Mansfield, as to a woman of honour and conscience: if your conscience
bids you doubt, reject the proposal; and this not only for my lord's
sake, but for your own.

Consider, if, without too great a force upon your inclinations, you can
behave with that condescension and indulgence to a man who has hastened
advanced age upon himself, which I have thought from your temper I might
hope.

I have said a great deal, because you, ladies, were silent; and because
explicitness in every case becomes the proposer. Give me leave to
withdraw for a few moments.

I withdrew, accordingly, to the brothers and sister. I did not think I
ought to mention to them the proposal I had made: it might perhaps have
engaged them all in its favour, as it was of such evident advantage to
the whole family; and that might have imposed a difficulty on the lady,
that neither for her own sake, nor my lord's, it would have been just to
lay upon her.

Lady Mansfield came out to me, and said, I presume, sir, as we are a
family which misfortune as well as love, has closely bound together, you
will allow it to be mentioned--

To the whole family, madam!--By all means. I wanted only first to know,
whether Miss Mansfield's affections were disengaged: and now you shall
give me leave to attend Miss Mansfield. I am a party for my Lord W----:
Miss Mansfield is a party: your debates will be the more free in our
absence. If I find her averse, believe me, madam, I will not endeavour
to persuade her. On the contrary, if she declare against accepting the
proposal, I will be her advocate, though every one else should vote in
its favour.

The brothers and sister looked upon one another: I left the mother to
propose it to them; and stept into the inner parlour to Miss Mansfield.

She was sitting with her back to the door, in a meditating posture. She
started at my entrance.

I talked of indifferent subjects, in order to divert her from the
important one, that had taken up her whole attention.

It would have been a degree of oppression to her to have entered with her
upon a subject of so much consequence to her while we were alone; and
when her not having given a negative, was to be taken as a modest
affirmative.

Lady Mansfield soon joined us--My dear daughter, said she, we are all
unanimous. We have agreed to leave every thing to Sir Charles Grandison:
and we hope you will.

She was silent. I will only ask you, madam, said I, to her, if you have
any wish