Then will Miss Howe warn her to keep close.  Then will my protection be again necessary.  This will do, I believe.  Any thing from Miss Howe must.

Joseph Leman is a vile fellow with her, and my implement.  Joseph, honest Joseph, as I call him, may hang himself.  I have played him off enough, and have very little further use for him.  No need to wear one plot to the stumps, when I can find new ones every hour.

Nor blame me for the use I make of my talents.  Who, that hath such, will let ’em be idle?

Well, then, I will find a Singleton; that’s all I have to do.

Instantly find one!—­Will!

Sir—­

This moment call me hither thy cousin Paul Wheatly, just come from sea, whom thou wert recommending to my service, if I were to marry, and keep a pleasure-boat.

Presto—­Will’s gone—­Paul will be here presently.  Presently to Mrs. Howe’s.  If Paul be Singleton’s mate, coming from his captain, it will do as well as if it were Singleton himself.

Sally, a little devil, often reproaches me with the slowness of my proceedings.  But in a play does not the principal entertainment lie in the first four acts?  Is not all in a manner over when you come to the fifth?  And what a vulture of a man must he be, who souses upon his prey, and in the same moment trusses and devours?

But to own the truth.  I have overplotted myself.  To my make my work secure, as I thought, I have frighted the dear creature with the sight of my four Hottentots, and I shall be a long time, I doubt, before I can recover my lost ground.  And then this cursed family at Harlowe-place have made her out of humour with me, with herself, and with all the world, but Miss Howe, who, no doubt, is continually adding difficulties to my other difficulties.

I am very unwilling to have recourse to measures which these demons below are continually urging me to take; because I am sure, that, at last, I shall be brought to make her legally mine.

One complete trial over, and I think I will do her noble justice.

***

Well, Paul’s gone—­gone already—­has all his lessons.  A notable fellow!  —­Lord W.’s necessary-man was Paul before he went to sea.  A more sensible rogue Paul than Joseph!  Not such a pretender to piety neither as the other.  At what a price have I bought that Joseph!  I believe I must punish the rascal at last:  but must let him marry first:  then (though that may be punishment enough) I shall punish two at once in the man and his wife.  And how richly does Betty deserve punishment for her behaviour to my goddess!

But now I hear the rusty hinges of my beloved’s door give me creaking invitation.  My heart creaks and throbs with respondent trepidations:  Whimsical enough though! for what relation has a lover’s heart to a rusty pair of hinges?  But they are the hinges that open and shut the door of my beloved’s bed-chamber.  Relation enough in that.