He said,
"I have a great mind to take you at your word. I am too old and fond of
quiet to drive a Simpleton in single harness."
This contemptuous speech, and, above all, the word Simpleton, which had
been applied to her pretty freely by young ladies at school, and always
galled her terribly, inflicted so intolerable a wound on Rosa's vanity,
that she was ready to burst: on that, of course, her stays contributed
their mite of physical uneasiness. Thus irritated mind and body, she
burned to strike in return; and as she could not slap her father in the
presence of another, she gave it Christopher back-handed.
"You can turn me out of doors," said she, "if you are tired of your
daughter, but I am not such a SIMPLETON as to marry a tyrant. No; he has
shown the cloven foot in time. A husband's AUTHORITY, indeed!" Then she
turned her hand, and gave it him direct. "You told me a different
story when you were paying your court to me; then you were to be my
servant,--all hypocritical sweetness. You had better go and marry a
Circassian slave. They don't wear stays, and they do wear trousers; so
she will be unfeminine enough, even for you. No English lady would
let her husband dictate to her about such a thing.
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