Bungay Castle: A Novel. v. 1/2Bonhote, Mrs. (Elizabeth)
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Bungay Castle: A Novel. v. 1/2
Bonhote, Mrs. (Elizabeth)
English fiction -- 18th century
"Well, to be sure and certain, miss, (cried she,) the like of this was
never heard since the mencement of the world; for to go to church to be
married, to take the bride's groom in your hand, as a body may say, and
then to come back as you went, without being married at all! As I have a
vartuous and Christian soul to be saved, if I had been volved in such a
quandrary, I would never have left the chapel without a husband, young
or old, let what would have been the consequence.--People fleer and jeer
so about misventures of this kind, and asks one for bride's cake, and
talks so indellorcatly on this subject: however, don't fret, miss; it
seems you may be married still, but, for my part, I likes it best as
it is."
"I think in this instance as you do, Audrey, (replied Roseline, with
difficulty keeping herself from offending the honest-hearted Abigail, by
bursting into a violent fit of laughter,) yet the Baron is certainly a
fine-looking old gentleman."
"Fine feathers make fine birds, (said Audrey,) but as to his being
fine-looking, Christ Jesus, miss, to be sure master Cuford, the blind
god of love, has made you blinder than himself."
Roseline could no longer preserve her gravity.
"Blind, or not blind, (said she,) I assure you, Audrey, I thought the
Baron looked and talked like an angel after we returned from the chapel;
and, what is more, ugly as you think him, I love him dearly, and cannot
help looking at him with pleasure and delight."
"To be sure, (said Audrey aside,) the disappointment has turned her
head, and arranged all her interlects.--As sure as God is true, miss,
(said she) you have taken strange vaggaries into your head: it was but
yesterday I thought you were going into a vapid recline, as I have heard
you mention, and now I verily thinks Bedlam will be your potion instead
of a husband."
"As far as I know I am now in my proper senses, (cried Roseline,
laughing,) notwithstanding your prognostics, and taking so much pains to
convince me of the contrary."
"Well, well, it may be so, miss, (replied the mortified damsel;) I know
but little of nostics; but this I do know, there is no recounting for
the humour of quality people. The young Baron however, it must be said,
if poor folks can see and judge, is to the full as good as his father.
Handsome as you think him, and though he cannot speak to make himself
understood, and do not know his right hand from his left, or the moon
from a green cheese or young gosling, he may soon be taught to know
what's what. He was monstrously frightened when he saw his father, and
took him for a negromancer it seems."
"You have been strangely misinformed, Audrey, (interrupted Roseline,)
the young lord is neither so ignorant not so soon alarmed as you have
been taught to believe. I have known him long, and therefore, if you
will rely upon my word, I assure you he is one of the most amiable and
best of human beings."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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