ave destroyed; our
honour, of which you have robbed us; our credit, which you have
blasted; can you restore these? Can you erase the deep characters of
misery from the heart of an afflicted husband? Can you restore a
wretched daughter, once more in the bloom of health, to her parents
arms? Will you restore all this, with this paper?

_Lewis._ If you accuse me of all this, Madam, you are unjust, and I
must speak.

_Mrs. D._ Speak, Sir.

_Lewis._ What I do, I will freely confess, is not so much for Mr.
Drave as for your and Augusta's sake. His abuse of my property, his
secret plans to undo one brother by the other--that, Madam, that hurts
me.--With respect to what has happened, God be my witness, that I had
not the smallest presentiment of it. I am frail, and I have erred; yet
I hope I now atone for my fault.

_Mrs. D._ This requires an answer. My husband, who placed this sum with
the most respectable house in the city, in order to provide a better
fortune for his prodigal ward--who, unsolicited, in order to secure
this ward from all accidents, gave security to the amount of all he was
worth, and who now makes it good with the loss of all his fortune--he
is an honest man.

_Lewis_ [astonished]. Gave security?

_Mrs. D._ [not attending to him]. A perverted mind may misinterpret his
actions. Kindnesses bestowed on the ungrateful will one day have their
reward.--A man like my Drave can lay his hand on his heart, and look
with hope to the day when he shall appear before his Almighty Judge; he
can, amidst all his losses, despise such a wretched thing as this--[She
tears the paper in two, and drops it on the ground].

_Lewis._ I am astonished. Mr. Drave gave security?

_Mrs. D._ He did.

_Lewis._ That, Madam, was entirely unknown to me.

_Mrs. D._ Henceforth we have nothing to say to each other; but, before
we part, let me remember one thing--You once made a serious application
to me concerning my daughter.

_Lewis._ Pray, Madam----

_Mrs. D._ It is over--an abused mother, a deceived fool more or less,
what does it signify to a man of fashion? The girl may weep; the mother
may be angry--your companions will laugh at such gallantry--why should
you alter your conduct?

_Lewis._ You touch closely there--[hastily]. No, that is too much.
[With intreaty] Madam, for God's sake----

_Mrs. D._ You, Mr. Brook, who never gave us a single hour's comfort,
you have reduced us to misery in a single hour. It hurts not your