NIG. Ah, delightful! DAM. To plague and torment you with their noise, and their screaming and fighting all the time you are there. NIG. Ah, true! MISS COY. To find every comfort that can make life endurable. NIG. Oh, charming! DAM. With heavy bills for their enjoyment, every week. NIG. Ah, true! MISS COY. (R.) To look round you, and say, this house is my paradise. NIG. (C.) Oh, happiness! DAM. (L.) Till some one runs away with your wife. NIG. Oh, Lord! There's all my courage gone at once. No, I never shall get married. MISS COY. Remain then as you are, sir, a melancholy bachelor. Be guided by your friend, sir, do; be guided by a man that supposes he has formed a perfect acquaintance with our sex, when the creature never had a female friend that confided her heart's feelings to him in all his life. Go, sir. Enjoy your freedom; _(Crosses to L.)_ but abandon all hope of me, for an obstacle to our union, now exists, that cannot be removed. [_Exit F.E.L._ NIG. _(To DAMPER.)_ I don't know whether to regard you as my good or my evil genius; but, whichever you are, I must follow her. DAM. Don't be weak. NIG. What is the obstacle that for ever prevents our union? DAM. _Me_, I dare say; yet, whatever it may be, don't seek to know--be ignorant and be blest. NIG. I must, I will know; such is the perversity of human nature, that now I have lost all hope of being a married man, I have a greater longing than ever for the name. I _will_ follow her and learn the obstacle. DAM. Stay where you are. NIG. I can't. I feel that I can't. DAM. Then I'll go with you. NIG. You had better not. DAM. I will. NIG. You had better not. DAM. I will. [_NIGGLE runs off, F.E.L.; DAMPER follows. MISS SNARE and BOSS have been flirting during the foregoing dialogue. PINKEY has kept his seat near the fire, not daring to move, as MISS SKYLARK has been constantly regarding him._ MISS SNA. What an extraordinary series of events, for one afternoon, and no learning who or what Miss Macaw and her neice are. BOSS. Or their gentleman either. It's all very singular. Pinkey, my man, we are going to give you another opportunity; profit by it. PIN. Oh, don't leave me, pray don't. BOSS. Try again, man; try again. MISS SNA. And avoid copying letters. PIN. Oh! those letters. MISS SNA. Now, Mr. Boss, will you step and look at my little parterre? BOSS. Really, I'm no _florist_. MISS SNA. But you always make some valuable observation, whatever you may be regarding--you can't help it--your natural good taste is so prevailing. BOSS. Do you think so, really? MISS SNA. Sincerely I do. BOSS. Upon my life you are a very agreeable creature. MISS SNA. It requires little effort to be agreeable where you are. BOSS. 'Pon my honour, you'll make me actually in love-- MISS SNA. Ah! BOSS. With myself. MISS SNA. Oh! [_Exeunt MISS SNARE and BOSS; PINKEY rises, and makes an effort to run out of the room; MISS SKYLARK rises._