'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 giving such an answer as that; it

may not be convenient on many accounts.' 'No, no,' says I pleasantly, 'I am not so fond of letting the secret

come out without your consent.' 'But what, then, can you say to him, or to them,' says he, 'when they

find you positive against a match which would be apparently so much to

your advantage?' 'Why,' says I, 'should I be at a loss? First of all, I am not obliged

to give me any reason at all; on the other hand, I may tell them I am

married already, and stop there, and that will be a full stop too to

him, for he can have no reason to ask one question after it.' 'Ay,' says he; 'but the whole house will tease you about that, even to

father and mother, and if you deny them positively, they will be

disobliged at you, and suspicious besides.' 'Why,' says I, 'what can I do? What would have me do? I was in

straight enough before, and as I told you, I was in perplexity before,

and acquainted you with the circumstances, that I might have your

advice.' 'My dear,' says he, 'I have been considering very much upon it, you may

be sure, and though it is a piece of advice that has a great many

mortifications in it to me, and may at first seem strange to you, yet,

all things considered, I see no better way for you than to let him go

on; and if you find him hearty and in earnest, marry him.' I gave him a look full of horror at those words, and, turning pale as

death, was at the very point of sinking down out of the chair I sat in;

when, giving a start, 'My dear,' says he aloud, 'what's the matter with

you? Where are you a-going?' and a great many such things; and with

jogging and called to me, fetched me a little to myself, though it was

a good while before I fully recovered my senses, and was not able to

speak for several minutes more.




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