Enter POSTBOY, dragging in JARVIS: HONEYWOOD entering foon after.

POSTBOY.

Aye, mafter, we have him faft enough. Here is the incendiary dog. I'm entitled to the reward; I'll take my oath I saw him ask for the money at the bar, and then run for it.

HONEYWOOD.

Come, bring him along. Let us fee him. Let him learn to blush for his crimes. (Difcovering his miftake.) Death! what's here! Jarvis, Leontine, Olivia! What can all this mean?

JARVIS.

Why, I'll tell you what it means: that I was am old fool, and that you are my mafter-that's all,

Confufion!

HONEYWOOD.

LEONTINE.

Yes, Sir, I find you have kept your word with me. After fuch bafenefs, I wonder how you can venture to see the man you have injured?

HONEYWOOD.

My dear Leontine, by my life, my honour

LEONTINE.

Peace, peace, for shame; and do not continue to aggravate bafenefs by hypocrify. I know you, Sir,

I know you.

Ho

HONEYWOOD.

Why, won't you hear me! By all that's juft, I knew not

LEONTINE.

Hear you, Sir! to what purpose? I now fee through all your low arts; your ever complying with every opinion; your never refufing any requeft; your friendship as common as a prostitute's favours, and as fallacious; all thefe, Sir, have long been contemptible to the world, and are now perfectly so

to me.

HONEYWOOD.

Ha! contemptible to the world! That reaches [Afide.

me.

LEONTINE.

All the feeming fincerity of your profeffions, I now find, were only allurements to betray; and all your feeming regret for their confequences, only calculated to cover the cowardice of your heart. Draw, villain!

Enter CROAKER, out of breath.

CROAKER.

Where is the villain? Where is the incendiary? (Seizing the poftboy.) Hold him faft, the dog; he has the gallows in his face. Come, you dog, confefs; confefs all, and hang yourself.

POST BOY.

Zounds! mafter, what do you throttle me for?

CROAKER,

CROAKER, beating him.

Dog, do you refift; do you refift?

POSTBOY.

Zounds! mafter, I'm not he; there's the man that we thought was the rogue, and turns out to be one of the company.

How!

CROAKER.

HONEYWOOD.

Mr. Croaker, we have all been under a ftrange mistake here; I find there is nobody guilty; it was all an error; entirely an error of our own.

CROAKER.

And I fay, Sir, that you're in an error; for there's guilt and double guilt, a plot, a damned jefuitical peftilential plot, and I must have proof of it.

Do but hear me.

HONEYWOOD.

CROAKER.

What, you intend to bring 'em off, I fuppofe; I'll hear nothing.

HONEYWC D.

Madam, you feem at leaft calm enough to hear reafon.

Excufe me.

OLIVIA.

HONEYWOOD.

Good Jarvis, let me then explain it to you.

JARVIS.

JARVIS.

What fignifies explanations, when the thing is done?

HONEYWOOD.

Will nobody hear me? Was there ever such a set, fo blinded by paffion and prejudice! (To the poftboy.) My good friend, I believe you'll be surprised, when I affure you

POSTBOY.

Sure me nothing-I'm sure of nothing but a good beating.

CROAKER.

Come, then, you, madam, if you ever hope for any favour or forgiveness, tell me fincerely all you know of this affair.

OLIVIA.

Unhappily, Sir, I'm but too much the cause of your fufpicions: you fee before you, Sir, one that with false pretences has stept into your family to betray it not your daughter

Not my daughter!

CROAKER.

OLIVIA.

Not your daughter-but a mean deceiver-whofupport me, I cannot

HONEYWOOD.

Help, fhe's going, give her air.

CROAKER.

CROAKER.

Aye, aye, take the young woman to the air; I would not hurt a hair of her head, whofe ever daughter fhe may be-not fo bad as that neither. [Exeunt all but Croaker.

CROAKER.

Yes, yes, all's out; I now fee the whole affair: my fon is either married, or going to be fo, to this lady, whom he impofed upon me as his fifter. Aye, certainly fo; and yet I don't find it afflicts me fo much as one might think. There's the advantage of fretting away our misfortunes beforehand, we never feel them when they come.

Enter Mifs RICHLAND and Sir WILLIAM.

Sir WILLIAM.

But how do you know, madam, that my nephew intends fetting off from this place?

Mifs RICHLAND.

My maid affured me he was come to this inn, and my own knowledge of his intending to leave the kingdom, fuggefted the reft. But what do I fee, my guardian here before us! Who, my dear, Sir, could have expected meeting you here? to what accident do we owe this pleasure ?