Glen. Unwillingly I did; a nobler foe Had not been questioned thus; but such as thou- Glen. Norval. Norv. So I am And who is Norval in Glenalvon's eyes? Glen. A peasant's son, a wandering beggar boy; Norv. False as thou art, dost thou suspect my truth? I have no tongue to rail. The humble Norval And make thee sink too soon beneath my sword, I'd tell thee - what thou art. I know thee well. R.) Glen. (L.) Dost thou not know Glenalvon born to command Ten thousand slaves like thee? Norv. Villain, no more! Draw and defend thy life. I did design To have defied thee in another cause; But heaven accelerates its vengeance on thee. Now for my own and Lady Randolph's wrongs! (Both draw their swords.) Enter LORD RANDOLPH, R. Lord Randolph. Hold! I command you both! the man that stirs Makes me his foe. Norv. (C.) Another voice than thine That threat had vainly sounded, noble Randolph. Glen. Hear him, my lord; he's wondrous condescending! Mark the humility of shepherd Norval! Norv. Now you may scoff in safety. Lord R. (R.) Speak not thus, Taunting each other, but unfold to me The cause of quarrel; then I judge betwixt you. Norv. Nay, my good lord, though I revere you much, My cause I plead not, nor demand your judgment. SEEKING SERVICE. I owe a subject's homage; but even him Hence as he came; alone - but not dishonored! Lord R. Thus far I'll mediate with impartial voice; Now waves his banner o'er her frighted fields; The private quarrel. Glen. I agree to this. Norv. And I. Glen. Norval, 255 (LORD R. retires up.) Let not our variance mar the social hour, Nor wrong the hospitality of Randolph. Shall stain my countenance. Smooth thou thy brow; Norv. Think not so lightly, sir, of my resentment; (Exeunt LORD R., GLEN., NORV., L.) Thomas. Here's a man, sir, come after the footman's place. Bull. I hope he is more civil than the last fellow. Does he seem modest?' Thomas. O, yes, sir; he's an Irishman. Let Bull. Well, we are used to them in the Bull family. me see him. (Exit THOMAS, L.) I hope I shall be able to keep a servant, at last. They are all so provokingly saucy to me, because I have been a grocer. Enter LOONEY MACTWOLTER, L. So you want a place! Looney. You may say that, with your own ugly mouth! Bull. My ugly mouth! You have been in service before? Loo. Does a duck swim? Bull. Whom have you lived with? Loo. I lived with the Mactwolters nineteen years, and then they turned me off. Bull. The Mactwolters! Why did they turn you off? Bull. That's an awkward way of discharging a servant. Who were they? Loo. My own beautiful father and most beautiful mother. They died of a whiskey fever, and left myself, Looney Mactwolter, heir to their estate. Bull. They had an estate, it seems. Loo. Yes; they had a pig. Bull. Umph! But they died, you say, when you were nineWhat have you been doing ever since? teen. Loo. I'm a physicianer. Bull. A physician, is it, you mean? Bull. And what brought you here? Loo. Hay-making. I've a fork below; hire me, then I'll have a knife to it, and prettily I'll toss about your beef, Mr. Bull! Bull. I don't doubt you. This fellow would make the steaks disappear, with a vengeance! What can you do as a footman? Can you clean plate? Loo. Clean a plate! for your kitchen-maid? the parish. Botheration, man! would you hire me Bull. Do you think, now, Looney, you could contrive to beat a coat? Loo. Faith, can I, in the Connaught fashion. Bull. How's that? Loo. With a man in it. Och! Let me alone for dusting your ould jacket, Mr. Bull! Bull. Confound this fellow, I say! Loo. Be aisy, and I'll warrant we'll agree. Give me what I ax, and we'll never tumble out about the wages. Reënter THOMAS, L. Thomas. Here's another man come after the place, I believe, Bull. Another man! Let me see him. (Exit THOMAS, L.) sir. Loo. Faith, now, you'll bother yourself betwixt us. You'l be like a cat in a tripe-shop, and not know where to choose. SEEKING SERVICE. Enter JOHN LUMP, L. Lump. Be you Mr. Bull, zur? 257 Lump. O! if you are nothing but the deputy, I'll bide here till I see Mr. Bull himself. Bull. Blockhead! I am himself Mr. Deputy Bull. Loo. Arrah! can't you see, man, that this ugly ould gentleman is himself? Bull. Hold your tongue, Mr. Looney Mactwolter! What's your name? Lump. John. Bull. John what? Lump. No; not John What, but John Lump. Bull. And what do you want, John Lump? Lump. Why, I'se come here, zur -but as we be upon a bit o' business, I'll let you hear the long and short on 't. (Drawing a chair and sitting down.) I'se comed here, zur, to hire myself for your sarvant. Bull. Ah! but you don't expect, I perceive, to have any standing wages. Loo. (Drawing a chair and sitting down.) Aren't you a pretty spalpeen, now, to squat yourself down there in the presence of Mr. Deputy Bull? Bull. Now, here's a couple of scoundrels! him politeness! Bull. Get up directly, you villain, or— Mind how I'll larn Loo. Not before Mr. Lump. See how I'll give him the polish. Bull. If you don't get up directly, I'll squeeze your heads together like two figs in a jar! Lump. (Rising.) O, then, it be unmannerly for a footman to rest himself, I suppose! Loo. (Rising.) To be sure it is; no servant has the bad manners to sit before his master, but the coachman. Lump. I ax your pardon, zur; I 'se but a poor Yorkshire lad, traveled up from Doncaster Races; I'se simple, but I 'se willing to learn. Bull. Simple and willing to learn? Two qualities, Master Lump, which will answer my purpose. (LUMP stands back.) Loo. Mind what you're after going to do, Mr. Deputy Bull! If you hire this fellow from the Donkey Races, when Looney Mactwolter is at your elbow, I'll make free to say, you're mak ing a complete Judy of yourself. Bull. You do make free, with a vengeance! Now, I'll make free to say, get out of my house, you impudent cow-doctor! Loo. You're no scholard, or you'd larn how to bemean yourself to a physicianer. Arrah! Is n't cow-doctor as good as you, you ould figman? Bull. Old figman! Get down stairs, or— This rascal, tco, quizzing my origin! Loo. Don't come over me with the pride of your staircase, for had n't my father a comfortable ladder to go up and down stairs with? Take Mr. Lump into your dicy service, and next time I'm after meeting him, I'll thump Mr. Lump, or Mr. Lump shall thump Mr. Leoney Mactwolter! (Exit, L. Exeunt BULL and LUMP, R Enter SIR LUCIUS O'TRIGGER, L., with pistols, followed by ACRES. Acres. (L.) By my valor, then, Sir Lucius, forty yards is a good distance. Odds levels and aims! I say it is a good dis tance. Sir Lucius. (R.) Is it for muskets or small field-pieces? Upon my conscience, Mr. Acres, you must leave those things to me. Stay, now I'll show you. (Measures paces along the floor.) There, now, that is a very pretty distance a pretty gentleman's distance. Acr. (R.) Zounds! we might as well fight in a sentry-box! I tell you, Sir Lucius, the further he is off, the cooler I shall take my aim. Sir L. (L.) Faith! then I suppose you would aim at him best of all if he was out of sight! Acr. No, Sir Lucius; but I should think forty or eight-andthirty yards Sir L. Pooh! pooh! nonsense! Three or four feet between the mouths of your pistols is as good as a mile. Acr. Odds bullets, no! - by my valor! there is no merit in killing him so near! Do, my dear Sir Lucius, let me bring him down at a long shot: -a long shot, Sir Lucius, if you love me! Sir L. Well, the gentleman's friend and I must settle that. But tell me now, Mr. Acres, in case of an accident, is there any little will or commission I could execute for you? Acr. I am much obliged to you, Sir Lucius- but I don't understand *See page 233. |