destined such a prize for me, and that her father, on hearing my overtures, might reply to them with an overwhelming “No.”
The old man listened to what I had to say, half-smilingly and half-seriously. He then took me cordially by the hand. “I feel exceedingly obliged to you, sir,” said he, “for the honour you do the girl and me. That you are fond of her is no news to me. I could perceive it the very first night. I know, too, that Mimili has no dislike to you. With your person, sir, I have no fault to find; and from what you have said respecting your circumstances, I infer that you can support a wife, even though she brought you nothing, which, thank God! is not the case here. At the same time, sir, your love for the girl is two days old; I have loved her these sixteen years. You must be aware that it would be painful to me to part from my only darling, to see her cross the mountains to your country, and to stay here alone with my herds till God shall please to take me. He has blessed my Alps, so that, were even Mimili to give me a son-in-law without a shilling, there would still be sufficient here to maintain both. I have always clung with peculiar fondness to the idea that Mimili would abide with me in my declining years, and close my eyes: you overthrow my plan; for the wife ought to follow the husband, and I cannot expect you to remain
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