husband. I am a wife, sir, and I have a duty, and-- oh,
sir!-- thy words terrify me-- they are not honest-- they
are wicked words, and unworthy thy great and brave
heart! Oh,shame upon thee! shame upon thee!

FAIRFAX Nay, Elsie, I did but jest. I spake but to try thee--

[Shot heard

[Enter SERGEANT MERYLL hastily

No. 18. Hark! What was that, sir?
(SCENE)
Elsie, Phoebe, Dame Carruthers, Fairfax. Wilfred, Point,
Lieutenant, Sergeant

MERYLL Hark! What was that, sir?

FAIRFAX Why, an arquebus--
Fired from the wharf, unless I much mistake.

MERYLL Strange-- and at such an hour! What can it mean!

[Enter CHORUS excitedly

CHORUS Now what can that have been--
A shot so late at night,
Enough to cause a fright!
What can the portent mean?

Are foemen in the land?
Is London to be wrecked?
What are we to expect?
What danger is at hand?
Let us understand
What danger is at hand!

[LIEUTENANT enters, also POINT and WILFRED

LIEUT. Who fired that shot? At once the truth declare?

WILFRED My lord, 'twas I-- to rashly judge forebear!

POINT My lord, 'twas he-- to rashly judge forebear!

WILFRED Like a ghost his vigil keeping--

POINT Or a spectre all-appalling--

WILFRED I beheld a figure creeping--

POINT I should rather call it crawling--

WILFRED He was creeping--

POINT He was crawling--

WILFRED He was creeping, creeping--

POINT Crawling!

WILFRED He was creeping--

POINT He was crawling--

WILFRED He was creeping, creeping--

POINT Crawling!

WILFRED Not a moment's hesitation--
I myself upon him flung,
With a hurried exclamation
To his draperies I hung;
Then we closed with one another
In a rough-and-tumble smother;
Co