_Cha._ All right, I’ve heard; you can announce me. _Pri._ You wrote your name in my book; but you see, sir, my daughter’s— _Cha._ You’ve forgotten it; say Mr. Charleston King. _Pri._ (_re-entering_ L. H.). Mr. Charles, son of a king! _Luc._ Son of a king! _Cha._ (_entering_). Charleston King, at your service, madam. _Pri._ (_aside, going_). A veiled woman in my house on such a day! [_Exit._ _Cha._ (_taking a chair near_ LUCY). It is really too good of you, madam, to receive a man in your rooms who you never saw; and I scarcely know how to thank you. _Luc._ You will thank me, sir, by explaining how it is that one can be— _Cha._ Too lazy for any thing. _Luc._ Precisely. If you will take the chair near you, you can be seated. _Cha._ Well, you see, in this world men have all sorts of faces. (PRICHARD _enters with tea-tray_.) Confound this fellow! Just as I was getting on so nicely! _Pri._ (_putting down tea_). Madam— _Cha._ Talking of faces, let me draw your attention, madam, to this one (_pointing to_ PRI.’S _face_). There is a face that has committed faults—crimes. _Pri._ Crimes! Faults! Me, madam! me, sir! Here is the best tea, which upon this auspicious day— _Cha._ That’ll do. _Pri._ Crimes! Faults! Yes, madam, your maid has charmed us to such an extent with her dancing on this auspicious— _Luc._ (_taking no notice of_ PRI.). Go on talking, sir, whilst I pour out the tea. _Cha._ Well, madam, in consequence of my misfortune my lifetime has indeed been a miserable one,—sorrow upon sorrow, faults accumulating upon faults. _Pri._ (_leaving_). Crimes! Faults, indeed! [_Exit._ _Cha._ My friends always insisted on declaring that I was too lazy to do any thing; and the unlucky star that I was born under, gossiping tongues, and certain circumstances all combined, seemed to favor such a prediction. _Luc._ But, sir, was this merited? (_Making tea._) Will you have a cup of tea, Mr.—Mr.— _Cha._ (_absorbed_). Apollo. _Luc._ Mr. Apollo. _Cha._ Madam! Ah, a thousand pardons. I was absorbed in thinking of my miserable self. _Luc._ (_getting interested_). Have you no relations? _Cha._ I had an uncle, a well-known merchant, but he died two years ago. _Luc._ And didn’t he leave any thing? _Cha._ Oh, dear, yes; he left a very nice fortune. In fact, he adopted this young lady on purpose to do that. _Luc._ Oh, that wasn’t right. _Cha._ I don’t know that it’s wrong; but it is not on account of this that I owe him a grudge. I heard that the only way in which he could discharge an obligation to a friend of his was by adopting this friend’s daughter, who was left an orphan, a very charming person, I heard; at least, so I was told, for I refused to put my foot inside his house. _Luc._ Curious determination! _Cha._ Pardon me: not at all. The fact is, he insulted me,—he made me a present.