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Robin. No: The young lady has not alter'd het mind?

Kitty. Not to my knowledge.

Robin. What, Sir Robert Riscounter, her father? thefe curmudgeonly cits regard no ties, no obligations when they have an higher intereft in view. I fuppofe he has received larger propofals from fome other party.

Kitty. I have heard no fuch thing.

Robin. Well then, I am fure no impediment can arife from our quarter. My master, Sir James Biddulph, is too much a man of honour: befides, I know his whole foul is wrapt up in Mifs Lydia.

Kitty. He has given her pretty convincing proofs of his paffion.

Robin. What, I fuppofe the malicious mother-in-law, who, I know, hates Mifs, and has a damn'd deal of art, in conjunction with Mifs Lucy, that precious pledge of her former hufband's affections, has contrived to throw fome confounded rub in the way.

Kitty. Blefs me, Mr. Robin, I don't know what you mean, I am fure I faid nothing at all. Rolin. No?

Kitty. No. But only that things which are not done, may perhaps never be done; there is nothing certain but death.

Robin. Very moral, Mifs Kitty,—(there is fome mystery, if I could but get at it, but this fut is as cunning-I will have a trial however) nay, for the maiter of that, I can have, Mrs. Kitty, no intereft at all in this match; there is fo much confinement, and form, even in the moft fashionable families, that a fingle fervice is beft fuited to me, especially too, that now I am

got

got into moft of the clubs: there is one circumftané I fhall moft feelingly regret: That I own will greatly touch me.

Kitty. And pray, what may that be, Mr. Robin?

Robin. Not living under the fame roof with Mifs Kitty. I made no doubt, Madam, but your fortunes would follow your miftrefs's, and, in that cafe, I thought to foften the rigours of my captivity, in your agreeable converfe.

Kitty. Really, Mr. Robin? Well, I proteft, I did not.

Robin. And when our mutual endeavours had procured for us a fmall independence, I flatter'd myself with gently fliding the downhill of life, fubject to no other will but Mifs

Kitty's.

Kitty. What a difference between him, and the fervants of this fide the bar ?Really, Mr. Robin, you talk nearly as well as your maiter.

Robin. And no wonder, Madam, fince love, the fame deity, infpires us both.

Kitty. How quick you are in your rippartees, Mr. Robin! are you good at a riddle?

Robin. If you mean the making them, no; it is too low a fpecies of writing for me; for novels I have now and then fome dealings with Noble, and have by me a genteel comedy of one act, that is thought to have a good deal of merit.

Kitty. And pray when does it make its appearance?

Robin. Why, faith, I don't know, all the managers are fuch fcribblers, that they won't B 2

give

give a genius fair play, but engrofs the whole ftage to themfelves.

Kitty. Very felfifh, 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 yourfelf. This match won't take place, and yet are none of the parties to blame; may live in the fame houfe with you, though I should leave my young Mistress's service, 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 fervants 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 promifed 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 Rifc. 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 Rife. You love Lydia, you fay?

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

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

Lady Rifc. And what better reafon can any man have? don't you know, that the two great master 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 first place, it is impoffible, confiftently with his honour, that Sir James Biddulph can purfue his defigns 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 husband.

James. But will Mifs Lydia be brought to fubmit?

Lady Rifc. She can have no choice but her father's. Him, I can eafily 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 muft fubmit all to your ladyfhip's management.

Lady Rifc. Your part will be easy 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.

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Lady Rife. 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

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