feit my good opinion.

DIMPLE

Your good opinion, my angel, is the pride and pleasure of my heart; and
if the most respectful tenderness for you, and an utter indifference
for all your sex besides, can make me worthy of your esteem, I shall
richly merit it.

CHARLOTTE

All my sex besides, Mr. Dimple!--you forgot your tete-a-tete with
Letitia.

DIMPLE

How can you, my lovely angel, cast a thought on that insipid,
wry-mouthed, ugly creature!

CHARLOTTE

But her fortune may have charms?

DIMPLE

Not to a heart like mine. The man, who has been blessed with the good
opinion of my Charlotte, must despise the allurements of fortune.

CHARLOTTE

I am satisfied.

DIMPLE

Let us think no more on the odious subject, but devote the present hour
to happiness.

CHARLOTTE

Can I be happy when I see the man I prefer going to be married to
another?

DIMPLE

Have I not already satisfied my charming angel, that I can never think
of marrying the puling Maria? But, even if it were so, could that be
any bar to our happiness? for, as the poet sings,

"Love, free as air, at sight of human ties,
Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies."

Come, then, my charming angel! why delay our bliss? The present moment
is ours; the next is in the hand of fate. [Kissing her.]

CHARLOTTE

Begone, Sir! By your delusions you had almost lulled my honour asleep.

DIMPLE

Let me lull the demon to sleep again with kisses. [He struggles with
her; she screams.]

Enter MANLY.

MANLY

Turn, villain! and defend yourself.--[Draws.]

[VAN ROUGH enters and beats down their swords.]

VAN ROUGH

Is the devil in you? are you going to murder one another? [Holding
Dimple.]

DIMPLE

Hold him, hold him,--I can command my passion.

Enter JONATHAN.

JONATHAN

What the rattle ails you? Is the old one in you? Let the colonel
alone, can't you? I feel chock-full of fight,--do you want to kill the
colonel?--

MANLY

Be still, Jonathan; the gentleman does not want to hurt me.

JONATHAN

Gor! I--I wish he did; I'd shew him Yankee boys play, pretty
quick.--Don't you see you have frightened the young woman into the
hystrikes?

VAN ROUGH

Pray, some of you explain this; what has been the occasion of all this
racket?

MANLY

That gentleman can explain it to you; it will be a very diverting story
for an intended father-in-law to hear.

VAN ROUGH

How was thi