{"product_id":"2940011947711","title":"MISS BETTY","description":"Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original hardcover edition for enjoyable reading.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e***\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ean excerpt from the beginning of the third chapter:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHE GOLD BUTTONS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRAFE'S introduction of himself was followed by a more formal one, for amongst his few friends was a lady of Ware, to whom Betty Pole was of course known from her estate at Much Hadam, and the young people met at a kettledrum at her house. By this time he was head over ears in love with Betty; he would have declared himself but for that restraining sense of his own unworthiness which Providence has been good enough to implant, for the protection of young maidens, in the hearts of young men. But this sense lies latent only until such time as a true attachment manifests itself, whereupon it asserts all its strength. This force, however, like all great forces, is active and reactive; and, like other forces, what it loses in strength, it gains in direction, and vice versa. For the timorous young maiden when she feels assured that her lover holds back through some strange weakness which is alien to feminine nature— and her heart never fails to tell her when this is so—takes heart of grace and gives freely, if not ostentatiously, that which timid self-consciousness fears even to ask. St la jeunesse savait I Well, if it did, the young would cease to be young. The decadence of old age came into the world at the first bite of the apple, and wrinkles formed an appropriate punishment for the sin of Eve.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetty's course of thought was masked by her habitual direct simplicity. She made up her mind on the necessary points, and took all the rest for granted. Indeed, had she done anything foolish—which she did not—it would have been excusable. Here was a young gentleman, only a few years older than she was, handsome, stalwart, brave, of gallant bearing, and of high connections—and to whom she owed her life. His only disqualification in the eyes of the world did not matter in her case; for if he was poor, she had enough for both, and it would be only an added sweetness to say to him when the time came—if it ever did come—\" I give you all I have, Rafe! And yet how little! You gave me your name—a woman has none worth having in our English law; my life is yours already,\" and so forth. The day-dreams of a young maid are very tender; and somewhere at base of them is ever some such idea of self-sacrifice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut though these young people met often— by premeditated chance—such meetings were not often enough for them, and Rafe took to calling at Cheyne Walk more frequently than the strict rules of ceremony demanded. Aunt Priscilla was not, however, a very fiery dragon, and the only effect of his frequent visits was to keep her in a state of constant expectation. As he might at any time come she thought it well to be always ready for such a contingency, and so the requirements of a small household of two women became gradually enlarged to meet the needs of a third person, that person a man and a stranger. Abigail never grumbled, and we may be sure the maids did not, at all the extra trouble.","brand":"OGB","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47152364650736,"sku":"2940011947711","price":1.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940011947711_p0.jpg?v=1763551533","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940011947711","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}