Enter Servant.

Well, where is James?

Ser. Sir, he is not within.

Sir Rob. What, is the rascal run off?

Lady Rif. No, my dear, perhaps only gone out with fome bills for acceptance.

Sir Rob. Like enough. When will he be back?

Serv. The reft of the clerks have not feen him today.

Sir Rob. Not feen him to-day? what are all of them blind then?

Lady Rif. Nay, Sir Robert, perhaps he has not been in the fhop.

Serv. So they fay.

[Exit. Sir Rob. Then they could not fee him, indeed. Not in the fhop! nay, then the business is clear; guilt, guilt, flight is full as bad as confeffion.

Lady Rif. It does look fufpicious, I own; but then nothing ill can happen without your daughter's concurrence, and you have not the leaft doubt of her.

Sir Rob. Doubt! hey!

Lady Rif. And, in fact, have nothing to fear. Sir Rob. Fear! doubt! I hope your lady fhip has no more doubts than myself.

Lady Rif. Why fhould I? how does this affair concern ine?

Sir Rob. As it concerns me, Lady Rifcounter; do you fuppofe I should have been indifferent, if fuch a charge had fallen on Lucy?

Lady Rif. Such a charge can never fall upon my daughter Lucy.

Sir Rob. Full as foon as on my daughter Lydia.

Lady Rif. I am not, Sir Robert, fo certain of that. Sir Rob Lady Riscounter, you begin to alarm me; you know more of this matter, than you are willing

to own.

Lady Rif. Whatever I know, Sir Robert, I am refolved not to communicate.

Sir Rob. And why not?

Lady Rif. Whatever a mother-in-law fays, the goodnatured world imputes to malice.

Sir

Sir Rob. Generally the cafe, I must own. me you may, nay, you ought to reveal.

But to

Lady Rif. Since you are fo earnest, I own fome rumours have reach'd me.

Sir Rob. Of what kind?

Lady Rif. You will pardon me there if you will examine your daughter's maid, Kitty; fhe, I am told, can fatisfy all your enquiries.

Sir Rob. An artful baggage, I know. For heaven's fake, my dear, fend her hither directly.

Lady Rif. But not the least mention of me.

[Exit. Sir Rob. Very well. I never obferv'd the least correfpondence between Lydia and James; but what of that they would take good care, I warrant, to conceal it from me.

Enter Kitty.

So, I find you were the go-between, the little infamous agent in this curs'd

Kitty. Sir Robert.

Sir Rob. You must have been a volunteer; I am fure, James was not able to bribe you, for he is as poor as a pillag'd black in Bengal.

Kitty. Really, Sir, I don't understand you.

Sir Rob. You mean, huffey, you won't: Come, you may as well tell me all the particulars concerning Lydia and James; with the main article, you fee I am already acquainted.

Kitty. Don't prefs me, pray Sir; I would rather die than fay any thing to hurt my young mittress. [cries. Sir Rob. Nay, pr'ythee, Kitty, don't cry, you are a good girl, and love my daughter, I fee.

Kitty. And not without reafon, for fhe has been the kindeft, beft

Sir Rob. Nay, till now, fhe was ever an amiable girl; but here, child, you will do her a capital fer

Vice.

Kitty. Indeed, Sir

Sir Rob. For if her affections are fix'd upon Jaines, tho' I may lament, I fhall not oppofe him.

Kitty. Since that is the cafe, I can't fay, but early

one

one morning, hearing a noise in Mifs Lydia's apartment, I stepp'd down to fee what was the matter.

Sir Rob. Well?

Kitty. Juft as I got to the foot of the ftairs, her door open'd, and out came Mr. James.

Sir Rob. Did he; and why did not you alarm the house and feize the villain directly?

Kitty. That, Sir, would have ruined my Lady's reputation at once.

Sir Rob. True enough, you did wifely. Did the fellow perceive you?

Kitty. Yes, Sir, and made me a fign to be filent.
Sir Rob. I don't doubt it.

Kitty. Indeed, he came to me two hours after, told me he had a paffion for Mifs, never could get an opportunity of difclofing his mind, and defperate, at finding his hopes on the point of being ruin'd, he had ftolen that morning into her chamber, humbly to implore her compaffion and pity.

Sir Rob. He chofe a fine time and place for the purpofe.

Kitty. On his knees he defired, I would not difclofe to any mortal what I had feen.

Sir Rob. Which you should not have done.

Kitty. He was too late in his cau'ion; not five minutes before I had told it to Mrs. Hemfhot, Mifs Lucy's maid.

Sir Rob. No wonder then the story is public.

Kitty. I am certain fure, my young miftrefs is innocent, for Mr. James vowed and declar'd he was all upon honour.

Sir Rob. The malice of mankind will never be brought to believe it; you may go. [Exit Kitty.] So the girl's reputation is gone, and a retreat from the world the only choice that is left her all my calamities are come upon me at once; my child ruin'd, and from the general distress, my own fame and fortune on the brink of deftruction: the attorney and broker will be inftantly here to contrive means for propping my tottering credit. Am I in a condition to think of expedients, or to listen to-

Enter

Enter Servant.

Serv. A card, Sir. [Exit. Sir Rob. Reads.]" Sir James Biddulph's compliments to Sir Robert Rifcounter, and if convenient will take "the liberty to wait on him this morning." Prepar'd, as I expected, our misfortunes have reach'd him, and he comes to break off the match; he is not to be blam'd. This rafh, inconfiderate-I'll to her, and if she has the leaft atom of feeling, I'll-And yet, how could the poor girl help his intrufion? fhe might be ignorant, and yet the fellow without encouragement, would never have dared to-Yet the impudence of fome men is amazing, and fo indeed is the folly of women: the original fault muft be his. But her after-compliance makes her equally guilty, for had fhe difapprov'd, fhe would have reveal'd the fact to her mother or me. That, that, condemns her at once; I will to her directly, and find out the full extent of her guilt.

[Exit.

End of the FIRST ACT.

ACT

ACT II.

Mifs Lucy and Mifs Lydia discovered.

Lucy.

O us, indeed, who are incumber'd with fathers

T and mothers, marriage is a convenient business

enough.

Lydia. And why on that account, my dear Lucy?

Lucy. As it makes one the entire mistress of one's time, and one is accountable to no mortal for what one fays or does.

Lydia. What Lucy, not to your husband?

Lucy. Nay, don't be prudifh my dear: you are going back to the days of Queen Befs; who talks now of obedience and duty ? ridiculous! her majefty's old fardingale is not more out of fashion.

Lydia. No!

Lucy. No one reads in books, indeed, of nuptial ties and conjugal love ; mere obfolete stuff! modern marriages are mere matters of intereft.

Lydia. Intereft ! Lucy Ay, child; for inftance now, Sir Thomas Perkins, our neighbour, finding that Mifs Williams has a good parcel of land, which being contiguous to his eftate, will be very proper for him to poffefs; immediately fends his rent-roll a-courting to her's. The parchments are produced on both fides, and no impediments, that is incumbrance appearing, a couple of lawyers marry the manors together.

Lydia. Without the leaft regard to the perfons.

Lucy. Poo, perfons! they are confider'd, child, as manfion-houses upon the eftates, which one lives in, or neglects, just as they happen to be convenient, or not. Lydia. But fuppofe, Lucy, as in mine, there fhould happen to be no land in the cafe ?

Lucy. Then, child, the bargain is alter'd you depofit