MRS. S. Oh! between me and Miss Brown?--(_Aside._) He is a gentlemanly young fellow, after all. BOLT. I, madam, will settle that account. MIZ. (_Aside._) He'll settle himself if he does; he must be flush to-day. MRS. S. I'll send my servant for a stamp directly, sir. BOLT. Don't hurry yourself, ma'am; I'll settle it to-morrow. That's what I called for,--to tell you I'd settle it to-morrow. MRS. S. Oh--h--h!--(_Aside._) There's a great vulgarity about him. BOLT. I've nothing more to say. Good morning, ma'am--nothing.--(_Aside._) Besides, the old man must be a mile off by this time. MIZ. Good by, ma'am.--(_Aside._) I say, Bolt, I vote we go back to the shop; this may be a prelude to something further. MRS. S. But one thing more. Miss Brown is an intimate friend of mine, as well as a customer--now I don't think I ever saw you before! BOLT. Very likely not, ma'am. MIZ. It is exceedingly probable. BOLT. The fact is--ahem!--the facts are these: there is no such person as Miss Brown; Miss Brown has ceased to be Miss Brown--and I'm a happy man. MRS. S. What! do you mean that Miss Brown is married, and that you are-- BOLT. Precisely; I see she has not disclosed the tender secret. MIZ. (_Aside._) Ha, ha! it is funny, after all. BOLT. Miss Brown, you see, is now Mrs. Steele. Yes--my name is Steele, and this gentleman's name is Addison. MIZ. Yes, ma'am, my name is Maddison--Ha, ha, ha! _Enter SERVANT, L. H._ SERV. Miss Brown, ma'am. (_Exit, L._) BOLT. The devil! oh! he, he! the tender creature! Confusion! Petrifaction! MIZ. (_Whispering._) I say, Charley--how d'ye like that? Bother your long-winded stories!--Oh! _Enter MISS BROWN, L. H._ BOLT. (_Aside._) Not remarkably handsome, either. MRS. S. How d'ye do, Miss Brown?--I beg pardon, Mrs. Steele, I mean. MISS B. Mrs. Steele! what d'ye mean? MIZ. (_Aside._) Ah, she wont swallow it--she's not soft steel. BOLT. Well, anything to get off. Good by, ladies,--good by. MRS. S. What an ungallant husband! MISS B. Husband? MRS. S. Yes, yes, Mrs. Steele; that gentleman, Mr. Steele, has confessed all. You sly creature. BOLT. Yes, yes!--good by! You may settle this discussion among yourselves. MRS. S. Yes, yes! this gentleman told me he was your husband. MIZ. True, madam; stick to that. _He_ told you so; mind, I had nothing to do with it. MISS B. (_Aside._) It may be an eccentric method of making an offer. He is not bad looking, and opportunities are--alas!--not too frequent. I'll humour it.--And so my dear Steele's confess'd? BOLT. Ha, ha, ha! Yes.--(_Aside._) Dear Steele! She jumps at it.--I'm magnetic steel. (_Whisper._) I say, what's the meaning of this? MIZ. Don't ask me; you're the man of talent--I know the meaning of nothing. MISS B. Oh, you naughty man; when you so faithfully promised to keep it a secret. BOLT. Well, as I said before, we must go. Farewell, my lo--o--ve! MIZ. Farewell, Mrs. Steele.--(_Aside._) Be divorced as soon as possible, Charley.