PROBE.
Why then perhaps there may be hopes; but we must avoid further delay.—Here, help the gentleman into a chair, and carry him to my house presently—that’s the properest place—[Aside.] to bubble him out of his money.—[Aloud.] Come, a chair—a chair quickly—there, in with him.
[SERVANTS put LORD FOPPINGTON into a chair.]
LORD FOPPINGTON.
Dear Loveless, adieu; if I die, I forgive thee; and if I live, I hope thou wilt do as much by me. I am sorry you and I should quarrel, but I hope here’s an end on’t; for if you are satisfied, I am.
LOVELESS.
I shall hardly think it worth my prosecuting any further, so you may be at rest, sir.
LORD FOPPINGTON.
Thou art a generous fellow, strike me dumb!—[Aside.] But thou hast an impertinent wife, stap my vitals!
PROBE.
So—carry him off!—carry him off!—We shall have him into a fever by-and-by.—Carry him off! [Exit with LORD FOPPINGTON.] Enter COLONEL TOWNLY.
COLONEL TOWNLY.
So, so, I am glad to find you all alive.—I met a wounded peer carrying off. For heaven’s sake what was the matter?
LOVELESS.
Oh, a trifle! he would have made love to my wife before my face, so she obliged him with a box o’ the ear, and I ran him through the body, that was all.
COLONEL TOWNLY.
Bagatelle on all sides. But pray, madam, how long has this noble lord been an humble servant of yours?
AMANDA.
This is the first I have heard on’t—so I suppose, ’tis his quality more than his love has brought him into this adventure. He thinks his title an authentic passport to every woman’s heart below the degree of a peeress.