asure; I will put you out of his, and
fortune's power, and for that thou art scrupulously honest, I will secure
thy fidelity to him, and give my honour never to own any discovery that
you shall make me. Can you give me a demonstrative proof? Speak.

MASK. I wish I could not. To be plain, my lord, I intended this evening
to have tried all arguments to dissuade him from a design which I
suspect; and if I had not succeeded, to have informed your lordship of
what I knew.

LORD TOUCH. I thank you. What is the villain's purpose?

MASK. He has owned nothing to me of late, and what I mean now, is only a
bare suspicion of my own. If your lordship will meet me a quarter of an
hour hence there, in that lobby by my lady's bed-chamber, I shall be able
to tell you more.

LORD TOUCH. I will.

MASK. My duty to your lordship makes me do a severe piece of justice.

LORD TOUCH. I will be secret, and reward your honesty beyond your hopes.

SCENE XV.

_Scene opening_, _shows Lady Touchwood's chamber_.

MELLEFONT _solus_.

MEL. Pray heaven my aunt keep touch with her assignation. O that her
lord were but sweating behind this hanging, with the expectation of what
I shall see. Hist, she comes. Little does she think what a mine is just
ready to spring under her feet. But to my post. [_Goes behind the
hangings_.]

SCENE XVI.

LADY TOUCHWOOD.

LADY TOUCH. 'Tis eight o'clock; methinks I should have found him here.
Who does not prevent the hour of love, outstays the time; for to be dully
punctual is too slow. I was accusing you of neglect.

SCENE XVII.

LADY TOUCHWOOD, MASKWELL, MELLEFONT _absconding_.

MASK. I confess you do reproach me when I see you here before me; but
'tis fit I should be still behindhand, still to be more and more indebted
to your goodness.

LADY TOUCH. You can excuse a fault too well, not to have been to blame.
A ready answer shows you were prepared.

MASK. Guilt is ever at a loss, and confusion waits upon it; when
innocence and bold truth are always ready for expression.

LADY TOUCH. Not in love: words are the weak support of cold
indifference; love has no language to be heard.

MASK. Excess of joy has made me stupid! Thus may my lips be ever
closed. [_Kisses her_.] And thus--O who would not lose his speech, upon
condition to have joys above it?

LADY TOUCH. Hold, let me lock the door first. [_Goes to the door_.]

MASK. [_Aside_.] That I believed;