wouldcomeintohissister’sroom，andhismother’sroom，
andsitdown，andtalkathousandkindthingsofme，andto
me，evenbeforetheirfaces，andwhentheywereallthere。
Thisgrewsopublicthatthewholehousetalkedofit，andhis
motherreprovedhimforit，andtheircarriagetomeappeared
quitealtered。
Inshort，hismotherhadletfallsomespeeches，
asifsheintendedtoputmeoutofthefamily；thatis，in
English，toturnmeoutofdoors。
NowIwassurethiscould
notbeasecrettohisbrother，onlythathemightnotthink，as
indeednobodyelseyetdid，thattheyoungestbrotherhadmade
anyproposaltomeaboutit；butasIeasilycouldseethatit
wouldgofarther，soIsawlikewisetherewasanabsolute
necessitytospeakofittohim，orthathewouldspeakofitto
me，andwhichtodofirstIknewnot；thatis，whetherIshould
breakittohimorletitalonetillheshouldbreakittome。
Uponseriousconsideration，forindeednowIbegantoconsider
thingsveryseriously，andnevertillnow；Isay，uponserious
consideration，Iresolvedtotellhimofitfirst；anditwasnot
longbeforeIhadanopportunity，fortheverynextdayhis
brotherwenttoLondonuponsomebusiness，andthefamily
beingouta-visiting，justasithadhappenedbefore，andas
indeedwasoftenthecase，hecameaccordingtohiscustom，
tospendanhourortwowithMrs。Betty。
Whenhecamehadhadsatdownawhile，heeasilyperceived
therewasanalterationinmycountenance，thatIwasnotso
freeandpleasantwithhimasIusedtobe，andparticularly，
thatIhadbeena-crying；hewasnotlongbeforehetooknotice
ofit，andaskedmeinverykindtermswhatwasthematter，
andif
anythingtroubledme。
IwouldhaveputitoffifIcould，
butitwasnottobeconcealed；soaftersufferingmany
importunitiestodrawthatoutofmewhichIlongedasmuch
aspossibletodisclose，Itoldhimthatitwastruesomething
didtroubleme，andsomethingofsuchanaturethatIcould
notconcealfromhim，andyetthatIcouldnottellhowtotell
himofitneither；thatitwasathingthatnotonlysurprisedme，
butgreatlyperplexedme，andthatIknewnotwhatcourseto
take，unlesshewoulddirectme。
Hetoldmewithgreat
tenderness，thatletitbewhatitwould，Ishouldnotletit
troubleme，forhewouldprotectmefromalltheworld。
Ithenbeganatadistance，andtoldhimIwasafraidtheladies
hadgotsomesecretinformationofourcorrespondence；for
thatitwaseasytoseethattheirconductwasverymuch
changedtowardsmeforagreatwhile，andthatnowitwas
cometothatpassthattheyfrequentlyfoundfaultwithme，
andsometimesfellquiteoutwithme，thoughInevergave
themtheleastoccasion；thatwhereasIusedalwaystolie
withtheeldestsister，Iwaslatelyputtoliebymyself，orwith
oneofthemaids；andthatIhadoverheardthemseveraltimes
talkingveryunkindlyaboutme；butthatwhichconfirmedit
allwas，thatoneoftheservantshadtoldmethatshehadheard
wastobeturnedout，andthatitwasnotsafeforthefamily
thatIshouldbeanylongerinthehouse。
Hesmiledwhenheherdallthis，andIaskedhimhowhe
couldmakesolightofit，whenhemustneedsknowthatif
therewasanydiscoveryIwasundoneforever，andthateven
itwouldhurthim，thoughnotruinhimasitwouldme。
upbraidedhim，thathewaslikealltherestofthesex，that，
whentheyhadthecharacterandhonourofawomanattheir
mercy，oftentimesmadeittheirjest，andatleastlookedupon
itasatrifle，andcountedtheruinofthosetheyhadhadtheir
willofasathingofnovalue。
Hesawmewarmandserious，andhechangedhisstyle
immediately；hetoldmehewassorryIshouldhavesucha
thoughtofhim；thathehadnevergivenmetheleastoccasion
forit，buthadbeenastenderofmyreputationashecouldbe
ofhisown；thathewassureourcorrespondencehadbeen
managedwithsomuchaddress，thatnotonecreatureinthe
familyhadsomuchasasuspicionofit；thatifhesmiledwhen
Itoldhimmythoughts，itwasattheassurancehelately
received，thatourunderstandingoneanotherwasnotsomuch
asknownorguessedat；andthatwhenhehadtoldmehow
muchreasonhehadtobeeasy，Ishouldsmileashedid，for
hewasverycertainitwouldgivemeafullsatisfaction。
’ThisisamysteryIcannotunderstand，’saysI，’orhowit
shouldbetomysatisfactionthatIamtobeturnedoutof
doors；forifourcorrespondenceisnotdiscovered，Iknow
notwhatelseIhavedonetochangethecountenancesofthe
wholefamilytome，ortohavethemtreatmeastheydonow，
whoformerlyusedmewithsomuchtenderness，asifIhad
beenoneoftheirownchildren。’
’Why，lookyou，child，’sayshe，’thattheyareuneasyabout
you，thatistrue；butthattheyhavetheleastsuspicionofthe
caseasitis，andasitrespectsyouandI，issofarfrombeing
true，thattheysuspectmybrotherRobin；and，inshort，they
arefullypersuadedhemakeslovetoyou；nay，thefoolhas
putitintotheirheadstoohimself，forheiscontinuallybantering
themaboutit，andmakingajestofhimself。
IconfessIthink
heiswrongtodoso，becausehecannotbutseeitvexesthem，
andmakesthemunkindtoyou；but’tisasatisfactiontome，
becauseoftheassuranceitgivesme，thattheydonotsuspect
meintheleast，andIhopethiswillbetoyoursatisfactiontoo。’
’Soitis，’saysI，’oneway；butthisdoesnotreachmycaseat
all，noristhisthechiefthingthattroublesme，thoughIhave
beenconcernedaboutthattoo。’
’Whatisit，then？’sayshe。
WithwhichIfelltotears，andcouldsaynothingtohimatall。
Hestrovetopacifymeallhecould，butbeganatlasttobe
verypressinguponmetotellwhatitwas。
AtlastIanswered
thatIthoughtIoughttotellhimtoo，andthathehadsome
righttoknowit；besides，thatIwantedhisdirectioninthecase，
forIwasinsuchperplexitythatIknewnotwhatcoursetotake，
andthenIrelatedthewholeaffairtohim。
Itoldhimhow
imprudentlyhisbrotherhadmanagedhimself，inmaking
himselfsopublic；forthatifhehadkeptitasecret，assucha
thingouttohavebeen，Icouldbuthavedeniedhimpositively，
withoutgivinganyreasonforit，andhewouldintimehave
ceasedhissolicitations；butthathehadthevanity，first，to
dependuponitthatIwouldnotdenyhim，andthenhadtaken
thefreedomtotellhisresolutionofhavingmetothewholehouse。
ItoldhimhowfarIhadresistedhim，andtoldhimhowsincere
andhonourablehisofferswere。
’But，’saysI，’mycasewill
bedoublyhard；forastheycarryitilltomenow，becausehe
desirestohaveme，they’llcarryitworsewhentheyshallfind
Ihavedeniedhim；andtheywillpresentlysay，there’ssomething
elseinit，andthenoutitcomesthatIammarriedalreadyto
somebodyelse，orthatIwouldneverrefuseamatchsomuch
abovemeasthiswas。’
Thisdiscoursesurprisedhimindeedverymuch。
Hetoldme
thatitwasacriticalpointindeedformetomanage，andhe
didnotseewhichwayIshouldgetoutofit；buthewould
considerit，andletmeknownexttimewemet，whatresolution
hewascometoaboutit；andinthemeantimedesiredIwould
notgivemyconsenttohisbrother，noryetgivehimaflat
denial，butthatIwouldholdhiminsuspenseawhile。
IseemedtostartathissayingIshouldnotgivehimmy
consent。
ItoldhimheknewverywellIhadnoconsentto
give；thathehadengagedhimselftomarryme，andthatmy
consentwasthesametimeengagedtohim；thathehadall
alongtoldmeIwashiswife，andIlookeduponmyselfas
effectuallysoasiftheceremonyhadpassed；andthatitwas
fromhisownmouththatIdidso，hehavingallalongpersuaded
metocallmyselfhiswife。
’Well，mydear，’sayshe，’don’tbeconcernedatthatnow；
ifIamnotyourhusband，I’llbeasgoodasahusbandtoyou；
anddonotletthosethingstroubleyounow，butletmelook
alittlefartherintothisaffair，andIshallbeabletosaymore
nexttimewemeet。’
Hepacifiedmeaswellashecouldwiththis，butIfoundhe
wasverythoughtful，andthatthoughhewasverykindtome
and
kissedmeathousandtimes，andmoreIbelieve，andgave
memoneytoo，yetheofferednomoreallthewhilewewere
together，whichwasabovetwohours，andwhichImuch
wonderedatindeedatthattime，consideringhowitusedtobe，
andwhatopportunitywehad。
HisbrotherdidnotcomefromLondonforfiveorsixdays，
anditwastwodaysmorebeforehegotanopportunitytotalk
withhim；butthengettinghimbyhimselfhebegantotalk
veryclosetohimaboutit，andthesameeveninggotan
opportunityforwehadalongconferencetogethertorepeat
alltheirdiscoursetome，which，asnearasIcanremember，
wastothepurposefollowing。
Hetoldhimheheardstrange
newsofhimsincehewent，viz。thathemadelovetoMrs。
Betty。
’Well，sayshisbrotheralittleangrily，’andsoIdo。
Andwhatthen？
Whathasanybodytodowiththat？’
’Nay，’
sayshisbrother，’don’tbeangry，Robin；Idon’tpretendto
haveanythingtodowithit；nordoIpretendtobeangrywith
youaboutit。
ButIfindtheydoconcernthemselvesaboutit，
andthattheyhaveusedthepoorgirlillaboutit，whichIshould
takeasdonetomyself。’
’WhomdoyoumeanbyTHEY？’
saysRobin。
’Imeanmymotherandthegirls，’saystheelder
brother。
’Butharkye，’sayshisbrother，’areyouinearnest？
Doyoureallylovethisgirl？
Youmaybefreewithme，you
know。’
’Why，then，’saysRobin，’Iwillbefreewithyou；Ido
loveheraboveallthewomenintheworld，andIwillhaveher，
letthemsayanddowhattheywill。
Ibelievethegirlwillnot
denyme。’