we may have the sober town scheme too-for I am charmed with the country one!

Lady G. You shall; and I'll try to stick to my sobriety there too.

Lady T. Well, though I'm sure it will give me the vapours, I must hear it, however.

1

Lady G. Why, then, for fear of your fainting, madam, I will first so far come into the fashion, that I would never be dressed out of it—but still, it should be soberly; for, I can't think it any disgrace to a woman of my private fortune, not to wear her lace as fine as the wedding-suit of a first duchess. Though, there is one extravagance I would venture to come up to.

Lady T. Ay, now for it!

Lady G. I would every day be as neat as a bride. Lady T. Why, the men say, that's a great step to be made one-Well, now you are dressed, pray let's see to what purpose?

Lady G. I would visit-that is, my real friends; but as little for form as possible.- -I would go to court ; sometimes, to an assembly, nay, play at quadrille— soberly I would see all the good plays; and, because 'tis the fashion, now and then, an opera-but I would not expire there, for fear I should never go again : and, lastly, I can't say, but for curiosity, if I liked my company, I might be drawn in once to a masquerade; and this, I think, is as far as any woman can go-soberly.

Lady T. Well, if it had not been for this last piece of sobriety, I was just going to call for some surfeit

water.

Lady G. Why, don't you think, with the further aid of breakfasting, dining, and taking the air, supping, sleeping, not to say a word of devotion, the four-andtwenty hours might roll over in a tolerable manner? Lady T. Tolerable! deplorable! Why, child, all you propose, is but to endure life; now, I want to enjoy it.

Enter MRS. TRUSTY.

Mrs. T. Ma'am, your ladyship's chair is ready. Lady T. Have the footmen their white flambeaux yet? For, last night, I was poisoned.

Mrs. T. Yes, ma'am; there were some came in this morning. [Exit. Lady T. My dear, you will excuse me; but, you know, my time is so precious▬▬▬▬

Lady G. That I beg I may not hinder your joyment of it.

least en

Lady T. You will call on me at Lady Revel's?
Lady G. Certainly.

Lady T. But I am so afraid it will break into your scheme, my dear!

Lady G. When it does, I will-soberly break from you.

Lady T. Why, then, till we meet again, dear sister, I wish you all tolerable happiness.

[Exit.

Lady G. There she goes!-Dash, into her stream of pleasures! Poor woman, she is really a fine creature! and sometimes infinitely agreeable! nay, take her out of the madness of this town, rational in her notions, and easy to live with; but she is so borne down by this torrent of vanity in vogue, she thinks every hour of her life is lost, that she does not lead at the head of it. What it will end in, I tremble to imagine! Ha, my brother, and Mr. Manly with him! I guess what they have been talking of—I shall hear it in my turn, I suppose, but it won't become me to be inquisitive. [Exit.

Enter LORD TOWNLY and MANLY.

Lord T. I did not think my Lady Wronghead had such a notable brain: though I can't say she was so very wise, in trusting this silly girl, you call Myrtilla, with the secret.

Manly. No, my lord, you mistake me; had the girl

been in the secret, perhaps I had never come at it myself.

Lord T. Why, I thought you said the girl writ this letter to you, and that my Lady Wronghead sent it enclosed to my sister.

Manly. If you please to give me leave, my lord-the fact is thus-This enclosed letter to Lady Grace was a real, original one, written by this girl to the Count we have been talking of; the Count drops it, and my Lady Wronghead finds it-then, only changing the cover, she seals it up, as a letter of business, just written by herself, to me; and, pretending to be in a hurry, gets this innocent girl to write the direction for her.

Lord T. Oh, then the girl did not know she was superscribing a billet-doux of her own, to you?

Manly. No, my lord; for when I first questioned her about the direction, she owned it immediately; but when I showed her, that her letter to the Count was within it, and told her how it came into my hands, the poor creature was amazed, and thought herself betrayed, both by the Count and my lady-in short, upon this discovery, the girl and I grew so gracious, that she has let me into some transactions, in my Lady Wroughead's family, which, with my having a careful eye over them, may prevent the ruin of it.

Lord T. You are very generous, to be so solicitous for a lady that has given you so much uneasiness.

Manly. But I will be most unmercifully revenged of her for 1 will do her the greatest friendship in the world-against her will.

Lord T. What an uncommon philosophy art thou master of, to make even thy malice a virtue!

Manly. Yet, my lord, I assure you, there is no one action of my life gives me more pleasure, than your approbation of it.

Lord T. Dear Charles! my heart's impatient till thou art nearer to me; and, as a proof that I have long

wished thee so, while your daily conduct has chosen rather to deserve, than to ask, my sister's favour, I have been as secretly industrious to make her sensible of your merit; and since, on this occasion, you have opened your whole heart to me, 'tis now with equal pleasure I assure you, we have both succeeded-she is as firmly yours

Manly. Impossible! you flatter me!

Lord T. I'm glad you think it flattery, but she herself shall prove it none; she dines with us alone :—when the servants are withdrawn, I'll open a conversation, that shall excuse my leaving you together-Oh, Charles! had I, like thee, been cautious in my choice, what melancholy hours had this heart avoided!

Manly. No more of that, I beg, my lord.

Lord T. But 'twill, at least, be some relief to my anxiety, however barren of content the state has been to me, to see so near a friend and sister happy in it. Your harmony of life will be an instance, how much the choice of temper is preferable to beauty.

While your soft hours in mutual kindness move,
You'll reach, by virtue, what I lost, by love.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

Scene I.-Mrs. Motherly's House.

Enter MRS. MOTHERLY, meeting MYRTILLA:

Mrs. M. So, niece! where is it possible you can have been these six hours?

Myr. Oh, madam, I have such a terrible story to tell you!

Mrs. M. A story! ods my life! What have you done with the Count's note of five hundred pounds, I sent you about? Is it safe?-Is it good?-Is it security?

Myr. Yes, yes, it is safe; but for its goodness Mercy on us! I have been in a fair way to be hanged about it!

Mrs. M. The dickens! has the rogue of a Count played us another trick then?

Myr. You shall hear, madam; when I came to Mr. Cash, the banker's, and showed him his note for five hundred-pounds, payable to the Count, or order, in two months—he looked earnestly upon it, and desired me to step into the inner room-after I had stayed about ten minutes, he came in to me, claps to the door, and charges me with a constable, for forgery.

Mrs. M. Ah, poor soul! and how didst thou get off? Myr. While I was ready to sink in this condition, I begged him to have a little patience, till I could send for Mr. Manly, whom he knew to be a gentleman of worth and honour, and who, I was sure, would convince him, whatever fraud might be in the note, that I was myself an innocent abused woman-and, as good luck would have it, in less than half an hour Mr. Manly came-so, without mincing the matter, I fairly told him upon what design the Count had lodged that note in your hands, and, in short, laid open the whole scheme against the Wronghead family, he had drawn us into, to make our fortune.

Mrs. M. The devil you did!

Myr. Why, how do you think it was possible I could any otherwise make Mr. Manly my friend, to help me out of the scrape I was in? To conclude, he soon made Mr. Cash easy, and sent away the constable: : nay, further, he promised me, if I would trust the note in his hands, he would give me an ample revenge upon the Count; so that all you have to consider now, madam, is,