Letter 312:
Clarissa Seeks Comfort

    Here Clarissa is very happy to have met someone of great distinction who has paid much attention to her.  She had been waiting so long to have someone to cry to, someone she would be comfortable speaking to and someone who had her best interest and feelings at heart.  She truly believed that these women wanted to be there for her.  They “truly” wanted to hear what she had to say and allowed themselves to be Clarissa’s shoulder to cry on.  Clarissa has been so mistreated by Lovelace that she needed someone to comfort her; someone she could trust and be open with.  At the time, she believed this person to be the pretended aunt. Clarissa now feels foolish to have listened so openly to what these women had to say and to have trusted them with her safety.