before he left Oxney Come, he had in set terms proposed to the parson's
daughter, and indeed the words, the hot and frequent words, which
previously to that had fallen like sweetest honey into the ears of
Patience Woolsworthy, had made it imperative on him to do so. When a
man in such a place as that has talked to a girl of love day after day,
must not he talk of it to some definite purpose on the day on which he
leaves her? Or if he do not, must he not submit to be regarded as
false, selfish, and almost fraudulent? Captain Broughton, however, had
asked the question honestly and truly. He had done so honestly and
truly, but in words, or, perhaps, simply with a tone, that had hardly
sufficed to satisfy the proud spirit of the girl he loved. She by that
time had confessed to herself that she loved him with all her heart;
but she had made no such confession to him. To him she had spoken no
word, granted no favour, that any lover might rightfully regard as a
token of love returned. She had listened to him as he spoke, and bade
him keep such sayings for the drawing-rooms of his fashionable friends.
Then he had spoken out and had asked for that hand,--not, perhaps, as a
suitor tremulous with hope,--but as a rich man who knows that he can
command that which he desires to purchase.

"You should think more of this," she had said to him at last. "If you
would really have me for your wife, it will not be much to you to
return here again when time for thinking of it shall have passed by."
With these words she had dismissed him, and now he had again come back
to Oxney Colne. But still she would not place herself at the window to
look for him, nor dress herself in other than her simple morning
country dress, nor omit one item of her daily work. If he wished to
take her at all, he should wish to take her as she really was, in her
plain country life, but he should take her also with full observance of
all those privileges which maidens are allowed to claim from their