M'Gil. [Without, L.] I'll break your bones. Cha. Hey! what now? [Crying. M'Gil. [Without, L.] An impudent scoundrel! I'llCha. Here he comes, and in a rare humour for my purpose. If I can but make him give her up to Shelty! Once she's out of these doors, I have my dear girl! Enter M'GILPIN, L., in a violent rage, and BENIN crying. McGil. (L. c.) You villain! you shou'dn't have interrupted me at study-no, not for the Lord Advocate of Scotland. Ben. (L.) [Crying.] Why, massere, I did tought— [Looks in a paper. Cha. Ha, ha, ha! Ben. [Apart to Charley.] You may laugh, massere never beats you-oh! eh, do, he did tumpa me. Cha. [Aside, L. c.] This may give lift to my scheme. [Apart to Benin.] No, Benin, master never beats me, because when I find he's in a passion I never answer him. Ben. He! if it saves me a beating, I will not make him no answer. Cha. (L. C.) Don't you know he's an orator, and likes to have all the talk to himself. Ben. Ha, ha, ha! then he shall-thank ye, Charleyha, ha, ha! when I find he raise his voice, I will no answer him-ha, ha, ha! [Exit, L.. M'Gil. I wonder he dares thrust his saucy face into my house. Cha. Now for it-if I can but work upon his fancy. [Aside.] Ay, sir, Shelty would make you believe he has the power to bring you to terms. M'Gil. Power and terms! What do you mean? Cha. And yet, I assure you, sir, I put little or no faith in these sort of old women's stories.-I see Shelty's intent as he said M'Gil. Why, what did he say? Cha. Says he, just now :-" Charley, I have your master under my thumb; I know that the clue to his fame and fortune is his tongue; therefore," says he, "with my scizzors of fate I'm determined to cut" M'Gil. What! to cut my tongue with his scizzors! Oh, the bloody-minded Cha. No, sir, to cut the thread of your discourse; to deprive you of M'Gil. Of what, Charley? Cha. Of voice. M'Gil. What, make me not speak! impossible! I will talk, though there were three women in company. Cha. I tell you, sir, it's his wicked determination, if you don't give him Miss Moggy, to take from your speech all sound! Look, sir, he comes-and look, see the very talisman in his hand. M'Gil. Eh!-what, that crab-stick? Cha. Stick! I know it's cut from the yew-tree in the church-yard; and he told me he had it from the witch, his grandmother. [Taking a stick. M'Gil. Charley, don't talk wicked-now I-I don't think the fellow looks like a conjurer. Enter SHELTY, with great consequence, L. She. Where's M'Gilpin? Cha. You don't mean my master, Shelty? M'Gil. What's that, sirrah? She. Only the kicker shall be kick'd- Laird Donald's come; fine overhauling of accounts, master Steward! Now the eagle's pounc'd, you'll have something else to do than brooding over your tender chick, my old cock. M'Gil. Ay, though you'd take the chick from the roost; ay, from under my wing, you most catiff hawk! yet you shall never prevent me from-Ay, spite of your arts, the old cock will crow. She. Let's hear you. Cha. [Apart to M'Gilpin.] You see, by his insolence, he's conscious of his power. M'Gil. I do. Cha. Forbear! She. Forbear! Cha. You know I know your business. [To Shelty. She. Business!-true; you know I'm a piper. sors She. I've no scissors; but I have-look here-I know you'll be hatching up a story to Laird Donald; but, if you dare open your lips to the prejudice of me, or my daddy-see-let this keep you silent. [Shows his stick.] I'll-oh! by the Cha. [Apart to M'Gilpin.] He say that [Pointing to Shelty's stick] shall make you silent. M Gil. Keep off your baleful yew She. I'm as good as you. M'Gil. Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse ! She. Moon's eclipse !-he's touch'd. M'Gil. Am I? Has he? Cha. Hark'e, Shelty, dare to come near my master with your damn'd twig there, and I'll kick you and it to the devil. She. Kick me, you little pick-thank! I'll— [Strikes Charley with his stick, as he endeavours to put him off, L.] M'Gil. (c.) To him! out with him, my hero! [Charley wrests the stick from Shelty, and thrusts him off, L.] You are a clever boy, faith! [Charley throws Shelty's stick down, struts about, uses much action, and moves his lips as if talking.] Gad, Charley can't speak, he's so very angry-I never saw him in a passion before-Is he gone?-He is the knave!-So, let's come to ourselves and consider-call Benin [Charley moves his lips as if calling.] Why don't you call him when I bid you; Zounds, sirrah! call him-Benin! [Calls very loud, looks at Charley, who moves his lips.] Damn the fellow, what is he at? is Benin coming, eh ?--What, an't I worthy of an answer? Dam'me, I'll knock you down if you stand making mouths at me, you rascal!-Eh--why-he can't can't you speak, eh?-Aye, indeed, I saw Shelty strike him with that fatal stick-but it's impossible !--it can't be speak, I won't believe but you can-Eh!— come, none of your capers upon me-Come, speak, this moment-this instant say in plain, audible English, "How do you do, Mr. M'Gilpin," or down you go as flat as a fluke. Eh, poor Charley! faith he really has lost his voice-I won't believe it-I'm strongly tempted to try it on myself; but then, when I get into Parliament---if I lose my voice, I should be fit only to be the speaker -I'll venture--You, Charley, sirrah! take up that stick and touch me with it-Very gently, boy [Charley hits him very forcibly.] Zounds! that's enough to knock a man speachless! Char. Oh, if I never recover my voice, I am a miserable man! M'Gil. Why, you have, you rogue-I heard you speak then very plain. Char. Eh! now my master's lips move as if he was talking. M'Gil. Ha, ha, ha! why I am talking, you fool! Cha. Yes, they still move, but no sound-Eh! perhaps I may now have recovered my voice by the stick touching my master-Oh, true, Shelty told me the dumbness was transferable. M'Gil. Transferable! the dumbness-What's that you say, boy? Char. Yes, by the motion of his lips, the poor gentleman thinks he's speaking. M'Gil. Speaking! Zounds! I'm bawling!-I wont believe but I am heard-Sirrah! I'll— Now I'll see hear me? Enter BENIN, L. [Aside.]—Here, you scoundrel! do you [Very loud. Ben. [Aside.] Tank you, Charley! [Exit, without looking at M'Gilpin. M'Gil. (c.) Ay-it's plain-I can't make myself be heard-Oh! I've lost my voice! [Very loud.] But, zounds! it can't be !-This may be a confederacy-but hold--if so -my daughter can't be in the plot, as nobody could have spoke to her since I locked her up here withinTrue, and even the window is nailed down-I'll see if she can hear me. [Unlocks the door, and goes into the room, R. Char. (L. C.) Oh the plague! now Moggy'll answer him, and overthrow all my magic. Re-enter M'GILPIN from the rooom, R., in a great rage and astonishment. M'Gil. She's gone!-I shall go mad! he has got her out; but how? no other way but the chimney or the key-hole-How the devil! -Bless us! Yes, if Shelty could carry her off when here-I found the door locked -I can no longer doubt his power to take my speech Oh! I'm a most miserable old gentleman! I'm in grief, and nobody to pity me-I complain, and none can hear my lamentations! [Weeps.] Eh! But-hold!-As Charley recovered by my getting the dumbness, I can as easily transfer it to somebody else, and so recover my own voice, ha, ha, ha! Psha! except his taking Moggy, if this is the worst, a fig for his power! ha, ha, ha! I've a great mind to return it again to Charley! ha, ha, ha! But his voice will be necessary to explain my accounts to Laird Donald. Cha. Well, sir, what does Miss Moggy say to her lover's tricks. M'Gil. Psha! this fool tantalizing me with questions, when he knows I can't make him hear my answers! Who shall I confer this favour on ?-Eh!-Ay! -Stupid Benin; the blackamoor has little occasion for his guttural sounds. Enter BENIN, L. Ben. Sir, here's Laird Donald! [Very submissively. M'Gil. Oh, dear! I must recover my tongue to talk him over! Yes, I'll give my dumbness to Benin-Dam'me, I'll bang you into silence, my double-dyed, swarthy acquaintance. [Takes the stick from the ground. Ben. [Aside.] Tank ye, Charley. [Exit, L. M'Gil. He has hopp'd off like a blackbird-Wou'dn't even wait till I'd shake salt upon his tail. [Exeunt, L. SCENE II-A Street in a Country Town. Enter SANDY and JENNY, R. Jen. My dear Sandy, don't grieve; why should ill. fortune disturb our tranquillity, unless it could lessen our affection! San. M'Gilpin's design of giving you to Captain Dash distracts me! Jen. But he sha'nt-my obligations to him are great; yet, this tyrannous attempt to fetter my inclinations, and a suspicion that his motives were not quite disinterested, have somewhat abated my debt of gratitude. San. And here won't let me continue in my farm without this fine of fifty pounds, so I must give it up-but he laid it on to ruin me. Jen. Well, and even so, arn't there other farms? or no farm-could you not be happy with poor Jenny? San. My dear Jenny !— AIR. SANDY. At dawn I rose with jocund glee, That could this blessing give to me; |