. I am, sir, and will certainly act in the manner you have
pointed out to me.

_Old Hum_. Then let us return to the house. [_Exeunt_.

SCENE II.--_A parlour in_ HUMBUG'S _house_. MRS. HUMBUG _and_ FANNY
_discovered at work_.

_Mrs. Hum_. You understand me, my love?

_Fanny_. Perfectly, ma'am: pray continue your narration.

_Mrs. Hum_. Alas! it is nearly concluded; for I have nothing more to say
on the subject.

_Fanny_. Ah! here is Daphne.

_Enter_ DAPHNE.

_Daphne_. My dear Mrs. Humbug, how d'ye do? Oh! Fanny, it is all over.

_Fanny_. Is it indeed!

_Mrs. Hum_. I'm very sorry to hear it.

_Fanny_. Then 'twas to no purpose that I--

_Daphne_. None upon earth.

_Mrs. Hum_. And what is to become of--?

_Daphne_. Oh! 'tis all settled. (_Whispers_ MRS. HUMBUG.)

_Fanny_. And how is it determined?

_Daphne_. I'll tell you. (_Whispers_ FANNY.)

_Mrs. Hum_. And is he to--?

_Daphne_. I'll tell you all I know of the matter. (_Whispers_ MRS.
HUMBUG _and_ FANNY.)

_Fanny_. Well, now I know everything about it, I'll go away.

_Mrs. Hum_. and _Daphne_. And so will I. [_Exeunt_.

SCENE III.--_The curtain rises, and discovers_ SIR EDWARD SPANGLE
_reclined in an elegant attitude on a sofa fast asleep_.

_Enter_ COL. ELLIOTT.

_Col. E_. My daughter is not here, I see. There lies Sir Edward. Shall
I tell him the secret? No, he'll certainly blab it. But he's asleep,
and won't hear me;--so I'll e'en venture. (_Goes up to_ SIR EDWARD,
_whispers him, and exit_.)

END OF THE FIRST ACT.

FINIS.

* * * * *

Her own mature opinion of the desirableness of such an early habit of
composition is given in the following words of a niece:--

'As I grew older, my aunt would talk to me more seriously of my reading
and my amusements. I had taken early to writing verses and stories, and
I am sorry to think how I troubled her with reading them. She was very
kind about it, and always had some praise to bestow, but at last she
warned me against spending too much time upon them. She said--how well I
recollect it!--that she knew writing stories was a great amusement, and
_she_ thought a harmless one, though many people, she was aware, thought
otherwise; but that at my age it would be bad for me to be much taken up
with my own compositions. Later still--it was after she had gone to
Winchester--she sent me a message to this effect, that if I would take
her advice I should cease writing ti