Lit. Fair play, Lady Alice, or I must assert my sex. Lady A. A challenge! tell me, as this sex of yours has adopted every effeminacy of soul in its desire to change genders with ours, when will you assume the fan and flacon ?

Lit. When ladies who have already engrafted the whip on the parasol, revel in tops and inconceivables.

Lady A. Women must adopt your habits, if left at home to exercise those duties of husbands which you are performing in every house but your own.

Lit. At home! are ladies ever "at home," except, indeed, when under that pretext they invite the world to see their houses turned out of doors.

Lady A. To exhibit a satire upon men who regard matrimony as a ministerial sinecure.

Lit. [Half apart.] The duties of which are only known to the deputy.

Lady A. True; men, whose friendship means a design against a wife's heart, and whose honor only retains its existence for the convenience of swearing by :-spirit, represents to them but a contempt of morality; while to pay, has reference to nothing but visits.

Lit. Ahem! [Aside.] she's becoming personal.

Lady A. Aha! [Aside.] that hit him in the conscience. Lit. Were I a woman, such a contemplation of society would almost drive me to suicide.

Lady A. A fashionable alternative and genuine French. I've thought of it—but decided on not doing the world the honour of cutting it.

Lit. [Aside.] What a gorgeous creature. Can I believe that such an angel could ever be my property?

Lady A. Now you are puzzling whether to propose to me next week or the one after-delay it. Meanwhile, make most of your time. I'll send you a voucher for Almack's-I'm a patroness, you know-here's my polka card-let's see; I'm engaged for the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 17th. [Sits on Ottoman, R.

Lit. Put me down for all the rest. Enchantress, you divine my very heart. [Sits by her. Lady A. What wonder, when you are going to swear that I possess it.

Lit. Ridicule me, if you will. Yes, I confess it, I came

here to see you-to woo you-perhaps to mock-be mer ciful, for, see—[Sits on the Ottoman at her feet.] I remain

to pray.

Lady A. [Opening his hand and applauding on it with her own, as she eyes him through her glass.] Bravo-not bad-get up now, there's a dear man. I promise not to flirt with any one else for one calendar week—there, don't be vain; I once patronized a boy in the guards for two days, and now he won't enter the pit of the opera, during an aria, for fear of engaging the attention of the house. Lit. [Seizes her hand.] Torturess— [Pauses.

Lady A. Go on.

Lit. [Looking at her hand.] You leave it in mine?

Lady A. Certainly, till you have kissed it-[Littleton kisses her hand.-They come forward.] Hang the fellow, he does not think I'm gone so far in love with him as to snatch it away.

Lit. I know not what to think, but this I know, that I'm the happiest wretch you ever doomed to misery.

Enter COLONEL ROCKET, C.

Rock. Aha, my little congreve-I've been looking for you everywhere.

Lady A. So, Colonel, I proved a sort of invisible shell, eh? Crosses, c.

Rock. Only twice as mischievous; I do believe one like you would unman a whole fleet. army?

Lady A. On my own staff! Coke.

Ah! your friend in the

Colonel Rocket-Mr. [Rocket crosses to Coke.

Rock. Coke! any relation to Cook, of the 23rd! no! ah! sorry for it! brave fellow-cut in two by a chain shot at Pullinabad, was knocked down by his top half myself gallant fellow-bought his kit for 100 rupees.

Lady A. Where's Kate?

Rock. I picqueted her in the hall with the baggagehappy to make you acquainted, sir,—brought her up for a soldier's wife-perfect in her facings as a light company, and can manœuvre a battalion with any adjutant in the ser vice; look at her walk, thirty inches regulation pacehead up-left leg forward-perfection! that's the way to put a girl into the hands of a husband, sir. [Crosses, L.

Lady A. [Aside to Littleton.] She twists the old fellow round her finger like a purse!

[Miss Rocket screams without. Rock. Hollo! that's her discharge-she is retiring upon

her supports.

Lady A. Here she comes, as wild as game in July. Rock. Observe how steady she will file in-right wheel

Miss ROCKET runs in c., her bonnet hanging on her neck. Kate. He's here-I saw him-I

Rock. Hollo! fall in-halt-the devil-discipline! Kate. Yes, my dear father, presently-but I believe he lives in this very house.

Rock. Report yourself, who?

Kate. The gentleman who kissed-I mean, who assisted me when we were upset- he rushed up to me in the hall here and I was so-I screamed-I-here he is.

Enter ROEBUCK, C.

Roe. Can I believe my eyes? [Aside, seeing Rocket.] old Chili vinegar, by Jove!

Rock. Steady, Kate-stand at ease-now, sir, might I ask why, sir,-you-you-damme, sir-why do you drive in my picquet in this way?

Roe. Really-sir-I-I

Lady A. [Advancing, R.] Permit me, Colonel, to introduce to you Lord Charles Roebuck, son of the Earl of Pompion, who is too happy in being your host.

Rock. Sir, your hand. No apology, enough, I accept the quarters. Roebuck, in the army-no!-any relation to Rover, of the 81st, retired on full pay and two wooden legs, after Nepaul? No! no matter-my daughter, Kate Rocket-Bombay Cavalry.

Roe. Allow me to apologise. [Aside.] Whom have I to thank for this? [Crossing to Kate. Lady A. [Aside.] Me! I'm in the secret-she has confessed all to me-I invited them here-am I not an angel? Roe. [Aside.] A divinity! How do you find Coke? Lady A. As impudent as an heiress!

Roe. My father mistook him for his brother, whose ar rival has rectified the error-I have left him closeted with [Goes up to Miss Rocket.

the Earl.

Lady A. Now. Colonel, to introduce you to Lady Pom pion-your arm? [Takes Rocket's arm. Rock Kate, present arms to our host, and follow. Lady A. Executed with wonderful dispatch.

Rock. Discipline!

[Roebuck and Miss Rocket, in earnest tête-à-tête, go up, R.

Lady A. Only they are marching without orders.

Rock. Hollo! halt-attention! [They go out, c., still con versing, without apparently hearing him.] It's nothing-a mere manœuvre-but we musn't club the battalion. We only constitute the reserve, instead of the advance—a clever movement of Kate's?

Lady A. Very

Rock. What we call a diversion.

Lady A. Yes, very diverting indeed-ha! ha!

[Exeunt, c.

Lit. So now, fate, I'm thy worshipper forever-do with me what you will:-this morning I arose without hope; my belief in hearts was restricted to the thirteen in a pack of cards-and here I am, in a few hours, domiciled in Grosvenor Square, with expectations beyond a new railway company.

Enter JESSE RURAL, C.

Strange, too-hum!

Rur. They tell me Littleton is here-in this house-if I could only-this gentleman, perhaps, might-pray, sir? Lit. [Throwing himself in a chair, R.] Come what may to Thomas Coke, I'll never sign myself a brother.

Rur. Thomas Coke! let me look-[ Takes out his spec tacles tremblingly.] yes, yes, it is he—it is—he stares at me-he won't know me now.

Lit. What a strange old gentleman!

Rur. I tremble to-to-ask him; if he should meet me as a stranger-or-how altered he is—in form :—perhaps he's changed in

Lit. [Starting up.] By heaven! I know that face.

Rur. Mr. Coke-I-ventured-I-you don't forget your tutor-friend-Jesse Rural.

Lit. [Running to him and taking both his hands.] Forget you! may Heaven forget me when I do!

Rur Ha! ha! ha! [Embracing him.] bless you, my child-God bless you! I knew it-I knew you wouldn't o-let me look at you-yes-it is you!

-no

Lit. Tell me, how came you here, in town, and in this house?

Rur. Tom came up to Parliament-you know he is member now for Ashby.

Lit. [Aside.] Ha! that accounts, then, for the Earl's warm welcome-mistook me for him.

Rur. So I accompanied him to town.

Lit. And he is in this house?

Rur. Yes, he is dressing for dinner. I heard that you were here, and could not contain myself-came to bring you to him; he is unaware of your presence.

Lit. What, creep on my knees to his purse like a prodigal son! In what have I injured him? He has my land, I wrote to offer to sell him the mortgages he held— he refused me.

Rur. The same wild violent spirit he always had-just the same, ha ha! Littleton, listen to me, my dear boy; Tom loves you, you don't know him. When we went to your chambers this morning

Lit. You, you! [Aside.] it must have been them whom Bob announced, and I mistook-for Scriven and Craft. Rur. Tom was prepared to forgive you.

Lit. Forgive! 'tis I who claim that office. [Crosses, L. Rur. Ha! he! there he flies out again-the dear boy! Lit. Let him ask my pardon!-I entreat you will not attempt a reconciliation; it would only sever us more certainly.

Rur. But listen-my darling child, listen-Tom always meant to give you the money you asked for―[Aside.] God forgive me! [Aloud.] see, here is the very, very sumlook-bless you, take it! [Takes out a pocket-book.

Lit. How-and-[Aside.] this is impossible-ha! I see -'tis the old man's own savings with which he would conceal Tom's parsimony. [Aloud.] No, no-not a farthing! [Aside.] how can I refuse it? [Aloud.] It comes too late.

Rur. Too late! why? [Aside.] I am so delighted to find at last some use for these things. [Aloud.] Here comes Tom.

Lit. Do not attract his notice to me; let me manage