_Sir Abel._ [_Imitating._] Come, come--That's a damn'd clever fellow! Joy, joy, my boy! Here, here, your hands--The first use I make of liberty, is to give happiness--I wish I had more imitators--Well, what will you do? [_Walks about exultingly._] Where will you go? I'll go any where you like--Will you go to Bath, or Brighton, or Petersburgh, or Jerusalem, or Seringapatam? all the same to me--we single fellows--we rove about--nobody cares about us--we care for nobody. _Handy, jun._ I must to the Castle, father. _Sir Abel._ Have with you Bob. [_Singing._] "I'll sip every flower--I'll change every hour."--[_Beckoning._]--Come, come--[_Exeunt_ SIR ABEL, HANDY, _jun. and_ SUSAN. SUSAN _kisses her hand to_ ASHFIELD _and_ DAME.] _Ash._ Bless her! how nicely she do trip it away with the gentry! _Dame._ And then, Tummas, think of the wedding. _Ash._ [_Reflecting._] I declare I shall be just the zame as ever--may be I may buy a smartish bridle, or a zilver backy stopper, or the like o' that. _Dame._ [_Apart._] And, then, when we come out of church, Mrs. Grundy will be standing about there-- _Ash._ I shall shake hands agreeably wi' all my friends. [_Apart._] _Dame._ [_Apart._] Then I just look at her in this manner. _Ash._ [_Apart._] How dost do, Peter--Ah, Dick,--glad to zee thee wi' all my zoul. [_Bows towards the centre of the stage._] _Dame._ [_Apart._] Then, with a kind of half curt'sy, I shall--[_She advances to the centre also, and their heads meet._] _Ash._ What an wold fool thee be'st, Dame--Come along, and behave pratty, do'e. [_Exeunt._ SCENE II. _The same as act fourth, scene third._ _Enter_ HANDY, _jun. with caution, bearing a light, and a large key._ _Handy, jun._ Now to fulfil my promise with Sir Philip Blandford--by--entering that chamber, and removing--'Tis rather awful--I don't half like it, somehow, every thing is so cursedly still. What's that? I thought I heard something--no--why, 'sdeath, I am not afraid--no--I'm quite su--su--sure of that--only every thing is so cursedly hush, and--[_A flash of light, and a tremendous explosion takes place._] What the devil's that? [_Trembling._] I swear I hear some one--lamenting--who's there? _Enter_ SIR ABEL HANDY. Father? [_Trembling._] _Sir Abel._ [_Trembling._] Bob! _Handy, jun._ Have you seen any thing! _Sir Abel._ Oh, my dear boy! _Handy, jun._ Damn it, don't frighten one-- _Sir Abel._ Such an accident! Mercy on us! _Handy, jun._ Speak! _Sir Abel._ I was mixing the ingredients of my grand substitute for gunpowder, when somehow it blew up, and set the curtains on fire, and-- _Handy, jun._ Curtains! zounds, the room's in a blaze. _Sir Abel._ Don't say so, Bob. _Handy, jun._ What's to be done? Where's your famous preparation for extinguishing flames? _Sir Abel._ It is not mixed. _Handy, jun._ Where's your fire escape? _Sir Abel._ It is not fixed. _Handy, jun._ Where's your patent fire engine?