ind." "That is, to put off an honourable Man on false
Pretences," says _Father_, "she is olde enough to know it alreadie.
Speake, _Moll_, are you of your _Mother's_ Mind to give up Mr. _Milton_
altogether?" I trembled, but sayd, "No." "Then, as his Time is
precious, and he knows not when he may leave his Home agayn, I save you
the Trouble, Child, of naming a Day, for it shall be the _Monday_
before _Whitsuntide_." Thereat _Mother_ gave a Kind of Groan; but as
for me, I had like to have fallen on the Ground, for I had had noe
Thought of suche Haste. "See what you are doing, Mr. _Powell_," says
_Mother_, compassionating me, and raising me up, though somewhat
roughlie; "I prophecie Evil of this Match." "Prophets of Evil are sure
to find Listeners," says _Father_, "but I am not one of them;" and soe
left the Room. Thereon my _Mother_, who alwaies feares him when he has
a Fit of Determination, loosed the Bounds of her Passion, and chid me
so unkindlie, that, humbled and mortified, I was glad to seeke my
Chamber.

. . . Entering the Dining-room, however, I uttered a Shriek on seeing
_Father_ fallen back in his Chair, as though in a Fit, like unto that
which terrified us a Year ago; and _Mother_ hearing me call out, ran
in, loosed his Collar, and soone broughte him to himselfe, tho' not
without much Alarm to alle. He made light of it himselfe, and sayd
'twas merelie a suddain Rush of Blood to the Head, and woulde not be
dissuaded from going out; but _Mother_ was playnly smote at the Heart,
and having lookt after him with some anxietie, exclaimed, "I shall
neither meddle nor make more in this Businesse: your _Father's_ suddain
Seizures shall never be layd at my Doore;" and soe left me, till we met
at Dinner. After the Cloth was drawne, enters Mr. _Milton_, who goes
up to _Mother_, and with Gracefulnesse kisses her Hand; but she
withdrewe it pettishly, and tooke up her Sewing, on the which he lookt
at her wonderingly, and then at me; then at her agayne, as though he
woulde reade her whole Character in her Face; which having seemed to
doe, and to write the same in some private Page of his Heart, he never
troubled her or himself with further Comment, but tooke up Matters just
where he had left them last. Ere we parted we had some private
Conference touching our Marriage, for hastening which he had soe much
to say that I coulde not long contend with him, especiallie as I founde
he had plainlie made out that _Mother_ loved