Areyoudistracted，indeed，orareyounot？
’Tisaweightyquestion，andIwishyouwouldmakeuseasy
aboutit。’
’Bymyfaith，madam，’saysRobin，’’tisinvaintomincethe
matterortellanymoreliesaboutit；Iaminearnest，asmuch
asamanisthat’sgoingtobehanged。
IfMrs。Bettywould
sayshelovedme，andthatshewouldmarryme，I’dhaveher
tomorrowmorningfasting，andsay，’Tohaveandtohold，’
insteadofeatingmybreakfast。’
’Well，’saysthemother，’thenthere’sonesonlost’；andshe
saiditinaverymournfultone，asonegreatlyconcernedatit。
’Ihopenot，madam，’saysRobin；’nomanislostwhenagood
wifehasfoundhim。’
’Why，but，child，’saystheoldlady，’sheisabeggar。’
’Why，then，madam，shehasthemoreneedofcharity，’says
Robin；’I’lltakeheroffthehandsoftheparish，andsheand
I’llbegtogether。’
’It’sbadjestingwithsuchthings，’saysthemother。
’Idon’tjest，madam，’saysRobin。
’We’llcomeandbegyour
pardon，madam；andyourblessing，madam，andmyfather’s。’
’Thisisalloutoftheway，son，’saysthemother。
’Ifyouare
inearnestyouareundone。’
’Iamafraidnot，’sayshe，’forIamreallyafraidshewon’t
haveme；afterallmysister’shuffingandblustering，Ibelieve
Ishallneverbeabletopersuadehertoit。’
’That’safinetale，indeed；sheisnotsofaroutofhersenses
neither。
Mrs。Bettyisnofool，’saystheyoungersister。
’Do
youthinkshehaslearnttosayNo，anymorethanotherpeople？’
’No，Mrs。Mirth-wit，’saysRobin，’Mrs。Betty’snofool；but
Mrs。Bettymaybeengagedsomeotherway，andwhatthen？’
’Nay，’saystheeldestsister，’wecansaynothingtothat。
Who
mustitbeto，then？
Sheisneveroutofthedoors；itmustbe
betweenyou。’
’Ihavenothingtosaytothat，’saysRobin。
’Ihavebeen
examinedenough；there’smybrother。
Ifitmustbebetween
us，gotoworkwithhim。’
Thisstungtheelderbrothertothequick，andheconcluded
thatRobinhaddiscoveredsomething。
However，hekept
himselffromappearingdisturbed。
’Prithee，’sayshe，’don’t
gotoshameyourstoriesoffuponme；Itellyou，Idealinno
suchware；IhavenothingtosaytoMrs。Betty，nortoanyof
theMrs。Bettysintheparish’；andwiththatheroseupand
brushedoff。
’No，’saystheeldestsister，’Idareanswerformybrother；he
knowstheworldbetter。’
Thusthediscourseended，butitlefttheelderbrotherquite
confounded。
Heconcludedhisbrotherhadmadeafull
discovery，andhebegantodoubtwhetherIhadbeenconcerned
initornot；butwithallhismanagementhecouldnotbring
itabouttogetatme。
Atlasthewassoperplexedthathewas
quitedesperate，andresolvedhewouldcomeintomychamber
andseeme，whatevercameofit。
Inordertodothis，he
contriveditso，thatonedayafterdinner，watchinghiseldest
sistertillhecouldseehergoupstairs，herunsafterher。
’Hark
ye，sister，’sayshe，’whereisthissickwoman？
Maynota
bodyseeher？’
’Yes，’saysthesister，’Ibelieveyoumay；but
letmegofirstalittle，andI’lltellyou。’
Sosheranuptothe
doorandgavemenotice，andpresentlycalledtohimagain。
’Brother，’saysshe，’youmaycomeifyouplease。’
Soinhe
came，justinthesamekindofrant。
’Well，’saysheatthedoor
ashecamein，’whereisthissickbodythat’sinlove？
How
doyedo，Mrs。Betty？’
Iwouldhavegotupoutofmychair，
butwassoweakIcouldnotforagoodwhile；andhesawit，
andhissisterto，andshesaid，’Come，donotstrivetostand
up；mybrotherdesiresnoceremony，especiallynowyouare
soweak。’
’No，no，Mrs。Betty，praysitstill，’sayshe，andso
sitshimselfdowninachairoveragainstme，andappearedas
ifhewasmightymerry。
Hetalkedalotoframblingstufftohissisterandtome，
sometimesofonething，sometimesofanother，onpurpose
toamusehissister，andeverynowandthenwouldturnit
upontheoldstory，directingittome。
’PoorMrs。Betty，’says
he，’itisasadthingtobeinlove；why，ithasreducedyou
sadly。’
AtlastIspokealittle。
’Iamgladtoseeyousomerry，
sir，’saysI；’butIthinkthedoctormighthavefoundsomething
bettertodothantomakehisgameathispatients。
IfIhad
beenillofnootherdistemper，Iknowtheproverbtoowellto
havelethimcometome。’
’Whatproverb？’sayshe，’Oh！
I
rememberitnow。
What——
“Whereloveisthecase，
Thedoctor’sanass。“
Isnotthatit，Mrs。Betty？’
Ismiledandsaidnothing。
’Nay，’
sayshe，’Ithinktheeffecthasprovedittobelove，forit
seemsthedoctorhasbeenabletodoyoubutlittleservice；
youmendveryslowly，theysay。
Idoubtthere’ssomewhatin
it，Mrs。Betty；Idoubtyouaresickoftheincurables，andthat
islove。’
Ismiledandsaid，’No，indeed，sir，that’snoneofmy
distemper。’
Wehadadealofsuchdiscourse，andsometimesothersthat
signifiedaslittle。
Byandbyheaskedmetosingthemasong，
atwhichIsmiled，andsaidmysingingdayswereover。
Atlast
heaskedmeifheshouldplayuponhisflutetome；hissister
saidshebelieveitwouldhurtme，andthatmyheadcould
notbearit。
Ibowed，andsaid，No，itwouldnothurtme。
’And，pray，madam。’saidI，’donothinderit；Ilovethemusic
ofthefluteverymuch。’
Thenhissistersaid，’Well，do，then，
brother。’
Withthathepulledoutthekeyofhiscloset。
’Dear
sister，’sayshe，’Iamverylazy；dosteptomyclosetandfetch
myflute；itliesinsuchadrawer，’namingaplacewherehe
wassureitwasnot，thatshemightbealittlewhilea-looking
forit。
Assoonasshewasgone，herelatedthewholestorytome
ofthediscoursehisbrotherhadaboutme，andofhispushing
itathim，andhisconcernaboutit，whichwasthereasonof
hiscontrivingthisvisittome。
IassuredhimIhadnever
openedmymoutheithertohisbrotherortoanybodyelse。
ItoldhimthedreadfulexigenceIwasin；thatmylovetohim，
andhisofferingtohavemeforgetthataffectionandremove
ittoanother，hadthrownmedown；andthatIhadathousand
timeswishedImightdieratherthanrecover，andtohavethe
samecircumstancestostrugglewithasIhadbefore，andthat
hisbackwardnesstolifehadbeenthegreatreasonofthe
slownessofmyrecovering。
IaddedthatIforesawthatassoon
asIwaswell，Imustquitthefamily，andthatasformarrying
hisbrother，Iabhorredthethoughtsofitafterwhathadbeen
mycasewithhim，andthathemightdependuponitIwould
neverseehisbrotheragainuponthatsubject；thatifhewould
breakallhisvowsandoathsandengagementswithme，be
thatbetweenhisconscienceandhishonourandhimself；but
heshouldneverbeabletosaythatI，whomhehadpersuaded
tocallmyselfhiswife，andwhohadgivenhimthelibertyto
usemeasawife，wasnotasfaithfultohimasawifeoughtto
be，whateverhemightbetome。
Hewasgoingtoreply，andhadsaidthathewassorryIcould
notbepersuaded，andwasa-goingtosaymore，butheheard
hissistera-coming，andsodidI；andyetIforcedoutthese
fewwordsasareply，thatIcouldneverbepersuadedtolove
onebrotherandmarryanother。
Heshookhisheadandsaid，
’ThenIamruined，’meaninghimself；andthatmomenthis
sisterenteredtheroomandtoldhimshecouldnotfindthe
flute。’Well，’sayshemerrily，’thislazinesswon’tdo’；sohe
getsupandgoeshimselftogotolookforit，butcomesback
withoutittoo；notbutthathecouldhavefoundit，butbecause
hismindwasalittledisturbed，andhehadnomindtoplay；
and，besides，theerrandhesenthissisteronwasanswered
anotherway；forheonlywantedanopportunitytospeakto
me，whichhegained，thoughnotmuchtohissatisfaction。
Ihad，however，agreatdealofsatisfactioninhavingspoken
mymindtohimwithfreedom，andwithsuchanhonest
plainness，asIhaverelated；andthoughitdidnotatallwork
thewayIdesired，thatistosay，toobligethepersontome
themore，yetittookfromhimallpossibilityofquittingme
butbyadownrightbreachofhonour，andgivingupallthe
faithofagentlemantome，whichhehadsooftenengagedby，
nevertoabandonme，buttomakemehiswifeassoonashe
cametohisestate。