Volume the First: Diplomatic Display Oxford Bodleian Library, MS.Don.e.7.
pleasure to see her in such affluence."Thus I ran on to Hthe1 great Entertainmentof my Sister, till Mary came into the roomto appearance in great agitation. She satedown. We made room for her at the fire.She seemed at [.] a loſs how to begin & at lastsaid in some confusion
"Pray Sophy have you any mind to bemarried?"
"To be married! None in the least. But whydo you ask me? Are you acquainted with anyone who means to make me proposals?"
"I —no, how should I? But may'nt I ask acommon question?"
"Not a very common one Mary surely." (said I)2She paused & after some moments silencewent on —
"How should you like to marry Mr Watts,Sophy?"
I winked at Sophy & replied for her: "Who isthere but must rejoice to marry
a manof three thousand a year;?"3 who keeps a post--chaise & pair, with silver Harneſs, a
boot
Footnotes
- 1.
- Upper-case 'H' appears to have been changed to lower-case 't'. Back to context...
- 2.
- '(said I)' looks like an inline insertion. Back to context...
- 3.
- Inline insertion of question mark and closing quotation mark following the heavy deletion of the second half of the sentence. Back to context...
