and do not let those things trouble you now, but let me look
a little farther into this affair, and I shall be able to say more
next time we meet.’
He pacified me as well as he could with this, but I found he
was very thoughtful, and that though he was very kind to me
and kissed me a thousand times, and more I believe, and gave
me money too, yet he offered no more all the while we were
together, which was above two hours, and which I much
wondered at indeed at that time, considering how it used to be,
and what opportunity we had.
His brother did not come from London for five or six days,
and it was two days more before he got an opportunity to talk
with him; but then getting him by himself he began to talk
very close to him about it, and the same evening got an
opportunity (for we had a long conference together) to repeat
all their discourse to me, which, as near as I can remember,
was to the purpose following. He told him he heard strange
news of him since he went, viz. that he made love to Mrs.
Betty. ‘Well, says his brother a little angrily, ‘and so I do.
And what then? What has anybody to do with that?’ ‘Nay,’
says his brother, ‘don’t be angry, Robin; I don’t pretend to
have anything to do with it; nor do I pretend to be angry with
you about it. But I find they do concern themselves about it,
and that they have used the poor girl ill about it, which I should
take as done to myself.’ ‘Whom do you mean by THEY?’
says Robin. ‘I mean my mother and the girls,’ says the elder
brother. ‘But hark ye,’ says his brother, ‘are you in earnest?
Do you really love this girl? You may be free with me, you
know.’ ‘Why, then,’ says Robin, ‘I will be free with you; I do
love her above all the women in the world, and I will have her,
let them say and do what they will. I believe the girl will not
deny me.’
It struck me to the heart when he told me this, for though
it was most rational to think I would not deny him, yet I knew
in my own conscience I must deny him, and I saw my ruin in
my being obliged to do so; but I knew it was my business to
talk otherwise then, so I interrupted him in his story thus.
‘Ay!,’ said I, ‘does he think I cannot deny him? But he shall
find I can deny him, for all that.’
‘Well, my dear,’ says he, ‘but let me give you the whole story
as it went on between us, and then say what you will.’
Then he went on and told me that he replied thus: ‘But,
brother, you know she has nothing, and you may have several
ladies with good fortunes.’
”Tis no matter for that,’ said Robin; ‘I love the girl, and I will
never please my pocket in marrying, and not please my fancy.’
‘And so, my dear,’ adds he, ‘there is no opposing him.’
‘Yes, yes,’ says I, ‘you shall see I can oppose him; I have
learnt to say No, now though I had not learnt it before; if the
best lord in the land offered me marriage now, I could very
cheerfully say No to him.’
‘Well, but, my dear,’ says he, ‘what can you say to him? You
know, as you said when we talked of it before, he well ask
you many questions about it, and all the house will wonder
what the meaning of it should be.’
‘Why,’ says I, smiling, ‘I can stop all their mouths at one clap
by telling him, and them too, that I am married already to his
elder brother.’
He smiled a little too at the word, but I could see it startled
him, and he could not hide the disorder it put him into.
However, he returned, ‘Why, though that may be true in some
sense, yet I suppose you are but in jest when you talk of