ll.'

Then he went on and told me that he replied thus: 'But, brother, you
know she has nothing, and you may have several ladies with good
fortunes.'

''Tis no matter for that,' said Robin; 'I love the girl, and I will
never please my pocket in marrying, and not please my fancy.' 'And so,
my dear,' adds he, 'there is no opposing him.'

'Yes, yes,' says I, 'you shall see I can oppose him; I have learnt to
say No, now though I had not learnt it before; if the best lord in the
land offered me marriage now, I could very cheerfully say No to him.'

'Well, but, my dear,' says he, 'what can you say to him? You know, as
you said when we talked of it before, he well ask you many questions
about it, and all the house will wonder what the meaning of it should
be.'

'Why,' says I, smiling, 'I can stop all their mouths at one clap by
telling him, and them too, that I am married already to his elder
brother.'

He smiled a little too at the word, but I could see it startled him,
and he could not hide the disorder it put him into. However, he
returned, 'Why, though that may be true in some sense, yet I suppose
you are but in jest when you talk of giving such an answer as that; it
may not be convenient on many accounts.'

'No, no,' says I pleasantly, 'I am not so fond of letting the secret
come out without your consent.'

'But what, then, can you say to him, or to them,' says he, 'when they
find you positive against a match which would be apparently so much to
your advantage?'

'Why,' says I, 'should I be at a loss? First of all, I am not obliged
to give me any reason at all; on the other hand, I may tell them I am
married already, and stop there, and that will be a full stop too to
him, for he can have no reason to ask one question after it.'

'Ay,' says he; 'but the whole house will tease you about that, even to
father and mother, and if you deny them positively, they will be
disobliged at you, and suspicious besides.'

'Why,' says I, 'what can I do? What would have me do? I was in
straight enough before, and as I told you, I was in perplexity before,
and acquainted you with the circumstances, that I might have your
advice.'

'My dear,' says he, 'I have been considering very much upon it, you may
be sure, and though it is a piece of advice that has a great many
mortifications in it to me, and may at first seem strange to you, yet,
all things considered, I see no better way for you than to let him go
on; and if y