MILLIKEN. What is this I hear? You, John Howell, have dared to strike a gentleman under my roof! Your master's brother-in-law? JOHN. Yes, by Jove! and I'd do it again. MILLIKEN. mad, Howell?

Are you drunk or

JOHN. I'm as sober and as sensible as ever I was in my life, sir-I not only struck the master, but I struck the man, who's twice as big, only not quite as big a coward, I think.

MILLIKEN. Hold your scurrilous tongue, sir! My good nature ruins everybody about me. Make up your accounts. Pack your trunks and never let me see your face again. JOHN. Very good, sir. MILLIKEN. - I suppose, Miss Prior, you will also be disposed to to follow Mr. Howell?

Miss P. To quit you, now you know what has passed? I never supposed it could be otherwise I deceived you, Mr. Milliken - as I kept a secret from you, and must pay the penalty. It is a relief to me, the sword has been hanging over me. I wish I had told your poor wife, as I was often minded to do.

MILLIKEN. Oh, you were minded to do it in Italy, were you?

MISS P. Captain Touchit knew it, sir, all along and that my motives, and, thank God, my life were honorable.

Oh, Touchit knew it, did he? and thought it honorable

You see she owns

MISS P. We were in the depths of poverty. Our furniture and lodging-house under execution from which Captain Touchit, when he came to know of our difficulties, nobly afterwards released us. My father was in prison, and wanted shillings for medicine, and I-I went and danced on the stage.

MILLIKEN. Well?

MISS P. And I kept the secret afterwards; knowing that I could never hope as governess to obtain a place after having been a stage-dancer. MILLIKEN. Of course you couldn't, - it's out of the question; and may I ask, are you going to resume that delightful profession when you enter the married state with Mr. Howell?

Poor John! it is not I that is, it's Mary,

MISS P. who am going to — the school-room maid.

MILLIKEN.Eternal blazes! Have you turned Mormon, John Howell, and are you going to marry the whole house?

JOHN. -I made a hass of myself about Miss Prior. I couldn't help her being 1-1 — lovely.

KICK. - Gad, he proposed to her in my presence.

JOHN.

What I proposed to her, Cornet Clarence Kicklebury, was my heart, and my honor, and my best,

and my every thing and you you wanted to take advantage of her secret, and you offered her indignities, and you laid a cowardly hand on her -a cowardly hand! - and I struck you, and I'd do it again.

MILLIKEN.- What? Is this true? [Turning round very fiercely to K.] KICK.- Gad! Well I only MILLIKEN. You only what? You only insulted a lady under my roof-the friend and nurse of your dead sister- - the guardian of my children. You only took advantage of a defenceless girl, and would have extorted your infernal pay out of her fear. You miserable sneak and coward!

KICK. Hallo! Come, come! I say I won't stand this sort of chaff. Dammy, I'll send a friend to you!

MILLIKEN. Go out of that window, sir. March! or I will tell my servant, John Howell, to kick you out, you wretched little scamp! Tell that big brute, — what's-his-name? Lady Kicklebury's man, to pack this young man's portmanteau and bear's-grease pots; and if ever you enter these doors again, Clarence Kicklebury, by the heaven that made me! by your sister who is dead! I will cane your life out of your bones. Angel in heaven! Shade of my Arabella to think that your brother in your house should be found to insult the guardian of your children! JOHN.

By jingo, you're a goodplucked one! I knew he was, Miss, I told you he was. [Exit, shaking hands with his master, and with Miss P., and dancing for joy. Exit, CLARENCE, scared, out of window.]

JOHN [without].-Bulkeley, pack up the Capting's luggage!

MILLIKEN. - How can I ask your pardon, Miss Prior? In my wife's name I ask it in the name of that angel whose dying-bed you watched and soothed of the innocent children whom you have faithfully tended since.

MISS P. Ah, sir! it is granted when you speak so to me.

MILLIKEN. Eh, eh-d-don't call me sir!

you

MISS P. It is for me to ask pardon for hiding what you know now: but if I had told you - you never would have taken me into your house your wife never would. MILLIKEN. No, no. [Weeping.] MISS P. My dear, kind Captain Touchit knows it all. It was by his counsel I acted. He it was who relieved our distress. Ask him whether my conduct was not honorableask him whether my life was not devoted to my parents ask him when - when I am gone.

--

MILLIKEN. When you are gone, Julia! Why are you going? Why should you go, my love-that is why need you go, in the devil's name? MISS P. Because, when your mother-when your mother-in-law comes to hear that your children's governess has been a dancer on the stage, they will send me away, and you will not have the power to resist them. They ought to send me away, sir; but I have acted honestly by the children and their poor mother, and you'll think of me kindly when

am- - gone?

I

MILLIKEN. - Julia, my dearest dear-noble-dar- the devil! here's old Kicklebury.

Enter LADY K., CHILDREN, and CLARENCE.

shall never stay as governess in this house!

MILLIKEN. Julia! will you stay as mistress? You have known me for a year alone-before, not so wellwhen the house had a mistress that is gone. You know what my temper is, and that my tastes are simple, and my heart not unkind. I have watched you, and have never seen you out of temper, though you have been tried. I have long thought you good and beautiful, but I never thought to ask the question which I put to you now come in, sir! [to CLARENCE at door]: :-now that you have been persecuted by those who ought to have upheld you, and insulted by those who owed you gratitude and respect. I am tired of their domination, and as weary of a man's cowardly impertinence [to CLARENCE] as of a woman's jealous tyranny. They have made what was my Arabella's home miserable by their oppression and their quarrels. Julia! my wife's friend, my children's friend! be mine, and make me happy! leave me, Julia! say you won't say you won't dearest- dearest

girl!

Don't

you.

leave Oh, I say! here's papa

MISS P. I won't GEORGE [without]. Arabella, look here: a-kissing Miss Prior! LADY K. Horace — Clarence my son! Shade of my Arabella! can you behold this horrible scene, and not shudder in heaven! Bulkeley! Clarence! go for a doctor-go to Doctor Straitwaist at the AsylumHorace Milliken, who has married the descendant of the Kickleburys of the Conqueror, marry a dancing-girl off the stage! Horace Milliken! do you wish to see me die in convulsions at your feet? I writhe there, I grovel there. Look! look at me on my knees! your own mother-in-law! drive away this fiend!

MILLIKEN. Hem! I ought to thank you, Lady Kicklebury, for it is you that have given her to me.

MRS. B. — Pray, pray for him, Mr. Bonnington, my love-my lost, abandoned boy! LADY K.. Bonnington! MRS. B. Kicklebury! LADY K. my knees to nington.

Oh, my poor dear Mrs.

-

Oh, my poor dear Lady [They embrace each other.] I have been down on him, dearest Mrs. Bon

MRS. B.-Let us both both go down on our knees - I will [to her husband]. Edward, I will! [Both ladies on their knees. BONNINGTON with outstretched hands behind them.] Look, unhappy boy! look, Horace! two mothers on their wretched knees before you, imploring you to send away this monster! Speak to him, Mr. Bonnington. Edward! use authority with him, if he will not listen to his mother

LADY K. To his mothers!

Enter TOUCHIT.

TOUCHIT. What is this comedy going on, ladies and gentlemen? The ladies on their elderly knees - Miss Prior with her hair down her back. Is it tragedy or comedy- is it a rehearsal for a charade, or are we acting for Horace's birthday? or, oh! —I beg your Reverence's pardon - you were perhaps going to a professional

MRS. B.-Oh, it's the whist, the whist! Why did I ever play at whist, Edward? My poor Mr. Milliken used to like his rubber.

TOUCHIT. Since he has been a widower

LADY K. A widower of that angel! [Points to picture.]

TOUCHIT.

You

Pooh, pooh, angel! You two ladies have never given the poor fellow any peace. You were always quarrelling over him. took possession of his house, bullied his servants, spoiled his children; you did, Lady Kicklebury.

LADY K. Sir, you are a rude, low, presuming, vulgar man. Clarence! beat this rude man!

My

TOUCHIT. From what I have heard of your amiable son, he is not in the warlike line, I think. dear Julia, I am delighted with all my heart that my old friend should have found a woman of sense, good conduct, good temper a woman who has had many trials, and borne them with great patience to take charge of him and make him happy. Horace, give me your hand! I knew Miss Prior in great poverty. I am sure she will bear as nobly her present good fortune; for good fortune it is to any woman to become the wife of such a loyal, honest, kindly gentleman as you are!

LADY K. - Where I have met

with rudeness, cruelty, and fiendish [to Miss P., who smiles and courtesies]· yes, fiendish ingratitude. I will go,

say, as soon as I have made arrangements for taking other lodgings. You cannot expect a lady of fashion to turn out like a servant.

JOHN. - Hire "The Star and Garter" for her, sir. Send down to "The Castle; "" of her. I'll tell her maid to pack her any thing to get rid traps. Pinhorn! [Beckons maid and gives orders.] You had better go at once, my dear Lady Kicklebury. LADY K.-Sir!

TOUCHIT..

MRS. P. My lady! I hope your ladyship is quite well! Dear, kind Mrs. Bonnington! I came to pay my duty to you, ma'am. This is Charlotte, my lady-the great girl whom your ladyship so kindly promised the gown for; and this is my little girl, Mrs. Bonnington, ma'am, please; and this is my Bluecoat boy. Go and speak to dear, kind Mr. Milliken our best friend and protector

the son and son-in-law of these dear ladies. Look, sir! He has