He simply gives lying promises and leaves me to starve.

I am surprised, nephew, that you come to us with this proposition." "In that case, dear uncle, it shall be dropped at once," said I, expecting, however, to take it up at another time.
Frances was about to insist, but a glance from Sarah stopped her, and she remained silent.

I knew it would require a great deal of sound argument to bring Sir Richard to our way of thinking, but I was sure that Sarah could soften him and that, at the right time, I could finish our helpless antagonist.

Meantime the love affair of Frances, if there was one, should be looked into, if Frances did not object too seriously.

In truth, I was a very busy man, solely with the affairs of other people.
Being so engaged in telling of other people's affairs, I have not had time to mention the fact that I had a love affair of my own, that is, if I may call that a love affair which involved only one person--myself.