here's a pair of brazen nofed bellows, perhaps you may take a fancy to them?

MARLOW.

Bring me your bill, Sir; bring me your bill, and let's make no more words about it.

HARDCASTLE.

There are a fet of prints too.

What think you

of the rake's progrefs for your own apartment?

MARLOW.

Bring me your bill, I fay; and I'll leave you and your infernal houfe directly.

HARDCASTLE.

Then there's a mahogany table that you may fee your own face in.

My bill, I fay.

MARLOW.

\HARDCASTLE.

I had forgot the great chair, for your own particular flumbers, after a hearty meal.

MARLOW.

Zounds! bring me my bill, I fay, and let's hear

no more on't.

HARDCASTLE.

Young man, young man, from your father's letter to me, I was taught to expect a well-bred modest man, as a visitor here, but now I find him no better than a coxcomb and a bully; but he will be down here presently, and shall hear more of it.

VOL. II.

[Exit.

MAR

MARLOW.

The fervants cry,

How's this! Sure I have not mistaken the houfe! Every thing looks like an inn. coming. The attendance is aukward; the bar-maid too to attend us. But she's here, and will farther inform me. Whither so fast, child? A word with

you.

Enter Mifs HARDCASTLE.

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

Let it be fhort then. I'm in a hurry. (Afide) I believe he begins to find out his mistake, but it's too foon quite to undeceive him.

MARLOW.

Pray, child, answer me one queftion. What are you, and what may your business in this house be?

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

A relation of the family, Sir.

MARLOW.

What, a poor relation ?

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

Yes, Sir. A poor relation appointed to keep the keys, and to fee that the guests want nothing in my power to give them.

MARLOW.

That is, you act as the bar-maid of this inn.

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

Inn. O law-What brought that in your head? One of the beft families in the county keep an inn! Ha ha ha! old Mr. Hardcastle's houfe an inn !

MARLOW.

Mr. Hardcaftle's house! Is this houfe Mr. Hardcastle's house, child?

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

Aye, fure. Whofe elfe fhould it be?
MARLOW.

So then all's out, and I have been damnably impofed on. O, confound my stupid head, I shall be laugh'd at over the whole town. I fhall be stuck up in caricatura in all the print-shops. The Dulliffimo Maccaroni. To mistake this houfe of all others for an inn, and my father's old friend for an inn-keeper! What a fwaggering puppy muft he take me for? What a filly puppy do I find myself? There again, may I be hanged, my dear, but I miftook you for the bar-maid.

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

Dear me! dear me! I'm fure there's nothing in my behaviour to put me upon a level with one of that stamp.

MARLOW.

Nothing, my dear, nothing.

But I was in for a

lift of blunders, and could not help making you a fubfcriber. My ftupidity faw every thing the wrong way. I miftook your affiduity for affurance, and

your fimplicity for allurement. But its over-This house I no more fhew my face in.

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

I hope, Sir, I have done nothing to disoblige you. I'm fure I fhould be forry to affront any gentleman who has been fo polite, and faid so many civil things I'm fure I fhould be forry (pretending to cry) I'm fure [

to me.

if he left the family upon my account. fhould be forry, people faid any thing amiss, since I have no fortune but my character.

MARLOW.

(Afide) By Heaven, fhe weeps. This is the firft mark of tenderness I ever had from a modeft woman, and it touches me. (To her) Excufe me, my lovely girl, you are the only part of the family I leave with reluctance. But to be plain with you, the difference of our birth, fortune and education, make an honourable connection impoffible; and I can never harbour a thought of feducing fimplicity that trufted in my honour, of bringing ruin upon one, whofe only fault was being too lovely.

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

(Afide) Generous man! I now begin to admire him. (To him) But I am fure my family is as good as Mifs Hardcaftle's, and though I'm poor, that's no great misfortune to a contented mind, and, until this moment, I never thought that it was bad to want fortune.

MAR

MARLOW.

And why now, my pretty fimplicity?

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

Because it puts me at a distance from one, that if I had a thousand pounds I would give it all to.

MARLOW.

(Afide) This fimplicity bewitches me, fo that if I stay I'm undone. I must make one bold effort, and leave her. (To her) Your partiality in my favour, my dear, touches me most sensibly, and were I to live for myself alone, I could eafily fix my choice. But I owe too much to the opinion of the world, too much to the authority of a father, fo that I can scarcely speak it-it affects me. wel.

Mifs HARDCASTLE.

I never knew half his merit till now.

Fare

[Exit.

He fhall
I'll

not go, if I have power or art to detain him.

still preserve the character in which I stoop'd to conquer, but will undeceive my papa, who, perhaps, may laugh him out of his refolution.

Enter TONY, Miss NEVILLE.

TONY.

[Exit.

Aye, you may steal for yourselves the next time. I have done my duty. She has got the jewels again, that's a fure thing; but he believes it was all a mistake of the fervants.