_T._ (_aside_). Watch him! 400 _F._ (_reading, away from T._). _Dearest; all is lost. They mistake my hesitation for consent. My father has fixed the marriage for three days hence. I dared not say the truth. I know not what I said. My senses left me...._ (_Aloud._) Death! death! _T._ (_aside_). By Gemini, this is a nasty one. _F._ (_reading as before_). _But be sure I never consented. If there is no other escape, I must fly. Come to-night to the garden. I will be at my window at eleven o’clock._ 410 (_Aloud._) Thank God, thank God. I breathe again. I shall see thee to-night. _T._ Pray, sir, Is anything the matter? _F._ Eh! ah! what said I? _T._ That you were dead, and then alive again. _F._ ’Tis true. _T._ I quite believe it. And then you said That you would see her to-night. _F._ Pray mind your business, Tristram: Pay more attention to what is said to you, And less to what is not. Whom would you speak of? _T._ I speak of no one, sir. 421 _F._ No more do I. [_Exit._ _T._ My master’s mad. If this is court life, I shall soon curse my birthday, like dutiful Job. ’Tis a madhouse. If there were any sense in anything that’s said or done, I’d swear my life that the Countess was in love with my master, and he might have her for the asking. Yet who can tell what she means, when every one plays at being in love with somebody? ’Tis a fashion with them as catching as the measles. My constitution holds out, thank heaven. (_Sings._) The meads drink up the rain, 430 The kine eat up the grass, And man feeds on the kine, And love on man, alas. So about and about! fa, la! And there’s a good light step to that tune, which I think I can do as well as any I have seen. (_Dances and sings._) So about and about! fa, la! So about and about! fa, la! etc. _Re-enter Flora, who watches him awhile and then laughs aloud._ _Fl._ Ha! ha! 440 Well fancy, Tristram! dancing all alone! _T._ Lack of company constrains a man to be alone; and as for dancing, ’tis the original sin Adam was born with. ’Twas seeing him dance alone provoked providence to send him a partner. ’Tis now the inheritance of lambs and such innocents: and wert thou not too depraved by a court life, I would ask thee to dance with me. _Fl._ I depraved! I will dance with you. _T._ Canst thou? 450 _Fl._ Ha! ha! About and about, fa, la! (_Dancing._) (_They dance to each other and then together; in and out among the chairs._) O softly, Tristram, softly; I am out of breath. _T._ You are not so depraved as I thought. Here’s the coin I pay in. (_Kissing her._) _Fl._ I don’t like you, Tristram. You take more liberties in a day than others would in a month.