SCENE II. _CHARLOTTE"S Apartment._
_Enter MANLY._
MANLY. What, no one at home? How unfortunate to meet the only lady my heart was ever moved by, to find her engaged to another, and confessing her partiality for me! Yet engaged to a man who, by her intimation, and his libertine conversation with me, I fear, does not merit her. Aye!
there"s the sting; for, were I a.s.sured that Maria was happy, my heart is not so selfish but that it would dilate in knowing it, even though it were with another. But to know she is unhappy!--I must drive these thoughts from me. Charlotte has some books; and this is what I believe she calls her little library.
[_Enters a closet._
_Enter DIMPLE leading LEt.i.tIA._
LEt.i.tIA. And will you pretend to say now, Mr. Dimple, that you propose to break with Maria? Are not the banns published? Are not the clothes purchased? Are not the friends invited? In short, is it not a done affair?
DIMPLE. Believe me, my dear Let.i.tia, I would not marry her.
LEt.i.tIA. Why have you not broke with her before this, as you all along deluded me by saying you would?
DIMPLE. Because I was in hopes she would, ere this, have broke with me.
LEt.i.tIA. You could not expect it.
DIMPLE. Nay, but be calm a moment; "twas from my regard to you that I did not discard her.
LEt.i.tIA. Regard to me!
DIMPLE. Yes; I have done everything in my power to break with her, but the foolish girl is so fond of me that nothing can accomplish it.
Besides, how can I offer her my hand when my heart is indissolubly engaged to you?
LEt.i.tIA. There may be reason in this; but why so attentive to Miss Manly?
DIMPLE. Attentive to Miss Manly! For heaven"s sake, if you have no better opinion of my constancy, pay not so ill a compliment to my taste.
[LEt.i.tIA. Did I not see you whisper to her to-day?
DIMPLE. Possibly I might--but something of so very trifling a nature that I have already forgot what it was.
LEt.i.tIA. I believe she has not forgot it.
DIMPLE. My dear creature,] how can you for a moment suppose I should have any serious thoughts of that trifling, gay, flighty coquette, that disagreeable--
_Enter CHARLOTTE._
DIMPLE. My dear Miss Manly, I rejoice to see you; there is a charm in your conversation that always marks your entrance into company as fortunate.
LEt.i.tIA. Where have you been, my dear?
CHARLOTTE. Why, I have been about to twenty shops, turning over pretty things, and so have left twenty visits unpaid. I wish you would step into the carriage and whisk round, make my apology, and leave my cards where our friends are not at home; that, you know, will serve as a visit. Come, do go.
LEt.i.tIA. So anxious to get me out! but I"ll watch you. [_Aside._] Oh!
yes, I"ll go; I want a little exercise. Positively [_DIMPLE offering to accompany her._], Mr. Dimple, you shall not go; why, half my visits are cake and caudle visits; it won"t do, you know, for you to go. [_Exit, but returns to the door in the back scene and listens._]
DIMPLE. This attachment of your brother to Maria is fortunate.
CHARLOTTE. How did you come to the knowledge of it?
DIMPLE. I read it in their eyes.
CHARLOTTE. And I had it from her mouth. It would have amused you to have seen her! She, that thought it so great an impropriety to praise a gentleman that she could not bring out one word in your favour, found a redundancy to praise him.
DIMPLE. I have done everything in my power to a.s.sist his pa.s.sion there: your delicacy, my dearest girl, would be shocked at half the instances of neglect and misbehaviour.
CHARLOTTE. I don"t know how I should bear neglect; but Mr. Dimple must misbehave himself indeed, to forfeit my good opinion.
DIMPLE. Your good opinion, my angel, is the pride and pleasure of my heart; and if the most respectful tenderness for you, and an utter indifference for all your s.e.x besides, can make me worthy of your esteem, I shall richly merit it.
CHARLOTTE. All my s.e.x besides, Mr. Dimple!--you forgot your _tete-a-tete_ with Let.i.tia.
DIMPLE. How can you, my lovely angel, cast a thought on that insipid, wry-mouthed, ugly creature!
CHARLOTTE. But her fortune may have charms?
DIMPLE. Not to a heart like mine. The man, who has been blessed with the good opinion of my Charlotte, must despise the allurements of fortune.
CHARLOTTE. I am satisfied.
DIMPLE. Let us think no more on the odious subject, but devote the present hour to happiness.
CHARLOTTE. Can I be happy when I see the man I prefer going to be married to another?
DIMPLE. Have I not already satisfied my charming angel that I can never think of marrying the puling Maria? But, even if it were so, could that be any bar to our happiness? for, as the poet sings,
_Love, free as air, at sight of human ties, Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies._
Come, then, my charming angel! why delay our bliss? The present moment is ours; the next is in the hand of fate.
[_Kissing her._
CHARLOTTE. Begone, sir! By your delusions you had almost lulled my honour asleep.
DIMPLE. Let me lull the demon to sleep again with kisses. [_He struggles with her; she screams._]
_Enter MANLY._
MANLY. Turn, villain! and defend yourself. [_Draws._]
_VAN ROUGH enters and beats down their swords._
VAN ROUGH. Is the devil in you? are you going to murder one another?