myself, I had thoughts of urging to you the moment you entered upon your
new house; and upon your finding yourself as independent in appearance
as you are in fact. Permit me, Madam, to propose these matters to you--
not with an expectation of your immediate answer; but for your
consideration.

Were not hesitation, a self-felt glow, a downcast eye, encouragement more
than enough? and yet you will observe (as I now do on recollection) that
he was in no great hurry to solicit for a day; since he had no thoughts
of proposing settlements till I had got into my new house; and now, in
his great complaisance to me, he desired leave to propose his terms, not
with an expectation of my immediate answer; but for my consideration only
--Yet, my dear, your advice was too much in my head at this time. I
hesitated.

He urged on upon my silence; he would call God to witness to the justice,
nay to the generosity of his intentions to me, if I would be so good as
to hear what he had to propose to me, as to settlements.

Could not the man have fallen into the subject without this parade? Many
a point, you know, is refused, and ought to be refused, if leave be asked
to introduce it; and when once refused, the refusal must in honour be
adhered to--whereas, had it been slid in upon one, as I may say, it might
have merited further consideration. If such a man as Mr. Lovelace knows
not this, who should?

But he seemed to think it enough that he had asked my leave to propose
his settlements. He took no advantage of my silence, as I presume men as
modest as Mr. Lovelace would have done in a like case: yet, gazing in my
face very confidently, and seeming to expect my answer, I thought myself
obliged to give the subject a more diffuse turn, in order to save myself
the mortification of appearing too ready in my compliance, after such a
distance as had been between us; and yet (in pursuance of your advice) I
was willing to avoid the necessity of giving him such a repulse as might
again throw us out of the course--a cruel alternative to be reduced to!

You talk of generosity, Mr. Lovelace, said I; and you talk of justice;
perhaps, without having considered the force of the words, in the sense
you use them on this occasion.--Let me tell you what generosity is, in my
sense of the word--TRUE GENEROSITY is not confined to pecuniary
instances: it is more than politeness: it is more than good faith: it is
more than honour; it is more than justice;