TRIP. Mrs. Woffington!
WOFF. (reads). Alone and unprotected—signed “Mabel Vane.”
TRIP. Her own signature too! Mrs. Woffington—you are a great actress—you have been cruelly wronged—you have saved me from despair, and my children from starvation; but before I will carry that letter, I will have my hands hacked off at the wrists.
WOFF. (aside). What a good creature this is. Then you refuse to obey my orders.
TRIP. No! no! ask me to jump out of that window—to burn my favourite tragedy—to forswear pen and ink for ever—anything but carry that letter, and I will do it.
WOFF. Well—leave the letter! (Triplet runs for his hat) Where are you going?
TRIP. To bring the husband to his wife’s feet—and so to save one angel—that’s the lady in the other room—from despair; and another angel—that’s you, from a great crime. Trust poor Jemmy Triplet for once to bring this domestic drama to a happy denouement!
[Exit L.
WOFF. How innocently he helps my plot! I must have all the puppets under my hand. If I know Sir Charles, he is still on the watch (goes to window). Yes! (goes to inner door) Here—your eldest boy, Mrs. Triplet; I want him (enter Lysimachus R. door). Lysimachus, you see that gentleman, run down—give him this letter—and then show him up here (exit Lysimachus L. door). And now Mrs. Vane’s mantle, the hood well forward—so—we are nearly of a height—he does not know I am here—if I can but imitate her voice and rustic shyness—allons, Peggy ’tis seldom you acted in so good a cause (she assumes the air of Mrs. Vane).