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TILDEN LIBRARY

1895

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BETTY running in.

A'AM! miss Fanny, ma'am !

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Fan. What's the matter! Betty!

Bet. Oh la! ma'am! as sure as I'm alive, here is your husband

Fan. Hush my dear, Betty! if any body in the house should hear you, I am ruined.

Bet. Mercy on me! it has affrighted me to such a degree, that my heart is come up to my mouth. ----- But as I was a saying, ma'am, here's that dear, sweet

Fan. Have a care! Betty.

Bet, Lord! I'm bewitched, I think.

-But as I was a

saying, ma'am, here's Mr Lovewell just come from London.

Fan. Indeed!

VOL. III.

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Beto

Bet. Yes, indeed; and indeed, ma'am he is. I saw him crossing the court-yard in his boots.

Fan. I am glad to hear it. -But pray n, my dear Betty, be cautious. Don't mention that word again on any account. You know, we have agreed never to drop any expressions of that sort for fear of an accident.

Bet. Dear ma'am, you may depend upon me. There is not a more trustier creature on the face of the earth, than I am. Though I say it, I am as secret as the grave -and if it's never told, till I tell it, it may remain untold till doomsday for Betty.

Fan. I know you are faithful-but in our circumstances we cannot be too careful,

Bet. Very true, ma'am ! -and yet I vow and protest, there's more plague than pleasure with a secret; especially if a body may'nt mention it to four or five of one's particular acquaintance.

Fan. Do but keep this secret a little while longer, and then I hope you may mention it to any body-Mr Lovewell will acquaint the family with the nature of our situation as soon as possible:

Bet. The sooner the better, I believe: for if he does not fell it, there's a little tell-tale, I know of, will come and tell it for him.

Fan. Fie, Betty! [blushing:]

Bet. Ah! you may well blush.-But you're not so sick, and so pale, and so wan, and so many qualms

Fan. Have done! I shall be quite angry with you. Bet. Angry!--bless the dear puppet! I am sure I shall love it, as much as if it was my own.-Ineant no harm, heaven knows. эк

Fan. Well-say no more of this-It makes me uneasy All I have to ask of you, is to be faithful and secret, and not to reveal this matter, till we disclose it to the family ourselves.

Bet. Me reveal it !-if I say a word, I wish I may be burned. I would not do you any harm for the worldAnd as for Mr Lovewell, I am sure I have loved the dear gentleman ever since he got a tide-waiters place for my brother-Bat let me tell you both, you must leave off your soft looks to each other, and your whispers, and your glances, and your always sitting next to one another at dinner,

and

and your long walks together in the evening-For my part, if I had not been in the secret, I should have known you were a pair of lovers at least, if not inan and wife,

as

Fan. See there now! again. Pray be careful.

Bet. Well-well-nobody hears me.- -Man and wife I'll say no more what I tell you is very true for all that

Love. [Calling within.] William!

Bet. Hark! I hear your husband

Fun. What!

Bet. I say, here comes Mr Lovewell-Mind the caution I give you I'll be whipped now, if you are not the first person he sees or speaks to in the family- -However, if you chuse it, it's nothing at all to me as you sow, you must reap as you brew, so you must bake.-I'll e'en slip down the back stairs and leave you together. [Exit.

FANNY alone.

I see, I see I shall never have a moment's ease till our marriage is made public. New distresses crowd in upon me every day. The solicitude of my mind sinks my spirits, preys upon my health, and destroys every comfort of my life. It shall be relieved, let what will be the consequence.

Enter LovEWELL.

Love. My love!-how's this?-In tears?-Indeed this is too much. You promised me to support your spirits, and to wait the determination of our fortune with patience. For my sake, for your own, be comforted! why will you study to add to our uneasiness and perplexity? Fan. Oh, Mr Lovewell! The indelicacy of a secret marriage grows every day more and more shocking to me. I walk about the house like a guilty wretch; I imagine myself the object of the suspicion of the whole family; and am under the perpetual terrors of a shameful detection.

Love. Indeed, indeed, you are to blame. The amiable delicacy of your temper, and your quick sensibility, only serves to make you unhappy.-To clear up this affair properly to Mr Sterling, is the continual employment of my thoughts. Every thing now is in a fair train. It begins

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now to grow ripe for a discovery; and I have no doubt of its concluding to the satisfaction of ourselves, of your father, and the whole family.

Fan. End how it will, I'm resolv'd it will end soonvery soon.I would not live another week

ny of my mind to be mistress of the universe in this ago

Love. Do not be too valiant neither. Do not let us disturb the joy of your sister's marriage with the tumult this matter may occasion!I have brought letters from lord Ogleby and Sir John Melvil to Mr Sterling.They will be here this evening and, I dare say, within this hour.

Fan. I am sorry for it.

Love. Why so?

Fan. No matter-Only let us disclose our marriage immediately!

Love. As soon as possible,

Fan. But directly.

Love. In a few days you may depend on it.

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Fan. To-night-or to, morrow morning.
Love. That, I fear, will be impracticable. Babor
Fan. Nay, but you must. nyomondo ixon ca vlasons:
Love. Must! why?

Fan. Indeed, you must,

reasons for it..

I have the most alarming

Love. Alarming indeed! for they alarm me, fore I am acquainted with them

Fan. I cannot tell you.

Love. Not tell me?

Fan. Not at present.

What are they?

en be

When all is settled, you shall be

acquainted with every thing... b

Love. Sorry they are coming!-Must be discovered! What can this mean? Is it possible you can have any reasons that need be concealed from me?

Fan. Do not disturb yourself with conjectures-but rest assured, that though you are unable to divine the cause, the consequence of a discovery, be it what it will, cannot be attended with half the miseries of the present interval.

Love. You put me upon the rack.--I would do any thing to make you easy.- But you know your father's temper. Money, (you will excuse my frankness) is the spring of all his actions, which nothing but the idea of

acquiring

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