ial of those innocent freedoms, which betrothed lovers never
scruple to allow and to take.

'I then communicated to him a copy of my proposal of settlement; the
substance of her written answer; the contents of my letter of invitation
to Lord M. to be her nuptial-father; and of my Lord's generous reply.
But said, that having apprehensions of delay from his infirmities, and my
beloved choosing by all means (and that from principles of unrequited
duty) a private solemnization, I had written to excuse his Lordship's
presence; and expected an answer every hour.

'The settlements, I told him, were actually drawing by Counsellor
Williams, of whose eminence he must have heard--'

He had.

'And of the truth of this he might satisfy himself before he went out of
town.

'When these were drawn, approved, and engrossed, nothing, I said, but
signing, and the nomination of my happy day, would be wanting. I had a
pride, I declared, in doing the highest justice to so beloved a creature,
of my own voluntary motion, and without the intervention of a family from
whom I had received the greatest insults. And this being our present
situation, I was contented that Mr. John Harlowe should suspend his
reconciliatory purposes till our marriage were actually solemnized.'

The Captain was highly delighted with all I said: Yet owned, that as his
dear friend Mr. Harlowe had expressed himself greatly pleased to hear
that we were actually married, he could have wished it had been so. But,
nevertheless, he doubted not that all would be well.

He saw my reasons, he said, and approved of them, for making the
gentlewomen below [whom again he understood to be good sort of people]
believe that the ceremony had passed; which so well accounted for what
the lady's maid had told Mr. Harlowe's friend. Mr. James Harlowe, he
said, had certainly ends to answer in keeping open the breach; and as
certainly had formed a design to get his sister out of my hands.
Wherefore it as much imported his worthy friend to keep this treaty as
secret, as it did me; at least till he had formed his party, and taken
his measures. Ill will and passion were dreadful misrepresenters. It
was amazing to him, that animosity could be carried so high against a man
capable of views so pacific and so honourable, and who had shown such a
command of his temper, in this whole transaction, as I had done.
Generosity, indeed, in every case, where love of stratagem and intrigue
(I would