My heart was a small bird in my throat, I swear, and a hot prickle of anxiety sprung out all the length of my body. I had already addressed myself to rebutting my cousin’s chilly, passionless marital proposals. I had, indeed, asumed thematter quite closed betweenus.
It had taken the greatest resolve on my part, to rebut him: and not a small amount of cunning and womanly flattery, to maintain his amour-propre in good order, and relations between us still continuing amicalbe and cousinly. St. John was a man of great force of character: a little overmuch, at times, to be sure.
Were his addresses to be renewed, now, a resumption of the battle of wills obetween us? it seemed an offence against justice, unsportsmanlike: and my rebel heart prpared itself to stand and look al oncomers in the eyes, spine straight and fists up.
Jane Austen In Space 