um- "sweetest revenge"-Um, um— "husband"-Um, um, um, um, um-“ secret pleasure of rewarding the tenderness of your sincerest admirer, "LOVEMORE."

This will do-Let me seal it, and now direct it.
Enter SIR BASHFUL CONSTANT, L.

Sir Bash. (L.) Well, well, have you sent it?
Love. No. Your servant has not been with me yet.
Sir Bash. Sideboard! why don't you wait on the
gentleman as I ordered, Sideboard?-I have got rid of
Sir Brilliant.

Love. Have you?

Sir Bash. Yes, yes, I would not let him come up for the world.

Enter SIDEBOard, L.

Sir Bash. (L. c.) Here, sirrah! Mr. Lovemore wants you.

Love. Master Sideboard, you must step to your lady with this letter.

Sir Bash. Charming! Charming! Ha! ha! [Aside.] You must take it up to her directly.

Side. Take it up, sir; my lady's in the next room. Sir Bash. Is she? take it in there then to her-make haste-begone! [Exit SIDEBOARD, R. D. Love. No danger in this, she'll know her own interest, and have prudence enough to conceal every thing.

[Aside. Sir Bash. I hope this will succeed, Mr. Lovemore. Love. I hope it will.

Sir Bash. I shall for ever be obliged to you; and so will my lady too.

Love. I dare believe she won't prove ungrateful.

Sir Bash. Hush! hush! I should like to see how she receives it. See, the door is conveniently open. [Goes on tiptoe to the door.] Yes, yes, I can see her-there she sits. [Peeping. Love. Methinks, I should like to observe her too. Sir Bash. Hush! no noise.

[Aside.

Love. Now, my dear boy, Cupid, incline her heart.

[Aside.

Sir Bash. She has got it! She has got it! I am frighted out of my wits!

Love. Hold your tongue! She opens it..

Venus, now or never!

My dear

[Aside.

Sir Bash. She colours.

Love. I like that rising blush—a tender token.
Sir Bash. She turns pale!

Love. The natural working of the passions.

Sir Bash. And now she reddens again—in disorder too. Death and fury, she tears the letter! I'm undone ! [Walks away from the door. Love. She has flung it from her with indignation. I'm undone too! [Both go from the door, and walk about in great perturbation.

Sir Bash. Mr. Lovemore, you see what it's all come to!

Love. I am sorry to see it come to this, indeed.

Sir Bash. Did you ever see such an insolent scorn?
Love. I never was so disappointed in all my life.
Sir Bash. An absurd, ungrateful woman!

Love. Ungrateful indeed! To make such a return to so kind a letter.

Sir Bash. Yes, to so kind a letter.

Love. So full of the tenderest protestations.

Sir Bash. You say right-the tenderest protestations! Love. So generous, so unreserved a declaration of love?

Sir Bash. Made with the greatest openness of heartthrowing one's self at her feet.

Love. Very true; throwing one's self at her very feet.

Sir Bash. And then to be spurned, kicked, and treated like a puppy!

Love. Ay, there it stings; to be treated like a puppy ! [Both sit back to back.

Sir Bash. I can't bear this! My dear Mr. Lovemore, do you know in nature a thing so mortifying to the pride of man, as to be rejected and despised by a fine woman?

Love. Oh, 'tis the damn'dest thing in the world; makes a man look so mean in his own eyes.

Sir Bash. Mr. Lovemore, I'm heartily obliged to you for taking this affair so much to heart. [Both rise Love. I take it more to heart than you are aware of, I assure you.

Sir Bash. You are very kind indeed. This is enough to make one ashamed all the rest of one's life.

[Both speak these broken sentences in a kind of reverie.

Enter SIR BRILLIANT, L.

Sir Bril. (L.) Sir Bashful, Sir Bashful! I forgot to tell you the highest thing-Hey! what's the matter here?

Love. (R.) 'Sdeath! what brings him here again?

[Aside.

Sir Bril. You seem both out of humour. Sir Bash. (c.) The blockheads of servants to let him in ! [Aside. Sir Bril. Upon my soul, but this is very odd! Perhaps Lovemore is borrowing money of you, Sir Bashful, and you cannot agree about the premium?

Sir Bash. Pressing business, Sir Brilliant.

Sir Bril. Po! po! he's a very honest fellow; let him have the money- -By the way, Lovemore, I have a crow to pluck with you.

Love. (c.) Well, well, another time. He haunts me up and down like my evil genius!

[Aside. Sir Bril. (L.) Well, but you both look very grave upon it. As you will; you have not the same reason to be in harmony with yourselves that I have. Here, here! I came back on purpose to tell you-[Takes a shugreen case out of his pocket.] See here, my boys! See what a present has been made me? A magnificent pair of diamond buckles, by Jupiter!

Love, How!

Sir Bash. (R.) A pair of diamond buckles!

Sir Bril. A pair of diamond buckles, sir. How such a thing should be sent to me, I can't conceive-but so it is. The consequence of having some tolerable phrase, a person, and being attentive to the service of the ladies. Sir Bash. And this was sent you as a present? Sir Bril. Ay, as a present. Do you envy me? Sir Bash. I can't say but I do- -My buckles, Mr. Lovemore, by all that's false in woman.

[Aside to LOVEMORE. Love. Ay, he's the happy man, I see. [Aside. Sir Bril. Both burning with envy, by Jupiter! [Aside. Sir Bash. But may not this be from some lady, that imagines you sent them to her, and so she chuses to reject your present?

Sir Bril. No, no-no such thing! Had I presented the buckles, they would never have been returned. Ladies don't reject presents, my dear Sir Bashful, from the man that is agreeable in their eyes.

Sir Bash. So I believe What a jade it is! [Aside. Love. She would not have torn a letter from him.

[Aside, Sir Bril. No, no, had I sent them to a lady, take my word for it, they would have been very acceptable. Sir Bash. So I suppose I make no doubt but she'll give him my three hundred pounds too! [Aside.

Love. That he should be my rival, and overtop me [Aside.

thus!

Sir Bash. And pray now, Sir Brilliant, I suppose you expect to have this lady?

Sir Bril. (c.) This is the forerunner of it, I think. Ha! ha! Sir Bashful! Mr. Lovemore, this it is to be in luck!-Ha! ha! ha! [Laughs at both.

Sir Bash.

Love.

Ha! ha!

[Forcing a laugh.

Sir Bash. Very well, my Lady Constant !-very well, madam-very well.

[Aside. Sir Bril. I swear you both are strangely piqued at my success-Sir Bashful, observe how uneasy Lovemore looks..

Love. (R.) You wrong me, sir:-I—I—I—I am not uneasy.

Sir Bash. He's a true friend. He's uneasy on my account. [Aside. Sir Bril. Upon my soul, but you are uneasy!-and, my dear Sir Bashful, you repine at my success.

Sir Bash. Yes, sir, I do-I own it.

Sir Bril. Well, you're not disposed to be good company-I'll leave you. Lovemore, where do you spend the evening?

Love. I can't say, sir;-I believe I shall stay here. Sir Bril. Nay, nay, if you are so snappish-I am glad to hear that, I am engaged to his wife. [Aside.] Is it not a rare present, Sir Bashful? [Pulling him by the Sleeve.] Thou dear pledge of love, let me lay thee close to my heart.

[Exit SIR BRILLIANT, looking at the case, L. D. Sir Bash. What think ye now, Lovemore?

Love. All unaccountable to me, sir.

Sir Bash. Unaccountable! 'Tis too plain-my wife's

a jade-a prostitute-a courtezan!

Love. I'm glad she has torn my letter, however.

[Aside. Sir Bash. By all that's false, I'm gulled, cheated,

imposed upon, deceived, and dubbed-Ay, here her ladyship comes-And now she shall hear her own.

Love. 'Sdeath! let me fly the approaching stormSir Bashful, your humble servant, sir-I wish you a good night. [Going.

Sir Bash. You must not go-you shan't leave me in this exigence-you shall be a witness of our separation. Love. No, I can't bear the sight of her after what has pass'd-Good night-[SIR BASHFUL holds him.] Damnation! I must weather it! [Aside.

Enter LADY CONSTANT, R. D.

Lady Con. (R.) I am surprised, Mr. Lovemore, that you will offer to stay a moment longer in this house! Love. (L.) How the devil shall I give a turn to this affair? [Aside. Sir Bash. (c.) Mr. Lovemore is my friend, madam; and I desire he'll stay here as long as he pleases, madam. Love. All must come out, [Aside. And do you Lady Con. Your friend, Sir Bashful! authorize him to make sport of me, sir? I wonder, Mr. Lovemore, you would think of sending me such a letter! Do you presume, sir, upon my having admitted a trifling of civility from you? Do you come disguised, sir, under a mask of friendship to undo me?

Love. Its a coming!

Sir Bash. A mask of friendship!

[Aside.

I know Mr. Love

more too well, and I desired him to send that letter.

Love. Sir Bashful desired me, madam.

Sir Bash. I desired him, madam.

Love. He desired me, madam.

Lady Con. What, to affront me, sir?

Sir Bash. There was not one word of truth in it.

Love. Not one word of truth, madam.

Sir Bash. It was all done to try you, madam; merely to know you a little or so.

Love. Merely to know you! pure innocent mirth.

Lady Con. And am I to be treated thus, sir; to be ever tormented by you? And could you, Mr. Lovemore, be so unmanly as to make yourself an accomplice in so mean an attempt to ensnare me?

Sir Bash. To ensnare me! She calls it ensnaringIt is pretty plain from all that has pass'd between us that our tempers are not fit for one another; and I now

G