The Politician Out-Witted - LightNovelsOnl.com
You're reading novel online at LightNovelsOnl.com. Please use the follow button to get notifications about your favorite novels and its latest chapters so you can come back anytime and won't miss anything.
SCENE VII. _TRUEMAN'S House._
_Enter TRUEMAN_ [_reading a letter_].
This is very unaccountable;--Richard Worthnought, eigh:--I wish, Mr.
Worthnought, you had been at my school a while, before you scrawl'd this wretched epistle:--but the subject is still more unintelligible.
_Enter WORTHNOUGHT._
WORTHNOUGHT. Mr. Trueman, I am yours.
TRUEMAN. I deny it.--Heaven forbid, such a thing as you should be either mine or my daughter's!
WORTHNOUGHT. I should not gain much credit by the alliance, I believe.--You have received my letter, sir, I presume.
TRUEMAN. I think you _presume_--rather more than becomes you, sir.
WORTHNOUGHT. I find, the foolish old Put don't like me. [_Aside._]--I am sorry you do not approve of my offer; but, but--a--rat me, but I must have her, for all that. Ha, ha, ha;--'foregad, I must, old gentleman.
_Enter OLD LOVEYET._
LOVEYET. But I say you shall not have her, sir;--there, I suppose you will have the impudence to call _me old_ gentleman next.
WORTHNOUGHT. Demme, sir; what have _you_ to do with his daughter?
LOVEYET. Nothing; but my son has something to do with her: ha'n't he, friend Horace?
TRUEMAN. Heyday! what does all this mean?--Has any State rejected the new Const.i.tution?
WORTHNOUGHT. Come, let's have no palitics, for gad's sake;--rat the canst.i.tution:--I wou'dn't give _une Fille de joye_, for all the musty canst.i.tutions in christendom.
TRUEMAN. By the dignity of my profession, you never read Publius then; or you would have liked _one_ const.i.tution.
WORTHNOUGHT. Publius! ha, ha, ha.--I read Publius! Not I, sir, I a.s.sure you:--an _outre_ fellow,--a dull, mysterious, mechanical writer, as ever I refused to read, split me.
LOVEYET. So he is, so he is, sir: by my body, I am glad to find _somebody_ of my mind.
[_TRUEMAN and LOVEYET retire to the back of the stage._
_Enter FRANKTON and HUMPHRY._
FRANKTON. You saw him go into Miss Airy's house, this morning, you say.
HUMPHRY. Yes. [_Walks thoughtlessly about the stage._
FRANKTON. I think, this is a tolerable confirmation of the matter.
[_Aside._
WORTHNOUGHT. Hah,--Frankton;--'foregad, I am yours, superlatively.
FRANKTON. Are you, positively? Hah,--she is here. [_Enter MARIA, on the opposite side._] Your humble servant, Miss Airy.
MARIA. [_Pretends to take no notice of FRANKTON._] Mr. Trueman, I hope I have the pleasure to see you well.
TRUEMAN. I thank you, madam. [_Resumes his discourse with LOVEYET, who does not yet observe MARIA._]
MARIA. I hoped to have found Miss Harriet here, sir.
TRUEMAN. Madam?-- [_Turns to LOVEYET again._
LOVEYET. Therefore, sir, as I was telling you, I am determined to have her. [_To TRUEMAN._
TRUEMAN. [_Leaving LOVEYET._] How is this, madam?--Mr. Loveyet tells me, he is determined to have you.
FRANKTON. Who! How!--Have who, sir? [_Loud and earnestly._
LOVEYET. [_Seeing MARIA._] By my body, there she is herself.--Have who, sir?--Why, have this lady, sir; who do you think?--My sweet Miss Airy, I have the transcendent pleasure to kiss your hand, ugh, ugh.
MARIA. Oh, fie, Mr. Loveyet.--I will have the pleasure to tease Frankton, now. [_Retires with OLD LOVEYET, whispering, and looking tenderly at him._]
FRANKTON. Amazement!--The _old_ fellow! [_Aside._
WORTHNOUGHT. This is all very astanis.h.i.+ng, 'foregad:--demme, but she deserves to die an old maid, if she has _him_. [_Aside._
MARIA. [_Pretends to observe FRANKTON, for the first time._]--Mr.
Frankton!--I did not observe you before: I give you joy of your friend's arrival, sir;--I suppose you have seen him;--he is very agreeable.
FRANKTON. Then I need not ask you, if you have seen him, madam.
MARIA. He was at my house not two hours ago.
FRANKTON. Did not you see him before that, madam?
MARIA. I did not, sir.
FRANKTON. Detested falsehood! [_Aside._
MARIA. The old gentleman acquainted me of his arrival, only a few minutes before.
LOVEYET. Eigh, how,--old gentleman!--she did not mean me, I hope.
[_Aside._
FRANKTON. And you think Mr. Loveyet is so agreeable then.
LOVEYET. Aye, that's me;--by my body, he is jealous of me. Ha, ha; poor young fool! [_Aside._
FRANKTON. He thinks very highly of _you_, I a.s.sure you, madam; he speaks of you with admiration.
MARIA. And what of that, sir?--You speak as if you thought him my _only_ admirer. [_Affectedly._
