_Friend_. Was this the Wife you did demand of me? _Bel_. Yes, I had no other. _Dia_. Fair Maid! forgive me all my shameful Passion, And charge my Fault upon your Beauty only. _Cel_. Excellent Creature! I shou’d sue for that, Which my Deceit will never make me hope. _Bel_. And art thou true to Love, and all thy Vows? Whilst I to save my Fortune, (That only which you’d make me merit thee) Gave my unwilling Hand to this fair noble Maid. --Ah, _Friendlove_, when thou hear’st my Story told, Thou wilt forgive, and pity me. _Dia_. What was’t you said, Sir? _Friendlove_! _Friend_. Yes, Madam, I hope the Name can make no difference; Or hate that still, so you but love the Man. _Dia_. Though I’m again defeated, yet this last Proves least offensive; nor shall an empty Word Alter my fix’d Resolves, to love you still. _Friend_. Then I am blest! _Bel_. But yet the Office of the Priest has past: What Remedy for that? _Dia_. My Uncle’s Pow’r, the Nearness of our Blood, The Contradiction of our Circumstances. _Bel_. And above all that, my Contract with _Celinda_. --Methinks I feel a Joy spread o’er my Heart, The blessed Omen of approaching Happiness. _Cel_. I do believe thee; for by Sympathy, Mine takes new Fire and Hope. _Dia_. I have already writ to my Uncle, and the Messenger assur’d me, he would gratify my Desires; that done, I will be yours. [_To_ Friendlove. _Bel_. But why thus drest? it might have led my Rage, Full of Despair and Jealousy to have hurt thee. _Cel_. Sir, when the Letter came of your being married, I will not tell you all the Effects it had Upon my desperate Soul; But this I know, I had resolv’d to die, But first to see you. Your Page inform’d the Nurse All that had past, and of the last Night’s Ball; And much concern’d, she got this Habit for me, And inform’d me how ‘twas I was to act, And that my Brother (describing of his Dress) was gone before. This made me haste, lest e’er I came His Rage had done the Business which it went for. _Friend_. And so it had, hadst thou not hinder’d me; For I, Sir, was the Man who drew on you. _Bel_. And was it thou that didst defend my Heart, That I might live to pay thy Goodness back? _Cel_. It was to save your Life, and to expose my own. _Dia_. Come, let’s in, and consult what’s best for us to do. _Bel_. Come, my _Celinda_. Let us no longer doubt, the Pow’rs above Will be propitious to united Love. [_Ex_. Cel. _Enter_ Servant. _Serv_. Sir, my Lord Plotwell is at the Door in his Coach. _Dia_. My Uncle come! Sir, we will not doubt our Fortune. But how came he to know of my being here? _Serv_. Madam, I fear he follow’d me after I had given him the Letter. _Enter Lord_ Plotwell, Charles, Trusty.