me; and if it will give you any pleasure, I'll sup at home.. -Can't we meet at the St. Alban's to-night? [Aside to Sir Brilliant. Mrs. L. I believe I need not tell you what pleasure that would give me: but unless the pleasure is mutual, Mr. Lovemore

Love. Ma'am, I-I-I perceive all the delicacy of that sentiment; but-a-I shall incommode you;-you possibly may have some private party-and it would be very unpolite in me to obstruct your schemes of pleasure. Would it not, sir Brilliant? [Laughs. Sir Bril. It would be gothic to the last degree-Ha,

ha!

Love. Ha, ha!-To be sure; for me to be of the party, would look as if we lived together like our friend sir Bashful Constant and his lady, who are for ever like two game cocks, ready armed to goad and wound one another most heartily-Ha, ha!

Sir Bril. The very thing-ha, ha!
Love. So it is-so it is!

[Both stand laughing. Mrs. L. Very well, gentlemen! you have it all to yourselves.

Love. Odso! [Looking at his Watch] I shall be beyond my time. Any commands into the city, madam?

Mrs. L. Commands!I have no commands, sir. Love. I have an appointment there at my banker's.—Sir Brilliant, you know old Discount?

Sir Bril. What, he that was in parliament?

Love. The same.-Entire Butt, I think, was the name of the borough.-Ha, ha, ha!-Can I set you down any where, sir Brilliant?

Sir Bril. Can you give me a cast in St. James's-street? Love. By all means-- -Allons-Mrs. Lovemore, your most obedient, ma'am.-Who waits there?-Mrs. Lovemore, no ceremony-your servant. [Exit, singing

Sir Bril. Ma'am, you see I don't carry Mr. Lovemore abroad now-I have the honour, ma'am, to take my leave I shall have her, I see plainly ;-Sir Brilliant, mind your hits, and your business is done. [Aside] Ma'am, your most obedient.

[Exit.

Re-enter MUSLIN, hastily.

Mus. Did you call, ma'am?

Mrs. L. To be insulted thus by his loose confident carriage!

Mus. As I live and breathe, ma'am, if I was as you, I would not flutter myself about it.

Mrs. L. About what?

Mus. La! what signifies mincing matters?-I overheard it all.

Mrs. L. You did!-did you?

Mus. Ma'am!

Mrs. L. It does not signify at present.

[Angrily.

Mus. No, ma'am, it does not signify, and revenge is sweet I think; and by my troth, I don't see why you should stand on ceremony with a husband that stands upon none with you.

Mrs. L. Again!-Pr'ythee, Mrs. Malapert, none of your advice. How dare you talk in this manner to me? Let me hear no more of this impertinent freedom. [Walks about.

Mus. No, ma'am.-It's very well, ma'am.—I have done, ma'am.-[Disconcerted, and then she speaks aside]-What the devil is here to do?-An unmannerly thing, to go for to huff me in this manner!

Mrs. L. [Still walking about] To make his character public, and render him the subject of every tea-table throughout this town, would only serve to widen the breach, and, instead of his neglect, might call forth his anger, and settle at last into a fixed aversion.Lawyers, parting, and separate maintenance, would ensue.-No,-1 must avoid that, if possible I will avoid that. What must be done?

Mus. What can she be thinking of now?-The sulky thing, not to be more familiar with such a friend as am! What can she mean? [Aside]— Did you speak to me, ma'am?

Mrs. L. Suppose I were to try that!-Muslin.
Mus. Ma am!-Now for it-

Mrs. L. You heard sir Brilliant deny that Mr. Lovemore visits at this widow Belmour's?

Mus. Lard, ma'am, he is as full of fibs as a French. milliner, he does visit there,-I know it all from William, I'll be hanged in my own garters, if he does not. Mrs. L. I know not what to do!-Heigho!-Let my chair be got ready instantly.

Mus. Your chair, ma'am!-Are you going out, ma'am?

Mrs. L. Don't tease me with your talk, but do as I bid you, and bring my cloak down to the parlour immediately-Heigho! [Exit. Mus. What is in the wind now?-An ill-natured puss, not to tell me what she is about.-It's no matter, -she does not know what she is about.-Before I'd lead such a life as she does, I'd take a lover's leap into Rosamond's pond. I love to see company for my part, and not to be mop'd to death here with her humdrum ways-tease, tease, tease-" Heigho! Muslin, go to William-where's his master?-when did he come home?-how long has he been up?-how does he do?" with the same thing over and over again, to the end of the chapter. A fine life, indeed, for a person that has such fine spirits as I have by nature; it's enough to ruin my constitution. I love to see company, for my part.Bless me! I had like to have forgot, there's that Mrs. Marmalet comes to my rout to-night.-I had as lieve she had stay'd away-She's nothing but mere lumber— so formal-she won't play above shilling whist: who the devil does she think is to make a shilling party for her? No such thing to be done now-a-days-nobody plays shilling whist now, unless I was to send for the tradespeople but I shan't let myself down at that rate for madam Marmalet, I promise you.

[Exit.

SCENE I. SIR BASHFUL CONSTANT'S House.
Enter SIR BASHFUL CONSTANT.

Sir Bash. [Knocking heard] Did not I hear a knock at the door? Yes, yes, I did the coach is just driving away.-Ay, ay, I am right enough-Sideboard! Sideboard! Come hither, Sideboard!-I must know who it is. My wife keeps the best company in Englandbut I must be cautious-servants love to peep into the bottom of their master's secrets.

Enter SIDEBOARD.

Whose coach was that at the door just now?

Side. The duchess of Hurricane's, please your honour. Sir Bash. The duchess of Hurricane's!-a woman of great rank. The duchess of Hurricane, Sideboard? What did she want?

-She left this card.

Side. I can't say, your honourSir Bash. A card!-Let me see it.-[Reads] The duchess of Hurricane's compliments to lady Constant; she has left the rooks, and the country squires, and the crows, and the fox-hunters, and the hounds, to their own dear society for the rest of the winter; and lets her

ladyship know, that she sees company at Hurricane-house, on Wednesdays, for the remainder of the season. Make me thankful! Here's a card from a duchess! [Aside] What have you in your hand?

Side. Cards that have been left here all this morning, your honour.

Sir Bush. All the morning!-Why, I may as wellmay as well keep the Coach and Horses in PiccadillyI won't bear this, Sideboard; I can't bear it—[Aside] Ha, ha, ha!-Let me see,-let me see!

Side. There, your honour.

[Gives the Cards. Sir Bash. What! all these this morning, Sideboard? Side. Yes, please your honour.

Sir Bash. This is too much, Sideboard-it is too much indeed!-Ha, ha, ha! [Aside] I can't bear it, Sideboard!-No, no,-I cannot bear it.-Ha, ha, ha! [Aside] Make me thankful! All people of tiptop condition to visit my wife. Ha, ha, ha. [Aside.

Enter FURNISH.

What's the matter, Furnish?

Fur. Nothing, sir; nothing's the matter.

Sir Bash. What are you about? Where are you going? What have you to do now?

Fur. To do, sir?-Only to tell the chairmen they must go out with the chair this evening, and black George with a flambeau before them, to pay some visits, that's all.

Sir Bash. What polite ways people of fashion have of being intimate with one another!-An empty chair to return visits for her!-I can't help laughing at it.— Ha, ha, ha!—I like to see her do like other people. [Aside] But I shall be found out by my servantsI tell you, Sideboard, and I tell you too, Mrs. Impertinence, that my lady leads a life of folly, and noise, and hurry, and cards, and dice, and absurdity, and nonsense; and I won't bear it-I am resolv'd I will not.I think I hear her coming! I do-I do.-I will not go on this way! and now, I'll tell her roundly a piece of my mind.