, you do but jest with me--you
cannot have forgotten it--

_Pon._ Hey? why no! but I can't say I remember it--

_Fan._ Sure, sure, you cannot have the barbarity to deny that you were a
witness to the ceremony!

_Pon._ I may be mistaken--I've a remarkably short memory; but to the
best of my recollection I certainly--

_Fan._ Ay, you recollect it--

_Pon._ I certainly _never was_ present--

_Fan._ Cruel! you were--indeed, indeed you were.

_Pon._ But at one wedding in my life.

_Fan._ And that was mine--

_Pon._ No, that was mine.

_Fan._ Merciful Heaven! I see my fate--it is disgrace and misery!

_Pon._ Bless you, if I could remember it; but I can't--however I'll
speak to my master about it, and if _he_ recollects it I dare say _I_
shall.

_Fan._ I have then no hope, and the fate of the hapless Fanny is
decided.

_Pon._ Ha! yonder I see comes my master and his lordship. I wonder what
they are thinking of--they're coming this way. _I_ think we had better
retire.

_Fan._ O hide me! hide me! In any corner let me hide my head, from
scorn, from misery, and, most of all, from him--

_Pon._ You can't escape that way, so you must come this. They wont think
of coming here. (_puts her into another room_) Poor girl! I've a great
mind to confess the whole affair. What shall I get by that? Nothing!
nothing! Oh! that's contrary to law! [_Exit.

Enter_ lord Austencourt _and_ O'Dedimus.

_Lord A._ Are you certain no one can overhear us?

_O'Ded._ There's nobody can hear us except my ould housekeeper, and
she's as deaf as St. Dunstan's clock-strikers.

_Lord A._ There is no time to be lost. You must immediately repair to
Fanny--tell her my affection is unabated--tell her I shall ever love
her, and make her such pecuniary offers, as shall convince her of my
esteem and affection; but we must meet no more. (_Fanny utters a cry
behind._)

_O'Ded._ What's that?

_Lord A._ We are betrayed!

_O'Ded._ Och! 'tis only my ould housekeeper.

_Lord A._ Your housekeeper! I thought you told me she was deaf.

_O'Ded._ Yes; but she isn't dumb. Devil a word can she _hear_ for
sartin; but she's apt to _say_ a great many, and so we may proceed.

_Lord A._ You will easily accomplish this business with Fanny.

_O'Ded._ I'm afraid not. To tell you the truth, my lord, I don't like
the job.

_Lord A._ Indeed! and why, sir?

_O'Ded._ Somehow, when I see a poor girl with her pretty little eyes
brim full of tears, which I