The History of Miss Betsy ThoughtlessHaywood, Eliza Fowler
General
The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless
Haywood, Eliza Fowler
Abused wives -- Fiction; Bildungsromans; Didactic fiction; England -- Fiction; Married women -- Fiction
Miss Flora had not been present when the maid delivered the letter to
Miss Betsy; but coming into the chamber just as she had finished, and
was sealing up the answer to it, 'So,' said she, 'have I catched you?
Pray what new lover have you been writing to this morning?' It was in
vain that Miss Betsy told her she never had yet seen the man she thought
worthy of a letter from her on the score of love: the other persisted in
her asseverations; and Miss Betsy, to silence her raillery, was obliged
to shew her some part of the letter she had received from Miss Forward.
It being near breakfast-time they went down together into the parlour,
and as they were drinking their coffee, 'Well, pretty lady,' said Mr.
Goodman to Miss Betsy, with a smile, 'how did you like the gentleman
that dined here yesterday?' This question so much surprized her that she
could not help blushing. 'Like him, Sir!' replied she, 'I did not take
any notice of him. I remember a stranger was here, and staid a good
while, and that is all; for I neither observed any thing he said or did,
or thought on him since.'--'The agreeable confusion,' cried Mr. Goodman,
gaily, 'you are in at my mentioning him, makes me believe you remarked
him more than you are willing to acknowledge, and I am very glad of it:
you do him but justice, I assure you; for he is very much in love with
you.'
'Lord, Sir!' said Miss Betsy, blushing still more, 'I cannot imagine
what makes you talk so; I don't suppose the man thinks of me any more
than I do of him.'--'That may be,' rejoined he, laughing outright. Lady
Mellasin then took up the word, and told her husband he was very merry
this morning. 'Aye,' said he, 'the hurry of spirits I have put poor Miss
Betsy in has made me so; for I can assure you the thing is very serious:
but,' continued he, 'you shall know the whole of it.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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