_Sylv._ That's a secret you will be hereafter obliged to keep for your own sake; and for the family, your friend Beaugard shall answer for us there. _Cour._ Indeed I fancied the rogue had mischief in his head, he behaved himself so soberly last night: has he taken a farm lately too? _Sylv._ A trespasser, I believe, if the truth were known, upon the provender you would fain have been biting at just now. _Re-enter_ Maid. _Maid._ Madam, madam, have a care of yourself: I see lights in the great hall; whatever is the matter, Sir Davy and all the family are up. _Cour._ I hope they'll come, and catch me here: well, now you have brought me into this condition, what will you do with me, ha? _Sylv._ You won't be contented for awhile to be tied up like a jade to an empty rack without hay, will you? _Cour._ Faith, e'en take me, and put thy mark upon me quickly, that if I light into strange hands they may know me for a sheep of thine. _Sylv._ What, by your wanting a fleece do you mean? If it must be so, come follow your shepherdess. Ba-a-a! [_Exeunt._ [Illustration] SCENE II.--_A Room in_ Sir DAVY DUNCE'S _House_. _Enter_ Sir DAVY DUNCE _and_ VERMIN. _Sir Dav._ I cannot sleep, I shall never sleep again: I have prayed too so long, that were I to be hanged presently, I have never a prayer left to help myself: I was no sooner lain down upon the bed just now, and fallen into a slumber, but methought the devil was carrying me down Ludgate-hill a-gallop, six puny fiends with flaming fire-forks running before him like link-boys, to throw me headlong into Fleetditch, which seemed to be turned into a lake of fire and brimstone: would it were morning! _Ver._ Truly, sir, it has been a very dismal night. _Sir Dav._ But didst thou meet never a white thing upon the stairs? _Ver._ No, sir, not I; but methoughts I saw our great dog Towzer, with his brass collar on, stand at the cellar-door as I came along the old entry. _Sir Dav._ It could never be: Towzer has a chain; had this thing a chain on? _Ver._ No, sir, no chain, but it had Towzer's eyes for all the world. _Sir Dav._ What, ugly, great, frightful eyes? _Ver._ Ay, ay, huge saucer eyes, but mightily like Towzer's. _Sir Dav._ O Lord! O Lord! hark! hark! _Ver._ What? what I beseech you, sir? _Sir Dav._ What's that upon the stairs? Didst thou hear nothing? Hist, hark, pat, pat, pat, hark, hey! _Ver._ Hear nothing! where, sir? _Sir Dav._ Look! look! what's that? what's that in the corner there? _Ver._ Where? _Sir Dav._ There. _Ver._ What, upon the iron chest? _Sir Dav._ No, the long black thing up by the old clock-case. See! see! now it stirs, and is coming this way.