His sister threatened him with a return
of Arabella. Miss Penge required from him sensational conversation.
His brother-in-law was laughing at him in his sleeve. His very
hunting friends treated him as though the time were come. In all
that he did the young lady took an interest which bored him
excessively,--to put an end to which he only saw one certain way.
He therefore asked her to be Lady Rufford before he got on his drag
to go out hunting on the last Saturday in March. "Rufford," she
said, looking up into his face with her lustrous eyes, and speaking
with a sweet, low, silvery voice,--"are you sure of your self?"
"Oh, yes."
"Quite sure of yourself?"
"Never so sure in my life."
"Then dearest, dearest Rufford, I will not scruple to say that I
also am sure." And so the thing was settled very much to his
comfort. He could hardly have done better had he sought through all
England for a bride. She will be true to him, and never give him
cause for a moment's jealousy. She will like his title, his house,
and his property. She will never spend a shilling more than she
ought to do. She will look very sharply after him, but will not
altogether debar him from his accustomed pleasures. She will grace
his table, nurse his children, and never for a moment give him
cause to be ashamed of her. He will think that he loves her, and
after a lapse of ten or fifteen years will probably really be fond
of her.
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