"You are not serious."
"Perfectly so, Sir William; and I see you are so now," replied Miss Osborne.
"Then you shall have no occasion to put your threat in execution," said he, with an air of determination; "let us talk the matter over seriously, Rosa."
"Ah, I am glad I have brought you to your senses, at last; now consider, if we could do as Emma advises, and persuade this Mr. Musgrove to marry, as he ought, there would be an end of all trouble in the affair."
"To you, perhaps, but not to Miss Margaret; I dare say her amiable husband would beat her every day."
"Now don't relax into your indifference again, and be provoking! Oh, here comes Osborne; let's explain the case to him, and see what he says on the subject."
Lord Osborne, at the moment, entered the room, and his sister tried to make him comprehend the facts that had occurred.
"I think," said he, after hearing her story, "that Musgrove has behaved very ill—very ill, indeed."
"No doubt of that, my dear brother," replied she; "but what do you think of this Mr. Watson's proposal?"
"Just what we might expect from a lawyer, that he would go to law; it's his business, Rosa," replied her brother.