The lie it was drawing me by is perhaps Spring's oldest, commonest lie,--the lying
promise of the Perfect Woman, the Quite Impossible She.
"You must keep your
promises to us!" exclaimed Dorothy.
"So it does," said Don Quixote, "and he is a sage magician, a great enemy of mine, who has a spite against me because he knows by his arts and lore that in process of time I am to engage in single combat with a knight whom he befriends and that I am to conquer, and he will be unable to prevent it; and for this reason he endeavours to do me all the ill turns that he can; but I
promise him it will be hard for him to oppose or avoid what is decreed by Heaven."
And he has bound me not to tell it, under a
promise given on my word of honor.
A written
promise of marriage exchanged between a man and woman, in Scotland, marries that man and woman by Scotch law.
She made me
promise not to -- mother made me
promise not to.
That ring is a
promise; and that
promise has been accepted!"
"Do
promise, do
promise, Vasili!" cried Anna Mikhaylovna as he went, with the smile of a coquettish girl, which at one time probably came naturally to her, but was now very ill-suited to her careworn face.
"Boys always
promise that when they want something," said Geppetto.
"Nay, I must not only confess what you have hinted," said Nightingale; "but I am afraid even that very
promise you mention I have given." "And can you, after owning that," said Jones, "hesitate a moment?" "Consider, my friend," answered the other; "I know you are a man of honour, and would advise no one to act contrary to its rules; if there were no other objection, can I, after this publication of her disgrace, think of such an alliance with honour?" "Undoubtedly," replied Jones, "and the very best and truest honour, which is goodness, requires it of you.
Promise me that when next you are angry you will count one hundred before you move or speak."
This
promise pleased the woman and she soon became more pleasant, saying they could stay the night at her house and begin their voyage on the river next morning.
