ot in love, my brother
is. I wonder he has not broke his mind to Betty; I warrant she won't
say No.'

'They that yield when they're asked,' says Robin, 'are one step before
them that were never asked to yield, sister, and two steps before them
that yield before they are asked; and that's an answer to you, sister.'

This fired the sister, and she flew into a passion, and said, things
were come to that pass that it was time the wench, meaning me, was out
of the family; and but that she was not fit to be turned out, she hoped
her father and mother would consider of it as soon as she could be
removed.

Robin replied, that was business for the master and mistress of the
family, who where not to be taught by one that had so little judgment
as his eldest sister.

It ran up a great deal farther; the sister scolded, Robin rallied and
bantered, but poor Betty lost ground by it extremely in the family. I
heard of it, and I cried heartily, and the old lady came up to me,
somebody having told her that I was so much concerned about it. I
complained to her, that it was very hard the doctors should pass such a
censure upon me, for which they had no ground; and that it was still
harder, considering the circumstances I was under in the family; that I
hoped I had done nothing to lessen her esteem for me, or given any
occasion for the bickering between her sons and daughters, and I had
more need to think of a coffin than of being in love, and begged she
would not let me suffer in her opinion for anybody's mistakes but my
own.

She was sensible of the justice of what I said, but told me, since
there had been such a clamour among them, and that her younger son
talked after such a rattling way as he did, she desired I would be so
faithful to her as to answer her but one question sincerely. I told
her I would, with all my heart, and with the utmost plainness and
sincerity. Why, then, the question was, whether there way anything
between her son Robert and me. I told her with all the protestations
of sincerity that I was able to make, and as I might well, do, that
there was not, nor every had been; I told her that Mr. Robert had
rattled and jested, as she knew it was his way, and that I took it
always, as I supposed he meant it, to be a wild airy way of discourse
that had no signification in it; and again assured her, that there was
not the least tittle of what she understood by it between us; and that
those who had suggested it had