tinue to behave thus, and you shall be indulged in every thing.

Albina. Ah! I wish you would indulge me, governess-There is a favour

Mrs. Rigid. Is there?-Name it!

Albina. Why, you already think me a good girl; but if I could be quite positive about Mr. Howard's inconstancy, I should be the very best girl in the whole world.

Mrs. Rigid. What! do you still doubt?

Albina. How can I help it? How can I think so meanly of him, or myself, as to suppose he would prefer a girl that's like-in short, that I dare say is as unlike me as you are to Doctor Busby Come now, as he's gone to the cottage, do let me follow him and be convinced.

Mrs. Rigid. Follow him?

Albina. Why not? Look'ye; you and Sir Solomon say he is guilty. Very well! If I find him so, I'll promise to marry the Steward, the Parson, or the Birch Gentleman-any, or all of them if you like.

Mrs. Rigid. There's no doubt of his guilt, and this may complete her aversion; therefore I'll let her go. (Aside.) Well! on these conditions, I've no objection. But how will you contrive?

Albina. Oh! he sha'n't know me-I'll put on another dress.

Mrs. Rigid. Another dress?

Albina. Yes: I'll disguise myself as the Little Red Riding-Hood, Little John, Little Pickle, or any other impudent character!-Come-we'll settle that as we go along: and if I find him innocent, why, you shall have one-half the estate; my father the other; and I and Mr. Howard will live and die in the cottage, or any other retired spot you choose to point out for us.

END OF THE SECOND ACT.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE-View of open Country-River- Cottage at a Distance, &c.

Enter MANDEVILLE and HOWARD.

MANDEVILLE.

NAY: nay: blame not Albina! Blame the

governess.

Howard. Not blame her!-Oh! if I look, or speak, or listen, or--'Sdeath! you don't know half the fatal consequences of her unfilial conduct. Sir Solomon has ordered Realize to arrest you: he and bailiffs are now in search of you; and, unless you can instantly raise two thousand pounds, you'll be imprisoned!

Mand. Well: I am resigned.

The

Howard. So am not I. I hate a gaol; and as I must follow you wherever you go, pray let us keep in the open air as long as we can. fact is, there is no staying here without paying your creditors; therefore let's adjourn to London! -There we may do as we like,

Mand. Do as we like?

Howard. Aye: few people think of paying there. Why, if every man in London were to be arrested for the money he owed!- Mercy on us! -there'd be more prisons than carriages; more bailiffs than horses; and men of fashion and dashing citizens would be the two rarest commodities to be met with! Oh! when a man is in debt,

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tinue to behave thus, and you shall be indulged in every thing.

Albina. Ah! I wish you would indulge me, governess-There is a favour

Mrs. Rigid. Is there? Name it!

Albina. Why, you already think me a good girl; but if I could be quite positive about Mr. Howard's inconstancy, I should be the very best girl in the whole world.

Mrs. Rigid. What! do you still doubt?

Albina. How can I help it? How can I think so meanly of him, or myself, as to suppose he would prefer a girl that's like-in short, that I dare say is as unlike me as you are to Doctor Busby – Come now, as he's gone to the cottage, do let me follow him and be convinced.

Mrs. Rigid. Follow him?

Albina. Why not? Look'ye; you and Sir Solomon say he is guilty. Very well! If I find him so, I'll promise to marry the Steward, the Parson, or the Birch Gentleman-any, or all of them if you like.

Mrs. Rigid. There's no doubt of his guilt, and this may complete her aversion; therefore I'll let her go. (Aside.) Well! on these conditions, I've no objection. But how will you contrive?

Albina. Oh! he sha'n't know me-I'll put on another dress.

Mrs. Rigid. Another dress?

Albina. Yes: I'll disguise myself as the Little Red Riding-Hood, Little John, Little Pickle, or any other impudent character!-Come-we'll settle that as we go along: and if I find him innocent, why, you shall have one-half the estate; my father the other; and I and Mr. Howard will live and die in the cottage, or any other retired spot you choose to point out for us.

END OF THE SECOND ACT.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE-View of open Country-River-Cottage at a Distance, &c.

Enter MANDEVILLE and HOWARD.

MANDEVILLE.

NAY: nay: blame not Albina! Blame the

governess.

Howard. Not blame her!-Oh! if I look, or speak, or listen, or--'Sdeath! you don't know half the fatal consequences of her unfilial conduct. Sir Solomon has ordered Realize to arrest you: he and bailiffs are now in search of you; and, unless you can instantly raise two thousand pounds, you'll be imprisoned!

Mand. Well: I am resigned.

Howard. So am not I. I hate a gaol; and as I must follow you wherever you go, pray let us keep in the open air as long as we can. The fact is, there is no staying here without paying your creditors; therefore let's adjourn to London! -There we may do as we like,

Mand. Do as we like?

Howard. Aye: few people think of paying there. Why, if every man in London were to be arrested for the money he owed!-- Mercy on us!

there'd be more prisons than carriages; more 'bailiffs than horses; and men of fashion and dashing citizens would be the two rarest commodities to be met with! Oh! when a man is in debt,

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the Capital is the place to lie snug in! Therefore let's begone directly. Stop though-Have you any cash?

Mand. Not a guinea. Out of my pay as an officer, I could hardly save money enough to land me in my native country.

Howard. And I have not a shilling!- And here we are two hundred miles from Hyde-Park Corner, without two hundred pence to take us there! What's to be done? Will Sir Solomon advance? Not a halfpenny!- Will the tutor? Not a farthing.-Will Realize?

Mand. The steward! He wouldn't give halfa-crown to save both our lives.

Howard. Not half-a-crown to save our lives! Come-come--you wrong him there- I'm sure

he'd give more to save mine.

-

Mand. More to save yours! From what motive? From benevolence?

Howard. No: from self-interest. He has an annuity on my life. The day I lose my existence, he loses a hundred a-year; and though he wouldn't give a doit to save me from perdition, I think he'd pay half-a-crown to preserve his annuity-Look-here he comes!-And now I think on't, suppose I try to get our travellingexpenses out of him?-He is always inquiring after my health, and

Mand. I understand.-I'll get out of the way. Howard. Do. - Retire behind those treesMum!-Observe! (Mandeville goes behind trees.) Enter REALIZE.

Real. So I've drawn out my forces to the best advantage-Two of my officers are in ambush near the Castle-two are reconnoitring on