But said, that having apprehensions of delay from his infirmities, and my
beloved choosing by all means (and that from principles of unrequited
duty) a private solemnization, I had written to excuse his Lordship's
presence; and expected an answer every hour.

'The settlements, I told him, were actually drawing by Counsellor
Williams, of whose eminence he must have heard--'

He had.

'And of the truth of this he might satisfy himself before he went out of
town.

'When these were drawn, approved, and engrossed, nothing, I said, but
signing, and the nomination of my happy day, would be wanting. I had a
pride, I declared, in doing the highest justice to so beloved a creature,
of my own voluntary motion, and without the intervention of a family from
whom I had received the greatest insults. And this being our present
situation, I was contented that Mr. John Harlowe should suspend his
reconciliatory purposes till our marriage were actually solemnized.'

The Captain was highly delighted with all I said: Yet owned, that as his
dear friend Mr. Harlowe had expressed himself greatly pleased to hear
that we were actually married, he could have wished it had been so. But,
nevertheless, he doubted not that all would be well.

He saw my reasons, he said, and approved of them, for making the
gentlewomen below [whom again he understood to be good sort of people]
believe that the ceremony had passed; which so well accounted for what
the lady's maid had told Mr. Harlowe's friend. Mr. James Harlowe, he