whole and sole occasion of my coming within your doors. Did not a certain lady, sir, called Mrs. Lappet, depart from you just now?

Love. What if she did, sirrah?

Ram. Has she not, sir, been talking to you about a young lady whose name is Mariana?

Love. Well, and what then?

Ram. Why, then, sir, every single syllable she has told you has been neither more nor less than a most confounded lie, as is, indeed, every word she says; for I don't believe, upon a modest calculation, she has told six truths since she has been in the house. She is made up of lies; her father was an attorney, and her mother was chambermaid to a maid of honour.

Love. She comes of a damn'd lying family.

Ram. The first word she spoke was a lie, and so will be the last. I know she has pretended a great affection for you, that's one lie; and every thing she has said of Mariana is another.

Love. How! how! are you sure of this?

Ram. Why, sir, she and I laid the plot together; that one time indeed I myself was forced to deviate a little from the truth, but it was with a good design; the jade pretended to me that it was out of friendship to my master; that it was, because she thought such a match would not be at all to his interest; bat, alas! sir, I know her friendship begins and ends at home, and that she has friendship for no person living but herself. Why, sir, do but look at Mariana, sir, and see whether you can think her such a sort of woman as she has described her to you.'

Love. Indeed she has appeared to me always in a different light. I do believe what you say. I will go and deny all that I said to the lawyer, and put an end to every thing this moment.-I knew it was impossible she could be such a sort of a woman; and for this piece of intelligence I'll give you-I'll give you-No-I'll forgive you all your faults. [Exit. Ram. And I will go find out my master, make him

the happiest of mankind, squeeze his purse, and then get drunk for the honour of all party-coloured politi

cians.

SCENE IV. The Hall.

Enter FREDERIC and LAPPET.

[Exit.

Fred. Excellent Lappet! I shall never think I have sufficiently rewarded you for what you have done.

Lap. I have only done half the business yet: I have, I believe, effectually broke off the match with your father. Now, sir, I shall make up the matter between you and her.

Fred. Do but that, dear girl! and I'll coin myself into guineas.

Enter RAMILIE.

Ram. Oh, madam, I little expected to have found you and my master together after what has happened; I did not think you had had the assurance

Fred. Peace, Ramilie! all is well, and Lappet is the best friend I have in the world.

Ram. Yes, sir, all is well, indeed; no thanks to her; happy is the master that has a good servant; a good servant is certainly the greatest treasure in the world. I have done your business for you, sir; I have frustrated all she has been doing, deny'd all she has been telling him: in short, sir, I observed her ladyship in a long conference with the old gentleman, mightily to your interest, as you may imagine; no sooner was she gone, than I steps in, and made the old gentleman believe every single syllable she had told him to be a most confounded lie; and away he is gone, fully determined to put an end to the affair.

Lap. And sign the contract! so now, sir, you are ruined without reprieve.

Fred. Death and damnation! fool! villain!

Ram, Hey-day! what is the meaning of this? have I done any more than you commanded me?

Fred. Nothing but my cursed stars could have contrived so damned an accident.

Ram. You cannot blame me, sir, whatever has happened.

Fred. I don't blame you, sir, nor myself, nor any one. Fortune has marked me out for misery; but I will be no longer idle: since I am to be ruined, I'll meet my destruction.

[Exit. Lap. and Ram. stand some time in silence, looking at each other.

Lup. I give you joy, sir, of the success of your negociation: you have approved yourself a most able person truly; and I dare swear, when your skill is once known, you will not want employment: but, sirrah! how durst you go and betray me to your master, for he has told me all? Never see my face again. [Exit.

Ram. Now I'll to my lurking place. I'm sure this old rogue has money hid in the garden; if I can but discover it, I shall handsomely quit all scores with the old gentleman, and make my master a sufficient return for the loss of his mistress. [Exit.

SCENE I. LOVEGOLD'S Garden.

Enter RAMILIE, with a strong Box, meeting FREDEric. Rams Follow me, sir, follow me this instant.

Fred. What's the matter?

Ram. Follow me, sir; we are in the right box; the business is done.

Fred. What's done?

Ram. I have it under my arm, sir-here it is!

Fred. What! what!

Ram. Your father's soul, sir-his money-Follow me, sir, this moment.

[Exeunt.

Enter LOVEGOLD, in the the utmost Distraction. Love. Thieves! thieves! assassination! murder! I am undone! all my money is gone! who is the thief? where is the villain? where shall I find him? Give me my money again, villain! [Catching himself by the Arm] I am distracted! I know not where I am, nor what am, nor what I do! Oh, my money, my money! Ha! what say you? Alack-a-day! here is no one. The vil

lain must have watched his time carefully; he must have done it while I was signing that damn'd contract. I will go to a justice, and have all my house put to their oaths, my servants, my children, my mistress, and myself too; all the people in the house, and in the street, and in the town, I will have them all executed; I will hang all the world, and if I don't find my money, I'll hang myself afterwards.

[Exit.

SCENE II. A Chamber. Table and Chairs. MARIANA, MRS. WISELY, FURNISH, SATTIN, and SPARKLE, discovered.

Mur. You will take care, Mr. Furnish, and let me have those two beds with the utmost expedition.

Fur. I shall take particular care, madam; I shall put them both in hand to-morrow morning; I shall put off some work, madam, on that account.

Mar. Oh, Mr. Sattin! have you brought those gold stuffs I ordered you?

Sat. Yes, madam, I have brought your ladyship some of the finest patterns that were ever made.

Mar. Well, Mr. Sparkle, have you the necklace and ear-rings with you?

Spar. Yes, madam, and I defy any jeweller in town to show you their equals; they are, I think, the finest water I ever saw; they are finer than the duchess of Glitter's, whch have been so much admired I have brought you a solitaire, too, madam-my lady Raffle bought the fellow of it yesterday.

Mar. Sure it has a flaw in it, sir.

Spar. Has it, madam? then there never was a brilliant without one: I am sure, madam, I bought it for a good stone, and, if it be not a good stone, you shall have it for nothing.

Enter LOVEGOLD.

Love. It's lost, it's gone, it's irrecoverable! I shall never see it more!

Mar. And what will be the lowest price of the necklace and ear-rings?