There were other papers rolled up, and I asked him what they were.
'Why, ay,' says he, 'that's the question I wanted to have you ask me';
so he unrolls them and takes out a little shagreen case, and gives me
out of it a very fine diamond ring. I could not refuse it, if I had a
mind to do so, for he put it upon my finger; so I made him a curtsy and
accepted it. Then he takes out another ring: 'And this,' says he, 'is
for another occasion,' so he puts that in his pocket. 'Well, but let
me see it, though,' says I, and smiled; 'I guess what it is; I think
you are mad.' 'I should have been mad if I had done less,' says he, and
still he did not show me, and I had a great mind to see it; so I says,
'Well, but let me see it.' 'Hold,' says he, 'first look here'; then he
took up the roll again and read it, and behold! it was a licence for us
to be married. 'Why,' says I, 'are you distracted? Why, you were
fully satisfied that I would comply and yield at first word, or
resolved to take no denial.' 'The last is certainly the case,' said
he. 'But you may be mistaken,' said I. 'No, no,' says he, 'how can
you think so? I must not be denied, I can't be denied'; and with that
he fell to kissing me so violently, I could not get rid of him.
There was a bed in the room, and we were walking to and again, eager in
the discourse; at last he takes me by surprise in his arms, and threw
me on the bed and himself with me, and holding me fast in his arms, but
without the least offer of any indecency, courted me to consent with
such repeated entreaties and arguments, protesting his affection, and
vowing he would not let me go till I had promised him, that at last I
said, 'Why, you resolve not to be denied, indeed, I can't be denied.'
'Well, well,' said I, and giving him a slight kiss, 'then you shan't be
denied,' said I; 'let me get up.' He was so transported with my consent, and the kind manner of it, that
I began to think once he took it for a marriage, and would not stay for
the form; but I wronged him, for he gave over kissing me, and then
giving me two or three kisses again, thanked me for my kind yielding to
him; and was so overcome with the satisfaction and joy of it, that I
saw tears stand in his eyes.