"What is that?" said he a little impatiently. "I will not forgive your
doubts now."

"No, sir," said I, "I cannot doubt; but it is, how I shall _support_,
how I shall _deserve, your_ goodness to me!"

"Dear girl!" said he, and press'd me to his bosom. "I was afraid you
would again have given me reason to think you had doubts of my honour,
and this at a time when I was pouring out my whole soul to you, I could
not so easily have forgiven."

"But, good sir," said I, "my greatest concern will be for the rude jests
you will have yourself to encounter for thus stooping beneath yourself.
For as to _me_ I shall have the pride to place more than half the ill
will of the ladies to their envying my happiness."

"You are very good, my dearest girl," said he. "But how will you bestow
your _time_, when you will have no visits to receive or pay? No parties
of pleasure to join in? No card-tables to employ your winter evenings?"

"In the first place, sir, if you will give me leave, I will myself look
into all such parts of the family management as may befit the mistress
of it to inspect. Then I will assist your housekeeper, as I used to do,
in the making of jellies, sweetmeats, marmalades, cordials; and to pot
and candy and preserve, for the use of the family; and to make myself
all the fine linen of it. Then, sir, if you will indulge me with your
company, I will take an airing in your chariot now and then; and I have
no doubt of so behaving as to engage you frequently to fill up some part
of my time in your instructive conversation."