past happiness? Change
your tone, if you will do me a service. Reproach me, make of my
tenderness a crime, magnify my daughter's fault; fill me with
abhorrence of her, if you can; stir up anew my revenge against her
cursed seducer; say, that Sara never was virtuous, since she so lightly
ceased to be so; say that she never loved me, since she clandestinely
forsook me!

WAITWELL.

If I said that, I should utter a lie, a shameless, wicked lie. It might
come to me again on my death-bed, and I, old wretch, would die in
despair. No, little Sara has loved her father; and doubtless, doubtless
she loves him yet. If you will only be convinced of this, I shall see
her again in your arms this very day.

SIR WILLIAM.

Yes, Waitwell, of this alone I ask to be convinced. I cannot any longer
live without her; she is the support of my age, and if she does not
help to sweeten the sad remaining days of my life, who shall do it? If
she loves me still, her error is forgotten. It was the error of a
tender-hearted maiden, and her flight was the result of her remorse.
Such errors are better than forced virtues. Yet I feel, Waitwell, I
feel it, even were these errors real crimes, premeditated vices--even
then I should forgive her. I would rather be loved by a wicked
daughter, than by none at all.

WAITWELL.

Dry your tears, dear sir! I hear some one. It will be the landlord
coming to welcome us.

Scene II.

_The_ Landlord, Sir William Sampson, Waitwell.

LANDLORD.

So early, gentlemen, so early? You are welcome; welcome, Waitwell! You
have doubtless been travelling all night! Is that the gentleman, of
whom you spoke to me yesterday?

WAITWELL.

Yes, it is he, and I hope that in accordance with what we settled----

LANDLORD.

I am entirely at your service, my lord. What is it to me, whether I
know or not, what cause has brought you hither, and why you wish to
live in seclusion in my house? A landlord takes his money and lets his
guests do as they think best. Waitwell, it is true, has told me that
you wish to observe the stranger a little, who has been staying here
for a few weeks with his young wife, but I hope that you will not cause
him any annoyance. You would bring my house into ill repute and ce