Sir ANTHONY You did! well, I am glad you were so lucky:--but what are you muffled up so for?--what's this for?--hey! ABSOLUTE 'Tis cool, sir, isn't it?--rather chilly somehow:--but I shall be late--I have a particular engagement. Sir ANTHONY Stay!--Why, I thought you were looking for me?--Pray, Jack, where is't you are going? ABSOLUTE Going, sir? Sir ANTHONY Ay, where are you going? ABSOLUTE Where am I going? Sir ANTHONY You unmannerly puppy! ABSOLUTE I was going, sir, to--to--to--to Lydia--sir, to Lydia--to make matters up if I could;--and I was looking for you, sir, to--to---- Sir ANTHONY To go with you, I suppose.--Well, come along. ABSOLUTE Oh! zounds! no, sir, not for the world!--I wished to meet with you, sir,--to--to--to--You find it cool, I'm sure, sir--you'd better not stay out. Sir ANTHONY Cool!--not at all.--Well, Jack--and what will you say to Lydia? ABSOLUTE Oh, sir, beg her pardon, humour her--promise and vow: but I detain you, sir--consider the cold air on your gout. Sir ANTHONY Oh, not at all!--Not at all! I'm in no hurry.--Ah! Jack, you youngsters, when once you are wounded here [Putting his hand to CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE's breast.] Hey! what the deuce have you got here? ABSOLUTE Nothing, sir--nothing. Sir ANTHONY What's this?--here's something damned hard. ABSOLUTE Oh, trinkets, sir! trinkets!--a bauble for Lydia! Sir ANTHONY Nay, let me see your taste.--[Pulls his coat open, the sword falls.] Trinkets!--a bauble for Lydia!--Zounds! sirrah, you are not going to cut her throat, are you? ABSOLUTE Ha! ha! ha!--I thought it would divert you, sir, though I didn't mean to tell you till afterwards. Sir ANTHONY You didn't?--Yes, this is a very diverting trinket, truly! ABSOLUTE Sir, I'll explain to you.--You know, sir, Lydia is romantic, devilish romantic, and very absurd of course: now, sir, I intend, if she refuses to forgive me, to unsheath this sword, and swear--I'll fall upon its point, and expire at her feet! Sir ANTHONY Fall upon a fiddlestick's end!--why, I suppose it is the very thing that would please her.--Get along, you fool! ABSOLUTE Well, sir, you shall hear of my success--you shall hear.--_O Lydia!--forgive me, or this pointed steel_--says I. Sir ANTHONY _O, booby! stay away and welcome_--says she.--Get along! and damn your trinkets! [Exit CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.] [Enter DAVID, running.] DAVID Stop him! stop him! Murder! Thief! Fire!--Stop fire! Stop fire!--O Sir Anthony--call! call! bid 'm stop! Murder! Fire! Sir ANTHONY Fire! Murder!--Where? DAVID Oons! he's out of sight! and I'm out of breath! for my part! O Sir Anthony, why didn't you stop him? why didn't you stop him? Sir ANTHONY Zounds! the fellow's mad!--Stop whom? stop Jack? DAVID Ay, the captain, sir!--there's murder and slaughter---- Sir ANTHONY Murder! DAVID Ay, please you, Sir Anthony, there's all kinds of murder, all sorts of slaughter to be seen in the fields: there's fighting going on, sir--bloody sword-and-gun fighting!