CUTLET
Lord have mercy upon us! not so bad as that comes to, I hope?

PENDULOUS
When she joins in the judgment of an illiberal world against me—­

CUTLET
You said HANGED, Sir—­that is, I mean, perhaps I mistook you.  How
ghastly he looks!

PENDULOUS
Fear me not, my friend.  I am no ghost—­though I heartily wish I were
one.

CUTLET
Why, then, ten to one you were—­

PENDULOUS
Cut down. The odious word shall out, though it choak me.

CUTLET
Your case must have some things in it very curious.  I daresay you kept a
journal of your sensations.

PENDULOUS
Sensations!

CUTLET Aye, while you were being—­you know what I mean.  They say persons in your situation have lights dancing before their eyes—­blueish.  But then the worst of all is coming to one’s self again.

PENDULOUS
Plagues, furies, tormentors!  I shall go mad! [Exit.]

CUTLET There, he says he shall go mad.  Well, my head has not been very right of late.  It goes with a whirl and a buzz somehow.  I believe I must not think so deeply.  Common people that don’t reason know nothing of these aberrations.

      Great wits go mad, and small ones only dull;
      Distracting cares vex not the empty skull: 
      They seize on heads that think, and hearts that feel,
      As flies attack the—­better sort of veal.

[Exit.]

ACT II

SCENE.—­At Flint’s.

FLINT.  WILLIAM.

FLINT
I have overwalked myself, and am quite exhausted.  Tell Marian to come
and play to me.

WILLIAM
I shall, Sir. [Exit.]

FLINT I have been troubled with an evil spirit of late; I think an evil spirit.  It goes and comes, as my daughter is with or from me.  It cannot stand before her gentle look, when, to please her father, she takes down her music-book. Enter William.

WILLIAM
Miss Marian went out soon after you, and is not returned.

FLINT
That is a pity—­That is a pity.  Where can the foolish girl be gadding?

WILLIAM
The shopmen say she went out with Mr. Davenport.

FLINT
Davenport?  Impossible.

WILLIAM They say they are sure it was he, by the same token that they saw her slip into his hand, when she was past the door, the casket which you gave her.

FLINT Gave her, William!  I only intrusted it to her.  She has robbed me.  Marian is a thief.  You must go to the Justice, William, and get out a warrant against her immediately.  Do you help them in the description.  Put in “Marian Flint,” in plain words—­no remonstrances, William—­“daughter of Reuben Flint,”—­no remonstrances, but do it—­

WILLIAM
Nay, sir—­

FLINT I am rock, absolute rock, to all that you can say—­A piece of solid rock.—­What is it that makes my legs to fail, and my whole frame to totter thus?  It has been my over walking.  I am very faint.  Support me in, William. [Exeunt]