_Harry._ No; _be_ free. You are now the slave of an old custom, “more honored in the breach than the observance.” Don’t let it master you again. Don’t let my wife blush for her father. _Silas._ I won’t! There’s my hand. Sally is yours; and I solemnly promise never to break (_smash of crockery, L._)--Hullo! What’s that? _Mrs. S._ (_Outside, L._) O, the monster! Drive him out! _Sally._ (_Outside, L._) He won’t go. Run, mother, run! (_Crash._) _Mrs. S._ (_Outside, L._) He’s sp’ilt my best dishes! O, the beast! (_Enter, L._) O, Silas, this is all your work. That hateful critter’s got into the kitchen. _Enter SALLY, L._ _Sally._ O, mother! Harry! father! He’s coming this way! Save us, save us! (_Gets under table._) _Mrs. S._ Goodness gracious! he’ll set the house afire! (_Gets behind sofa._) _Enter JOHNNY, L._ _Johnny._ Help! murder! O, I’ve had a h’ist! He’s breaking up housekeeping--you bet! _Harry._ Be calm, be calm. There’s no danger. _Mrs. S._ We shall all be eaten alive. O, the monster! _Silas._ Confound him, I’ll pepper him! Let me get my gun! (_Going, R._) _Harry._ No, no. ’Twould be dangerous to shoot. _Johnny._ Let him have a dose, dad. _Harry._ No, no. Silence! He’s here! _Enter, L., PAT and BIAS, as the elephant. [For description of its manufacture, see note on page 92.] It enters slowly, passes across stage at back, and exit, R._ _Mrs. S._ O, the monster! _Sally._ He’s gone straight into the parlor. He’ll smash everything. O, my vases, my vases! _Silas._ (_Aside._) Confound the critter, I’ll have one shot at him. [_Exit, R._ _Harry._ (_To SALLY._) It’s all right, Sally. I’ve got his promise. _Sally._ And we shall be married! Ain’t it jolly? _Mrs. S._ But how on airth are you going to git out of this scrape? _Harry._ Leave that to me. Hush! he’s here. _Enter SILAS, R., with gun._ _Silas._ I’ve had jest about enough of that air critter’s society; and if I don’t pepper him, my name’s not Silas Somerby. _Harry._ A gun! (_Aside._) This will never do. (_Aloud._) Mr. Somerby, your life’s in danger if you fire that gun. _Silas._ My dander’s up, and I’m goin’ in. _Mrs. S._ Silas, don’t you shoot off that gun. I can’t bear it. _Sally._ No, no, father; you must not. _Johnny._ Don’t mind ’em, dad; blaze away. (_Aside._) By jinks, that’ll be fun! (_They all come forward._) _Silas._ I’m going to have a shot at the critter, if I die for it. Here he comes again. (_Raises gun._) _Mrs. S._ Mercy sakes, Silas, you’ll kill somebody! _Harry._ You must not shoot, I tell you! _Sally._ O, father, don’t! Please don’t! (_They all seize him._) _Johnny._ Blaze away, dad! Give him fits! _Silas._ (_Breaking away from them._) Stand back, I say. (_Raises gun._) _Enter the elephant, R._ _Silas._ There, darn you! (_Fires. SALLY and MRS. S. scream._) _Pat._ O, murther, murther! I’m kilt intirely!