Mr. E. We should have been married by this time, but these men say that Florence has promised to marry them. Is it true, Florence?
F. No. [Bessy, her younger sister, supports her.
A. It isn’t true, for you know, Edward Bruin, that you and I are engaged; and Mr. Cas and Bessy have been for some time. And both engagements have been out for more than a week.
[Bessy looks reproachfully at Cas.
B. Why, Joseph Cas!
Bishop. Come, Mr. Emerson! I see that Mr. Cas and Mr. Bruin have been trying to worry your bride. But their story can’t be true, for these other young ladies say that they are engaged to them.
F. They each of them made me an offer, which I refused.
[The Bishop marries them.
F. [After they are married.] I shall never again be troubled with such offers [looks at Cas and Bruin] as yours!
I meant to give one scene, and I have given the whole play, not knowing where to stop. There was nothing funny about it to Julia. The heroine, with her wonderful command of silence, was her ideal of maiden reserve and dignity; the deep-dyed villany of Bruin and Cas, the retiring manners of the fortunate Emerson, the singular sprightliness of the Bishop, were all perfectly natural, as her vivid mind saw them.