men, and before your new
servant--'That indeed we were privately married at Hertford; but that you
had preliminarily bound me under a solemn vow, which I am most
religiously resolved to keep, to be contented with separate apartments,
and even not to lodge under the same roof, till a certain reconciliation
shall take place, which is of high consequence to both.' And further
that I might convince you of the purity of my intentions, and that my
whole view in this was to prevent mischief, I have acquainted them, 'that
I have solemnly promised to behave to you before every body, as if we
were only betrothed, and not married; not even offering to take any of
those innocent freedoms which are not refused in the most punctilious
loves.'

And then he solemnly vowed to me the strictest observance of the same
respectful behaviour to me.

I said, that I was not by any means satisfied with the tale he had told,
nor with the necessity he wanted to lay me under of appearing what I was
not: that every step he took was a wry one, a needless wry one: and since
he thought it necessary to tell the people below any thing about me, I
insisted that he should unsay all he had said, and tell them the truth.

What he had told them, he said, was with so many circumstances, that he
could sooner die than contradict it. And still he insisted upon the
propriety of appearing to be married, for the reasons he had given
before--And, dearest creature, said he, why this high displeasure with
me upon so well-intended an expedient? You know, that I cannot wish to
shun your brother, or his Singleton, but upon your account. The first
step I would take, if left to myself, would be to find them out. I have
always acted in this manner, when any body has presumed to give out
threatenings against it.

'Tis true I would have consulted you first, and had your leave. But
since you dislike what I have said, let me implore you, dearest Madam,
to give the only proper sanction to it, by naming an early day. Would to
Heaven that were to be to-morrow!--For God's sake, let it be to-morrow!
But, if not, [was it his business, my dear, before I spoke (yet he seemed
to be afraid of me) to say, if not?] let me beseech you, Madam, if my
behaviour shall not be to your dislike, that you will not to-morrow, at
breakfast-time, discredit what I have told them. The moment I give you
cause to think that I take any advantage of your concession, that moment
revoke it, and expo