o--to--You find it cool, I'm sure, sir--you'd better not
stay out.

Sir ANTHONY
Cool!--not at all.--Well, Jack--and what will you say to Lydia?

ABSOLUTE
Oh, sir, beg her pardon, humour her--promise and vow: but I detain you,
sir--consider the cold air on your gout.

Sir ANTHONY
Oh, not at all!--Not at all! I'm in no hurry.--Ah! Jack, you
youngsters, when once you are wounded here [Putting his hand to
CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE's breast.] Hey! what the deuce have you got here?

ABSOLUTE
Nothing, sir--nothing.

Sir ANTHONY
What's this?--here's something damned hard.

ABSOLUTE
Oh, trinkets, sir! trinkets!--a bauble for Lydia!

Sir ANTHONY
Nay, let me see your taste.--[Pulls his coat open, the sword falls.]
Trinkets!--a bauble for Lydia!--Zounds! sirrah, you are not going to
cut her throat, are you?

ABSOLUTE
Ha! ha! ha!--I thought it would divert you, sir, though I didn't mean
to tell you till afterwards.

Sir ANTHONY
You didn't?--Yes, this is a very diverting trinket, truly!

ABSOLUTE
Sir, I'll explain to you.--You know, sir, Lydia is romantic, devilish
romantic, and very absurd of course: now, sir, I intend, if she refuses
to forgive me, to unsheath this sword, and swear--I'll fall upon its
point, and expire at her feet!

Sir ANTHONY
Fall upon a fiddlestick's end!--why, I suppose it is the very thing
that would please her.--Get along, you fool!

ABSOLUTE
Well, sir, you shall hear of my success--you shall hear.--_O
Lydia!--forgive me, or this pointed steel_--says I.

Sir ANTHONY
_O, booby! stay away and welcome_--says she.--Get along! and damn your
trinkets!

[Exit CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.]

[Enter DAVID, running.]

DAVID
Stop him! stop him! Murder! Thief! Fire!--Stop fire! Stop fire!--O Sir
Anthony--call! call! bid 'm stop! Murder! Fire!

Sir ANTHONY
Fire! Murder!--Where?

DAVID
Oons! he's out of sight! and I'm out of breath! for my part! O Sir
Anthony, why didn't you stop him? why didn't you stop him?

Sir ANTHONY
Zounds! the fellow's mad!--Stop whom? stop Jack?

DAVID
Ay, the captain, sir!--there's murder and slaughter----

Sir ANTHONY
Murder!

DAVID
Ay, please you, Sir Anthony, there's all kinds of murder, all sorts of
slaughter to be seen in the fields: there's fighting going on,
sir--bloody sword-and-gun fighting!

Sir ANTHONY
Who are going to fight, dunce?

DAVID
Every body that I know of, Sir Anthony:--everybody is going to fight,
my poor master, Sir Lucius O'Trigger, your son, t