rst for whom I would provide.' 'Ah,
Sir!' returned my wife, 'you are pleased to be facetious: but I wish I
were a queen, and then I know where my eldest daughter should look for
an husband. But now, that you have put it into my head, seriously Mr
Thornhill, can't you recommend me a proper husband for her? She is now
nineteen years old, well grown and well educated, and, in my humble
opinion, does not want for parts.' 'Madam,' replied he, 'if I were to
chuse, I would find out a person possessed of every accomplishment
that can make an angel happy. One with prudence, fortune, taste, and
sincerity, such, madam, would be, in my opinion, the proper husband.'
'Ay, Sir,' said she, 'but do you know of any such person?'--'No, madam,'
returned he, 'it is impossible to know any person that deserves to be
her husband: she's too great a treasure for one man's possession: she's
a goddess. Upon my soul, I speak what I think, she's an angel.'--'Ah, Mr
Thornhill, you only flatter my poor girl: but we have been thinking of
marrying her to one of your tenants, whose mother is lately dead, and
who wants a manager: you know whom I mean, farmer Williams; a warm man,
Mr Thornhill, able to give her good bread; and who has several times
made her proposals: (which was actually the case) but, Sir,' concluded
she, 'I should be glad to have your approbation of our choice.'--'How,
madam,' replied he, 'my approbation! My approbation of such a choice!
Never. What! Sacrifice so much beauty, and sense, and goodness, to a
creature insensible of the blessing! Excuse me, I can never approve of
such a piece of injustice And I have my reasons!'--'Indeed, Sir,' cried
Deborah, 'if you have your reasons, that's another affair; but I should
be glad to know those reasons.'--'Excuse me, madam,' returned he, 'they
lie too deep for discovery: (laying his hand upon his bosom) they remain
buried, rivetted here.'

After he was gone, upon general consultation, we could not tell what to
make of these fine sentiments. Olivia considered them as instances of
the most exalted passion; but I was not quite so sanguine: it seemed to
me pretty plain, that they had more of love than matrimony in them: yet,
whatever they might portend, it was resolved to prosecute the scheme
of farmer Williams, who, from my daughter's first appearance in the
country, had paid her his addresses.

CHAPTER 17

Scarce any virtue found to resist the power of long and pleasing
temptation

As I