Pardon me, I hope you will; but as to seeing
you, I cannot bear the dreadful apprehension. Whatever you have to
propose, whatever you intend by me, let my assent be that of a free
person, mean as I am, and not of a sordid slave, who is to be threatened
and frightened into a compliance with measures, which your conduct to her
seems to imply would be otherwise abhorred by her.--My restraint is
indeed hard upon me: I am very uneasy under it. Shorten it, I beseech
you, or--but I will not dare to say more, than that I am
'Your greatly oppressed unhappy servant.'
After I had taken a copy of this, I folded it up; and Mrs. Jewkes, coming
just as I had done, sat down by me; and said, when she saw me direct it,
I wish you would tell me if you have taken my advice, and consented to my
master's coming down. If it will oblige you, said I, I will read it to
you. That's good, said she; then I'll love you dearly.--Said I, Then you
must not offer to alter one word. I won't, replied she. So I read it to
her, and she praised me much for my wording it; but said she thought I
pushed the matter very close; and it would better bear talking of, than
writing about. She wanted an explanation or two, as about the proposal
to a certain person; but I said, she must take it as she heard it.
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