Dear Mrs. Nabby, I have overheard all that has been faid, and find thou haft manag'd this thing. fo well, that I could take thee in my arms and kifs theedrum did not stand in my way. Ꭴ ABIGA L. -if my Well, O' my confcience, you are the merriest ghoft! and the very picture of Sir George Truman. FANTOME. There you flatter me, Mrs. Abigal: Sir George had that freshness in his looks, that we men of the town cannot come up to. ABIGA L. be Oh! Death may have alter'd him, you knowfides, you must confider, you loft a great deal of blood in the battle. FANTOM E. Ay, that's right; let me look ever fo pale, this cut croís my forehead will keep me in countenance. ABIGA L. 'Tis juft fuch a one as my Mafter receiv'd from a curfed French trooper, as my Lady's letter inform'd her. FANTOM E. It happens luckily that this fuit of cloaths of Sir George's fits me fo well, I think I can't fail hitting the air of a man with whom I was fo long acquainted. ABIGA L. You are the very man- -I vow I almost start when I look upon you. FANTOM E. But what good will this do me, if I must remain invifible? ABIGA L. Pray, what good did your being vifible do you? The fair Mr. Fantome thought no woman could withstand him- -But when you were feen by my Lady in your proper proper perfon, after she had taken a full furvey of you, and heard all the pretty things you could fay, the very civilly difmiffed you for the fake of this empty, noify creature Tinfel. She fancies you have been gone from hence this fortnight. FANTOM E. Why really I love thy Lady fo well, that though I had no hopes of gaining her for myfelf, I could not bear to fee her given to another, efpecially fuch a wretch as Tinfel ABIGA L. Well, tell me truly, Mr. Fantome, have you not a great opinion of my fidelity to my dear Lady, that I would not fuffer her to be deluded in this manner, for less than a thousand pound? FANTOM E. Thou art always remembring me of my promise thou fhalt have it, if thou canft bring our project to bear, doft not know that ftories of ghofts and apparitions generally end in a pot of money? ABIGA L. Why, truly now, Mr. Fantome, I should think myself a very bad woman, if I had done what I do, for a farthing lefs. FANTOM E. Dear Abigal, how I admire thy virtue! ABIGA L. No, no, Mr. Fantome, I defy the worst of my enemies to fay I love mifchief for mischief fake. FANTOM E. But is thy Lady perfuaded that I am the ghoft of her deceafed hufband? ABIGA L. I endeavour to make her believe fo, and tell her every time your drum rattles, that her husband is chiding her for entertaining this new lover.. FA. N FANTOM E. Pr'ythee make ufe of all thy art, for I am tir'd to death with ftrolling round this wide old house like a rat behind a wainscot. ABIGA L. Did not I tell you, 'twas the pureft place in the world for you to play your tricks in? there's none of the family that knows every hole and corner in it, besides myself. FANTOM E. Ah Mrs. Abigal! you have had your intrigues—】 For you must know, when I was a romping young girl, I was a mighty lover of bide and feek: FANTOM E. I believe, by this time, I am as well acquainted with the houfe as yourself. ABIGA L. You are very much mistaken, Mr. Fantome; but no matter for that; here is to be your ftation to-night. This is the place unknown to any one living befides myfelf, fince the death of the joiner; who, you must understand, being a lover of mine, contrived the wainfcot to move, to and fro, in the manner that you find it. I defigned it for a wardrobe for my Lady's caft cloaths. Oh! the ftomachers, flays, petticoats, commodes, laced fhoes, and good things I have had in it-pray take care you don't break the cherry-brandy bottle that stands up in the corner. Well, Mrs. Abigal, I hire your clofet of you but for this one night-a thoufand pound you know is a very good rent. ABIGA L. Well, get you gone; you have fuch a way with you, there's no denying you any thing! FAN FANTOM E. I'm a thinking how Tinfel will ftare when he fees me tome out of the wall: for I'm refolved to make my appearance to night. ABIGA L. Get you in, get you in, my Lady's at the door. Pray take care he does not keep me up fo late as she did last night, or depend upon it I'll beat the tattoo. ABIGA L. I'm undone! I'm undone[As he is going in ] Mr. Fantome, Mr. Fantome, you have put the thousand pound bond into my brother's hands. ΓΑΝΤΟ ΜΕ. Thou shalt have it, I tell thee, thou fhalt have it. ABIGA L. No more words-vanish, vanish. Enter LA D D Y. [Fantome goes in, ABIGAL. [opening the door.] Oh, dear Madam, was it you that made fuch a knock ing? my heart does fo beat I vow you have frighted me to death- -I thought verily it had been the drummer. LADY. I have been showing the garden to Mr. Tinfel: he's moft infufferably witty upon us about the ftory of the drum. ABIGAL. Indeed, Madam, he's a very loofe man! I'm afraid 'tis he that hinders my poor mafter from refting in his grave. LADY.' Well! an Infidel is fuch a novelty in the country, that I am refolved to divert myself a day or two at least with the oddness of his converfation. VOL. II, K A.BI ABIGA L. Ah, Madam! the drum began to beat in the house as foon as ever this creature was admitted to vifit you. All the while Mr. Fantome made his addreffes to you, there was not a mouse stirring in the family more than used to be LADY. This baggage has fome defign upon me, can yet discover. [Afide.] —Mr. Fantome thy favourite. ABIGA L. more than I was always Ay, and fhould have been yours too, by my confent! Mr. Fantome was not fuch a flight fantastic thing as this -Mr. Fantome was the beft-built man one should fee in a fummer's day! Mr. Fantome was a man of honour, and loved you! poor foul! how he fighed when he has talked to me of my hard-hearted Lady.- -Well! I had as lief as a thousand pounds you would marry Mr. Fantome! LADY. To tell thee truly, I loved him well enough till I found he loved me fo much. But Mr. Tinfel makes his court to me with fo much neglect and indifference, and with fuch an agreeable faucinefs-Not that I fay I'll smarry him. ABIGAL. Marry him, quoth-a! no if you should, you'll be awakened fooner than married couples generally areYou'll quickly have a drum at your window. LADY. I'll hide my contempt of Tinfel for once, it he be but to fee what this wench drives at. ABIGA L. [Afide. Why, fuppofe your husband, after this fair warning he has given you, ihould found you an alarm at midnight; then open your curtains with a face as pale as my apron, and cry out with a hollow voice, what doft thou in bed with this fpindle-fhanked fellow? LADY. |