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Enter Atall as Colonel Standfast.

Syl. Ha!

At. Hey! Bombard, (there they are, faith !) bid the chariot fet up, and call again about one or two in the morning You fee, Madam, what 'tis to give an impudent fellow the least encouragement: I'm refolved now to make a night on't with you.

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Clar. I am afraid, Colonel, we fhall have much ado to be good company, for we are two women to one man, you fee; and if we should both have fancy to have you particular, I doubt you'd make but bungling work on't.

At. I warrant you we will pafs our time like gods: two ladies and one man; the prettiest fet for Ombre in the universe-Come, come! Cards! cards! cards! and tea, that I infist upon.

Clar. Well, Sir, if my coufin will make one, I won't balk your good-humour. [Turning Syl, to face him. At. Is the lady your relation, Madam?I beg the honour to be known to her.

Clar. Oh, Sir! that I'm fure fhe can't refufe you Coufin, this is Colonel Standfast. [Laughs afide.] I hope now fhe's convinced.

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At. Your pardon, Madam, if I am a little particular my defire to be known to any of this lady's relations.

[Salutes. Syl. You'll certainly deferve mine, Sir, by being always particular to that lady

At. Oh, Madam! Tall, lall. [Turns away, and fings.
Syl. This affurance is beyond example.

Clar. How do you do, coufin?

Syl. Beyond bearing-but not incurable.

[Afide.

[Afide.

Clar. [Afide.] Now can't I find in my heart to give him one angry word for his impudence to me this morning; the pleasure of feeing my rival mortified makes me ftrangely good-natured.

At. Turning familiarly to Clar.] Upon my foul you are provokingly handfome to-day. Ay Gad! why is not it high treason for any beautiful woman to marry?

Clar. What, would you have us lead apes?

At. Not one of you by all that's lovely.Do you think we could not find you better employment? Death! what a hand is here? Gad, I fhall grow foolish!

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Clar.

Clar. Stick to your affurance, and you are in no danger. At. Why then, in obedience to your commands, pr'ythee answer me fincerely one queftion? How long do you really defign to make me dangle thus ?

Clar. Why really I can't juft fet you a time; but when you are weary of your fervice, come to me with a fix-pence and modefty, and I'll give you a discharge. At. Thou infolent, provoking, handsome tyrant! Clar. Come, let me go-this is not a very of entertaining my coufin, methinks.

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At. I beg her pardon indeed. [Bowing to Sylv.] But. lovers you know, Madam, may plead a fort of excufe for being fingular when the favourite fair's in company. -But we were talking of cards, ladies.

Clar. Coufin, what fay you ?

Syl. I had rather you would excufe me, I am a little unfit for play at this time.

At. What a valuable virtue is affurance! Now am I as intrepid as a lawyer at the bar.

Clar. Blefs me! you are not well.

[Afide.

Syl. I fhall be presently-Pray, Sir, give me leave to afk you a question.

At. So, now it's coming. [Afide.] Freely, Madam. Syl. Look on me well: have you never seen my face before?

At. Upon my word, Madam, I can't recollect that I have.

Syl. I am fatisfied.

At. But

pray, Madam, why may you ask? Syl. I am too much difordered now to tell youif I'm not deceived, I'm miferable.

-But [Weeps.

At. This is ftrange-How her concern tranfports me! Clar. Her fears have touched me, and half perfuade me to revenge them- Come, coufin, be eafy: I fee you are convinced he is the fame, and now I'll prove myfelf a friend.

Syl. I know not what to think- my fenfes are confounded their features are indeed the fame; and yet there's fomething in their air, their drefs, and manner, strangely different: but be it as it will, all right to him in prefence I difclaim, and yield to you for ever. At. Oh, charming! joyful grief!

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[Afide.

Clar.

Clar. No, coufin, believe it, both our fenfes cannot be deceived, he's individually the fame; and fince he dares be base to you, he's miferable indeed, if flattered with a diftant hope of me; I know his perfon and his falfehood both too well; and you fhall fee will, as becomes your friend, refent it.

At. What means this ftrangenefs, Madam?

Clar. I'll tell you, Sir; and to ufe few words, know then, this lady and myself have borne your faithless infolence and artifice too long: but that you may not think to impofe on me, at least, I defire you would leave the houfe, and from this moment never fee me more.

At. Madam! What! what is all this? Riddle me riddle me re,

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For the devil take me,

For ever from thee,

If I can divine what this riddle can be! Syl. Not moved! I'm more amazed.

At. Pray, Madam, in the name of common fenfe, let me know in two words what the real meaning of your last terrible speech was; and if I don't make you a plain, honeft, reasonable answer to it, be pleased the next minute to blot my name out of your table-book, never more to be inrolled in the fenfelefs catalogue of thofe vain coxcombs, that impudently hope to come into your favour. Clar. This infolence grows tedious: what end can you propofe by this affurance?

At. Hey-dey!

Syl. Hold, coufin

one moment's patience: I'll fend this minute again to Mr. Freeman, and if he does not immediately appear, the difpute will need no farther argu

ment.

At. Mr. Freeman! Who the devil's he? What have I to do with him?

Syl. I'll foon inform you, Sir.

[Going, meets Withwell entering! Wib. Madam, here's a footman mightily out of breath, fays he belongs to Mr. Freeman, and defires very earneft ly to fpeak with you.

Syl. Mr. Freeman! Pray bid him come in

can this mean.?

At. You'll fee presently.

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What

Afide. Re-enter

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Clar. Ha!

Re-enter Wifhwell with Finder.

Syl. Come hither, friend: do you belong to Mr. Freeman?

Fin. Yes, Madam, and my poor mafter gives his humble fervice to your Ladyfhip, and begs your pardon for not waiting on you according to his promife; which he would certainly have done, but for an unfortunate accident.

Syl. What's the matter?

Fin. As he was coming out of his lodgings to pay his duty to you, Madam, a parcel of fellows fet upon him, and faid they had a warrant against him; and fo, because the rafcals began to be faucy with him, and my mafter knowing that he did not owe a fhilling in the world, he drew to defend himself, and in the fcuffle the bloody villains run one of their fwords quite through his arm; but the best of the jeft was, Madam, that as foon as they got him into a houfe, and fent for a furgeon, he proved to be the wrong perfon; for their warrant, it feems, was against a poor fcoundrel, that happens, they say, to be very like him, one Colonel Standfaft.

At. Say you fo, Mr. Dog-if your master had been here I would have given him as much.

[Gives him a box on the ear. Fin. Oh, Lord! pray, Madam, fave me-I did not fpeak a word to the gentleman-Oh, the devil! this must be the devil in the likeness of my mafter.

Syl. Is this gentleman fo very like him, fay you?

Fin. Like, Madam! ay, as one box of the ear is like to another; only I think, Madam, my master's nofe is a little, little higher.

At. Now, ladies, I prefume the riddle's folved-Hark you, where is your master, rascal?

Fin. Mafter, rafcal! Sir, my mafter's name's Freeman, and I'm a free-born Englifhman; and I must tell you, Sir, that I don't use to take such arbitrary socks of the face from any man that does not pay me wages; and fo master will tell you too when he comes, Sir. my

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Syl. Will he be here then?

Fin. This minute, Madam, he only stays to have his wound dressed.

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At. I'm refolved I'll stay that minute out, if he does not come till midnight.

Fin. A pox of his mettle-when his hand's in he makes no difference between jeft and earnest, I find-If he does not pay me well for this, 'egad he fhall tell the next for himself. [Afide.] Has your Ladyfhip any com. mands to my mafter, Madam?

Syl. Yes; pray give him my humble fervice, fay I'm forry for his misfortune; and if he thinks 'twill do his wound no harm, I beg, by all means, he may be brought hither immediately.

Fin. 'Shah! his wound, Madam, I know he does not value it of a rush; for he'll have the devil and all of actions against the rogues for falfe imprisonment, and finart-money-Ladies, I kis your hands.

nothing at all

-Sir, I

[Exit.

At. [Afide.] The dog has done it rarely; for a lie upon the ftretch I don't know a better rascal in Europe.

Enter an Officer.

Off. Ay! now I'm fure I'm right-Is not your name Colonel Stand fast, Sir?

At. Yes, Sir; what then?

Off. Then you are my prifoner, Sir

At. Your prifoner! who the devil are you? a bailiff? I don't owe a fhilling.

Off. I don't care if you don't, Sir; I have a warrant against you for high treason, and I must have you away this minute.

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At. Look you, Sir, depend upon't, this is but fome impertinent malicious profecution: you may venture to stay a quarter of an hour, I'm fure; I have fome bufinefs here till then, that concerns me nearer than my life.

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Clar. Have but fo much patience, and I'll fatisfy you. for your civility.

Off. I could not stay a quarter of an hour, Madam, if you'd give me five hundred pounds. Syl. Can't you take bail, Sir?

Of. Bail! nó, nờ,

Clar. Whither must he be carried?

Off. To my houfe, 'till he's examined before the council.

Clar. Where is

your

houfe?

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