superficial and the censorious, he may have incurred a partial degradation, in the esteem of one, at least, he stood as high as ever; that it was not in the power of a ridiculous accident, involving no guilt, no shadow of imputation, to separate two hearts cemented by holiest vows, as ours have been. This untimely repulse to my affections may awaken scruples in me which hitherto, in tenderness to you, I have suppressed. Pen. I very well understand what you call tenderness, madam; but in some situations, pity-pity-is the greatest insult. Miss F. I can endure no longer. When you are in a calmer mood, you will be sorry that you have wrung my heart so. [Exit. Pen. Maria! She is gone--in tears. Yet it seems she has had her scruples. She said she had tried to smother them. Her maid Betty intimated as much. Re-enter BETTY. Bet. Never mind Betty, sir; depend upon it she will never 'peach. Pen. 'Peach! Bet. Lord, sir, these scruples will blow over. Go to her again, when she is in a better humour. You know we must stand off a little at first, to save appearances. Pen. Appearances! We! Bet. It will be decent to let some time elapse. Pen. Time elapse! Lost, wretched Pendulous! to scorn betray'd, Re-enter MISS FLYN, with MARIAN. [Exeunt. Miss F. Now both our lovers are gone, I hope my friend will have less reserve. You must consider this apartment as yours while you stay here. 'Tis larger and more commodious than your own. Mar. You are kind, Maria. My sad story I have troubled you with. I have some jewels here, which I unintentionally brought away. I have only to beg that you will take the trouble to restore them to my father; and, without disclosing my present situation, to tell him that my next step-with or without the concurrence of Mr. Davenport-shall be to throw myself at his feet, and beg to be forgiven. I dare not see him till you have explored the way for me. I am convinced I was tricked into this elopement. Miss F. Your commands shall be obeyed implicitly. Mar. You are good (agitated). Miss F. Moderate your apprehensions, my sweet friend. I too have known my sorrows-(smiling).-You have heard of the ridiculous affair. Mar. Between Mr. Pendulous and you? Davenport informed me of it, and we took the liberty of blaming the over-niceness of your scruples. Miss F. You mistake. The refinement is entirely on the part of my lover. He thinks me not nice enough. I am obliged to feign a little reluctance, that he may not take quite a distaste to me. Will you believe it, that he turns my very constancy into a reproach, and declares that a woman must be devoid of all delicacy that, after a thing of that sort, could endure the sight of her husband in Mar. In what? Miss F. The sight of a man at all in Mar. I comprehend you not. Miss F. In-in a—(whispers)—night-cap, my dear! And now the mischief is out. Mar. Is there no way to cure him? Miss F. None, unless I were to try the experiment, by placing myself in the hands of justice for a little while, how far an equality in misfortune might breed a sympathy in sentiment. Our reputations would be both upon a level then, you know. What think you of a little innocent shop-lifting, in sport? Mar. And by that contrivance to be taken before a magistrate? The project sounds oddly. Miss F And yet I am more than half persuaded it is feasible. Enter BETTY. Bet. Mr. Davenport is below, ma'am, and desires to speak with you. Mar. You will excuse me (going. Turning back) You will remember the [Exit. casket. Miss F. Depend on me. Bet. And a strange man desires to see you, ma'am. I do not half like his looks. Miss F. Show him in. [Exit BETTY, and returns with a Police Officer. BETTY goes out. Off. Your servant, ma'am. Your name is Miss F. Flyn, sir. Your business with me? Off. (alternately surveying the lady and his paper of instructions). Marian Flint. Miss F. Maria Flyn. Off. Ay, ay, Flyn or Flint. "Tis all one. Some write plain Mary, and some put ann after it. I come about a casket. Miss F. I guess the whole business. He takes me for my friend. Something may come out of this. I will humour him (aside). Off (aside). Answers the description to a tittle. complexion Soft, gray eyes, pale Miss F. Yet I have been told by flatterers that my eyes were blue-(takes out a pocket-glass.)—I hope I look pretty tolerably to-day. Off. Blue-they are a sort of bluish-gray, now I look better; and as for colour, that comes and goes. Blushing is often a sign of a hardened offender. Do you know anything of a casket? Miss F. Here is one which a friend has just delivered to my keeping. Off. And which I must beg leave to secure, together with your ladyship's person. "Garnets, pearls, diamond-bracelet, "-here they are, sure enough. Miss F. Indeed, I am innocent. Of Every man is presumed so till he is found otherwise. Miss F. Police wit! Have you a warrant ? Off Tolerably cool that! Here it is, signed by Justice Golding, at the requisition of Reuben Flint, who deposes that you have robbed him. Miss F. How lucky this turns out! (aside).-Can I be indulged with a coach? Off. To Marlborough Street?-certainly. An old offender (aside). The thing shall be conducted with as much delicacy as is consistent with security. Miss F. Police manners! I will trust myself to your protection then. SCENE.--Police Office. JUSTICE, FLINt, Officers, &c. [Exeunt. Just. Before we proceed to extremities, Mr. Flint, let me entreat you to consider the consequences. What will the world say to your exposing your own child? Flint. The world is not my friend. I belong to a profession which has long brought me acquainted with its injustice. I return scorn for scorn, and desire its censure above its plaudits. Just. But in this case delicacy must make you pause. Flint. Delicacy-ha! ha!-pawnbroker-how fitly these words suit! Delicate pawnbroker-delicate devil !-let the law take its course. Just. Consider, the jewels are found. Flint. 'Tis not the silly baubles I regard. Are you a man? are you a father? and think you I could stoop so low, vile as I stand here, as to make money-filthy money-of the stuff which a daughter's touch has desecrated? Deep in some pit first would I bury them. Just. Yet pause a little. Consider. An only child! Flint. Only, only,-there, it is that stings me-makes me mad! She was the only thing I had to love me-to bear me up against the nipping injuries of the world. I prate when I should act. Bring in your prisoner. (The JUSTICE makes signs to an Officer, who goes out, and returns with MISS FLYN.) Flint. What mockery of my sight is here? This is no daughter. Flint (handling it). The very same. Was it in the power of these pale splendours to dazzle the sight of honesty-to put out the regardful eye of piety and daughter-love? Why, a poor glowworm shows more brightly. Bear witness how I valued them (tramples on them).-Fair lady, know you aught of my child? Miss F. I shall here answer no questions. Just. You must explain how you came by the jewels, madam. Miss F. (aside). Now confidence assist me!--A gentleman in the neighbourhood will answer for me Just. His name Miss F. Pendulous Just. That lives in the next street? Miss F. The same. Now I have him sure (aside). Just. Let him be sent for. I believe the gentleman to be respectable, and will accept his security. Flint. Why do I waste my time, where I have no business? None--I have none any more in the world-none ! Enter PENDULOUS. Pen. What is the meaning of this extraordinary summons?-Maria here? Flint. Know you anything of my daughter, sir? Pen. Sir, I neither know her nor yourself, nor why I am brought hither; but for this lady, if you have anything against her, I will answer it with my life and fortunes. Just. Make out the bail-bond. Off. (surveying PENDULOUS). Please, your worship, before you take that gentleman's bond, may I have leave to put in a word? Pen. (agitated). I guess what is coming. Off. I have seen that gentleman hold up his hand at a criminal bar Just. Ha! Miss F. (aside). Better and better. Off. My eyes cannot deceive me. His lips quivered about while he was being tried just as they do now. His name is not Pendulous. Miss F. Excellent! Of. He pleaded to the name of Thomson at York assizes. Just. Can this be true? Miss F. I could kiss the fellow ! Off. He was had up for a footpad. Miss F. A dainty fellow ! Pen. My iniquitous fate pursues me everywhere. Pen. I am steeped in infamy. Miss F. I am as deep in the mire as yourself. Pen. My reproach can never be washed out. Pen. I am doomed to everlasting shame. Miss F. We are both in a predicament. Just. I am in a maze where all this will end. Miss F. But here comes one who, if I mistake not, will guide us out of all our difficulties. Enter MARIAN and DAVENPORT. Mar. (kneeling). My dear father! Flint. Do I dream? Mar. I am your Marian. Just. Wonders thicken! Flint. The casket Miss F. Let me clear up the rest. Flint. The casket Miss F. Was inadvertently in your daughter's hand when, by an artifice of her maid Lucy,-set on, as she confesses, by this gentleman here Dav. I plead guilty. Miss F. She was persuaded that you were in a hurry going to marry her to an object of her dislike; nay, that he was actually in the house for the purpose. The speed of her flight admitted not of her depositing the jewels; but to me, who have been her inseparable companion since she quitted your roof, she entrusted the return of them; which the precipitate measures of this gentleman (pointing to the Officer) alone prevented. Mr. Cutlet, whom I see coming, can witness this to be true. Enter CUTLET, in haste. Cut. Ay, poor lamb! poor lamb! I can witness. I have run in such a haste, hearing how affairs stood,. that I have left my shambles without a protector. If your worship had seen how she cried (pointing to MARIAN), and trembled, and insisted upon being brought to her father! Mr. Davenport here could not stay her. Flint. I can forbear no longer. Marian, will you play once again, to please your old father? Mar. I have a good mind to make you buy me a new grand piano for your naughty suspicions of me. Dav. What is to become of me? Flint. I will do more than that. The poor lady shall have her jewels again. Mar. Shall she? Flint. Upon reasonable terms (smiling). And now, I may adjourn. Dav. Marian! suppose, the court Flint. I guess what is passing in your mind, Mr. Davenport; but you have behaved upon the whole so like a man of honour, that it will give me pleasure if you will visit at my house for the future; but (smiling) not clandestinely, Marian. Mar. Hush! father. Flint. I own I had prejudices against gentry. But I have met with so much candour and kindness among my betters this day-from this gentleman in particular-(turning to the JUSTICE)---that I begin to think of leaving off business, and setting up for a gentleman myself Just. You have the feelings of one. Flint. Marian will not object to it. Just. But (turning to Miss FLYN) what motive could induce this lady to take so much disgrace upon herself, when a word's explanation might have relieved her? Miss F. This gentleman (turning to PENDULOUS) can explain. Pen. The devil! Miss F. This gentleman, I repeat it, whose backwardness in concluding a long and honourable suit from a mistaken delicacy————— Pen. How? Miss F. Drove me upon the expedient of involving myself in the same disagreeable embarrassments with himself, in the hope that a more perfect sympathy might subsist between us for the future. Pen. I see it-I see it ali. Just. (to PENDULOUS). You were, then, tried at York? Pen. I was-CAST Just. Condemned Pen. EXECUTED. Just. How? Pen. CUT DOWN and CAME TO LIFE AGAIN. False delicacy, adieu! The true sort, which this lady has manifested--by an expedient which at first sight might seem a little unpromising, has cured me of the other. We are now on Flint. And let the prejudiced against our profession acknowledge that a money-lender may have the heart of a father; and that in the casket, whose loss grieved him so sorely, he valued nothing so dear as (turning to MARIAN) one poor domestic jewel. Comic Opera. (Unnamed.) [What follows has never before been printed. It is appended to the acknowledged tragedy, farces, and dramatic poems of Charles Lamb, because the whole manuscript, in beautiful preservation, is undoubtedly in his handwriting. For nearly eleven years past, it has been treasured up in the British Museum. It is a perfectly legible MS. of fifty-nine quarto pages, numbered amongst Additional Manuscripts 25,924. presented to the nation in the November of 1864, by Mr. Coventry Patmore; and it has prefixed to it the following printed excerpt, from the Appendix to the first volume of My Friends and Acquaintances, by P. G. Patmore: " An unpublished drama-un It was |