Palmyra, from Palmyra to Constantinople, and so from Constantinople back to London again. Exit. Honeyw. Poor Croaker! His situation deserves the utmost pity. I shall scarce recover 350 my spirits these three days. Sure, to live upon such terms is worse than death itself. And yet, when I consider my own situation,— a broken fortune, an hopeless passion, friends in distress, the wish but not the power to serve them(pausing and sighing.)

Enter Butler.

Butler. More company below, sir; Mrs. Croaker and Miss Richland; shall I shew them up? But they're shewing up themselves. Exit.

Enter Mrs. Croaker and Miss Richland.

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Miss Richland. You're always in such spirits. Mrs. Croaker. We have just come, my dear 360 Honeywood, from the auction. There was the old deaf dowager, as usual, bidding like a fury against herself. And then so curious in antiques! Herself the most genuine piece of antiquity in the whole collection!

Honeyw. Excuse me, ladies, if some uneasiness from friendship makes me unfit to share in this good humour: I know you'll pardon me.

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Mrs. Croak. I vow he seems as melancholy

as if he had taken a dose of my husband this 370 morning. Well, if Richland here can pardon you, I must.

Miss Rich. You would seem to insinuate, madam, that I have particular reasons for being dispos'd to refuse it.

Mrs. Croak. Whatever I insinuate, my dear, don't be so ready to wish an explanation.

Miss Rich. I own I should be sorry Mr. Honeywood's long friendship and mine should be misunderstood.

Honeyw. There's no answering for others, madam. But I hope you'll never find me presuming to offer more than the most delicate friendship may readily allow.

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380

Miss Rich. And I shall be prouder of such a 385 tribute from you than the most passionate professions from others.

Honeyw. My own sentiments, madam: friendship is a disinterested commerce between equals; love, an abject intercourse between tyrants and 390 slaves.

Miss Rich. And, without a compliment, I know none more disinterested or more capable of friendship than Mr. Honeywood.

Mrs. Croak. And indeed I know nobody that 395 has more friends, at least among the ladies.

Miss Fruzz, Miss Odbody and Miss Winterbottom, praise him in all companies. As for Miss Biddy Bundle, she's his professed admirer.

Miss Rich. Indeed! an admirer! I did not 400 know, sir, you were such a favourite there. But is she seriously so handsome? Is she the mighty thing talk'd of?

Honeyw.

The town, madam, seldom begins to praise a lady's beauty till she's beginning to lose 405 it! (Smiling.)

Mrs. Croak. But she's resolved never to lose it, it seems. For as her natural face decays, her skill improves in making the artificial one. Well, nothing diverts me more than one of those fine 410 old dressy things, who thinks to conceal her age by every where exposing her person; sticking herself up in the front of a side-box; trailing thro' a minuet at Almack's; and then, in the public gardens; looking for all the world like 415 one of the painted ruins of the place.

Honeyw. Every age has its admirers, ladies. While you, perhaps, are trading among the warmer climates of youth, there ought to be some to carry on an useful commerce in the 420 frozen latitudes beyond fifty.

Miss Rich. But then the mortifications they must suffer before they can be fitted out for traffic. I have seen one of them fret an whole

morning at her hair-dresser, when all the fault 425 was her face.

Honeyw. And yet I'll engage has carried that face at last to a very good market. This goodnatur'd town, madam, has husbands, like spectacles, to fit every age, from fifteen to fourscore. 430 Mrs. Croak. Well, you're a dear goodnatur'd creature. But you know you're engaged with us this morning upon a stroling party. I want to shew Olivia the town, and the things; I believe I shall have business for you for the 435 whole day.

Honeyw. I am sorry, madam, I have an appointment with Mr. Croaker which it is impossible to put off.

Mrs. Croak. What! with my husband! 440 Then I'm resolved to take no refusal. Nay, I protest you must. You know I never laugh so much as with you.

Honeyw. Why, if I must, I must. I'll swear you have put me into such spirits. Well, do you 445 find jest, and I'll find laugh, I promise you. We'll wait for the chariot in the next room.

Enter Leontine and Olivia.

Exeunt.

Leontine. There they go, thoughtless and happy. My dearest Olivia, what would I give

to see you capable of sharing in their amuse-450 ments, and as chearful as they are.

Olivia. How, my Leontine, how can I be chearful, when I have so many terrors to oppress me! The fear of being detected by this family, and the apprehensions of a censuring world when 455 I must be detected_

Leont. The world! my love, what can it say? At worst it can only say that, being compelled by a mercenary guardian to embrace a life you disliked, you formed a resolution of flying 460 with the man of your choice; that you confided in his honour, and took refuge in my father's house; the only one where your's could remain without censure.

Oliv. But consider, Leontine, your disobe-465 dience and my indiscretion; your being sent to France to bring home a sister, and, instead of a sister, bringing home

Leont. One dearer than a thousand sisters. One that I am convinc'd will be equally dear 470 to the rest of the family when she comes to be known.

Oliv. And that, I fear, will shortly be.

Leont. Impossible, 'till we ourselves think proper to make the discovery. My sister, you 475 know has been with her aunt, at Lyons, since, 462 my father's house. O1, O2, this house.