Asa Oh, he"s a very good man.
Sir E Yes, he is a good man.
Asa But he can"t keep a hotel.
Sir E Mr. Murcott, your offence was heavy.
Flo And so has been his reparation. Forgive him, papa. Mr. Murcott, you saved me; may Heaven bless you.
Mur Yes, I saved her, thank Heaven. I had strength enough for that.
[Exits L. 1. E.]
Flo You"ll keep your promise and make Mr. Murcott your clerk, papa?
Sir E Yes, I can refuse nothing; I am so happy; I am so happy, I can refuse none anything to-day.
Asa Can"t you, Sir Edward! Now, that"s awful lucky, for there"s two gals want your consent mighty bad.
Sir E Indeed; for what?
Asa To get hitched.
Sir E Hitched?
Asa Yes to get spliced.
Sir E Spliced?
Asa Yes, to get married.
Sir E They have it by antic.i.p.ation. Who are they?
Asa There"s one on "em. [Points to Florence.]
Sir E Florence! and the other?
Asa She"s right outside. [Exit, hastily, R. 1. E.]
Sir E Well, and who is the happy man, Lord Dun--
Flo Lord Dundreary! No, papa--but Harry Vernon. He"s not poor now, though he"s got a ship.
Re-enter Asa, with Mary.
Asa Here"s the other one, Sir Edward.
Sir E Mary? Who is the object of your choice?
Mary Rough-spun, honest-hearted Asa Trenchard.
Sir E Ah! Mr. Trenchard you win a heart of gold.
Flo And so does Mary, papa, believe me. [Crosses to Asa. Mary and Sir Edward go up.]
Flo What"s the matter?
Asa You make me blush.
Flo I don"t see you blushing.
Asa I"m blushing all the way down my back.
Flo Oh, you go long. [Goes up stage.]
Asa h.e.l.lo! here"s all the folks coming two by two, as if they were pairing for Noah"s ark. Here"s Mrs. Mountchestnut and the Sailor man.
[Enter as Asa calls them off.] Here"s De Boots and his gal, and darn me, if here ain"t old setidy fetch it, and the sick gal, how are you b.u.t.tons? [Dundreary knocks against Asa, who is in C. of stage.]
Dun There"s that d.a.m.ned rhinocerous again. [Crosses to L. with Georgina, and seats her.]
Asa Here comes turkey c.o.c.k, number two, and his gal, and darn me, if here ain"t Puffy and his gal.
Sir E Mr. Vernon, take her, she"s yours, though Heaven knows what I shall do without her.
Mrs M [Rising.] Ah, Sir Edward, that is just my case; but you"ll never know what it is to be a mother. [Comes down, L. C.] Georgina, Augusta, my dears, come here. [They come down each side of her.] You"ll sometimes think of your poor mamma, bless you. [Aside to them.] Oh, you couple of fools.
[b.u.mps their foreheads. Dundreary has business with Georgina, then leads her to a seat, L.]
De B [To Dundreary.] Why, Fred, we"re all getting married!
Dun Yes, it"s catching, like the cholera.
Binny I "ope, Sir Edward, there"s no objections to my leading Miss Sharpe to the hymenial halter.
Sir E Certainly not, Mr. Binny.
Bud [To Dun.] And Skillet and I have made so bold, My lord--
Dun Yes, you generally do make bold--but bless you, my children--bless you.
Asa Say, you, lord, b.u.t.tons, I say, whiskers.
Dun Ill.u.s.trious exile? [Comes down.]
Asa They"re a nice color, ain"t they?