’And then the Captain says, his dear friend made a proposal:—­It was this—­That we should marry out of hand, but as privately as possible, as indeed he found we intended, (for he could have no objection to the draughts)—­but yet, he expected to have present one trusty friend of his own, for his better satisfaction’—­

Here I stopt, with a design to be angry—­but she desiring me to read on, I obeyed.

’—­But that it should pass to every one living, except to that trusty person, to himself, and to the Captain, that we were married from the time that we had lived together in one house; and that this time should be made to agree with that of Mr. Hickman’s application to him from Miss Howe.’

This, my dearest life, said I, is a very considerate proposal.  We have nothing to do but to caution the people below properly on this head.  I did not think your uncle Harlowe capable of hitting upon such a charming expedient as this.  But you see how much his heart is in the reconciliation.

This was the return I met with—­You have always, as a mark of your politeness, let me know how meanly you think of every one in my family.

Yet thou wilt think, Belford, that I could forgive her for the reproach.

’The Captain does not know, says he, how this proposal will be relished by us.  But for his part, he thinks it an expedient that will obviate many difficulties, and may possibly put an end to Mr. James Harlowe’s further designs:  and on this account he has, by the uncle’s advice, already declared to two several persons, by whose means it may come to that young gentleman’s, that he [Captain Tomlinson] has very great reason to believe that we were married soon after Mr. Hickman’s application was rejected.

’And this, Mr. Lovelace, (says the Captain,) will enable you to pay a compliment to the family, that will not be unsuitable to the generosity of some of the declarations you were pleased to make to the lady before me, (and which Mr. John Harlowe may make some advantage of in favour of a reconciliation,) in that you were entitled to make the demand.’  An excellent contriver, surely, she must think this worthy Mr. Tomlinson to be!

But the Captain adds, ’that if either the lady or I disapprove of his report of our marriage, he will retract it.  Nevertheless, he must tell me, that Mr. John Harlowe is very much set upon this way of proceeding; as the only one, in his opinion, capable of being improved into a general reconciliation.  But if we do acquiesce in it, he beseeches my fair-one not to suspend my day, that he may be authorized in what he says, as to the truth of the main fact. [How conscientious this good man!] Nor must it be expected, he says, that her uncle will take one step towards the wished-for reconciliation, till the solemnity is actually over.’

He adds, ’that he shall be very soon in town on other affairs; and then proposes to attend us, and give us a more particular account of all that has passed, or shall further pass, between Mr. Harlowe and him.’