Ten thousand pounds the worse in my estimation, thought I, if she has
not; for no one of her charming graces can I dispense with.
'Twas always a doubtful point with her mother and Mrs. Norton, she owned.
But although she was not afraid of it, she chose not unnecessarily to
rush into places where it was.
Right, thought I--Else, I said, it would not have been amiss for her to
see the house before she went into the country; for if she liked it not,
I was not obliged to have it.
She asked, if she might take a copy of Miss Montague's letter?
I said, she might keep the letter itself, and send it to Miss Howe, if
she pleased; for that, I suppose, was her intention.
She bowed her head to me.
There, Jack! I shall have her courtesy to me by-and-by, I question not.
What a-devil had I to do, to terrify the sweet creature by my termagant
projects!--Yet it was not amiss, I believe, to make her afraid of me.
She says, I am an unpolite man. And every polite instance from such a
one is deemed a favour.
Talking of the settlements, I told her I had rather that Pritchard
(mentioned by my cousin Charlotte) had not been consulted on this
occasion. Pritchard, indeed, was a very honest man; and had been for a
generation in the family; and knew of the estates, and the condition of
them, better than either my Lord or myself: but Pritchard, like other old
men, was diffident and slow; and valued himself upon his skill as a
draughts-man; and, for the sake of the paltry reputation, must have all
his forms preserved, were an imperial crown to depend upon his dispatch.
I kissed her unrepulsing hand no less than five times during this
conversation. Lord, Jack, how my generous heart ran over!--She was quite
obliging at parting.--She in a manner asked me leave to retire; to
reperuse Charlotte's letter.--I think she bent her knees to me; but I
won't be sure.--How happy might we both have been long ago, had the dear
creature been always as complaisant to me! For I do love respect, and,
whether I deserve it or not, always had it, till I knew this proud
beauty.
And now, Belford, are we in a train, or the deuce is in it. Every
fortified town has its strong and its weak place. I have carried on my
attacks against the impregnable parts. I have not doubt but I shall
either shine or smuggle her out of her cloke, since she and Miss Howe
have intended to employ a smuggler against me.--All we wait for now is
my Lord's letter.
But I had like to have forgot to tell thee, that we have been not a
little alarmed, by some inquiries that have been made after me and my
beloved by a man of good appearance; who yesterday procured a tradesman
in the neighbourhood to send for Dorcas: of whom he asked several
questions relating to us; particularly (as we boarded and lodged in one
house) whether we were married?
This has given my beloved great uneasiness. And I could not help
observing upon it, to her, how right a thing it was that we had given out
below that we were married. The inquiry, most probably, I said, was from
her brother's quarter; and now perhaps that our marriage was owned, we
should hear no more of his machinations. The person, it seems, was
curious to know the day that the ceremony was performed. But Dorcas
refused to give him any other particulars than that we were married; and
she was the more reserved, as he declined to tell her the motives of his
inquiry.