Sir Fran. Sir Francis, says he, I shall be glad to serve you any way that lies in my power; so he gave me a squeeze by the hand, as much as to say, give yourself no trouble-I'll do your business; with that he turned him abawt to somebody with a coloured ribbon across here, that looked, in my thowghts, as if he came for a place too.

Manly. Ha! so, upon these hopes, you are to make your fortune!

Sir Fran. Why, do you think there's any doubt of it, sir?

Manly. Oh, no, I have not the least doubt about it -for, just as you have done, I made my fortune ten years ago.

Sir Fran. Why, I never knew you had a place,

cousin.

Manly. Nor I neither, upon my faith, cousin. But you, perhaps, may have better fortune; for I suppose my lord has heard of what importance you were in the debate to-day-You have been since down at the house, I presume?

Sir Fran. Oh, yes; I would not neglect the house for ever so much.

Manly. Well; and, pray, what have they done there?

Sir Fran. Why, troth, I can't well tell you what they have done; but I can tell you what I did: and, I think, pretty well in the main; only I happened to make a little mistake at last, indeed.

Manly. How was that?

Sir Fran. Why, they were all got there into a sort of a puzzling debate, about the good of the nation-and I were always for that, you know-but, in short, the arguments were so long winded o' both sides, that, waunds! I did not well understand 'um: hawsomever, I was convinced, and so resolved to vote right, according to my conscience-so, when they came to put the ques

tion, as they call it-I don't know haw 'twas-but I doubt I cried, Ay! when I should ha' cried, No!

Manly. How came that about?

Sir Fran. Why, by a mistake, as I tell you-for there was a good-humoured sort of a gentleman, one Mr. Totherside, I think they call him, that sat next me, as soon as I had cried, Ay! gives me a hearty shake by the hand-Sir, says he, you are a man of honour, and a true Englishman! and I should be proud to be better acquainted with you--and so, with that he takes me by the sleeve, along with the crowd, into the lobby-so, I knew nowght-but, ods flesh! I was got o' the wrong side the post-for I were told, afterwards, I should have staid where I was.

Manly. And so, if you had not quite made your fortune before, you have clinched it now!-Ah, thou head of the Wrongheads!

Lady W. [Without.] Very well, very well.

[Aside.

Sir Fran. Odso! here's my lady come home at last!

Enter LADY WRONGHEAD, COUNT BASSET, and Miss JENNY.

Lady W. Cousin, your servant: I hope you will pardon my rudeness; but we have really been in such a continual hurry here, that we have not had a leisure moment to return your last visit.

Manly. Oh, madam, I am a man of no ceremony; you see that has not hindered my coming again.

Lady W. You are infinitely obliging; but I'll redeem my credit with you.

Manly. At your own time, madam.

Count B. I must say that for Mr. Manly, madam: if making people easy is the rule of good-breeding, he is certainly the best bred man in the world.

Manly. Soh! I am not to drop my acquaintance, I find. [Aside.]-I am afraid, sir, I shall grow vain upon your good opinion.

Count B. I don't know that, sir; but, I am sure, what you are pleased to say makes me so.

Manly. The most impudent modesty that ever I met with!

Lady W. Lard, how ready his wit is!

[Aside.

[Aside.

Sir Fran. Don't you think, sir, the Count's a very

fine gentleman ?

Manly. Oh, among the ladies, certainly.

[Apart. [Apart.

Sir Fran. And yet he's as stout as a lion. Waunds, he'll storm any thing!

[Apart.

Manly. Will he so? Why, then, sir, take care of

your citadel.

Sir Fran. Ah, you are a wag, cousin!

[Apart.

[Apart.

Manly. I hope, ladies, the town air continues to agree with you.

Jenny. Oh, perfectly well, sir! We have been abroad, in our new coach, all day long-and we have bought an ocean of fine things. And to-morrow we go to the masquerade; and on Friday to the play; and on Saturday to the opera; and on Sunday we are to be at the what d'ye call it-assembly, and see the ladies play at quadrille, and piquet, and ombre, and hazard, and basset; and on Monday we are to see the king; and so on Tuesday

Lady W. Hold, hold, miss! you must not let your tongue run so fast, child-you forget; you know I brought you hither to learn modesty.

Manly. Yes, yes, and she is improved with a vengeance! [Aside. Jenny. Lawrd, mamma! I am sure I did not say any harm: and, if one must not speak in one's turn, one may be kept under as long as one lives, for ought I see. Lady W. O' my conscience, this girl grows so headstrong

Sir Fran. Ay, ay, there's your fine growing spirit for you! Now tack it dawn, an' you can.

Jenny. All I said, papa, was only to entertain my cousin Manly.

Manly. My pretty dear, I am mightily obliged to

you.

Jenny. Look you there now, madam.

Lady W. Hold your tongue, I say.

Jenny. [Turning away, and pouting.] I declare it, I won't bear it she is always snubbing me before you, sir!-I know why she does it, well enough—

[Aside to the Count. Count B. Hush, hush, my dear! don't be uneasy at that; she'll suspect us.

[Aside. Jenny. Let her suspect! what do I care?-I don't know but I have as much reason to suspect as she— though, perhaps, I am not so afraid of her.

Count B. [Aside.] 'Egad, if I don't keep a tight hand on my tit, here, she'll run away with my project, before I can bring it to bear!

Lady W. [Aside.] The young harlot is certainly in love with him; but I must not let them see I think so -and yet I can't bear it.Upon my life, Count, you'll spoil that forward girl-you should not encourage

her so.

Count B. Pardon me, madam, I was only advising "her to observe what your ladyship said to her.—In one word, madam, she has a jealousy of your ladyship, and I am forced to encourage her, to blind it; 'twill be better to take no notice of her behaviour to me. [Apart. Lady W. You are right; I will be more cautious.

[Apart. Count B. To-morrow, at the masquerade, we may lose her.

[Apart.

Lady W. We shall be observed; I'll send you a note, and settle that affair-go on with the girl, and don't mind me. [Apart. Count B. I have been taking your part, my little angel.

Lady W. Jenny! come hither, child-you must not be so hasty, my dear-I only advise you for your good. Jenny. Yes, mamma; but when I am told of a thing before company, it always makes me worse, you know. Manly. If I have any skill in the fair sex, miss and her mamma have only quarrelled because they are both of a mind. This facetious Count seems to have made a very genteel step into the family!

[Aside.

Enter MYRTILLA. MANLY talks apart with her.

Lady W. Well, Sir Francis, and what news have you brought us from Westminster to-day?

Sir Fran. News madam! 'Ecod, I have some-and such as does not come every day, I can tell you. A word in your earr-I have got a promise of a place at court of a thousand pawnd a year already.

Lady W. Have you so, sir? And, pray, who may you thank for't? Now, who is in the right? Is not this better than throwing so much away after a stinking pack of fox-hounds in the country? Now your family may be the better for it.

Sir Fran. Nay, that's what persuaded me to come up, my dove.

Lady W. Mighty well! Come-let me have another hundred pound then.

Sir Fran. Another, child! Waunds! you have had one hundred this morning; pray, what's become of that, my dear?

Lady W. What's become of it! Why, I'll show you, my love. Jenny, have you the bills about you? Jenny. Yes, mamma.

Lady W. What's become of it? Why, laid out, my dear, with fifty more to it, that I was forced to borrow of the Count here.

Jenny. Yes, indeed, papa, and that would hardly do neither-There's the account.