第7章

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

opportunity(forwehadalongconferencetogether)torepeat

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。’