tead of attending
to the customers; nice set of servants I have, to be sure. If this is
all one gets by inn-keeping, it's not worth having. I keep the inn, and
I expect the inn to keep me. (Aside. Horrid old joke, what made me put
that in, I wonder? just like me--umph.') There's my wife, too--pretty
hostess she makes.

John. So she does, master, sure-ly.

Landlord. Hold your tongue, fool--what do you know about it? (Bell
rings.) There, do you hear that? run ~346~~ and see who that is, or
I shall lose a customer by your carelessness next. Oh! the bother of
servants--oh! the trouble of keeping an inn! (Hobbles out, driving Susan
and John before him. Curtain falls.)

As the first scene ended the audience applauded loudly, and then began
hazarding various conjectures as to the possible meaning of what
they had witnessed. While the confusion of sounds was at the highest,
Oaklands drew me on one side, and inquired, in an undertone, what I
thought of Lawless's acting. "I was agreeably surprised," returned I, "I
had no notion he would have entered into the part so thoroughly, or have
acted with so much spirit."

"He did it _con amore_, certainly," replied Oaklands with bitterness;
"I considered his manner impertinent in the highest degree, I wonder you
can allow him to act with your sister; that man is in love with her--I
feel sure of it--he meant every word he said. I hate this kind of thing
altogether--I never approved of it; no lady should be subjected to such
annoyance."

"Supposing it really were as you fancy, Harry, how do you know it would
be so great an annoyance? It is just possible Fanny may like him,"
rejoined I.

"Oh, certainly! pray let me know when I am to congratulate you," replied
Oaklands with a scornful laugh; and, turning away abruptly, he crossed
the room, joined a party of young ladies, and began talking and laughing
with a degree of recklessness and excitability quite unusual to him.
While he was so doing, the curtain drew up, and discovered

Scene II.--Best room in the inn.

Enter Susan, showing in Hyacinth Adonis Brown (Coleman), dressed as
a caricature of the fashion, with lemon-coloured kid gloves,
staring-patterned trousers, sporting-coat, etc.

Susan. This is the settin'-room, if you please, sir. Hyacinth (fixing
his glass in his eye, and scrutinising the apartment). This is the
settin'-woom, is it? to set, to incubate as a hen--can't mean that, I
imagine--provincial idiom, pwobably--aw