I was afraid that I should not
be able to support a leave-taking; and as you had said that you
were determined to go wherever I did, I thought it best not to tell
you at all; for I did not think it advisable that you should go
with me, and I wished to have no dispute.
"In the second place, I wish to say something about an offer of
wedlock which you made me; perhaps, young man, had you made it at
the first period of our acquaintance, I should have accepted it,
but you did not, and kept putting off and putting off, and behaving
in a very strange manner, till I could stand your conduct no
longer, but determined upon leaving you and Old England, which last
step I had been long thinking about; so when you made your offer at
last, everything was arranged--my cart and donkey engaged to be
sold--and the greater part of my things disposed of. However,
young man, when you did make it, I frankly tell you that I had half
a mind to accept it; at last, however, after very much
consideration, I thought it best to leave you for ever, because,
for some time past, I had become almost convinced, that though with
a wonderful deal of learning, and exceedingly shrewd in some
things, you were--pray don't be offended--at the root mad! and
though mad people, I have been told, sometimes make very good
husbands, I was unwilling that your friends, if you had any, should
say that Belle Berners, the workhouse girl, took advantage of your
infirmity; for there is no concealing that I was born and bred up
in a workhouse; notwithstanding that, my blood is better than your
own, and as good as the best; you having yourself told me that my
name is a noble name, and once, if I mistake not, that it was the
same word as baron, which is the same thing as bear; and that to be
called in old times a bear was considered a great compliment--the
bear being a mighty strong animal, on which account our forefathers
called all their great fighting-men barons, which is the same as
bears.
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