Lovel.  Then must I despair for ever!—­O Captain Tomlinson, Miss Howe hates me!—­Miss Howe—­

Capt.  Not so, perhaps—­when Miss Howe knows your concern for having offended, she will never advise that, with such prospects of general reconciliation, the hopes of so many considerable persons in both families should be frustrated.  Some little time, as this excellent lady had foreseen and hinted, will necessarily be taken up in actually procuring the license, and in perusing and signing the settlements.  In that time Miss Howe’s answer may be received; and Lady Betty may arrive; and she, no doubt, will have weight to dissipate the lady’s doubts, and to accelerate the day.  It shall be my part, mean time, to make Mr. Harlowe easy.  All I fear is from Mr. James Harlowe’s quarter; and therefore all must be conducted with prudence and privacy:  as your uncle, Madam, has proposed.

She was silent, I rejoiced in her silence.  The dear creature, thought I, has actually forgiven me in her heart!—­But why will she not lay me under obligation to her, by the generosity of an explicit declaration?—­And yet, as that would not accelerate any thing, while the license is not in my hands, she is the less to be blamed (if I do her justice) for taking more time to descend.

I proposed, as on the morrow night, to go to town; and doubted not to bring the license up with me on Monday morning; would she be pleased to assure me, that she would not depart form Mrs. Moore’s.

She should stay at Mrs. Moore’s till she had an answer from Miss Howe.

I told her that I hoped I might have her tacit consent at least to the obtaining if the license.

I saw by the turn of her countenance that I should not have asked this question.  She was so far from tacitly consenting, that she declared to the contrary.

As I never intended, I said, to ask her to enter again into a house, with the people of which she was so much offended, would she be pleased to give orders for her clothes to be brought up hither?  Or should Dorcas attend her for any of her commands on that head?

She desired not ever more to see any body belonging to that house.  She might perhaps get Mrs. Moore or Mrs. Bevis to go thither for her, and take her keys with them.

I doubted not, I said, that Lady Betty would arrive by that time.  I hoped she had no objection to my bringing that lady and my cousin Montague up with me?

She was silent.

To be sure, Mr. Lovelace, said the Captain, the lady can have no objection to this.

She was still silent.  So silence in this case was assent.

Would she be pleased to write to Miss Howe?—­

Sir!  Sir! peevishly interrupting—­no more questions; no prescribing to me —­you will do as you think fit—­so will I, as I please.  I own no obligation to you.  Captain Tomlinson, your servant.  Recommend me to my uncle Harlowe’s favour.  And was going.