ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

his regard to you. If he is guilty, it will be the best way of preventing his addresses.

Lady G. But what pretence have I, to put him out of countenance?

Lord T. I can't think there's any fear of that.

Lady G. Pray, what is it you do think then?

Lord T. Why, certainly, that it's much more probable, this letter may be all an artifice, than that he is in the least concerned in it.

Enter WILLIAMS.

Wil. Mr. Manly, my lord.

[Exit.

Lord T. Do you receive him, while I step a minute

to my lady,

Enter MANLY.

[Exit.

Manly. Madam, your most obedient-they told me my lord was here.

Lady G. He will be here presently; he is but just gone in to my sister.

Manly. So, then, my lady dines with us?

Lady G. No; she is engaged.

Manly. I hope you are not of her party, madam?
Lady G. Not till after dinner,

Manly. And pray, how may she have disposed of the rest of the day?

Lady G. Much as usual; she has visits till about eight; after that, till court time, she is to be at quadrille, at Mrs. Idle's; after the drawing-room, she takes a short supper with my Lady Moonlight. And, from thence, they go together to my Lord Noble's assembly.

Manly. And are you to do all this with her, madam? Lady G. Only a few of the visits: I would, indeed, have drawn her to the play; but I doubt we have so much upon our hands, that it will not be practicable.

Manly. But how can you forbear all the rest of it?

Lady G. There's no great merit in forbearing what one is not charmed with.

Manly. And yet I have found that very difficult in my time.

Lady G. How do you mean?

Manly. Why, I have passed a great deal of my life in the hurry of the ladies, though I was generally better pleased when I was at quiet without them. Lady G. What induced you then to be with them? Manly. Idleness, and the fashion.

Lady G. No mistresses in the case?

Manly. To speak honestly-yes-Being often in the toy-shop, there was no forbearing the baubles.

Lady G. And of course, I suppose, sometimes you were tempted to pay for them twice as much as they were worth.

Manly. Madam!

Lady G. I'll be free with you, Mr. Manly-I don't know a man in the world, that, in appearance, might better pretend to a woman of the first merit than yourself: and yet I have a reason in my hand, here, to think you have your failings.

Manly. I have infinite, madam; but I am sure the want of an implicit respect for you, is not among the number.-Pray, what is in your hand, madam?

Lady G. Nay, sir, I have no title to it, for the direction is to you.

[Gives him a letter.

Manly. To me! I don't remember the hand.

[Reads to himself. Lady G. I can't perceive any change of guilt in him; and his surprise seems natural. [Aside.] Give me leave to tell you one thing, by the way, Mr. Manly; that I should never have shown you this, but that my brother enjoined me to it.

Manly. I take that to proceed from my lord's good opinion of me, madam.

Lady G. I hope, at least, it will stand as an excuse for my taking this liberty.

Manly. I never yet saw you do any thing, madam, that wanted an excuse; and I hope you will not give me an instance to the contrary, by refusing the favour I am going to ask you.

Lady G. I don't believe I shall refuse any, that you think proper to ask.

Manly. Only this, madam, to indulge me so far as to let me know how this letter came into your

hands.

Lady G. Enclosed to me in this, without a name. Manly. If there be no secret in the contents, madam

Lady G. Why-there is an impertinent insinuation in it; but, as I know your good sense will think it so too, I will venture to trust you.

Manly. You'll oblige me, madam.

[He takes the other letter, and reads. Lady G. [Aside.] Now am I in the oddest situation! methinks, our conversation grows terribly criticalThis must produce something-Oh lud, 'would it were over!

Manly. Now, madam, I begin to have some light into the poor project that is at the bottom of all this. Lady G. I have no notion of what could be proposed by it.

Manly. A little patience, madam-First, as to the insinuation you mention

Lady G. Oh! what is he going to say now? [Aside. Manly. Though my intimacy with my lord may have allowed my visits to have been very frequent here of late; yet, in such a talking town as this, you must not wonder, if a great many of those visits are placed to your account: and this taken for granted, I suppose, has been told to my Lady Wronghead, as a piece of news, since her arrival, not improbably, with many more imaginary circumstances.

Lady G. My Lady Wronghead!

Manly. Ay, madam; for I am positive this is her hand.

Lady G. What view could she have in writing it?

Manly. To interrupt any treaty of marriage she may have heard I am engaged in; because, if I die without heirs, her family expects that some part of my estate may return to them again. But I hope she is so far mistaken, that, if this letter has given you the least uneasiness-I shall think that the happiest moment of my life.

Lady G. That does not carry your usual complaisance, Mr. Manly.

Manly. Yes, madam, because I am sure I can convince you of my innocence.

Lady G. I am sure I have no right to inquire into it. Manly. Suppose you may not, madam; yet you may very innocently have so much curiosity.

Lady G. Well, sir, I won't pretend to have so little of the woman in me, as to want curiosity-But pray, do you suppose, then, this Myrtilla is a real, or a fictitious name?

Manly. Now I recollect, madam, there is a young woman in the house, where my Lady Wronghead lodges, that I heard somebody call Myrtilla-this letter may have been written by her-But how it came directed to me, I confess, is a mystery, that, before I ever presume to see your ladyship again, I think myself obliged in honour to find out. [Going.

Lady G. Mr. Manly-you are not going?

Manly. 'Tis but to the next street, madam; I shall be back in ten minutes.

Lady G. Nay, but dinner's just coming up.

Manly. Madam, I can neither eat nor rest, till I see an end of this affair.

Lady G. But this is so odd! why should any silly curiosity of mine drive you away?

Manly. Since you won't suffer it to be yours, madam -then it shall be only to satisfy my own curiosity.

[Exit.

Lady G. Well-and now, what am I to think of all this? Or suppose an indifferent person had heard every word we have said to one another, what would they have thought on't? Would it have been very absurd to conclude, he is seriously inclined to pass the rest of his life with me?-I hope not-for I am sure the case is terribly clear on my side.

Enter MRS. TRUSTY.

Well, Mrs. Trusty, is my sister dressed yet?

Mrs. T. Yes, madam; but my lord has been courting her so, I think, till they are both out of humour. Lady G. How so?

Mrs. T. Why, it began, madam, with his lordship's desiring her ladyship to dine at home to-day-upon which, my lady said she could not be ready; upon that, my lord ordered them to stay the dinner-and then, my lady ordered the coach-then my lord took her short, and said, he had ordered the coachman to set up-then, my lady made him a great courtesy, and said she would wait till his lordship's horses had dined, and was mighty pleasant; but, for fear of the worst, madam, she whispered me-to get her chair ready.

[Exit. Lady G. Oh, here they come! and, by their looks, seem a little unfit for company.

[Exit.

Enter LADY TOWNLY, LORD TOWNLY following. Lady T. Well, look you, my lord, I can bear it no longer; nothing still, but about my faults-my faults! an agreeable subject, truly!

Lord T. Why, madam, if you won't hear of them, how can I ever hope to see you mend them?

Lady T. Why, I don't intend to mend them-I can't

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »