give a genius fair play, but engross the whole ftage to themselves.

Kitty. Very felfish, indeed. Well, Mr. Robin, though you won't make a riddle, I will, which, as my Lady expects me, you may study to expound by yourself. This match won't take place, and yet are none of the parties to blame;

may live in the fame house with you, though I should leave my young Mistress's fervice, and the lofs of my place may perhaps be the making of my fortune. So Adieu.

Robin. Nay, but Mifs Kitty, one word, if you please.

Kitty. Not a fyllable, go, and puzzle your brains. But take this, for your comfort, that if you cannot at prefent make out my meaning, a little time will fully explain it.

[Exit. Robin. So fkittifh and fhy, Mrs. Pert! but if our next meeting don't bring forth this fecret, you are no true chambermaid, nor I fit for a valet de chambre. All referve amongst servants is flat treafon against the community. Every well-difciplin'd domeftic is bound in honour, however careful of his own, to reveal all family fecrets, to the reft of the tribe. But I must brush off, for here comes my Lady. [Exit,

Enter Lady Rifcounter, and James.

Lady Rifc. And he has promised that the paragraph fhall appear in the paper this morning? James. I am afraid, Madam, there is no doubt of his keeping his word.

Lady Rife. Afraid! what a pufillanimous

creature art thou?

James. As your Ladyfhip, by what means I know not, is acquainted with my veneration

for

for Mifs, you can't wonder at my feeling fome compunction, in becoming an inftrument to ruin her fame.

Lady Rifc. Why the fellow is a fool: don't you confider, that her ruin, as you call it, will be your rife?

I

James. Perhaps, fo, Madam, but how can

Lady Rifc. You love Lydia, you say?

James. More than I have words to exprefs. Lady Rife. And Sir James Biddulph you deteft, as a successful rival, no doubt?

James. Except on that account, I have no reason.

Lady Rifc. And what better reafon can any man have? don't you know, that the two great mafter paffions that give birth to all that we do, is hatred and love?

James. Without doubt.

Lady Rifc. The mind would ftagnate without them; and are not you particularly fortunate, in being able, by one mafterly ftroke, to gratify both?

James. Were I indeed fure of fucceeding with Mifs?

Lady Rifc. You have every probable chance in your favour: in the firft place, it is impoffible, confiftently with his honour, that Sir James Biddulph can pursue his designs upon Lydia.

James. May be not.

Lady Rifc. Nor will any proper fuitable perfon think of her when her reputation is gone.

James. Too true, I believe.

Lady

Lady Rife. Then, who fo likely to fucceed as yourfelf? as you are the party fufpected, common policy will point out you for her hufband.

James. But will Mifs Lydia be brought to fubmit?

Lady Rifc. She can have no choice but her father's. Him, I can easily manage, and poffibly, as a douceur, prevail on him to augment the very confiderable fortune fhe derives from her aunt; never fear, things are in a very good

way.

James. I must submit all to your ladyship's

management.

Lady Rifc. Your part will be eafy enough, you will have nothing to do but be passive. Enter Kitty, and Lucy, with a news-paper in ber band.

Lucy. Here, Madam, here it is, and placed in a moft confpicuous part of the paper. Lady Rifc. And no alteration?

Lucy. Not a word. In the exact form that we fent it.

Lady Rifc. Pr'ythee read it, my dear.

Lucy. [Reads.] "We can affure the publick, from the very beft authority, that "the beautiful daughter, by a former venture, "of an eminent banker, not far from the Mo"nument, was furprised by the fervants, in a "moft critical fituation, with Mr. Js, clerk "to her father."

Lady Rifc. Right, right.

Lucy. "And what heightens her crime, she "was on the eve of being married to an amia

"ble young baronet, at the weft end of the "town, the apparent object of her own choice."

Lady Rifc. Finely circumftantial, it is impoffible for any body to err in the perfon.

Lucy. Not in nature; now, I think, we fhall pull down Mifs Prudery's pride.

Lady Rife. It cannot fail. Kitty, you have carefully perused the inftructions I gave you. Kitty. Please your ladyship, I have them by heart.

Lady Rifc. Don't be too forward in replying to any queftion they put to you; but anfwer with a kind of reluctant hesitation, as if the facts were forc'd from your mouth.

Kitty. Never fear, Madam.

Lady Rifc. Don't forget to make frequent profeffions of the great love and affection you bear your young miftrefs, that you could not have thought it, fhan't know whom to trust for the future; ready to lay down your life for your lady.

Lucy. Suggeft too, that fome ftrange arts must have been used, or you are convinc'd fhe could never have been brought to fubmit.

Kitty. I fhall carefully, Madam, obey your directions.

Lady Rife. And squeeze out a tear now and then if you can.

Lucy. Or, if they won't come, rub your eyes till they are red.

Lady Rifc. Right; this will give probability to all that you say.

Lucy. Otherwife, the young hypocrite's behaviour has been always fo fpecious, thofe who know her won't credit the ftory.

Kitty. Suppofe, Madam, Sir James Biddulph, or any body elfe, fhould make any enquiry?

Lady Rife. Anfwer none of their questions; your tenderness for Lydia will be a proper excufe; to your mafter's authority, indeed, you are obliged to fubmit. You comprehend me? Kitty. Perfectly, Madam.

Lady Rife. Within, I will give you further inftructions; and remember, Kitty, your fortune is at ftake: Succefs, in this one inftance, will make you eafy for life.

Kitty. The best I can do will be but a poor return for your ladyfhip's goodness.

Lady Rifc. Send the news-paper into your mafter. [Exit Kitty.] You have, James, feen none of our people this morning?

James. I have not enter'd the shop.

Lady Rifc. Then get out of the way as faft as you can; fecrete yourself fomewhere, that will give additional strength to the story. Your withdrawing will argue a confciousness arifing from guilt.

James. That I moft fufficiently feel.

Lady Rife. Succefs will foon drown the remembrance. [Exit James.] That fellow muft not appear; his mind is fo maukish, that, should he be confronted with Lydia, he would betray our whole plot in an inftant.

Lucy. It is a wonder, Madam, how you have got all this addrefs: inftead of a private family, you are form'd to govern a country.

Lady Rife. Why, I think, I may without vanity fay, that I deriv'd from nature fome talents for this kind of intrigue; but to the care of my education I chiefly owe what I am.

Lucy.