appearance of delicacy is more important than delicacy itself - therefore, a chaste woman could still suffer a poor reputation if she fraternized with the wrong men.Evelina, a paragon of innocence, confronts these pressures throughout the novel, and questions of delicacy are raised through those situations. Having never before partaken in fashionable society, she possesses innate sweetness and guilelessness. Mr. Villars thus feels obliged to warn her that she is unfit for the London society scene. Throughout the novel, Evelina endeavors to maintain her innocence by staving off advances, seeking advice and counsel, and extracting herself from dangerous situations. Overall, she is successful, and the end of the novel rewards her with a rich and loving husband for having maintained that reputation. Different women - like Mrs. Selwyn - are viewed in terms of their relative delicacy, and the question of purity and chastity inform much of the male behavior in the novel.

The public sphere

The pleasures and dangers of the public sphere are central to the novel. In the 18th century, women were not supposed to participate in the public sphere for fear that its vices would infect their virtue, thereby ruining their reputation and making

them unfit for marriage and motherhood. A married woman was therefore expected to forget her private identity and avoid any public persona. Instead, their husbands spoke for them and carried out their transactions. Evelina's central conflict is with the public sphere. Though there are elements of it that she loves - the entertainment, the socialization, the sights - she encounters incessant pressure to guard herself against it. Mr. Villars both hates the people she meets and the potential lawsuit that would have put her name out into the world. His fears are validated by the verbal and physical threats that Evelina faces. Where Berry Hill is a safer place for a woman like her, it is likewise less exciting and less likely to draw her full character out than London does.

Gentlemanliness and civility

Lord Orville is admired by Evelina and readers for his exemplification of true gentlemanliness and civility. His particular type of masculinity, also evinced by Mr. Villars, is the type lauded by Burney, who came into contact with many rakes and libertines in her own life. Lord Orville shows himself to be a true gentleman through the way he treats Evelina. He is never forceful or aggressive, he respects her, he rescues her from obnoxious situations, he makes her feel wanted and welcome at Clifton, and he never mocks or teases her. He thus stands in stark contrast to the other men of the novel, who consistently exhibit vice and disrespect. Especially considering the dangers a woman faces in the public sphere, gentlemanly behavior is represented as a prominent virtue in the novel.

Violence to Women

Women are treated very poorly in this novel. This is not surprising, given the pervasiveness of traditional gender roles in the 18th century. Two of the worst incidents - the Captain's torture of Madame Duval, and the footrace between the two sick and elderly women - are shocking in their blatant physicality. A woman's body is represented as something meant to be abused and mocked, especially when those women do not exhibit the 'appropriate' degree of delicacy. Though Evelina does not go through anything so torturous, she does have to suffer much physical and psychological violence. She is grabbed on several occasions while walking alone. Most of the violence is verbal, however, as she is mocked and teased by her many seducers. Overall, the novel presents women as something of a commodity to the 18th century world, to be considered solely in terms of their marriageability or sexuality. When the first is not at issue, then men are free to pursue them as sexual objects with whatever degree of violence they see fit.

Satire

Mrs. Selwyn is an embodiment of nature; she uses her quick wit and ironic nature to prod, provoke and draw attention to social realities. The flipside of this quality is that her satire is often accompanied by truly bad (and hilarious) manners. Overall, Burney seems to suggest that satire may have moral and entertainment value. Though she upsets people with her irony (including Evelina), Mrs. Selwny does holds Lord Merton accountable for his misogyny, cruelty, licentiousness, and dissolution. Her satire also proves a kindness by provoking Evelina to pursue her own happy ending. It is also interesting that Mrs. Selwyn is allowed to be so forward partially because she is a woman. A man would likely be challenged to a duel for speaking so bluntly to the aristocrats, and could never be so forward with women. Of course, this works against her 'delicacy,' but reveals a value in being a masculine woman.

Snobbery

The novel is infused with snobbery of all kinds. The most obvious is the class snobbery of the aristocratic circle, who view women in terms of their social worth and judge others for lack of wealth and social grace. However, even Evelina shows a snobbery despite her rustic upbringing. Her personal taste for opera establishes her as more highbrow, and she views people partially in terms of how they affect her appearance at such events. She is disdainful of being seen with her ill-bred relatives, and her attitudes towards them are very haughty. She is obsessively concerned with her reputation, becoming easily embarrassed when she is around Captain Mirvan, Madame Duval, and the Branghtons. However, the Macartney episode stands as one example of how Evelina is able to set aside her snobbishness to openly engage with a member of the lower sorts; her concern for Macartney is unadulterated by any class awareness. Her snobbishness is perhaps less about money, and more about social appearance and behavior.

Character List

Evelina

The heroine of the novel. Evelina is seventeen years old, virtuous, sweet, innocent, and ignorant of the ways of the fashionable society that she is entering. She is also, however, intelligent and intuitive, and is thus able to identify vice and

ill-breeding. She is ultimately able to emerge relatively unscathed from her London adventures, and ends up with a good husband. Though she is by birth a Belmont (daughter of Sir John Belmont), she uses her mother's family name of Anville.

Mr. Villars

Reverend Arthur Villars is Evelina's guardian. He was her mother's guardian, and was present at Evelina's birth. Mr. Villars is very traditional, and fears that innocent Evelina's entry into fashionable London society will bring disaster. He counsels and advises her about the dangerous behavior she observes in others. He ultimately approves of her decisions once the obstacles to her happiness fade away.

Lady Howard

The mother of Mrs. Mirvan, and the grandmother of Maria. Lady Howard resides at Howard Grove, and is an old friend of Mr. Villars. It is Lady Howard who helps introduce Evelina into society by inviting her to Howard Grove and then to London with her family.

Mrs. Mirvan

The wife of Captain Mirvan and the mother of Maria Mirvan. She takes Evelina with her to London. She ignores her husband's gross behavior.

Maria

The daughter of Captain and Mrs. Mirvan, she is Evelina's age and her closest female friend. She is referred to primarily as Miss Mirvan in the novel.

Captain Mirvan

The husband of Mrs. Mirvan, and father to Maria Mirvan. At novel's opening, he has been away at sea for seven years. He is incredibly vulgar, coarse, cruel, intolerant, and malicious. He hates foreigners and fops, and delights in torturing Madame Duval and Mr. Lovel. Evelina can barely stand his presence, and writes often of his embarrassing behavior.

Lord Orville

A young aristocrat who first meets Evelina at a London assembly and pursues her throughout the novel. Lord Orville stands in sharp contrast to the other men of the novel; he is well-mannered, polite, virtuous, protective, sensible, rational, and respectful. He admires Evelina's beauty and sweetness, and takes pains to protect her in vexing situations. He also reveals a disinterest in family history by proposing to her. Brother to Lady Larpent.

Sir Clement

Sir Clement Willoughby is an English baronet who pursues Evelina relentlessly and tastelessly throughout the novel. After meeting her at an assembly and torturing her when she declines to dance, he continues to create situations to be around her. While he does possess some charm and conversational charm, he is foppish, superficial, and obnoxious. His behavior towards her is excessive and unacceptable, both to her and hopefully to the reader, as it is motivated by lust and not respect.

Mr. Lovel

A London fop and member of Lord Orville's social circle. He is initially attracted to Evelina but insults her after he is rejected. He is disliked by several people, including Evelina, Lord Orville, and Captain Mirvan.

Madame Duval

Evelina's grandmother, Madame Duval is a Frenchwoman who travels to England to claim guardianship of the girl from Mr. Villars. She is bold, brassy, opinionated, ill-bred, and irrational. Her desire to educate Evelina into high society is counteracted by her poor taste and annoying relations the Branghtons. She uses the threat of withholding Evelina's

inheritance as a tool to keep the girl under her control, but ultimately allows Evelina to stand as heiress after the girl's marriage. She is also presented as primary antagonist to Captain Mirvan.

Monsieur Du Bois

A friend and traveling companion of Madame Duval, Monsieur Du Bois is friendly and respectful, though he speaks very little English. Madame Duval considers him to be her suitor, and for much of the novel he is one of the few in her circle whom Evelina can stand. His kindness is somewhat tempered by his attempts to seduce Evelina later in the novel.

Sir John Belmont

Evelina's father, and a baron. He is initially characterized as a cruel reprobate for denying his marriage to Caroline Evelyn (Evelina's mother), behavior that led to her death. It seems he has written his daughter off, though later revelations show he was the victim of a nursemaid's lie, which convinced him to raise Miss Belmont as his daughter and heiress. He is redeemed by novel's end by his willingness to accept Evelina as his true daughter.

Mr. Branghton

Father to Young Branghton, Miss Branghton, and Miss Polly, he is also the nephew of Madame Duval. He is a London silversmith, and generally unlikeable for his xenophobia, class pretensions, and cheapness.

Miss Branghton

The eldest daughter of Mr. Branghton, and sister to Young Branghton and Miss Polly. She is haughty, irritable, and unkind to Evelina.

Miss Polly Branghton

The youngest sister to Young Branghton and Miss Branghton, and daughter to Mr. Branghton. She is pretty, superficial, and ignorant. Mistress to Mr. Brown.

Young Branghton

The son of Mr. Branghton, and the brother of Miss Branghton and Polly Branghton. Young Branghton pursues Evelina awkwardly, believing he will marry her. She finds him weak and overly fond of money, as well as prone to noise and disturbance.

Mr. Macartney

Initially considered by his landlords the Branghtons to be a "Scottish poet," Mr. Macartney is later revealed to be Evelina's brother by birth. He is plagued with the tragedy of having been denied the hand of his beloved in Paris by her father Sir John Belmont, who he later learns is his own father. By keeping him from pursuing a life of crime, Evelina reveals her angelic side and engineers events that ultimately lead to her own happiness. When he learns that Miss Belmont is not actually his sister, he is free to marry her.

Mr. Smith

A lodger in the Branghton home, Mr. Smith is forward in his attempts to seduce Evelina. He, like the Branghtons, is coarse and disrespectful.

Lord Merton

A newly-titled nobleman who keeps company with fashionable London society, including Lord Orville, Lady Louisa (his fiancee), Mr. Lovel, Mrs. Beaumont, and others. He is bold and uncouth, and treats Lady Louisa with barely-disguised contempt as he attempts to seduce Evelina.

Lady Louisa

The sister of Lord Orville and the fiancee of Lord Merton, Lady Louisa Larpant is cool, affected, and languorous. She ignores Evelina and seems irritated by her brother's attention to her, until she later learns that Evelina is actually noble by birth.

Mrs. Selwyn

A friend of Mr. Villars who brings Evelina to Bristol when the latter shows signs of illness. Mrs. Selwyn is remarkable for her frank, masculine, and ironical attitude. She is prone to satire and invokes the ire of her companions for speaking the truth and avoiding any pretensions to feminine softness or decorum. She is instrumental in bringing together Sir John Belmont and his true daughter, Evelina.

Mrs. Beaumont

A kinswoman of Lord Orville and his sister Lady Louisa, Mrs. Beaumont hosts them both during their stay in Bristol. It is there that many of Evelina's adventures in Bristol transpire. Mrs. Beaumont believes noble birth and virtue to be synonymous.

Miss Belmont

The young woman initially believed to be Sir John Belmont's daughter. She is later revealed to be the daughter of a nursemaid who lied to Sir Belmont after Mr. Villars took responsibility for Evelina (his true daughter). She ends up married to Mr. Macartney.

Mrs. Stanley

A fashionable London friend of Mrs. Mirvan. Mrs. Stanley hosts the balls where Evelina first encounters the difficulties of high society.

Mr. Brown

Miss Polly's lover. A bit of a doofus, though sweet and generally unoffensive to Evelina.

Mrs. Clinton

Mr. Villars's housekeeper, and formerly Evelina's nurse.

Volume I, Letter I – Volume I, Letter XIV

Summary

The novel is comprised of letters in three volumes. The heading to each letter provides its sender and recipient, as well as its date. While this summary gives synopsis of the novel's plot, it should be understood that all information is from the perspective of whoever is writing the current letter.The first few letters are sent between the Rev. Mr. Villars and Lady Howard. Lady Howard writes first, telling him of a letter she had recently received from Madame Duval, who despises Villars. Duval wishes to reunite with Evelina, her granddaughter. Evelina had been bequeathed to Villars when her own mother (the daughter of Madame Duval) had died in his care. Neither Lady Howard nor her own daughter Mrs. Mirvan wish Evelina to be returned to Madame Duval. Mr. Villars responds with an account of Evelina's past. He explains that he had once been the tutor of a Mr. Evelyn, a young man who married Madame Duval, then working as a tavern waiting girl. Their marriage was very unhappy in spite of their daughter Miss Caroline Evelyn, and he lived only two years after getting married. Mr. Evelyn had provided a small amount of money for his daughter upon his death, but he entrusted her care and education to Mr. Villars. Though Madame Duval remained responsible for Miss Evelyn's fortune, she was a "low-bred and illiberal woman." Mr. Villars raisedMiss Evelyn until she was eighteen. He describes her as a virtuous and lovely creature, but laments that she rashly consented to marry the profligate Sir John Belmont. She suffered under his mistreatment - which was worst after he learned she had no access to her mother's fortune - and she died not long after she birthed their daughter. Belmont meanwhile had burnt their marriage certificate and denied any connection to her or their daughter. From that time onwards, Mr. Villars raised their child, Evelina. Lady Howard writes back to ask if Evelina might come stay with them at Howard Grove, her estate. She reminds him how many happy days her granddaughter Maria and Evelina had passed there together as children, and believes it would greatly please them both to reunite. She further proposes that Mrs. Mirvan could take both girls to London in the spring.Mr. Villars accedes to the proposal, acknowledging that Evelina would have an

excellent time. He worries about her innocence, however. She is technically wealthy (with access to two fortunes) but has had no access to any wealth since her father had denied their connection. Further, his cruelty means she is not legally considered a legitimate child. For these reasons, he believes she should abstain from visiting London. Mr. Villars counsels Lady Howard to "shine in the splendor of high life, but suffer my child still to enjoy the pleasure of humble retirement, with a mind to which greater views are unknown." He tells Lady Howard how he had always called her by the last name of Anville (instead of Belmont), and he tells her other circumstances surrounding her birth.After Evelina arrives in Howard Grove, Lady Howard writes Villars that the girl is a little angel possessed of gentle manners, natural grace, ingenuous character, and striking beauty. She is growing close with Maria. Lady Howard writes again to ask whether Evelina might join Maria and Mrs. Mirvan to meet Captain Mirvan, her son-in-law who is returning to England after an absence of seven years. She insists that they will not stay in the city for too long.The next letter is from Evelina to Mr. Villars. She writes to personally ask whether she may go to London. She truly hopes for his permission but will abide by his decision. Mr. Villars responds that he can deny her nothing, and she is free to go.Evelina writes to Mr. Villars after they arrive, to tell him that they had attended the Drury Lane Theater. She admits that the houses and streets of London are not as impressive as she expected, but that the theater was lovely. She admires the fashion of the Londoners very much. It had been arranged for the party to attend a ball given by Mrs. Stanley, a fashionable friend of Mrs. Mirvan's. They shopped together for silks in the city, and Evelina was struck by how the shops are tended primarily by men who are both impressively informed and "so finical, so affected" in their work. She also had her hair dressed, and marvels at its appearance. Her next set of letters are about the extraordinary private ball they attended. She was surprised by the gentlemen there, who sauntered back and forth carelessly, as though wishing to keep the ladies in suspense over whom they would next ask to dance. One extremely foppish man (Mr. Lovel, though he is not named until much later) asked Evelina to dance, and she awkwardly excused herself. Another man, far more well-dressed, handsome and polite than the first, soon proposed a dance, and she accepted. However, the experience terrified her and she could barely talk despite his elegant, expressive conversation. She eventually snuck away from him, but was mortified to learn that he was Lord Orville, a nobleman. She noticed him looking around for her, but was embarrassed with this world she did not understand. He finally found her, and inquired whether she was ill, or if he had perhaps offended her somehow. She awkwardly assuaged his concerns, and consented to let him bring her refreshment.She remained flummoxed and flustered, and could not stop thinking about the extent of Lord Orville's understanding and good manners. They were sitting together when the foppish man from earlier accosted them to ask Evelina why she had refused him, but accepted Lord Orville. She burst out laughing at his ridiculousness, but was sobered to remember these "rules of assemblies" that dictated the impropriety of refusing an offer and then accepting another. Evelina found Mrs. Mirvan playing cards with the other older ladies, and told her of her misadventures. She then accepted another dance with Lord Orville, but was still unable to converse intelligently because of her anxiety. She was excessively surprised when, at the end of the evening, he told her that it was an honor to dance with her.

Evelina's letters continue. She writes to Mr. Villars that Maria had overheard a man at the ball asking Lord Orville whom he was dancing with. This man had referred to Evelina as an angel. The foppish man joined them, and told them Evelina must be of ill-breeding. Lord Orville told them he knew nothing of her birth, but remarked that she was very quiet except when she laughed at the "coxcomb's" ridiculousness. Later that morning, Lord Orville called to inquire about their health. Evelina feels that London has grown tiresome, and she wishes to return to Howard Grove. During their excursions into the city, Evelina saw Lord Orville again and felt hurt to consider the opinion he must hold of her. He was so agreeable and amiable that his opinion matters to her, and she hates to think of how stupid she must have seemed in her inability to speak. Thinking of this put her in an ill humor and she declined more sightseeing.Captain Mirvan arrived, and proved himself disagreeable, rude, and gross. Evelina reluctantly agreed to go to another assembly with Maria and the elder Mirvans. She saw Lord Orville there, and thought how much more desirable it would be to dance with him than with a stranger. She was asked to dance by a man with whom she did not want to be involved, and she decided to lie and tell him she was already engaged. To her dismay, he did not politely leave her alone but followed her around, teasing and persecuting her. She was peeved by his jesting, callous, and obnoxious manner. He even ventured to claim that she had made up her partner. She finally asked him to leave her alone, but he refused, instead continuing to follow her about. She tried to seek solace with Mrs. Mirvan and Captain Mirvan, but they could not make him leave either. She finally consented to dance with him after he had exhausted her resolution. She was also pushed into identifying Lord Orville as her partner, which she realized was a mistake since the obnoxious man might try to speak with Lord Orville and tell him she had falsely used his name. Lord Orville and Mrs. Mirvan together approached Evelina and the man. The man unsubtly insinuated that Evelina had lied using Lord Orville's name, and, overcome, she burst into tears. Lord Orville perceived what had been going on, and politely led her to a seat, saying quietly, "Be not distressed, I beseech you; I shall ever think my name honoured by your making use of it." Evelina decided she would never go to an assembly again. She also learned her persecutor's name – Sir Clement Willoughby. She worried that Lord Orville now thought her "bold and presuming." She concludes this letter by commenting how ignorant and inexperienced she is for this town.In her next letter, Evelina writes to Mr. Villars of how an older, French woman approached the Mirvans as they exited the party. She was distressed because she was lost from her company. Mrs. Mirvan pitied her and offered her a ride in their carriage. Captain Mirvan did not want to do this, as he is excessively prejudiced against foreigners. Indeed, the woman and the Captain soon began to argue hotly about the relative

merits and shortcomings of the English and the French. To everyone's surprise, it turned out that the woman was Madame Duval, Evelina's grandmother. Evelina calls the resulting interview "the most afflicting I can ever know."Madame Duval wished to talk to Evelina immediately, but they convinced her that Evelina should visit her house the next morning. Mrs. Mirvan accompanied her the next day. The meeting the night before seemed to have affected Madame Duval, as she was very emotional toward Evelina. She was, however, very rude when speaking of Mr. Villars. Evelina writes that her grandmother looks to be just under fifty, and "dresses very gaily, paints very high, and the traces of former beauty are still very visible in her face." It was decided that the party would remain in London for a few days more; they did not want Madame Duval at Howard Grove, and it was not polite to immediately leave the city now that she was there. Evelina can hardly wait to return to Mr. Villars at Berry Hill.

Analysis

Most of this novel is concerned with the marked contrast between Evelina's sweet simplicity and the confusing world of manners that she encounters. Most of the novel's themes - class, gender, civility - manifest out of this conflict. Evelina is painted almost right away as a pastoral angel. Certainly, this is clear in the way Lady Howard and the Mirvans describe her. However, it is also apparent in the way her beauty attracts pretty much every man she meets. Her connection to Berry Hill, which is removed from any and all fashionable society, paints her as a pastoral beauty, one supremely innocent of all vice, and she certainly lives up to this impossible description through her effusively gentle and loving letters to Mr. Villars. However, she also possesses great insight, both into the world around her and into the people who inhabit it, which makes her a strong narrator. She can be both in conflict with the world, and eloquent about why it is confusing. Most of Burney's ultimate messages will derive from the irony that such a sweet, wonderful girl is necessarily battered by a world that professes to prize such virtues. Her journey, which has already begun by the end of these letters, will be an attempt to maintain such virtue in a world that seems to have little use for it.However, the sweet and innocent Evelina's entry into fashionable London society is a memorable reading experience not just for offering profound wit and insight into 18th century social norms, but also for its catalogue of contemporary London entertainments and cultural offerings. Evelina's first taste of the city's entertainment is the Drury Lane Theatre, which was open from September to May. It held about 2,300 people and had four classes of seating: boxes, for the very fashionable and wealthy; the pit, for Londoners and their wives, critics, and courtesans; the middle gallery, for middling folk; and the fourth, for the lowest sort of people. David Garrick was an actor and co-manager of the theatre from 1747-1776, and was a personal favorite of Frances Burney's. This first cultural adventure is just one of many that Evelina passes during the novel, and her letters throughout her stays in London demonstrate that she has a keen eye for quality entertainment – such as opera – and that her commentary is valuable despite her youth and ignorance.Others locations mentioned in the first handful of letters are the Mall in St. James Park, the Palace, the opera, and Ranelagh. The first of these, the Mall in St. James Park, was one of London's several royal parks. During the 18th century, the Mall was a straight gravel path through the park, about a half mile in length. It was frequented by men and women of fashion and was hence a place to see and be seen, but it was also home to courtesans and other lascivious, low folk. The Palace is, of course, Buckingham Palace, and was known as the "Queen's Palace," since it was given to Queen Charlotte by George III in 1775. The opera that Evelina later mentions is the all-Italian opera at King's Theatre in the Haymarket. It was a very fashionable place, but suffered financially throughout the 18th century. Burney frequented the operas there, and was thus well-qualified to write about them. Finally, Ranelagh, which is referred to later in the novel as well, was a very famous London pleasure-garden and a place of public amusement established on the site of Ranelagh House in Chelsea. It had garden walks, canals, orchestra performances, dances, masquerades, and the ever-popular promenade along the Rotunda.

Evelina writes of her first ridotto and assembly. A ridotto was, as described by Vivien Jones in the annotations to the Oxford World's Classics edition of the novel, "a public social entertainment which included music and dancing...[it] was first introduced to England in 1722...[and] is strictly speaking a form of outdoor entertainment." Much of the novel's important drama occurs at assemblies. An assembly was a prominent feature of 18th century life; it was a gathering for dancing, card playing, conversing, and matchmaking. In some ways, it serves as a microcosm of high society, since it functions by highly regimented modes of behavior. Evelina's ignorance of high society becomes quite manifest at these. She marvels at the types of men she encounter, and fumbles at the rules of accepting dance invitations. However, despite the fact that she does not know precisely how to behave, she is still a naturally sensible and intelligent young woman and makes the correct judgments regarding the people she meets. That her good sense is one of the qualities that leads her to bumble is something of an irony, suggesting that high society has less use for insight and character than it does for pretense and ceremony.The modern reader might be surprised to discover that there were actual rules to these assemblies, and they were often posted on the door of assembly rooms. It was indeed the height of bad manners to refuse one gentleman for a dance and then accept another for the same dance. Jones points out that the assemblies followed the rules laid out at the beginning of the 18th century by Richard "Beau" Nash, Master of Ceremonies at the Bath Assembly Rooms. These rues stipulated the correct dress code and standards of behavior, the start and end times of the event, and how dances were to be conducted. Dr. Johnson, the preeminent 18th century English editor, poet, essayist, biographer, critic, and scholar offers some telling insight into some of the terminology used in Evelina (a book which he enjoyed immensely). He defines "foppish" as: "Vain in show; foolishly ostentatious; vain of dress," and a fop as a man who was "fond of show, dress, and

flutter." Evelina identifies Mr. Lovel as a fop, but Sir Clement, Lord Merton, and Mr. Coverley also fit this description. Dr. Johnson also defines the term sensible, which means "having moral perception; having the quality of being affected by moral good or ill" and "Having quick intellectual feeling; being strongly or easily affected." It is very apparent that Evelina, while not a noblewoman, possesses a great deal of sensibility.

Volume I, Letter XV – Volume I, Letter XXI

Summary

Mr. Villars writes to Evelina that he is distressed by her situation. He counsels her to avoid becoming like Madame Duval, but also to treat her grandmother with respect and deference. He feels uneasy about her experience with London life, and worries how the change back to remote Berry Hill will suit Evelina.Evelina writes him back to explain how Madame Duval is traveling a companion – a Frenchman named Monsieur Du Bois. He speaks very little English. She also tells him how the group decided to go to Ranelagh. Sir Clement Willoughby arrived on the morning of the trip, and managed to get on Captain Mirvan's good side by joining in his insults to Madame Duval. As a result, he was invited to Ranelagh. The party thus went on their way, but everyone was in ill humor.At Ranelagh, they learned that Lord Orville was also there, and he joined their party. His appearance "gave universal restraint to every body." However, it was not long before Madame Duval recommenced her vociferous arguments with the Captain and Sir Clement. Mrs. Mirvan, Maria, Evelina, and Lord Orville left them to conduct their own more pleasant conversation, although Evelina could not speak, so embarrassed she was by her assumption of Lord Orville's contemptuous opinion towards her. On the way home in the driving rain, the coach broke down. Sir Clement carried Evelina back to Ranelagh in his arms, and set her before a fire. He knelt before her, and began to apologize for his behavior at the ridotto, but he was interrupted by the entrance of everyone else except Madame Duval. She and Monsieur Du Bois finally showed up, covered in mud. Madame Duval was raging mad; it took her some time before she could explain that Monsieur had tried to lift her over some mud, but had tripped. The Captain was roaring in ecstasy and would not forebear teasing them. Finally, Madame Duval grew so angry that she spat in the Captain's face, and he violently grabbed her shoulders. The group then prepared to leave, but had to wait quite a while yet for a new hackney coach.In her continued letters, Evelina tells how she called on Madame Duval the day after the journey. She found the woman in bed, cursing the Captain in the bitterest fashion. However, Madame Duval did ask Evelina many questions about her life, and insisted the girl should be taken to Paris. Evelina was also introduced to Madame Duval's nephew, Mr. Branghton, and his three children. Mr. Branghton expressed much contempt for those who lived outside the city. His son, Young Branghton, was "weaker in understanding, and more gay in his temper." Miss Branghton, the eldest daughter, was not ugly but did look "proud, ill-tempered, and conceited." Miss Polly, the younger daughter, was pretty enough, but was also foolish and ignorant. Their conversation centered around the young people's ages, their heights, and finally Evelina's dress. Evelina found that they spoke too long on such banal subjects. The group then discussed the theaters, though Evelina overheard Madame Duval speaking of her to Mr. Branghton. The group decided to attend the opera together, but Evelina hoped they would not go if she was to be expected to attend with them.The next morning, Evelina discovered Lord Orville alone in the drawing room downstairs at her lodgings, waiting to join the Mirvans for breakfast. They spoke for a few moments. Evelina mentioned she would be leaving soon, and Lord Orville took her hand and said, "I [do] think, that whoever has once seen Miss Anville, must receive an impression never to be forgotten." This compliment completely surprised Evelina, and she nervously withdrew her hand, and left to check on Mrs. Mirvan. She wonders why she has not yet found an opportunity to apologize to Lord Orville for her behavior at the ridotto. She further writes to Mr. Villars of Lord Orville's pleasing conversation at breakfast that morning; his manners are "so elegant, so gentle, so unassuming, that they at once engage, esteem, and diffuse complacence." Mrs. Mirvan later invited Madame Duval to dinner, and the latter accepted. Evelina was surprised, because she thought her grandmother would shy away from more potential conflict with the Captain. Indeed, once at dinner, the two argued most of the time. Halfway through the meal, Sir Clement came in. His easiness astonished Evelina as overly familiar, but that behavior was precisely why the Captain enjoyed him. The group decided to head to Cox's Museum, but Evelina could barely enjoy it. She felt very embarrassed by the captain's loud, gross, and rude behavior in public.

That evening, the group went to the Drury Lane Theater and was joined by Lord Orville. The play was a bit shocking, especially for the ladies. At one point, the foppish man from the first party - Mr. Lovel - entered their box. He began to tease Evelina about all the customs and manners of London that she did not understand. Sir Clement and Lord Orville clearly did not much care for Mr. Lovel, and responded coldly to some of his statements. Lovel surprised the group when he claimed that he only came to plays to "shew that one's alive," not to actually watch them. Captain Mirvan was particularly amused by the idea that someone would attend a play but not know what was going on in it. Mr. Lovel further annoyed Evelina when he asked her what she thought of the play's young country lady character, Miss Prue. Provoked, Evelina answered that she did not think anything of her. By the end of the conversation, Evelina was aghast at this "malicious and impertinent" man who talked to her the way he did. She felt that there should be a rulebook provided to all young people upon their first introduction to society.In her next letter, Evelina tells Mr. Villars that she has volumes to write. She and Maria were dressing for the opera one night when the Miss Branghtons burst into the room, with orders to take her with them to the opera. She refused, saying she was already engaged to attend with the Mirvans. They were so rude and forward

that she did not feel too bad for refusing them. They left in anger, but were succeeded by Madame Duval, who arrived full of fury. Frightened by her grandmother's anger, Evelina agreed to go with them. Evelina was very conscious of how overdressed she was for their seats (she was expecting to sit in the pit), but they would not let her change. After an embarrassing encounter with the ticket seller – Mr. Branghton thought the opera was too expensive and only consented to the cheapest spot – they took their seats, far away from the stage. Evelina was exceedingly uncomfortable with their ignorance and coarseness. When the opera began, they tormented Evelina by talking, complaining about the opera's foreign language, and making fun of her for being engrossed in the drama onstage. She saw her friends seated elsewhere, and noticed Lord Orville as well. Mr. Branghton found much fault with the opera, first criticizing it for being first too short when he thought it was over, and then for being too long when it continued. When the show ended, the Branghtons rejoiced. They rudely offered their opinions of it, and Evelina felt "this family is so low-bred and vulgar, that I should be equally ashamed of such a connexion in the country, or any where."As they waited to exit their section, she observed Sir Clement coming towards them and tried to think how she could avoid any further humiliation. Nobody save the Mirvans knew of her family connections (or lack thereof), and she did not want to be associated with the Branghtons. She allowed Sir Clement to quickly lead her from the gallery, rudely telling Madame Duval that she would ride home with Mrs. Mirvan. She was gone before they could ask any questions. Unfortunately, she discovered that the Mirvans had already left; her plan was foiled. The situation became more awkward when they encountered Lord Orville. He offered her his coach and said he would find another way home, but Sir Clement managed to steer her into his own chariot.On the way home, Sir Clement profusely complimented her, giving many "fine speeches" about his adoration. She was shocked into silence and continually tried to recall her hand from his grasp. She noticed that it was taking a long time to get to her lodgings, and worried that Sir Clement had told his coachman to take a different route. She grew terrified, and she put her head out of the window to demand that the coachman stop. Sir Clement tried to calm her, and finally told his coachman to get her home quickly. He apologized profusely, and begged for her pardon. When they arrived at their destination, he fell to his knees and begged so ardently for her forgiveness that she felt compelled to grant it. At the house, she saw that Lord Orville was waiting there; he said he could not return home until he knew she was safe. This angered Sir Clement. Both men left, and Maria told Evelina that Lord Orville had seemed very anxious and impatient about her safe return.

Analysis

Evelina continues to brave the treacherous London scene, encountering foppish and ill-bred men, her coarse kinsmen, and confusing attentions from Lord Orville. Throughout the novel, Evelina evinces an uneasiness and anxiety that is acute and relatively consistent. To a large extent, this is due to her ignorance of city life. However, in this section, she has started to learn how to better navigate social expectation, and yet she remains extremely anxious. For instance, she makes several comments that show she begins to understand that good-breeding and social rules do not make good people. She notes how Mr. Lovel ought to be taught better manners (even though he affects a foppish demeanor), and notes that the ugly behavior of the Branghtons would be equally out of place in the country as it is in the city.Her anxiety is in fact due to much more than her unfamiliarity with London. Navigating the social scene for women was not an easy task for anyone, as they were beset with dangers of varying degrees. In her article on the "female difficulties" in Evelina, Susan Staves identifies the threats faced by the heroine.Staves first addresses the actual threats of physical violence. Evelina is slapped roughly by her grandmother, and repeatedly grabbed by Sir Clement and other men in the gardens. Being separated from her companions usually leads to physical confrontations with men; this happens at Vauxhall Gardens and Marybone Gardens later on. Staves notes that the heroines in Samuel Richardson's novels also encountered violence, but not in the same fashion as Evelina does; his heroines are "not subjected to the pervasive anonymous violence Evelina encounters," since they are not in public as much. Evelina's "terrors seem more immediate and real," and "most important, Evelina is usually too frightened to provide dignified condemnations or moral analyses of her persecutors' vices." Evelina is also worried about physic threats, and hopes her delicacy will not be compromised. Staves tries to define delicacy in the context of this novel, writing that "true delicacy is opposed to cruelty, impertinence, and boldness; it is also superior to artificial decorums. False delicacy invokes lesser conventions to ignore the real needs of others." Almost every other character in the novel suffers from a want of delicacy, and in some cases it is the most 'refined' characters who most lack it. Consider Mr. Lovel, the Branghtons, or even the well-spoken and generally well-behaved Sir Clement Willoughby. His assault in the carriage is both physically and physically threatening to her; her body, peace of mind, and potentially her chaste reputation are at stake.Staves looks into the question of what the novel is trying to say about delicacy and gender: does it seem to deny differences between the masculine and feminine ideals? On one hand, Mr. Villars later praises the way in which Evelina handled the Mr. Macartney-pistol episode, attributing her success to her masculine characteristics. Burney also heeded the 18th century tendency to praise feminine characteristics in men. Overall, though, the novel suggests a "discrete identity" of female delicacy, one that must be protected both for oneself and for the benefit of others. Evelina is quite aware of how she appears to others, and in many ways hates being accosted mostly because of how it appears. She seems to care more about being thought indelicate rather than actually being so. This was not a stupid fear, however, since "being thought to be indelicate is a serious social reality, not something to be dismissed in mere appearance." If a woman was thought to have lost her delicacy, it made her more privy to lascivious behavior and even rape from the men that now knew her to be a "lost woman." This is why Evelina is later so upset when she discoveres the true nature of her female saviors at the Marybone Gardens; associating with prostitutes would raise questions about herself. Overall, there are many difficulties that Evelina

faces: there are physical limitations of women which make them prey to men's physical power, and there are psychological restraints that provide real and forced ignorance of many subjects. Evelina clearly demonstrates how difficult to was to be a young lady forced to navigate the perplexing public sphere. Burney's great achievement is that Evelina possesses both an eloquent insight, and a perspective of another life. Whereas someone like Miss Branghton, even if she did have Evelina's eloquence and sensitivity, only knows city life, Evelina knows of her pastoral life at Berry Hill and hence has special insight into the true horrors a woman faces, horrors that a woman brought up in society is far too easily taught to take for granted.

Volume I, Letter XXII – Volume I, Letter XXXI

Summary

Evelina continues to write to Mr. Villars of her adventures. Mrs. Mirvan spoke with Evelina, telling her how Lord Orville had reprimanded Mr. Lovel for his behavior at the opera. Evelina feels relieved to learn this, and praises the "quiet courage" of Lord Orville.At a dinner to which she was invited, Madame Duval scolded Evelina for two hours about her rudeness in leaving the opera. The conversation then turned to the party's plans to leave London. Madame Duval did not like this turn of events, and argued Evelina should stay in London. It was finally decided that Madame Duval would return with them to Howard Grove to continue spending time with her granddaughter. Though this alternative pleased no one, there was no other viable option.Evelina continues her letters, writing about her final adventures in London. The group spent some time at the Pantheon; Evelina admired the architecture. Sir Clement Willoughby was there, and Evelina was struck how by little embarrassment he showed over his behavior on the evening of the opera. Lord Orville and Mr. Lovel were also there, and Evelina was glad that the latter fellow no longer troubled her.The party went to tea while in that vicinity, and Evelina noticed another gentleman at Lord Orville's table who stared at her for the entire duration of tea-time. (He is Lord Merton, though this name is not given until much later). She was startled to learn that he was a Lord; it is unfathomable that one of his rank could be so rude. The men at the table discussed the beauty of the building. The Captain, coarse as ever, teased Mr. Lovel about having not known what the play was about a few nights before. The young women were asked if they liked the opera, and though they replied in the affirmative, they were quickly shamed into silence when the Captain derided them for their opinions. The Captain also criticized Cox's Museum and Ranelagh, which surprised the company. Lord Merton, whose name Evelina does not yet procure, jested and teased her in a vulgar manner throughout the evening. When it was time for him and his party to depart, he insisted that Maria and Evelina attend. They declined the invitation, and Evelina was dismayed by the "great liberty in this Lord, notwithstanding his rank, to treat me so freely." They insisted that they wished to return home. Several of the ladies tripped gaily away to their next event, but the Lord stayed behind to pay profuse compliments to Evelina. This annoyed her, especially because Lord Orville was speaking gravely to Mrs. Mirvan, and she wished to know what he said. It seemed that he was displeased with the particular attention the Lord paid to Evelina. In her letter, Evelina ruminates on the differences between men of rank. Some are like Lord Orville, with a "politeness that knows no intermission," while others like Lord Merton seem to lack all good breeding. Everyone was in low spirits when they returned to the house. However, to their surprise, Lord Orville arrived soon after them to pay his respects before they left for the country. Sir Clement also arrived, and Evelina was piqued when the Captain offered him a visit to Howard Grove.Mr. Villars next writes to Evelina, advising that the nobleman (Lord Merton) is far less dangerous than Sir Clement because the latter "contrives to avoid all appearance of intentional evil. He is far more dangerous, because more artful..." He expresses his approbation of Lord Orville. He almost regrets permitting her to visit London, since her guileless and innocent nature is not fit for such environs.Evelina writes back to describe her experiences at Howard Grove, lamenting how Madame Duval and the Captain have ruined this once peaceful place. They quarrel violently and constantly. Lady Howard, however, was gracious and kind in welcoming them back.In another letter, she writes of an altogether shocking proposal made by Madame Duval, who believes they should attempt to legally prove Evelina's birthright and thereby procure the inheritance she is owed by her father Sir John Belmont. Madame Duval believes Evelina has a grand future waiting, and that the girl should spend time in Paris. As Evelina puts it, Madame Duval "had it in her head to make something of me, and that they should soon call me by another name than that of Anville." This scheme had been instigated by the Branghtons.This plan caused great disturbance in the family. The only person who approved was Lady Howard. Evelina, for her part, is saddened about this indifferent father, and is little inclined to confront him, especially through legal means and for the purpose of money.Lady Howard next writes to Mr. Villars, explaining why she approves of Madame Duval's plan. She explains that "your lovely charge, now first entering into life, has merit which ought not to be buried in obscurity." Though Mr. Villars does not agree, Lady Howard writes to Paris anyway, in hopes that her letter will reach Sir John Belmont.

Analysis

Evelina continues to encounter a world in which social recognition is ironically disconnected from true human value. Lord Merton, though yet unnamed, is a total cad, more forward than anyone has yet been with her, and yet his name is more

valuable than even Lord Orville's. Sir Clement remains a threat to her, mostly because, as Mr. Villars wisely indicates, he keeps his intentions hidden. Despite his social standing, his actions are insidious, and he is entirely oblivious to the constant threat this poses to the women he professes to care for. And the plan proposed by Madame Duval is shaped as one meant to ensure social respectability, but is actually motivated almost entirely by greed. The life of these aristocrats is full of pettiness and selfishness, which is one of the main reasons Evelina is at such odds with it.And yet she remains transfixed by the luxuries and entertainments of London, most likely because Burney herself was. Modern readers may not know the Pantheon in England; it was a public assembly room located in Oxford Street, and was known as the "winter Ranelagh." It held winter balls, masquerades and concerts, all of which were very popular with the fashionable set. Samuel Johnson and his biographer James Boswell visited the site not long after it opened in 1772, but they preferred Ranelagh. Boswell's Life of Johnson relates how they argued whether anyone there was actually happy, and Dr. Johnson said, "Yes, Sir, there are many happy people here. There are many people here who are watching hundreds, and who think hundreds are watching them."

Captain Mirvan is one of Burney's most distasteful creations; he is misogynist, xenophobic, ill-bred, loud, vulgar, and frequently cruel. However, his opinions are merely exaggerations of a very real social pressure that women faced. In this set of letters, he voices his opinion that fashionable and educated young women neglect their traditional, natural domestic duties in favor of frivolous diversions. In her annotations to the Oxford World's Classics edition of the novel, Vivien Jones comments, "Whereas most eighteenth century commentators are more likely to see a different education as the solution, Captain Mirvan's appeal is to violence and the law." He believes that Evelina and Maria's opinions are valueless, and thus shames them into silence. This silence represents the role women were forced to play in the 18th century; they possessed no identity of their own, and were placed under their father/guardian/husband's aegis in all respects.Mr. Villars, in contrast, remains an extremely positive force in Evelina's life. While he is deliberately vocal in his opinions for his young charge, he does not deny her what she asks, and praises her strength of character. Again, this kindness can be attributed to his separation from society; because he willfully avoids the world, he is not polluted by its forces. Of course, it is telling that he never enters the action of the novel, since it suggests the rather unrealistic nature of such a man. He serves more as a counterpoint than as an actual solution to the problems suggested in the narrative.Near the close of this first volume, Evelina is horrified to discover her grandmother's plan to confront her father and force her inheritance. She is more driven by fear and grief than by greed. One of those fears is that it would entail acting outside of her prescribed gender roles. Mr. Villars, ever the traditionalist, agrees, writing how this plan is antipathetic to female delicacy. The public scrutiny that would follow from a lawsuit would violate the conduct-book tradition of limited female presence in the public eye. Consider what John Gregory wrote in a contemporary guidebook: "one of the chief beauties in a female character, is that of modest reserve, that retiring delicacy, which avoids the public eye, and is disconcerted even at the gaze of admiration." One of the implicit arguments against such limitations is the work itself. Though she had to publish the work anonymously, any audience who eventually realized she was a woman would be surprised not only by her accomplishment, but by her cleverness and erudition. Consider an allusion made to John Locke in this set of letters. Mr. Villars makes a particularly erudite comment in describing his disapprobation of the lawsuit plan to Lady Howard: he writes that "As soon as I would discuss the effect of sound with the deaf, or the nature of colors with the blind, as aim at illuminating with conviction a mind so warped by prejudice, so much the slave of unruly and illiberal passions." In using this example as an analogy for meaninglessness, he is referring to the ideas of John Locke, as expressed in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690). Vivien Jones comments on this allusion in her annotations, "ideas are not innate and can only be developed on the basis of physical stimuli, therefore the names of colours or sounds to the blind or deaf would be examples of words, which are, in his words, 'not intelligible at all'." Burney's effortless use of such erudite and complicated examples evidence her abilities.

Volume II, Letter I – Volume II, Letter XI

Summary

Evelina continues to write to Mr. Villars of her time at Howard Grove.

Howard Grove was enlivened by a visit from Sir Clement Willoughby. The Captain was extremely excited to see his friend, and hoped Sir Clement would help him annoy the "old French-woman." Evelina, however, was dismayed to see their plans to do so put into place. One morning at breakfast, the Captain convinced Madame Duval that Monsieur Du Bois was in trouble with the law. He was shifty enough that she believed him, and she soon began to inquire after her friend with the appropriate authorities. That evening, a letter arrived stating that Du Bois had been imprisoned for "suspicion of treasonable practices against the government." It had been written by the Captain, but Madame Duval did not realize it. Evelina could hardly believe that Madame Duval fell for this ruse.Upon request, Evelina commissioned a chariot to bring Madame Duval into town so she could investigate the claims. She also accompanied her grandmother. Evelina was ashamed to be involved in the affair, but feared the Captain might turn on her if she did not comply. In town, they learned that Monsieur Du Bois had "escaped," and ordered the coachman to return home. Obviously, this information had been planted by the Captain.While heading back to Howard Grove, their coachman warned the women that thieves were about. This news,

which Evelina knew to be part of the Captain's plan, terrified Madame Duval, who assumed they would be murdered. Because of the warning, they left their money and valuables with a friend. It was not long until two masked men accosted the chariot. One held Evelina, while the other pulled Madame Duval from the carriage despite her shrieks and resistance. Evelina soon realized it was Sir Clement who held her, as he entered the carriage to sit by her. He forcefully told her of his affection until she begged him to desist, and demanded he stop the cruelty towards her grandmother. The man in the other mask came back, laughing and saying that "I've done for her!" It was clearly the Captain in the other mask.

After the men left, Evelina demanded the footman lead her to Madame Duval. She found her grandmother in a ditch, "roaring, and in the utmost agony of rage and terror." Her feet were tied together with a strong rope fastened to the upper branch of a tree. She was in complete disorder – her clothes were torn or in disarray, her head curls had fallen off, and she was covered in dirt and dust.On the ride back to Howard Grove, Evelina asked Madame Duval for an account of what had happened. Madame Duval said that the robber dragged her down the road, and then shook her extremely hard. Pretending to be angry that they had no valuables, he revealed a rope, which she thought he would use to hang her. She screamed excessively, but he never said a word. He used the rope to tie her up and leave her in the state that Evelina found her in. Evelina almost wanted to laugh at the story, but she was mostly irritated with the Captain "for carrying his love of tormenting – sport, he calls it – to such barbarous and unjustifiable extremes." At Howard Grove, Madame Duval went quickly upstairs. The men did not appear until supper, during which the Captain was in raptures over the prank's success. The next day, he wanted to do nothing but devise new ways in which to torture her.Evelina asked Mrs. Mirvan to talk to her husband about ceasing these torments, but Mrs. Mirvan said it was fruitless. Evelina announced she would make the request of Sir Clement, but Mrs. Mirvan warned her that it was sometimes unwise to make requests of men "who are too desirous of receiving them." Indeed, the idea of asking Sir Clement for anything gave her pause.Evelina first confronted the Captain with her request. It made him gloomy. Later, Sir Clement found Evelina in private to say that he wished to honor her request, but would have to leave town suddenly so as to not anger the Captain for abandoning their plans. He implored her for one word or look of approbation, threatening that without it, he saw no reason to help her. After bearing his demands silently, she offered a sarcastic admonishment and then hurriedly left. To her surprise, Sir Clement left that evening anyway. She admits in her letter that his presence is conspicuous at dinner since he tends to pleasant and agreeable while in large company. That same evening, Madame Duval was puzzled when a letter from Monsieur Du Bois made no mention of imprisonment.The next letter is Sir John Belmont's short reply to Lady Howard. He wishes well for Evelina, but has nothing further to offer her. He also makes a veiled accusation of ill behavior on the part of Mr. Villars.Evelina writes to Mr. Villars of her profound distress at her father's rejection. She can barely think of anything else in her anguish. She also tells how Madame Duval was incensed by the letter, and hinted that she might go to Paris to demand justice face-to-face. Mr. Villars writes to Evelina to comfort her. He warns her to be careful of Sir Clement. He then writes to Lady Howard, mentioning how Madame Duval had visited him and was, as ever, exceedingly unpleasant. She demanded that Evelina live with her in London, threatening to withhold any fortune due the girl if he did not comply. He hates the idea, but is forced by this threat to reach a compromise: Evelina will live with her grandmother in London for one month. He then writes to inform Evelina of this plan, warning her to be a prudent judge and guardian of her delicate reputation.Evelina soon writes to Mr. Villars about her arrival in London. Though Evelina has separate lodgings with Madame Duval, her grandmother took her immediately to Mr. Branghton's house. While there, Madame Duval learned the truth about Monsieur Du Bois. As expected, she grew violently angry to realize what the Captain had done.She complains of the Branghton house, which is small and inconvenient. Downstairs is a shop where they conduct business; it is very uncomfortable to sit in, yet they are there all the time. While there, she once again encountered the Miss Branghtons. It was not a very cordial reception. They laughed uproariously when Madame Duval told her story of the "robbers," which incensed the older woman. In talking with the two sisters, Evelina noted their "extreme want of affection, and good-nature" which "increased the distaste I already felt for [them]." Evelina writes to Maria Mirvan, complaining how different London is while living amongst the Branghtons. She no longer found it gay, but instead found it dull and gloomy. She then writes to Mr. Villars of how dinners were held at the Branghton house. They intended to dine in the room of their boarder, Mr. Smith, but he argued his room was only fit for after-dinner tea. Dinner was "ill-served, ill-cooked, and ill-managed," and the family argued incessantly. While passing through the shop on the way to tea after dinner, they encountered the Branghton's other lodger - a very melancholy and serious young man named Mr. Macartney (his name is not actually given until later). Miss Branghton explained that she believes him to be a Scottish poet because of his demeanor, and because they found scraps of poetry in his room. They showed Evelina what they had found, and she read, "an internal wretchedness, which, I own, affects me." While at Mr. Smith's for tea, he began to address himself to Evelina in a "style of gallantry equally new and disagreeable to me." His manners were far worse than Sir Clement's. She spent the rest of the evening in painful attention to this "irksome young man."

Analysis

Burney's perspective as a woman grows more pronounced as the novel continues. In this set of letters, several incidents highlight her understanding of women as constantly in danger from male aggression.With the robbery prank, Captain Mirvan exceeds his previous torture of Madame Duval. It is an altogether strange and uncomfortable episode that serves as a demonstration of violence against women. The Captain's misogyny grows from verbal assaults into actual physical abuse.

The psychological effect of his gleeful persecution is also much heightened by this particular attack; he is no longer sitting face-to-face with Madame Duval and trading insults, but is now constructing a situation to cultivate tremendous fear, anxiety, rage, and humiliation. What's more, he does all of this without having to take any responsibility for it. Madame Duval is treated like refuse, her femininity assaulted and mocked, and her person touched in an inappropriate way. Were the Captain's antagonist male, he would not have had recourse to the kneejerk fears that a woman felt while traveling unprotected. This episode reveals the length to which the Captain's hatred of women and foreigners extended, and, on a more macro scale, the ill treatment which women received at the hands of men in the 18th century.Further, Evelina's beauty has become not only a liability, but also a torture to her. Sir Clement's niceties are revealed as hypocritical when he threatens to continue torturing Madame Duval if Evelina is not sweet to him. He manipulates the delicacy that society forces women to maintain, and is less interested in actually deserving it than he is in receiving it. It is almost as though he fetishizes this feminine delicacy, which in turn suggests it is not just women he is interested in, but moreover his masculine control over them. This interpretation can easily be applied to the robbery prank as well. The episode with Mr. Smith, while less physically threatening, also touches on Evelina's helplessness. Decorum requires her to sit as this manner-less ass accosts her, showing no subtlety in his aggression.

On a different subject, the epistolary structure of the novel begs some consideration. Why did Frances Burney write Evelina as a series of letters, rather than as a straightforward novel, and what points or themes does that reveal? In her influential critical article on the subject, Irene Tucker discusses letters and the theory of property. She sees Evelina's epistolary form as "[generalizing] the paradox of owning letters into a paradox about property, representation, and, ultimately, the nature of the self." In other words, the idea of 'owning' a relationship through a person's letters is a complicated idea that touches on how we define ourselves. The complexities of the relationships between writers and recipients of letters is increased dramatically when they are part of an epistolary novel.Tucker expands her discussion to include properties of letters, and thereby touch on the novel's complexities. First, a real-world letter has an identifiable author and is addressed to a specific person. In an epistolary novel, there is also a second writer and addressee – the author of the novel and the novel's readers. Secondly, a letter implies an "I," which in the novel is still the fictional construction of the novel's author. Thirdly, letters in an epistolary novel are dated to help the narrative movement by marking the passage of time, but they do not provide any real-world context of time. The reader's perspective is complicated because s/he does not know whether s/he is reading the letters as they are being written, as they are being read by their recipient, or at some other independent moment. Fourthly, letters are always written without any foreknowledge or an understanding of the future; they cannot trace out a destiny and are naturally fragmented. Thus, in Evelina, there is a tension between this fragmentation and the novel's unity. Fifthly, there is a "splitting of material and ideal forms of the letter" in that "the idea of the letter is invoked, while many of the material aspects are held in abeyance" in an epistolary novel. Burney has to control all the events of the story as author, while the form of letters sits in stark contrast to this kind of control and omniscience.All of these contradictions parallel Evelina's complicated place in the world. Burney places Evelina, a disowned heiress, "at the center of the contradictions regarding property and identity." Mr. Villars, her guardian, reveals through his letters that he considers Evelina to be somewhat his property; there are similarities between him sending out letters and "sending out" Evelina into the world. The form of the letters changes throughout the novel. They are first short and very much like traditional letters. Later, however, as Evelina writes, they are longer and more novel-like. Evelina's letters show how she is growing apart from Mr. Villars as well. She is first hesitant to write, but then embraces her identity as a letter-writing subject and writes copiously. Tucker notes, "the substitution of the ideality of the letter for the materiality of Evelina's actual body hence becomes a necessary condition of her developing autonomy." She becomes "irreducibly different" from Mr. Villars, and becomes progressively more confident in shaping her own life. Thus, Burney traces her primary growth not through the language of an omniscient narrator, but instead through the changing form of the letters Evelina writes.

Volume II, Letter XII –Volume II, Letter XIX

Summary

Evelina continues her letters to Mr. Villars.Mr. Smith called upon Evelina to invite her to the Hampstead Assembly, but she refused him. Despite his surprise and persistence, she would not change her mind. Finally, he appealed to Madame Duval through flattery, and succeeded in winning that lady's favor. The next day, Evelina saw the young Scottish man at the Branghton's shop. He was turning the corner up the stairs when she saw a pistol fall from his pocket. She was dumbfounded, and, realizing that he intended to commit suicide, she followed him upstairs to stop him. She rushed into his room and grabbed his arm, falling down by his side. He was utterly shocked, and Evelina grew embarrassed. She tried to take the pistols, imploring him to have mercy on himself. On his knees before her, he passionately called her his angel, and Evelina quickly seized the pistols and exited the room. He followed her downstairs, but their conversation was interrupted by the Branghtons. Evelina fainted from the encounter, and the Branghtons roused her with their loud talking. She told them what had happened. That day the "rashness and misery of this ill-fated young man engrossed all [her] thoughts," she writes to Mr. Villars.The next day, the Branghtons invited she and Madame Duval to dinner. They talked rudely about their lodger, until they were interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Smith. The party then amused themselves by reflecting on all the

London locations Evelina had not seen.The next day, Evelina was sent back to the Branghtons while Madame Duval remained in bed with her vapors. Evelina saw Mr. Macartney reading in the corner of the shop, but was not able to speak with him. Instead, she sat with Miss Polly and her lover Mr. Brown, a situation that made her uncomfortable. Mr. Smith arrived sometime later to join the whole family. Evelina became increasingly irritated by him. She was also sensible of the family's rudeness in front of Mr. Macartney. She tried to "shew civility to this unhappy man, whose misfortunes, with this family, only render him an object of scorn." She was happy that Monsieur Du Bois was there, because he was the only one who was kind and respectful to the Scot.A few days later, they journeyed to Vauxhall as a group: Madame Duval, Evelina, the Branghtons, Monsieur Du Bois, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Smith. Evelina enjoyed the hautbois concerto, finding it very enchanting. She also found the lights appealing, but greatly disliked her company. Mr. Smith annoyed her by attaching himself to her for the entire experience. Thankfully, she found some respite in the company of Monsieur Du Bois.The party had supper, and then the girls were given permission to walk about the gardens together. Miss Branghton proposed that they stroll along the dark walks, and Miss Polly agreed since it would allow her to playfully hide from Mr. Brown. The plan concerned Evelina, who worried they would get lost from their group, but she had no choice but to follow them.They soon encountered a boisterous and riotous group of young men who rushed upon them. One of them grabbed Evelina and called her a "pretty little creature." She pulled away and ran up the walk, right into another group of men. One of them caught her hands and aggressively asked where she was going. Terrified she implored them to let her pass. One man in the group recognized her voice: Sir Clement Willoughby.He quickly pulled her away from the young men, astonished by her presence there. She found his attention annoying, and did not want him to see the company she was with. He followed her, however, asking her questions and complimenting her, then begging her forgiveness when she grew angry. They finally found her party, and she knew she could no longer conceal them from Sir Clement. He was astonished when he met them. Madame Duval, of course, was incensed to see the man who she knew had been involved in the Captain's schemes. Evelina was perturbed by Sir Clement's manners towards her, which adapted depending on the company they were in. Here, he seemed bolder and less restrained than when around the Mirvans. When inquiring about her situation with this party, he was far too open and blunt. The Branghton girls finally returned from the walks, and then the party looked at art for awhile. Everyone seemed in awe of Sir Clement, and his presence obviously made Mr. Smith jealous. When it was time to leave, Sir Clement managed to finagle his way into the same carriage as Madame Duval and Evelina, which distressed her since she did not want him to see where she was staying. Madame Duval was infuriated that he was with them. When they arrived, Evelina noticed him looking over the abode. The next morning, Miss Branghton and Mr. Smith were full of questions about Sir Clement. After a while, Clement himself entered the room to notify Evelina that he was heading towards Howard Grove the next day, and to inquire if she had any messages to send there. He then sat with the family, and discoursed on a variety of subjects. The group was disinclined to reply, each person for his or her own reason – Madame Duval was angry, Mr. Smith was afraid, young Branghton was ashamed, and the sisters were enamored. Finally, Madame Duval could forebear no longer, and she angrily accused Sir Clement of engineering the robbery prank. Her intensity made Sir Clement nervous, which in turn helped everyone else relax, so proud they were of how Madame Duval excoriated him. His attempts to defend himself made him behave awkwardly. He finally insisted he would depart, which subdued everyone else. Before he left, he asked Evelina why she kept company with such people. Evelina continues her letters to Mr. Villars. She writes of an encounter she had with Mr. Macartney, who generally seemed very shy and disordered around her. He tried to speak to her one day, to ask her who she was and why she seemed to be the "arbitress and ruler of the destiny of such a wretch as I am?" When she said she had merely meant to help him, he praised her voice. She was called upstairs by the Branghtons before any more was said.Mr. Villars writes to Evelina, praising her bravery in the case of Mr. Macartney, and lamenting the poor man's situation. Mr. Villars wonders whether the man's behavior is influenced by guilt and misconduct, rather than misfortune. He also once more criticizes Sir Clement.Evelina writes back, confessing that his conjectures on Macartney leave her uneasy, though his appearance suggests misery rather than guilt to her. Maria had recently written to her with news that Sir Clement had returned to Howard Grove, to the great delight of Captain Mirvan.Mr. Smith visited Evelina, and again insisted she should accompany him to the Hampstead Assembly. Once he appealed to Madame Duval, offering both ladies tickets, Evelina was forced to accept. He smugly expressed happiness over his victory. On the night of the assembly, the Branghtons quarreled in their usual coarse manner as Evelina got ready. Young Branghton warned Evelina to be wary of Mr. Smith, who often admitted he had no desire to marry. Mr. Smith, looking at Evelina, told Young Branghton, "if I did marry, it should be your cousin." Evelina was shocked at his forthrightness.At the assembly, she watched her grandmother dance with Mr. Smith, while she delighted in being alone. She did have to reject many suitors, however. She equally refused to dance with Mr. Smith, no matter how hard he tried to recruit her. He grew frustrated with her abstinence, and commented that he would never again trouble to get tickets for a young lady if he was only to dance with her grandmother.

Analysis

The concept of marriage becomes more prominent in this set of letters. This is to be expected, considering how inextricably linked the theme was to most 18th century literature written by and about women. Frances Burney had rejected a proposal when she was very young, and this novel, written a year later, was in many ways a response to that situation. In this book, she details the ever-present reality of a young woman's need to marry. She created a smart, intuitive, and virtuous young heroine to navigate the "marriage market," as scholar Judith Newton deems it. Newton's article explains how, in Evelina, Burney is "firmly committed to the assumption that marriage is a woman's only destiny and to the understanding that she

achieves this destiny through displaying herself and waiting to be chosen." Of course, this situation means that a woman might often be viewed as overstocked merchandise or even as helpless prey. That Burney's intelligent heroine is nevertheless devoid of significant options is a damning enough condemnation of the reality, but that neither the author nor the protagonist even question this state of affairs is even worse. In the world of Evelina, men behave badly, and view women very much as commodities. Burney seems to accept this as unalterable fact, but she does not shy away from representing how oppressive it can be for women. Mr. Smith is the best example of a man who knows he is a "buyer in a buyer's market," and therefore believes he can impress his will upon women. Recall the first assembly Evelina attends, and her observation that men there act as if they bestow gifts by asking a woman to dance. In the pleasure gardens, her situation becomes overwhelmingly oppressive; Evelina is grabbed, accosted, leered at, and finally "rescued" by Sir Clement, who uses the opportunity to try and seduce her. There is no sense that she has escaped an unjust situation; instead, the men feel lucky to now have her attention.The unkind men in the novel – Lord Merton, Mr. Smith, Mr. Lovel – are distinguished from Sir Clement because the latter man "imposes upon his pursuit of Evelina the courtly fiction that she is Cinderella, the beautiful but distant object." He is thrilled to see her as sexual prey, and pursues her with a hunter's persistence - that is, he is not concerned with her feelings, but only with manipulating her feelings. He continues to play-act the role of a 'Prince Charming'; consider his profuse contrition after Evelina discovered he was driving aimlessly after the opera. However, Evelina prefers his advances to those of men like Mr. Smith because the former at least pretends that the pursuit has an air of civility.So naturally, Lord Orville stands in stark contrast to almost every other man. In some ways, he is the center of the fiction for Burney. Newton writes, "That a man like Orville exists, that he ignores all the usual requirements of marriage, that he permanently confers upon Evelina the identity of Cinderella is a fiction so complete that Burney is moved either to anticipate the reader's disbelief or to reassure us that our hero has not been parted from his judgment." He is too good to be true and "his extraordinary virtues are both wish fulfillment and compensation." He is both a dramatic and thematic necessity, since he provides counterpoint to a novel that would be overly pessimistic otherwise, but Burney has to take great pains to keep him dramatically interesting, as will be seen with his letter in coming sections.Newton also details Evelina's personal growth (and lack thereof) in the face of this 'marriage market'. Evelina does develop a defense against these forceful men, but she cannot truly maintain that defense, since she would ultimately have to abdicate that power to be a suitable wife. Lord Orville will have to intervene on her behalf multiple times in the third volume of the novel, as he will surely continue to do so in his role of husband. Considering that the third volume is where a protagonist would usually show the most agency, it is telling that this novel's protagonist will rely on another for that purpose. Overall, Evelina's encounter with the world "is a woman's traditional encounter; it is a time of waiting, a time of transition, during which she is transferred from the protection of one male authority to the protection of another." The quality that makes Evelina dramatically interesting is her pastoral upbringing - she has a perspective on the cruel absurdity of her situation that a girl brought up solely in such society would never have. However, Evelina's journey is not a true bildungsroman because she cannot truly achieve the personal growth that a young man can. In other words, Burney somewhat lacks the original perspective Evelina does - we could imagine the latter finally realizing that the 'marriage market' is a sham, except that her creator is unwilling to go there. Fanny Burney wrote a novel that reveals an acceptance of a woman's role in the world, though there is a cynical edge in Lord Orville, since she can only temper her cynicism by "[creating] fictions" like him.

Volume II, Letter XX – Volume II, Letter XXX

Summary

Evelina writes to Mr. Villars, including in her correspondence a letter from Mr. Macartney in which he relates to her his sad story. He writes that he had grown up with his mother in Scotland, and never knew his father, whom he was told had died. He had one particularly close friend, who used his fortune to leave Scotland and travel through Europe. Before he left, the friend asked Macartney to meet him in Paris. When Macartney finally complied, he met a young woman there whom he fell in love with. However, when her absent father returned to discover them together, the two men dueled and Macartney felled her father. Believing the man had died, he fled in terror. He later learned that the father had not died, but the news was even worse: that man was in fact Macartney's real father, which means his beloved is his sister. Macartney's life disintegrated from that point onwards, and so he purchased pistols to pursue a life of robbery. Evelina had in fact deterred him from that purpose (and not from suicide), for which he is immensely grateful to her.Evelina continues her letters to Mr. Villars from London. She writes about how everyone went to Marybone-gardens. She enjoyed the fireworks and the orchestra there, but one firework was so terrifying that she ran away from it and got lost from her companions. As she wandered around, she encountered a group of men, one of whom accosted her. She was saved only by two young women who pulled her away; she soon realized they were prostitutes, and she tried to get away. Mr. Brown stumbled along while looking for her, and the prostitutes grabbed him as well. When they finally found the rest of their party, Evelina was concerned to see Lord Orville there with them. He seemed to be concerned to find her walking arm-in-arm with these women.Before he left, Lord Orville asked Evelina if he might pay his respects to her before he left town. She agreed. The prostitutes were eventually run off, and the group departed. Evelina reflected on how differently Lord Orville and Sir Clement reacted around her group – the former showed grace and politeness, and acted "benevolently, not with insolence." The next morning, Lord Orville visited Evelina early in the morning. They spoke pleasantly for some time until he embarrassingly brought up the subject of the prostitutes, asking Evelina if she had kept company with them before. When she denied it, both awkwardly apologized to

one other. He admitted he had not doubted her, but was made so curious to see her in such company, but was curious. He kissed her hand before he left; she was pleased to once again have his esteem.That same day, however, Evelina was annoyed by two new revelations: a) Madame Duval and Mr. Branghton were conspiring for her to marry Young Branghton; and b) Monsieur Du Bois was also attracted to her, as he confessed to her via note.The family went on a trip to Kensington-gardens, but Evelina was little impressed. She tried not to speak to Young Branghton at all, but felt sorry for avoiding Monsieur Du Bois, as he had always been kind to her. The Branghton girls continually pestered her about Lord Orville. When their father and brother heard that Evelina had once danced with the Lord, they thought this entitled them to make use of his carriage, which was sitting dormant with its driver at the gardens, to head home early. Evelina was mortified by this plan, but they would not desist . Even the footmen mocked their resolve, until one actually went to ask Lord Orville, and returned with word that "his carriage will always be at Miss Anville's service." That night, Evelina felt uneasy; she had just returned to Lord Orville's good opinion, but was now surely sunk by her family's behavior. She was doubly mortified to learn that Young Branghton had attended Lord Orville to apologize about some glass that had been broken in the carriage on their trip home. Young Branghton visited her with this news, and brought Lord Orville's compliments. When she realized he had used her name to gain access to Lord Orville, she angrily fled the room. She was so mortified that she actually wrote Lord Orville a note to apologize.After an excursion with the group the next day, Evelina returned anxious to know whether anyone had called in her absence; both Lord Orville and Sir Clement had. When she and Monsieur du Bois were alone later, however, he dropped to his knees and professed his love to her. Madame Duval entered during this display, and she flew into a passion, since she had considered herself as the object of his affections. She raged that she would not take Evelina to Paris and that she must marry Branghton. Evelina refused to grant her consent, and left the room. She soon thereafter left London.Mr. Villars writes to Evelina that she must come by Berry Hill before she returns to Howard Grove.While at Berry Hill, Evelina writes Miss Mirvan to explain she has stopped a while to visit Mr. Villars before returning to Howard Grove. Her next letter to Maria is full of indignation. In it, she reveals how Lord Orville had indeed written her a response to her note, but his letter was gross and distasteful. It was filled with flowery language and bold sentiments, and sounded very unlike him. She felt deceived and betrayed, and wondered how it was possible he could be so inappropriately forward. She was not flattered that he clearly seemed to love her, since his behavior was loathsome. She decided not to tell Mr. Villars because he held the man in such esteem.Continuing her letters to Miss Mirvan, she writes that Mr. Villars's neighbor and friend Mrs. Selwyn wishes to take Evelina to Bristol. However, she does not want to be separated from her guardian, and has little desire to see any more of the world. Overall, she is quite depressed.Evelina continued to be depressed, and Mr. Villars watched her carefully. He finally confronted her about her sadness, mourning that he had lost his child. He persisted in questioning her, believing that she was bored with the serenity of Berry Hill after having lived such an exciting life in London. Not wanting him to believe she had lost affection for her childhood home, Evelina showed him Lord Orville's letter. He concluded that the man must have been intoxicated when he wrote it; that was the only plausible explanation. Evelina was somewhat relieved, but wondered, "Why should I allow myself to be humbled by a man who can suffer his reason to be thus abjectly debased..." Evelina writes to Miss Mirvan again after some time has passed, explaining that she had grown ill and finally agreed to accompany Mrs. Selwyn to Bristol, where she might recover. That woman was clever and had a "masculine" understanding; she lost all softness and gentleness. This did not offend Evelina, though she adds that Mr. Villars is annoyed by her "unmerciful propensity to satire."

Analysis

As Evelina continues to narrate her travels through London, she provides not only an insightful look at this 18th century metropolis for modern readers, but also further example of the limitations a woman faced at that time. Her group undertakes an excursion to Marybone-gardens, which was in west London, and had been opened to the public as a pleasure-garden in 1738. Vivien Jones writes in the annotations that there were "gravel walks, elegant buildings such as the Great Room and the Orchestra, and regular concerts; and like the Vauxhall the usual fee was a shilling." It was famous for its concerts and fireworks displays, but was in decline by 1775, and closed in 1776. That it attracts such a wide swath of people helps explain how both the sophisticated Lord Orville and the boorish Branghtons might be there at the same time.Thus, it makes sense that questions of class and respectability arise in this place. In these gardens, Evelina comes into contact with the two prostitutes. While she and the Branghton girls realize who these women are, Madame Duval remains in ignorance. Jones uses this incident to confront the then-common assumption that places where social classes mixed encouraged an overall lapse of respectability. Whether this assumption is accurate or not, it certainly seems to be so for the upper class. The incident showcases how difficult it was for a young woman to protect her reputation. Evelina may be virtuous, but that's not enough; she has to work assiduously to maintain the impression of virtue. Lord Orville has no reason to suspect she fraternizes with prostitutes, but the appearance is enough to force him to bring up the question.The issue with his letter is significant for this same reason. Evelina writes a simple letter to Lord Orville, apologizing for her family's behavior, but she is utterly shocked by the excess sentiment contained in his response. However, she is in no position to simply write him off as a cad; the mere fact that he wrote that could potentially suggest to others that she had initiated such a flirtatious exchange. Certainly, her reputation had much more to lose than his. Further, the fact that he feels comfortable taking such advantage of her suggests he sees her in an unacceptable light. The sad truth is that it was considered inappropriate for young women even to correspond with men they were not engaged to; this makes up part of trouble faced by Clarissa in Samuel Richardson's novel of the same name. They had too much to lose by it.Two other places of interest are mentioned in

this set of letters: Kensington Gardens and the Hotwells. The former had a dynamic landscape design, much of which had been altered at the request of Queen Caroline, wife of George II. Evelina expressed her preference for the modern and open garden style of Kensington as opposed to the formal alleys of Vauxhall; it was also frequented for most of the 1770's by a more genteel class of people. Hyde Park was part of Kensington Gardens, and was a fashionable place to see and be seen. The Hotwells became popular at the end of the 1600's when a pump room and lodging house were built. These springs, renowned for their medicinal properties, attracted a fashionable crowd during their open season from May to September.Finally, Evelina learns the sad story of the Scottish poet in this set of letters. This story does not quite cohere with the rest of the narrative at this point, but will become more significant as Evelina continues. The story is full of both melodramatic and real-world elements. The melodrama consists in the story of unrequited love, and the outrageous coincidence of Macartney's connection with his sister. The real world is reflected by the 'Grand Tour' that the poet's friend takes. The Grand Tour was quite common for wealthy young men, and was meant to enhance their education. Poor men like Macartney, however, hoped to be ordained by the Church of England or Scotland, and to obtain a living by a wealthy patron or a good parish. There is some consideration of class in this story, though it is overshadowed by the dramatic overtones of his sad story.

Volume III, Letter I – Volume III, Letter V

Summary

Evelina writes to Mr. Villars.

Mrs. Selwyn and Evelina walked together once at Bristol, but were bothered by bold young men addressing Evelina. She tried to reject them, but they were persistent. Mrs. Selwyn, in her bold and commanding manner, offered retorts to their behavior. They later encountered Lord Merton - the forward and rude aristocrat Evelina met earlier. This is when she learns his name. He was excessively frank and rude to them, though he vaguely recognized her. Later, they learned that he had only recently been given a title, and that he had spent almost all of his fortune already. He was a known libertine, but he was soon to be married. It was surprising to Evelina to learn that his bride-to-be was Lady Louisa Larpent, the sister of Lord Orville.She continues her letters to Mr. Villars, opening a new one with the excited words that Lord Orville had shown himself to be still possessed of noble behavior; clearly, his letter reflected a moment of intemperance. She then tells how she again met Lord Orville. Mrs. Selwyn and Evelina were invited to the home of Mrs. Beaumont, a friend of Mrs. Selwyn's and the relative of Lord Orville and Lady Louisa. Evelina suddenly saw them enter the room together. Lady Louisa was bored,restless and affected. She barely noticed Evelina. Evelina remembered seeing Lady Louisa at the Pantheon party, and suddenly understood why Lord Orville was so irritate when Lord Merton hit on her.She was especially nervous to encounter Lord Orville, but he was polite, pleasing, friendly, and quick to devote his attention to her. She was instinctively friendly with him, but then forced an emotional distance when she remembered his letter. Her abruptness surprised him, but she could hardly keep it up for very long. Her coldness wore away when she went out driving with him and Mrs. Selwyn. Though she did not participate in the conversation, she was pleased to listen to them. She ultimately concluded it was impractical to be indignant any further.The next day, the two women were invited to Mrs. Beaumont's house for dinner. Mrs. Beaumont was concerned almost solely with nobility of birth; she considered high birth and virtue the same thing. Her "civility was too formal to be comfortable," Evelina writes. She also clearly disapproved of Lady Louisa's choice in Lord Merton due to his personality.Mr. Lovel later joined the company and Evelina was a perturbed by how conspicuously he ignored her, even though she was glad he no longer annoyed her outright. Lord Orville also joined the group, his presence acting as a counterpoint to the apathy and languor of the other young people. Lord Orville was far more polite than the others, and he addressed himself quite pleasantly to Evelina.Lord Merton's friend Mr. Coverley also arrived, and he and Lord Merton began arguing about who was a better phaeton driver. They decided to race each other, but Lady Louisa loudly expressed her displeasure. After this, the conversation turned solely to eating; Evelina was surprised at how knowledgeable Lord Merton, Mr. Lovel, and Mr. Coverley were. It was difficult to determine "whether they were most to be distinguished as gluttons, or epicures," and Evelina became quite disgusted. Later, during tea, Evelina sat alone, a bit sad about how no one seemed to regard her at all. Thankfully, Lord Orville arrived and made her feel quite welcome. The group conversation turned to other ways the men could settle their dispute if they were not to race. Each person in the group was asked to provide an idea. Mrs. Selwyn embarrassed them by calling attention to their ignorace of the classics. Evelina suggested they compose an extempore couplet on a subject, and Mrs. Beaumont suggested the bet should decide who had the best bow. Lord Orville shamed them all, however, by suggesting the money should go to whoever brought the worthiest object to share it with. This subtle remonstrance left everyone chagrined for a short while. Later, Evelina apologized to him for "[incurring] your censure," since she thought she had been petty by proposing an idea. He insisted that his mockery did not apply to her.Evelina was even more pleased the next day when she learned that she and Mrs. Selwyn were invited to be houseguests of Mrs. Beaumont. She was happy to be in the constant company of Lord Orville, especially because Mrs. Selwyn was kind to her but generally more focused on herself and clever conversation than she was on Evelina's comfort.Indeed, it was very pleasant being around him all the time. Evelina was annoyed, however, to learn from Mrs. Selwyn that Mr. Lovel had mocked her social standing in front of Lady Louisa. She refused to be friendly towards him,

even though he was "important." She writes to Mr. Villars about how much she enjoys her time with Lord Orville, commenting, "the attention with which Lord Orville honours me is as uniform as it is flattering, and seems to result from a benevolence of heart that proves him as much as stranger to caprice as to pride." The next morning, Evelina was strolling outside when she saw Mr. Macartney. He had come to find her, to thank her for so positively influencing his life. He explained that he was doing much better. While they talked, Lord Orville came outside looking for her, and found them together. He was about to bring her inside when Macartney asked Evelina if he could see her again; she felt obliged to answer in the positive. This was frightfully embarrassing for both Evelina and Lord Orville, and they walked back to the house in silence. He subtly suggested his concern over this strange man, and Evelina finally offered to later tell him what it all meant. He grew more at ease.They never seemed to find time to talk, however, and Evelina came to realize she had no authority to share Macartney's business with anyone else. She wrote to tell him she could not meet him the next day, but promised to find him before she left Bristol.The next day, Lord Orville and Evelina were awkward around one another. She finally confided that she was not at liberty to tell another's secrets, and he countered that he was only interested in knowing how it affected her. Though she revealed little, she was happy that they parted on good terms.

Analysis

In these letters, Evelina's 'well-bred' companions reveal just as much affectation, coarseness, insensibility, and judgmental attitudes as the Branghtons did. Lady Louisa, Lord Orville's sister, adopts an affected attitude that is most unpleasant. It actually enforces the then-contemporary notion that women were prone to nervous disorders and complaints. She is uptight by design. Mr. Lovel, who thankfully ignores Evelina, feels free to disparage her when she is not in his presence; he calls her a "toad-eater," which, according the Vivien Jones's annotations, is a "cruelly contemptuous term for someone who depends on their living on acting as a companion or attendant to a more wealthy patron." The men, excepting Lord Orville, again reveal their penchant for luxury and excess in their attention to food and frivolous gambling. Their lives are devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and dissipation. For someone like Evelina, who was raised to appreciate simple pleasures, this world seems wasteful and thereby distasteful.Mrs. Selwyn poses a fascinating question about feminism through her abrasive character. Unsurprisingly, the questions she raises are common for Burney's work. Rose Marie Cutting looks at all of Burney's novels to suggest that they are far more valuable than usually acknowledged, because they both depict social problems and invoke feminist ideals. Cutting first considers the heroines of the novels, commenting that they demonstrate independence of judgment, and, although "naive and inexperienced, they have no trouble in recognizing fools or in repudiating folly." They all face a similar economic plight, and suffer much abuse from the men in their environs. There are also characters in Burney's novels that Cutting refers to as "rebels," strong women who defy the stereotypes associated with their sex to claim a high degree of independence. Mrs. Selwyn is an apposite example of a "feminist" by this definition. She is neither passive nor dependent, and is fiercely defiant, aggressive, satirical, and ironic. She does not allow the silly men she encounters to get away with their behavior without at least being mocked for it. She incurs the ire of these men and even some of the women – including Evelina – for her bold style, thus affirming the discomfort many people felt at the time with women who acted outside of their prescribed gender roles. That women also find her difficult to handle suggests that all are generally uncomfortable when the expected social order is upended - even those who suffer because of it. It is telling that Mrs. Selwyn is so often described as masculine - this self-possession is not approved of in a female, and so does society discuss it as unnatural, or as a deficiency of some sort.Overall, Burney depicts women's suffering, and by doing so, offers an implicit condemnation of the society that subjected half of its population to cruel treatment and formidable restrictions of movement, expression, and autonomy. She devoted her final novel, The Wanderer (1814), to the theme of suffering. This novel's "call for self-sufficiency on the part of both sexes perhaps best summarizes Fanny Burney's protest against the humiliating dependency of her sex and her demand for a change in the condition of women." In this novel, the condemnation is less harsh but, even when Burney somewhat supports the status quo, her depiction reveals a perspective sensitive to those who are allowed little voice against their oppressors.Finally, a couple of notes on places and terms used in these letters are useful. The pump room was the room where visitors to the Hotwells conversed and took the waters, as well as listened to music. It therefore served as a place for gossip and visiting. Clifton Hills adjoined the Hotwells, and was a fashionable area of Bristol. A phaeton was a four-wheeled carriage that had a covered seat for the driver and at most two seats for passengers. They were very fashionable and could move at great speeds. The Court Calendar listed the details of royal families and their courts.

Volume III, Letter VI – Volume III, Letter XV

Summary

Mr. Villars writes to Evelina and confesses his concern that she is too innocent to realize what is happening: Lord Orville is in love with her. Worse, she is attracted to him but does not realize it. As she has not been able to transcend her infatuation, he encourages her to quit him, since "his sight is baneful to your repose, his society is death to your future tranquility!" Evelina must not trust in appearances, but instead rely on her guardian's advice.Meanwhile, Evelina writes to him before

has received his letter. She relates to him the day of the bet between Lord Merton and Mr. Coverley. The men chose to decide their bet through a footrace between two very old and infirm women. On that day, Lord Merton addressed himself presumptuously and inappropriately to Evelina, ignoring Louisa.When the time for the race came, the two men acted quite despicably in their disinterest in the old woman, and the competition was indeed sad and shameful. Lord Orville looked disapproving. Lord Merton won, and in his drunkenness that followed, he became extremely forward with Evelina. Riled up, she exclaimed a wish to have a brother to protect her, and Lord Orville quickly stepped to her aid with a promise to act as her brother. He then led her and Louisa away. Lady Louisa was both piqued with Lord Merton for his flirtations, and annoyed with her brother for so clearly favoring Evelina to her. Lord Orville proclaimed to Evelina that he would be both her sincere friend and her brother, and that she must accept his services. She was pleased to do so.The next evening, the entire group attended an assembly that Lord Orville had procured tickets to. At one point, Lord Orville danced with a young lady and Evelina overheard who she was: her name was Miss Belmont, and she was the daughter of an heiress. Evelina started; her father must have designated a new heiress in her stead. She spoke with Mrs. Selwyn about it, since that woman was familiar with her history, and she suggested Evelina go to town to research the matter further. Evelina asks Mr. Villars's permission to undertake this endeavor.Evelina also writes Mr. Villars of seeing Mr. Macartney at the pump room, and of that man's request to speak with her. She further details Lord Orville's curiosity on that same subject. She observed how awkward Mr. Macartney became when the young "Miss Belmont" entered the pump room, but did not know why he behaved thusly. Lord Orville promised Evelina he would help her fulfill her duty to Mr. Macartney, even though he did not know what it was. He invited the poet to the house and then kindly left them alone for a few moments. To Evelina's utter shock, the young man confessed to Evelina that that Miss Belmont was his former paramour. This meant that Macartney was Evelina's brother. Though she did not alert him to her realization, she did embrace him fervently and promise she would help however she could.Later, Evelina writes to tell Mr. Villars that she had received his letter about Lord Orville. She is flummoxed, broken-hearted, and ashamed. She feels ignorant and beguiled, and laments ever leaving her guardian. She had hoped to set out for Berry Hill immediately, but she was convinced by Mrs. Selwyn to stay a bit longer. She announces her intention to avoid Lord Orville completely. As she details in subsequent letters, her plan was difficult to enact, because he noticed her new coldness and continually inquired as to the cause of it.She later accompanied Mrs. Selwyn to town, and they stopped by the pump room first. To her consternation, all the young men there seemed to be talking about her, whispering odd snatches of verse. She was even more disturbed to run into Sir Clement Willoughby, who said he had been looking for her. He said he was brought to Bristol by accident and did not know she was there, but would have realized it quickly now that she was famous. Evelina inquired what he meant, and he explained that a copy of verse about her had been dropped in and around the pump room.He continued to compliment her, and implored her to spend time with him. She refused. Unfortunately, he quickly endeared himself to Mrs. Selwyn, and she forced Evelina to attend an assembly with them.Back with the group at Clifton, Lord Orville and Sir Clement eyed each other warily, and Lord Orville seemed confused by Evelina's growing aloofness. He tried to privately ask her whether he had offended her, and further asked whether she had known Sir Clement was in town. He was even more astonished to hear that she was engaged to Sir Clement at that night's assembly. Sir Clement continued to accost Evelina throughout the evening, and he showed her the paper of verse that he had copied from the original. It did indeed mention her name, and she believed it to be by Mr. Macartney, who was apt to praise her. Sir Clement bothered her incessantly, asking thousands of pointed questions, especially about Lord Orville. That night, Evelina confesses in a letter that she worries she is not acting honorably towards her former friend Lord Orville.Mr. Villars writes to Evelina about the Miss Belmont situation, ruminating that Miss Belmont may be the child of an after-marriage, but was certainly taking the place to which Evelina had an indisputable right. He deplores John Belmont's cruel treatment of Evelina's mother, and insists that the latter's reputation deserved to be cleared before public opinion. He includes in his correspondence a letter from her "unhappy mother," which had been reserved for Sir Belmont should this very situation ever arise. The letter begs Sir John Belmont, in the most emotional and florid tones, to recognize his true daughter.Evelina writes back to Mr. Villars, detailing how forward and obnoxious Sir Clement was in monopolizing her time and attention. At one point, he found her in the garden, grabbed her hand and would not let her alone. Lord Orville came across them, and she finally asked him forcibly to have Sir Clement release her hand. He asked Sir Clement if he meant to detain her by force, and he proudly released her hand and insisted he did not need Lord Orville's opinion. Evelina flew indoors. Later, she heard about their subsequent conversation from Mrs. Selwyn, who eavesdropped upon it. Lord Orville had asked Sir Clement about his intentions, and Sir Clement rudely answered that he had none, since her birth was low. He also sneeringly asked why Lord Orville was so interested; the latter spoke of how Evelina was "very young, very inexperienced, yet appears to be left totally to her own direction." The two men continued to argue until Mrs. Selwyn left for fear of discovery. Evelina next writes Mr. Villars of how Lord Orville found her alone, and begged to have a private moment. He very simply asked her why she had changed. She was disconcerted at how forthright and honest he was in his entreaty, but she remained silent. He asked her about Sir Clement, and she hotly denied that he mattered to her at all. Lord Orville was remarkably relieved by this. At dinner, he was excessively friendly and gay with Evelina. After dinner, he went into the library to help her choose a few books for her impending journey back to Berry Hill, and he could finally resist no longer. He declared his love and esteem for Evelina, and she could not resist him: "he drew from me the most sacred secret of my heart!" She acknowledges to Mr. Villars that there are many questions to address at a later point, but adds that they are blissfully happy. That night, Evelina wept from sheer happiness, and felt the tremendous honor of being chosen as wife by a man like Lord Orville. The next day, he asked to announce their affection publicly, but she implored him to wait until she had taken care of her business in town (which involved the Belmonts). He agreed with alacrity. Evelina concludes her letter to Mr. Villars by explaining how the two of them had actually discovered that Lord

Orville never wrote that bold and inappropriate letter. He knew nothing about it. She hopes her guardian will think well of Lord Orville, and feel honored by his choice of her.

Analysis

This set of letters presents examples of the rich behaving very, very badly. Lord Merton, in particular, is a dissolute and lascivious newly-made nobleman who enjoys exploiting and mocking those around him, simply to entertain himself. He does not care about his reputation because he knows his fortune will be secured when he marries Lady Louisa. He is a paragon of "modern" manners and stands contrast to the genteel and traditional Lord Orville. Even Mrs. Selwyn's wit and virulent satire can do little to quell the boisterous cruelty and brazen excess of Lord Merton. For all her strength, Lady Louisa is but a tool towards securing Lord Merton's wealth. She has no more power than Evelina does, though she has been raised to affect a superiority. In this way, she is far more pitiable than our heroine, especially when her fiancee so blatantly hits of Evelina in front of her.Lord Merton has replaced Captain Mirvan as the novel's grossest, rudest male, and Mrs. Selwyn has replaced Madame Duval as the older woman supervising Evelina. However, while Lord Merton possesses no redeeming qualities, Mrs. Selwyn remains valuable to Evelina because she protects her, respects her, and gently pushes her into self-awareness. Even though her satire sometimes seems coarse to Evelina, it does suggest to her that she is free to make up her own mind about Lord Orville, and does not need a man - Mr. Villars - to guide her any longer.Another instance of privileged cruelty is the race between the two old women, an episode that puzzles many critics, particularly as regards its origin. Most have tried to find literary, historical or anecdotal precedents for it, but one critic, as Jones points out, is probably right in claiming there was probably no single source. Betting on foot-races was pretty common; young laboring women raced against each other at fairs in "smock races." Jones writes that this scene "certainly captures the cruelty involved in many eighteenth-century amusements, while the introduction of 'poor old women' focuses on issues involving both gender and social status." In other words, the race is itself a cohesive symbol of all the oppressions related throughout the novel.Lord Orville is finally prompted to make his feelings known to Evelina, and it is significant that he does so without knowing the truth about her birth. She has dropped some hints about herself, but he remains oblivious to the exact particulars, and to the impending conflict with her father. Considering how important social status was - and how much of the 'marriage contract' was about securing a valuable commodity in a wife - Lord Orville is admirable in acting from his affection alone. He very clearly leans toward the fictional and unbelievable: while it is not impossible to imagine a young man with manners and a deep sense of decorum, it is unlikely that one in his social position would so blithely pursue a young woman whose birth was unknown. Burney's inclusion of such an angelic man is in many ways a deference towards the system of marriage, since her cynical attitude about people would otherwise overwhelm the book's perspective and make it far more transgressive than it ultimately is. And, of course, it would likely sell more copies it it conformed to what most of society thought, instead of explicitly attacking those thoughts.One note about some historical information is useful. A pamphlet-shop was a place that sold cheaper and unbound publications and was usually frequented by men as opposed to women, who procured their reading material from the circulating library. The fact that Mrs. Selwyn prefers this outlet demonstrates her more masculine education and taste. "John trot style" (334) referred to a man who, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was of "slow or uncultured intellect, a bumpkin, a clown." Vivien Jones's annotations explain that "the insult suggests that older women are masculinized, as well as stupid."

Volume III, Letter VI – Volume III, Letter XV

Summary

Mr. Villars writes to Evelina and confesses his concern that she is too innocent to realize what is happening: Lord Orville is in love with her. Worse, she is attracted to him but does not realize it. As she has not been able to transcend her infatuation, he encourages her to quit him, since "his sight is baneful to your repose, his society is death to your future tranquility!" Evelina must not trust in appearances, but instead rely on her guardian's advice.Meanwhile, Evelina writes to him before has received his letter. She relates to him the day of the bet between Lord Merton and Mr. Coverley. The men chose to decide their bet through a footrace between two very old and infirm women. On that day, Lord Merton addressed himself presumptuously and inappropriately to Evelina, ignoring Louisa.When the time for the race came, the two men acted quite despicably in their disinterest in the old woman, and the competition was indeed sad and shameful. Lord Orville looked disapproving. Lord Merton won, and in his drunkenness that followed, he became extremely forward with Evelina. Riled up, she exclaimed a wish to have a brother to protect her, and Lord Orville quickly stepped to her aid with a promise to act as her brother. He then led her and Louisa away. Lady Louisa was both piqued with Lord Merton for his flirtations, and annoyed with her brother for so clearly favoring Evelina to her. Lord Orville proclaimed to Evelina that he would be both her sincere friend and her brother, and that she must accept his services. She was pleased to do so.The next evening, the entire group attended an assembly that Lord Orville had procured tickets to. At one point, Lord Orville danced with a young lady and Evelina overheard who she was: her name was Miss Belmont, and she was the daughter of an heiress. Evelina started; her father must have designated a new heiress in her stead. She spoke with Mrs. Selwyn about it, since that woman

was familiar with her history, and she suggested Evelina go to town to research the matter further. Evelina asks Mr. Villars's permission to undertake this endeavor.Evelina also writes Mr. Villars of seeing Mr. Macartney at the pump room, and of that man's request to speak with her. She further details Lord Orville's curiosity on that same subject. She observed how awkward Mr. Macartney became when the young "Miss Belmont" entered the pump room, but did not know why he behaved thusly. Lord Orville promised Evelina he would help her fulfill her duty to Mr. Macartney, even though he did not know what it was. He invited the poet to the house and then kindly left them alone for a few moments. To Evelina's utter shock, the young man confessed to Evelina that that Miss Belmont was his former paramour. This meant that Macartney was Evelina's brother. Though she did not alert him to her realization, she did embrace him fervently and promise she would help however she could.Later, Evelina writes to tell Mr. Villars that she had received his letter about Lord Orville. She is flummoxed, broken-hearted, and ashamed. She feels ignorant and beguiled, and laments ever leaving her guardian. She had hoped to set out for Berry Hill immediately, but she was convinced by Mrs. Selwyn to stay a bit longer. She announces her intention to avoid Lord Orville completely. As she details in subsequent letters, her plan was difficult to enact, because he noticed her new coldness and continually inquired as to the cause of it.She later accompanied Mrs. Selwyn to town, and they stopped by the pump room first. To her consternation, all the young men there seemed to be talking about her, whispering odd snatches of verse. She was even more disturbed to run into Sir Clement Willoughby, who said he had been looking for her. He said he was brought to Bristol by accident and did not know she was there, but would have realized it quickly now that she was famous. Evelina inquired what he meant, and he explained that a copy of verse about her had been dropped in and around the pump room.He continued to compliment her, and implored her to spend time with him. She refused. Unfortunately, he quickly endeared himself to Mrs. Selwyn, and she forced Evelina to attend an assembly with them.Back with the group at Clifton, Lord Orville and Sir Clement eyed each other warily, and Lord Orville seemed confused by Evelina's growing aloofness. He tried to privately ask her whether he had offended her, and further asked whether she had known Sir Clement was in town. He was even more astonished to hear that she was engaged to Sir Clement at that night's assembly. Sir Clement continued to accost Evelina throughout the evening, and he showed her the paper of verse that he had copied from the original. It did indeed mention her name, and she believed it to be by Mr. Macartney, who was apt to praise her. Sir Clement bothered her incessantly, asking thousands of pointed questions, especially about Lord Orville. That night, Evelina confesses in a letter that she worries she is not acting honorably towards her former friend Lord Orville.Mr. Villars writes to Evelina about the Miss Belmont situation, ruminating that Miss Belmont may be the child of an after-marriage, but was certainly taking the place to which Evelina had an indisputable right. He deplores John Belmont's cruel treatment of Evelina's mother, and insists that the latter's reputation deserved to be cleared before public opinion. He includes in his correspondence a letter from her "unhappy mother," which had been reserved for Sir Belmont should this very situation ever arise. The letter begs Sir John Belmont, in the most emotional and florid tones, to recognize his true daughter.Evelina writes back to Mr. Villars, detailing how forward and obnoxious Sir Clement was in monopolizing her time and attention. At one point, he found her in the garden, grabbed her hand and would not let her alone. Lord Orville came across them, and she finally asked him forcibly to have Sir Clement release her hand. He asked Sir Clement if he meant to detain her by force, and he proudly released her hand and insisted he did not need Lord Orville's opinion. Evelina flew indoors. Later, she heard about their subsequent conversation from Mrs. Selwyn, who eavesdropped upon it. Lord Orville had asked Sir Clement about his intentions, and Sir Clement rudely answered that he had none, since her birth was low. He also sneeringly asked why Lord Orville was so interested; the latter spoke of how Evelina was "very young, very inexperienced, yet appears to be left totally to her own direction." The two men continued to argue until Mrs. Selwyn left for fear of discovery. Evelina next writes Mr. Villars of how Lord Orville found her alone, and begged to have a private moment. He very simply asked her why she had changed. She was disconcerted at how forthright and honest he was in his entreaty, but she remained silent. He asked her about Sir Clement, and she hotly denied that he mattered to her at all. Lord Orville was remarkably relieved by this. At dinner, he was excessively friendly and gay with Evelina. After dinner, he went into the library to help her choose a few books for her impending journey back to Berry Hill, and he could finally resist no longer. He declared his love and esteem for Evelina, and she could not resist him: "he drew from me the most sacred secret of my heart!" She acknowledges to Mr. Villars that there are many questions to address at a later point, but adds that they are blissfully happy. That night, Evelina wept from sheer happiness, and felt the tremendous honor of being chosen as wife by a man like Lord Orville. The next day, he asked to announce their affection publicly, but she implored him to wait until she had taken care of her business in town (which involved the Belmonts). He agreed with alacrity. Evelina concludes her letter to Mr. Villars by explaining how the two of them had actually discovered that Lord Orville never wrote that bold and inappropriate letter. He knew nothing about it. She hopes her guardian will think well of Lord Orville, and feel honored by his choice of her.AnalysisThis set of letters presents examples of the rich behaving very, very badly. Lord Merton, in particular, is a dissolute and lascivious newly-made nobleman who enjoys exploiting and mocking those around him, simply to entertain himself. He does not care about his reputation because he knows his fortune will be secured when he marries Lady Louisa. He is a paragon of "modern" manners and stands contrast to the genteel and traditional Lord Orville. Even Mrs. Selwyn's wit and virulent satire can do little to quell the boisterous cruelty and brazen excess of Lord Merton. For all her strength, Lady Louisa is but a tool towards securing Lord Merton's wealth. She has no more power than Evelina does, though she has been raised to affect a superiority. In this way, she is far more pitiable than our heroine, especially when her fiancee so blatantly hits of Evelina in front of her.Lord Merton has replaced Captain Mirvan as the novel's grossest, rudest male, and Mrs. Selwyn has replaced Madame Duval as the older woman supervising Evelina. However, while Lord Merton possesses no redeeming qualities, Mrs. Selwyn remains valuable to Evelina because she protects her, respects her, and gently pushes her into self-awareness. Even though her satire sometimes seems coarse to

Evelina, it does suggest to her that she is free to make up her own mind about Lord Orville, and does not need a man - Mr. Villars - to guide her any longer.Another instance of privileged cruelty is the race between the two old women, an episode that puzzles many critics, particularly as regards its origin. Most have tried to find literary, historical or anecdotal precedents for it, but one critic, as Jones points out, is probably right in claiming there was probably no single source. Betting on foot-races was pretty common; young laboring women raced against each other at fairs in "smock races." Jones writes that this scene "certainly captures the cruelty involved in many eighteenth-century amusements, while the introduction of 'poor old women' focuses on issues involving both gender and social status." In other words, the race is itself a cohesive symbol of all the oppressions related throughout the novel.Lord Orville is finally prompted to make his feelings known to Evelina, and it is significant that he does so without knowing the truth about her birth. She has dropped some hints about herself, but he remains oblivious to the exact particulars, and to the impending conflict with her father. Considering how important social status was - and how much of the 'marriage contract' was about securing a valuable commodity in a wife - Lord Orville is admirable in acting from his affection alone. He very clearly leans toward the fictional and unbelievable: while it is not impossible to imagine a young man with manners and a deep sense of decorum, it is unlikely that one in his social position would so blithely pursue a young woman whose birth was unknown. Burney's inclusion of such an angelic man is in many ways a deference towards the system of marriage, since her cynical attitude about people would otherwise overwhelm the book's perspective and make it far more transgressive than it ultimately is. And, of course, it would likely sell more copies it it conformed to what most of society thought, instead of explicitly attacking those thoughts.One note about some historical information is useful. A pamphlet-shop was a place that sold cheaper and unbound publications and was usually frequented by men as opposed to women, who procured their reading material from the circulating library. The fact that Mrs. Selwyn prefers this outlet demonstrates her more masculine education and taste. "John trot style" (334) referred to a man who, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was of "slow or uncultured intellect, a bumpkin, a clown." Vivien Jones's annotations explain that "the insult suggests that older women are masculinized, as well as stupid."

Volume III, Letter VI – Volume III, Letter XV

Summary

Mr. Villars writes to Evelina and confesses his concern that she is too innocent to realize what is happening: Lord Orville is in love with her. Worse, she is attracted to him but does not realize it. As she has not been able to transcend her infatuation, he encourages her to quit him, since "his sight is baneful to your repose, his society is death to your future tranquility!" Evelina must not trust in appearances, but instead rely on her guardian's advice.Meanwhile, Evelina writes to him before has received his letter. She relates to him the day of the bet between Lord Merton and Mr. Coverley. The men chose to decide their bet through a footrace between two very old and infirm women. On that day, Lord Merton addressed himself presumptuously and inappropriately to Evelina, ignoring Louisa.When the time for the race came, the two men acted quite despicably in their disinterest in the old woman, and the competition was indeed sad and shameful. Lord Orville looked disapproving. Lord Merton won, and in his drunkenness that followed, he became extremely forward with Evelina. Riled up, she exclaimed a wish to have a brother to protect her, and Lord Orville quickly stepped to her aid with a promise to act as her brother. He then led her and Louisa away. Lady Louisa was both piqued with Lord Merton for his flirtations, and annoyed with her brother for so clearly favoring Evelina to her. Lord Orville proclaimed to Evelina that he would be both her sincere friend and her brother, and that she must accept his services. She was pleased to do so.The next evening, the entire group attended an assembly that Lord Orville had procured tickets to. At one point, Lord Orville danced with a young lady and Evelina overheard who she was: her name was Miss Belmont, and she was the daughter of an heiress. Evelina started; her father must have designated a new heiress in her stead. She spoke with Mrs. Selwyn about it, since that woman was familiar with her history, and she suggested Evelina go to town to research the matter further. Evelina asks Mr. Villars's permission to undertake this endeavor.Evelina also writes Mr. Villars of seeing Mr. Macartney at the pump room, and of that man's request to speak with her. She further details Lord Orville's curiosity on that same subject. She observed how awkward Mr. Macartney became when the young "Miss Belmont" entered the pump room, but did not know why he behaved thusly. Lord Orville promised Evelina he would help her fulfill her duty to Mr. Macartney, even though he did not know what it was. He invited the poet to the house and then kindly left them alone for a few moments. To Evelina's utter shock, the young man confessed to Evelina that that Miss Belmont was his former paramour. This meant that Macartney was Evelina's brother. Though she did not alert him to her realization, she did embrace him fervently and promise she would help however she could.Later, Evelina writes to tell Mr. Villars that she had received his letter about Lord Orville. She is flummoxed, broken-hearted, and ashamed. She feels ignorant and beguiled, and laments ever leaving her guardian. She had hoped to set out for Berry Hill immediately, but she was convinced by Mrs. Selwyn to stay a bit longer. She announces her intention to avoid Lord Orville completely. As she details in subsequent letters, her plan was difficult to enact, because he noticed her new coldness and continually inquired as to the cause of it.She later accompanied Mrs. Selwyn to town, and they stopped by the pump room first. To her consternation, all the young men there seemed to be talking about her, whispering odd snatches of verse. She was even more disturbed to run into Sir Clement Willoughby, who said he had been looking for her. He said he was brought to Bristol by accident and did not know she was there, but would have realized it quickly now that she was famous. Evelina inquired what he meant, and he explained that a copy of verse

about her had been dropped in and around the pump room.He continued to compliment her, and implored her to spend time with him. She refused. Unfortunately, he quickly endeared himself to Mrs. Selwyn, and she forced Evelina to attend an assembly with them.Back with the group at Clifton, Lord Orville and Sir Clement eyed each other warily, and Lord Orville seemed confused by Evelina's growing aloofness. He tried to privately ask her whether he had offended her, and further asked whether she had known Sir Clement was in town. He was even more astonished to hear that she was engaged to Sir Clement at that night's assembly. Sir Clement continued to accost Evelina throughout the evening, and he showed her the paper of verse that he had copied from the original. It did indeed mention her name, and she believed it to be by Mr. Macartney, who was apt to praise her. Sir Clement bothered her incessantly, asking thousands of pointed questions, especially about Lord Orville. That night, Evelina confesses in a letter that she worries she is not acting honorably towards her former friend Lord Orville.Mr. Villars writes to Evelina about the Miss Belmont situation, ruminating that Miss Belmont may be the child of an after-marriage, but was certainly taking the place to which Evelina had an indisputable right. He deplores John Belmont's cruel treatment of Evelina's mother, and insists that the latter's reputation deserved to be cleared before public opinion. He includes in his correspondence a letter from her "unhappy mother," which had been reserved for Sir Belmont should this very situation ever arise. The letter begs Sir John Belmont, in the most emotional and florid tones, to recognize his true daughter.Evelina writes back to Mr. Villars, detailing how forward and obnoxious Sir Clement was in monopolizing her time and attention. At one point, he found her in the garden, grabbed her hand and would not let her alone. Lord Orville came across them, and she finally asked him forcibly to have Sir Clement release her hand. He asked Sir Clement if he meant to detain her by force, and he proudly released her hand and insisted he did not need Lord Orville's opinion. Evelina flew indoors. Later, she heard about their subsequent conversation from Mrs. Selwyn, who eavesdropped upon it. Lord Orville had asked Sir Clement about his intentions, and Sir Clement rudely answered that he had none, since her birth was low. He also sneeringly asked why Lord Orville was so interested; the latter spoke of how Evelina was "very young, very inexperienced, yet appears to be left totally to her own direction." The two men continued to argue until Mrs. Selwyn left for fear of discovery. Evelina next writes Mr. Villars of how Lord Orville found her alone, and begged to have a private moment. He very simply asked her why she had changed. She was disconcerted at how forthright and honest he was in his entreaty, but she remained silent. He asked her about Sir Clement, and she hotly denied that he mattered to her at all. Lord Orville was remarkably relieved by this. At dinner, he was excessively friendly and gay with Evelina. After dinner, he went into the library to help her choose a few books for her impending journey back to Berry Hill, and he could finally resist no longer. He declared his love and esteem for Evelina, and she could not resist him: "he drew from me the most sacred secret of my heart!" She acknowledges to Mr. Villars that there are many questions to address at a later point, but adds that they are blissfully happy. That night, Evelina wept from sheer happiness, and felt the tremendous honor of being chosen as wife by a man like Lord Orville. The next day, he asked to announce their affection publicly, but she implored him to wait until she had taken care of her business in town (which involved the Belmonts). He agreed with alacrity. Evelina concludes her letter to Mr. Villars by explaining how the two of them had actually discovered that Lord Orville never wrote that bold and inappropriate letter. He knew nothing about it. She hopes her guardian will think well of Lord Orville, and feel honored by his choice of her.

Analysis

This set of letters presents examples of the rich behaving very, very badly. Lord Merton, in particular, is a dissolute and lascivious newly-made nobleman who enjoys exploiting and mocking those around him, simply to entertain himself. He does not care about his reputation because he knows his fortune will be secured when he marries Lady Louisa. He is a paragon of "modern" manners and stands contrast to the genteel and traditional Lord Orville. Even Mrs. Selwyn's wit and virulent satire can do little to quell the boisterous cruelty and brazen excess of Lord Merton. For all her strength, Lady Louisa is but a tool towards securing Lord Merton's wealth. She has no more power than Evelina does, though she has been raised to affect a superiority. In this way, she is far more pitiable than our heroine, especially when her fiancee so blatantly hits of Evelina in front of her.Lord Merton has replaced Captain Mirvan as the novel's grossest, rudest male, and Mrs. Selwyn has replaced Madame Duval as the older woman supervising Evelina. However, while Lord Merton possesses no redeeming qualities, Mrs. Selwyn remains valuable to Evelina because she protects her, respects her, and gently pushes her into self-awareness. Even though her satire sometimes seems coarse to Evelina, it does suggest to her that she is free to make up her own mind about Lord Orville, and does not need a man - Mr. Villars - to guide her any longer.Another instance of privileged cruelty is the race between the two old women, an episode that puzzles many critics, particularly as regards its origin. Most have tried to find literary, historical or anecdotal precedents for it, but one critic, as Jones points out, is probably right in claiming there was probably no single source. Betting on foot-races was pretty common; young laboring women raced against each other at fairs in "smock races." Jones writes that this scene "certainly captures the cruelty involved in many eighteenth-century amusements, while the introduction of 'poor old women' focuses on issues involving both gender and social status." In other words, the race is itself a cohesive symbol of all the oppressions related throughout the novel.Lord Orville is finally prompted to make his feelings known to Evelina, and it is significant that he does so without knowing the truth about her birth. She has dropped some hints about herself, but he remains oblivious to the exact particulars, and to the impending conflict with her father. Considering how important social status was - and how much of the 'marriage contract' was about securing a valuable commodity in a wife - Lord Orville is admirable in acting from his affection alone. He very clearly leans toward the fictional and unbelievable: while it is not impossible to imagine a young man with manners and a deep sense of decorum, it is unlikely that one in his social position would so blithely pursue

a young woman whose birth was unknown. Burney's inclusion of such an angelic man is in many ways a deference towards the system of marriage, since her cynical attitude about people would otherwise overwhelm the book's perspective and make it far more transgressive than it ultimately is. And, of course, it would likely sell more copies it it conformed to what most of society thought, instead of explicitly attacking those thoughts.One note about some historical information is useful. A pamphlet-shop was a place that sold cheaper and unbound publications and was usually frequented by men as opposed to women, who procured their reading material from the circulating library. The fact that Mrs. Selwyn prefers this outlet demonstrates her more masculine education and taste. "John trot style" (334) referred to a man who, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was of "slow or uncultured intellect, a bumpkin, a clown." Vivien Jones's annotations explain that "the insult suggests that older women are masculinized, as well as stupid."

Volume III, Letter XVI – Volume III, Letter XXIII

Summary

Evelina continues to write to Mr. Villars.In the morning during breakfast, Lord Orville asked Evelina if he could privately speak with her later, about the rude letter she had received. Later that day, Evelina was alone when Sir Clement Willoughby came into the room unexpectedly. When he saw that letter in her hand, he grew passionately agitated, asking her over and over again if the note had disgusted her, why she had not burned it, and whether she loved Lord Orville. She would not answer, even after he grow so distressed that he rudely exited the room as soon as others entered. That evening, Mrs. Selwyn tried to, in her ironic and piercing manner, determine why he had behaved with such panic. Evelina and Mr. Macartney met again at the house, using Lord Orville's invitation to him as a cover to arrange their meeting. He told her he was unable to gain audience with Miss Belmont, even though he had tried. Evelina suddenly exclaimed that she was his sister, and the two clasped hands in emotion. Lord Orville entered and saw this right before Mr. Macartney left. He was a bit surprised but soon pried from Evelina the news that Macartney was her brother.Meanwhile, as she had planned with Evelina, Mrs. Selwyn visited Sir John Belmont to tell him about her. When she returned, her countenance immediately revealed her anger and embarrassment. Sir John had been hostile to what he called the "ridiculous story," and he explained his side of events. Soon after leaving Evelina's mother, a nursemaid brought him his daughter from the estate of Mr. Villars, and he put the girl into a convent to be educated. She had recently returned a grown woman, and was the Miss Belmont currently seen around town. Hence, Evelina must be only a ruse to extort money from him.After Evelina heard this, she was devastated. Lord Orville found her during her grief, and when he tried to comfort her, she sobbed that she was unworthy of him.Later, Mrs. Selwyn admitted she had told Lord Orville about the girl's past, and that he was now doubly committed to marrying her. She was excited about the match. She also proposed the next step in the plan: Evelina would attend Mrs. Selwyn on a visit to Sir John Belmont on the next day. Evelina agreed, but trembled at the thought. The next day, Evelina was full of shock and terror when they went to Sir John Belmont's abode. Mrs. Selwyn first confronted him privately; he was in particularly poor spirits at recently learning he had a son in Macartney. Mrs. Selwyn begged him to at least see Evelina once, and he agreed. Evelina thus came face-to-face with her father.When he saw her, he was profoundly affected by fervid emotion and disbelief. He exclaimed that Caroline Evelyn (her mother) was still alive and breathing before him. He was so distressed that he apologized and ran upstairs, saying that he could never see Evelina's face again. Later, Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Selwyn tried to understand the story. It seemed that there had been a poor nursemaid who attended Caroline's deathbed, and who also had a daughter. After Caroline died, the nursemaid and her infant daughter disappeared. Considering how much secrecy Mr. Villars had employed in raising Evelina (to protect her from Madame Duval and her father), it seemed likely that Sir John Belmont might never have known about her. Mrs. Selwyn returned to Sir John's house to further investigate the matter.When she returned, she had an answer. She and Sir John questioned the nurse and discovered how the nurse had overheard Mr. Villars promising Caroline that he would raise Evelina. Seeing an opportunity to make her own poor daughter an heiress, she brought the wrong infant to Sir John and claimed it was his daughter from Caroline. Evelina was overjoyed to learn that her father's neglect was not born from cruelty of spirit. The next day, Evelina was shocked with more information - Mrs. Selwyn, Sir John, and even the kindhearted Lord Orville had decided that both girls (Evelina and Miss Belmont) were to be married immediately. This way, Miss Belmont would not be shamed by losing her noble name before she married Mr. Macartney (who was obviously not actually her brother), and so Evelina could soon reclaim her rightful place as Sir John's heiress.Evelina was overcome with emotion; she largely approved of the plan, but felt even better when Lord Orville promised that they could pass their first month of marriage at Berry Hill. While they remained at Clifton, Evelina noticed a change in Lady Louisa's demeanor. She had obviously learned about both her brother's proposal and Evelina's change in station. As a result, she treated the girl with more civility. Mr. Macartney and Evelina met again, this time with Lord Orville warmly and openly offering his sincere compliments to the man.The time came for Evelina to visit her father again. Their meeting was beset with fervent, consuming emotion on both sides. He was fraught with despair about how he had treated her, and begged her forgiveness. By the time the interview was over, they had reunited and he promised to overcome the guilt her countenance brought him (because it reminded him of how cruelly he treated her mother). He would simply need some time to make peace with himself. After the meeting, Mr. Macartney told Evelina that Lord Orville had promised him that they would consider the poor Miss Green – the fake heiress – as a sister and co-heiress, if not in law then in justice. Evelina writes to Mr. Villars of this: "Oh Lord Orville! – it shall be the sole study of my happy life, to express better than words, the sense I have of your exalted benevolence, and greatness of

mind!"Evelina receives a letter from Sir Clement, explaining that it was he who penned the rude letter and forged Lord Orville's signature. He had found Young Branghton on his way to deliver Evelina's letter, and intercepted it. He does not apologize for doing so, but felt he should explain himself. She marveled at his unrepentant attitude, and wrote him back that she would not be telling anyone about it.Lord Orville also confessed to Evelina that he had originally intended to investigate her past before proposing, but that he became so overcome with emotion that he did so before he had adequate time for it.The group traveled together to Bath to show Evelina the city. There, they encountered Captain Mirvan and his family; upon hearing of Evelina's engagement, Maria had convinced her parents to join her. Evelina loved Bath, but the trip was somewhat soured by the Captain's incessant persecution of Mr. Lovel, who was in attendance. He treated him as he had treated Madame Duval. At one point, he even dressed up a monkey in fine clothes and called him Mr. Lovel's brother. The entire company was shocked, and Mr. Lovel was frightfully embarrassed. Evelina finally receives a letter from Mr. Villars – she had been waiting anxiously for his approval and was profoundly relieved to hear how excited and pleased he was for the couple. The last letter from Evelina to Mr. Villars states that "this morning, with fearful joy, and trembling gratitude, she united herself for ever with the object of her dearest, her eternal affection!"

Analysis

In this last set of letters, it becomes clear that Evelina has successfully navigated the perilous waters of the London social scene, reclaiming her birthright and marrying an extremely eligible man. Moreover, she has done so while retaining her most prized possession – her innocence. This is the novel's primary dramatic conflict: her internal innocence is threatened by a public world characterized by masculine licentiousness and assertiveness. Joanne Cutting-Gray's article on Evelina's innocence offers insight into the novel through a discussion of her namelessness and the act of writing. Evelina has no real name – she is not recognized by her father – and thus can identify herself only by the innocence she is expected to show as a woman. Her name is a diminutive of her mother's last name, which marks her as something of a doll.Almost everyone in the novel is concerned with preserving Evelina's innocence. Mr. Villars warns her in nearly all of the letters of what she will face and how to protect herself. Evelina is, however, not completely a " tabula rasa of innocence upon which experience is engraved, for she has the reflexive ability to read more than one possible meaning in otherwise socially acceptable behavior." She can recognize the bad traits in others and justly condemn them. Further, she is willing to consider a situation's complications. Notice how, before she learns that Lord Orville had not penned the rude letter, she finds herself forgiving him nevertheless. She is willing to consider situations, and not view base behavior as the sum of a person's character.The facade required of women was thus very difficult to maintain: one had to be wise enough to recognize worldliness and stave off men's aggressive advances, but unworldly enough to appear diffident and guileless. Evelina enters a social world where her identity is already limned for her; this requires her to sublimate her own desires, and to allow her reflections to be "covered over by the veneer of naiveté." Someone like Sir Clement assumes she merely possesses the latter of the two aforementioned qualities. He only wishes to seduce her, not to marry her, and believes that her guilelessness and naiveté will make her an assured victory. That she is strong continually surprises him.Evelina herself tries very diligently to convince everyone that she is powerless and deficient in thought. This unfortunately reduces her potential to further develop as a person; she remains one-dimensional and does not endeavor to be anything except molded by her world. However, as the narrative reveals, "the Evelina who writes reveals a far more evaluative knowledge of her world than the Evelina she writes about." That is, she presents the proper face to society, but in private, is very witty, discriminating, and perceptive. For instance, when Evelina earlier rages over the way the Branghtons secured Lord Orville's carriage, she "claims her own right to the disclosing as well as concealing power of name and discourse." She is clearly frustrated at her role as a nameless female and must assert herself. She must respect her own name, since, as a woman, nobody else will.Throughout the writing of her letters, Evelina discovers meaning and thereby discovers herself. She records what she sees in London, but does much more as well: she learns "that she is capable of thought and therefore capable of speech." The "persuasive power of her narrative compensates for the confusion and distress that a predetermined innocence causes her," Cutting-Gray concludes. She discovers the parallels and patterns in the events that shape the world, and is subsequently able to voice her opinions. As she gathers a greater vocabulary of experience, she gains perspective on events, while always grappling with the perils of innocence. Through writing, she is able to "share in the composition of her own destiny" and slough of the role of innocent bystander and passive spectator.The novel's happy ending confirms Evelina's growth, though it does finally reveal some limitations in Burney's perspective of female empowerment. For all of Evelina's personal strength (as revealed in the letters), notice how we rarely hear about deep and witty conversations she has with Lord Orville; instead, she merely mentions to Mr. Villars that such conversations take place. It would perhaps have burst the unbelievable bubble of their relationship to test how a man and woman of their social standing would actually converse. Further, the happy ending is engendered much more by Lord Orville and Mrs. Selwyn than it is by Evelina. She loses agency as a protagonist, and actually relies on other characters to represent her in this final set of letters. The implicit idea is that she has succeeded once she finds a good match, and now she can sit back and let the more masculine forces (counting Mrs. Selwyn as a masculine figure) to orchestrate an appropriate ending.