Quotation from: Villette

Written by: Charlotte Bronte


"Well, dear grandmother! and are you not mightily angry at my
moonlight flitting and run away match? I assure you it is excellent
fun, and I did it partly to spite that minx, Paulina, and that bear,
Dr. John: to show them that, with all their airs, I could get married
as well as they. M. de Bassompierre was at first in a strange fume
with Alfred; he threatened a prosecution for 'detournement de mineur,'
and I know not what; he was so abominably in earnest, that I found
myself forced to do a little bit of the melodramatic--go down on my
knees, sob, cry, drench three pocket-handkerchiefs. Of course, 'mon
oncle' soon gave in; indeed, where was the use of making a fuss? I am
married, and that's all about it. He still says our marriage is not
legal, because I am not of age, forsooth! As if that made any
difference! I am just as much married as if I were a hundred. However,
we are to be married again, and I am to have a trousseau, and Mrs.
Cholmondeley is going to superintend it; and there are some hopes that
M. de Bassompierre will give me a decent portion, which will be very
convenient, as dear Alfred has nothing but his nobility, native and
hereditary, and his pay. I only wish uncle would do things
unconditionally, in a generous, gentleman-like fashion; he is so
disagreeable as to make the dowry depend on Alfred's giving his
written promise that he will never touch cards or dice from the day it
is paid down. They accuse my angel of a tendency to play: I don't know
anything about that, but I _do_ know he is a dear, adorable
creature.

PREVIOUS GROUP HOME SITE HOME NEXT
Old Dominion University CS Dept
Designed by Joan A. Smith for the CRATE project
Created: 2007-2-22T12:35:29Z
Part of the CratePreservation Project
Change Tag: ~~ 0 ~~
Part of a series of experiments in web preservation under the direction of Michael L. Nelson, Ph.D.