"I do not know how far I may be at liberty to speak with reference
to the private matters of yourself or of your--your niece, Sir
William Weston. I would not willingly interfere--"
"Sir," said he, "your interference has already taken place. Will
you have the goodness to explain to me what are your intentions with
regard to that lady?"
My intentions! Heaven help me! My intentions, of course, were to
leave her in her uncle's hands. Indeed, I could hardly be said to
have formed any intention since I had learned that I had been
honoured by a lady's presence. At this moment I deeply regretted
that I had thoughtlessly stated to her that I was an unmarried man.
In doing so I had had no object. But at that time "Smith" had been
quite a stranger to me, and I had not thought it necessary to
declare my own private concerns. Since that I had talked so little
of myself that the fact of my family at home had not been mentioned.
"Will you have the goodness to explain what are your intentions with
regard to that lady?" said the baronet.
"Oh, Uncle William!" exclaimed Miss Weston, now at length raising
her head from her hands.
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