POS. What, Charley Ratcliffe? PEGGY. (_aside_) Then that's Mr. C. R. after all. RAT. (_to POSTLETHWAITE_) Yes, my dear friend, the gigantic housebreaker, seven feet high, with two pair of pistols in each of his brawny hands, stands before you. POS. You? Poo--poo! Where are your whiskers?--where's your imperial? RAT. In my pocket--ha, ha! POS. (_after a short pause_) I say, Master Charley, what sort of a game have you been playing here? MRS. S. (_smiling_) A game of fright. POS. Ecod, it's more like "Beat my neighbour out of doors!" RAT. At any rate, I have secured this lady for my _partner_, and for such a prize who would not play "A DESPERATE GAME." CURTAIN. PRINTED BY THOMAS SCOTT, WARWICK COURT, HOLBORN. Transcriber's Note This transcription is based on images digitized by Google from a copy held by Shields Special Collections of the University of California, Davis Library. The images are available through the HathiTrust Digital Library at: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007431700 In general, I have retained variant spellings (e.g., "tarletan", "trowsers", "does'nt", "her's", and "your's") and the idiosyncrasies of the original punctuation. However, for the sake of consistency and to correct obvious errors, the following changes were made: - The spacing of the abbreviations for the entrances and exits has been made consistent. - p. 2: MRS. SOMERTON,--Green tarletan ball dress--Changed comma to a period for consistency. - p. 4: RAT. By all means, David. (_aside_) he does'nt know me.--Capitalized "he". - p. 9: for the amount at once (_taking a piece_--Inserted a period after "once". - p. 9: I had taken that _little precaution_ against interruption (_resumes his writing_)--Inserted a period after "interruption". - p. 11: _makes a profound bow, and exits, L. U. E_)--Inserted a period after "E". - p. 12: I'll run for him this monent,--Changed "monent" to "moment". - p. 12: no, my friend (_running to door, L. C._) Holloa,--Inserted a period after "friend". - p. 12: _to ring the bell_, and the bell rope's cut--Changed the comma to a closing parenthesis. - p. 12: raise an alarm at all events (_pulling both triggers_--Inserted a period after "events". - p. 12: Oh, if I had only known that (_about to get out at the window_)--Inserted a period after "that". - p. 14: POS. (_pulling him back_) you can't till your successor is appointed.--Capitalized "you". - p. 14: That's right--you must know then (_seats himself_)--Inserted a period after "then". - p. 15: My cousin, Captain Ratcliffe (_introducing them._--Inserted a period after "Ratcliffe". - p. 15: RAT. True! smiling.--"smiling" is a stage direction, so this line has been changed to: "RAT. True! (_smiling_)" - p. 16: RAT. (_smiling again_) True,--Comma changed to a period. - p. 16: POS. Yes, yes, (_aside to him_) That'll do--she can't bear it.--Changed comma after second "yes" to a period.