Nay, I should hardly deny you such a small kindness, Master Edmond Plus: why, look you, sir, tis no more but this and thus and again, and now yar invisible!
EDMOND.
Am I, ifaith? who would think it?
CAPTAIN.
You see the fortune-teller yonder at farder end ath chamber: go toward him, do what you will with him; he shall ne"er find you.
EDMOND.
Say you so? I"ll try that, ifaith,--
[Justles him.]
PYE.
How now? Captain, who"s that justled me?
CAPTAIN.
Justled you? I saw no body.
EDMOND.
Ha, ha, ha!--say twas a spirit.
CAPTAIN.
Shall I?--may be some spirit that haunts the circle.
[Edmond pulls him by the Nose.]
PYE.
O my nose again! pray conjure then, Captain.
EDMOND.
Troth, this is exlent; I may do any knavery now and never be Seen,--and now I remember me, Sir G.o.dfrey my Uncle abused me Tother day, and told tales of me to my Mother--Troth, now I"m Invisible, I"ll hit him a sound wherrit ath" ear, when he comes out ath" garden.--I may be revengd on him now finely.
[Enter Sir G.o.dfrey, Widdow, Frances, Nicholas with the Chain.]
SIR G.o.dFREY.
I have my Chain again, my Chain"s found again. O sweet Captain, O admirable Conjurer. [Edmond strikes him.] Oh!
what mean you by that, Nephew?
EDMOND.
Nephew? I hope you do not know me, Uncle?
WIDOW.
Why did you strike your Uncle, sir?
EDMOND.
Why, Captain, am I not invisible?
CAPTAIN.
A good jest, George!--not now you are not, Sir.
Why, did you not see me when I did uncharm you?
EDMOND.
Not I by my troth, Captain. Then pray you pardon me, Uncle; I thought I"d been invisible when I struck you.
SIR G.o.dFREY.
So, you would doo"t? go,--y"are a foolish Boy, And were I not o"er-come with greater joy, I"d make you taste correction.
EDMOND.
Correction, push!--no, neither you nor my Mother shall think to whip me as you have done.
SIR G.o.dFREY.
Captain, my joy is such, I know not how to thank you: let me embrace you, hug you. O my sweet Chain! Gladness "een makes me giddy. Rare man! twas as just ith" Rosemary bank, as if one should ha" laid it there--oh, cunning, cunning!
WIDOW.
Well, seeing my fortune tells me I must marry, let me marry a man of wit, a man of parts. Here"s a worthy Captain, and "tis a fine t.i.tle truly la to be a Captain"s Wife. A Captain"s Wife, it goes very finely; beside all the world knows that a worthy Captain is a fit Companion to any Lord, then why not a sweet bed-fellow for any Lady,--I"ll have it so--
[Enter Frailty.]
FRAILTY.
O Mistress, Gentlemen, there"s the bravest sight coming along this way.
WIDOW.
What brave sight?
FRAILTY.
Oh, one going to burying, & another going to hanging.
WIDOW.
A rueful sight.
PYE.
Sfoot, Captain, I"ll p.a.w.n my life the Corporal"s confined, and old Skirmish the soldier going to execution, and "tis now full about the time of his waking; hold out a little longer, sleepy potion, and we shall have exlent admiration; for I"ll take upon me the cure of him.
SCENE III. The street before the Widow"s house.
[Enter the Coffin of the Corporal, the soldier bound, and lead by Officers, the Sheriff there. From the house, Sir G.o.dfrey, the Widow, Idle, Pyeboard, Edmond, Frailty, and Nicholas.]
FRAILTY.
Oh here they come, here they come!
PYE.
Now must I close secretly with the Soldier, prevent his impatience, or else all"s discovered.
WIDOW.
O lamentable seeing! these were those Brothers, that fought and bled before our door.
SIR G.o.dFREY.