The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

Robin replied, that was business for the master and mistress of the

family, who where not to be taught by one that had so little judgment

as his eldest sister.

It ran up a great deal farther; the sister scolded, Robin rallied and

bantered, but poor Betty lost ground by it extremely in the family. I

heard of it, and I cried heartily, and the old lady came up to me,

somebody having told her that I was so much concerned about it. I

complained to her, that it was very hard the doctors should pass such a

censure upon me, for which they had no ground; and that it was still

harder, considering the circumstances I was under in the family; that I

hoped I had done nothing to lessen her esteem for me, or given any

occasion for the bickering between her sons and daughters, and I had

more need to think of a coffin than of being in love, and begged she

would not let me suffer in her opinion for anybody's mistakes but my

own.

She was sensible of the justice of what I said, but told me, since

there had been such a clamour among them, and that her younger son

talked after such a rattling way as he did, she desired I would be so

faithful to her as to answer her but one question sincerely. I told

her I would, with all my heart, and with the utmost plainness and

sincerity. Why, then, the question was, whether there way anything

between her son Robert and me. I told her with all the protestations

of sincerity that I was able to make, and as I might well, do, that

there was not, nor every had been; I told her that Mr. Robert had

rattled and jested, as she knew it was his way, and that I took it

always, as I supposed he meant it, to be a wild airy way of discourse

that had no signification in it; and again assured her, that there was

not the least tittle of what she understood by it between us; and that

those who had suggested it had done me a great deal of wrong, and Mr.

Robert no service at all.

The old lady was fully satisfied, and kissed me, spoke cheerfully to

me, and bid me take care of my health and want for nothing, and so took

her leave. But when she came down she found the brother and all his

sisters together by the ears; they were angry, even to passion, at his

upbraiding them with their being homely, and having never had any

sweethearts, never having been asked the question, and their being so

forward as almost to ask first. He rallied them upon the subject of

Mrs. Betty; how pretty, how good-humoured, how she sung better then

they did, and danced better, and how much handsomer she was; and in

doing this he omitted no ill-natured thing that could vex them, and

indeed, pushed too hard upon them. The old lady came down in the

height of it, and to put a stop it to, told them all the discourse she

had had with me, and how I answered, that there was nothing between Mr.

Robert and I.