THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF MOLL FLANDERS
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has had some influence upon you, and that you are melancholy on his account; pray, will you let me know how the matter stands with you both, if it may not be improper? For, as for Robin, he does nothing but rally and banter when I speak of it to him.' 'Why, truly, madam', said I, 'that matter stands as I wish it did not, and I shall be very sincere with you in it, whatever befalls me. Mr Robert has several times proposed marriage to me, which is what I had no reason to expect, my poor circumstances considered; but I have always resisted him, and that perhaps in terms more positive than became me, considering the regard that I ought to have for every branch of your family; but', said I, 'madam, I could never so far forget my obligations to you and all your house, to offer to consent to a thing which I knew must needs be disobliging to you, and have positively told him that I would never entertain a thought of that kind unless I had your consent, and his father's also, to whom I was bound by so many invincible obligations.'
'And is this possible, Mrs Betty?' says the old lady. 'Then you have been much juster to us than we have been to you; for we have all looked upon you as a kind of a snare to my son, and I had a proposal to make you for your removing, for fear of it; but I had not yet mentioned it you, because I was afraid of grieving you too much, lest it should throw you down again; for we have a respect for you still, though not so much as to have it be the ruin of my son; but if it be as you say, we have all wronged you very much.'
'As to the truth of what I say, madam', said I, 'I refer to your son himself; if he will do me any justice, he must tell you the story just as I have told it.'
Away goes the old lady to her daughters and tells them the whole story, just as I had told it her; and they were surprised at it, you may be sure, as I believed they would be. One said she could never have thought it; another said Robin was a fool; a third said she would not believe a word of it, and she would warrant that Robin would tell the story another way. But the old lady, who was resolved to go to the bottom of it before I could have the least opportunity of acquainting her son with what had passed, resolved, too, that she would talk with her son immediately, and to that purpose sent for him, for he was gone but to a lawyer's house in the town, and upon her sending he returned immediately.
Upon his coming up to them, for they were all together, 'Sit down, Robin', says the old lady; 'I must have some talk with you.' 'With all my heart, madam', says Robin, looking very merry. 'I hope it is about a good wife, for I am at a great loss in that affair.' 'How can that be?' says his mother. 'Did not you say you resolved to have Mrs Betty?' 'Ay, madam', says Robin; 'but there is one that has forbid the banns. 'Forbid the banns! Who can that be?' 'Even Mrs Betty herself, says Robin. 'How so?' says his mother. 'Have you asked her the question, then?' 'Yes, indeed, madam', says Robin; 'I have attacked her in form five times since she was sick, and am beaten off; the jade is so stout she won't capitulate nor yield upon any terms, except such as I can't effectually grant.' 'Explain yourself, says the mother, 'for I am surprised; I do not understand you. I hope you are not in earnest.'
'Why, madam', says he, 'the case is plain enough upon me, it explains itself; she won't have me, she says; is not that plain enough? I think
