The Heiress (Burgoyne, 1786)/Act 4, Scene 4

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Oh! lud, I cou'd hardly tremble more at opening this man's apartment, were there a pos­sibility of finding him within side. How do peo­ple find courage to do a wrong thing, when an innocent discovery cannot be prosecuted without such timidity.

[Approaches the door timidly and unlocks it.

Lady Emily.Amazement. Miss Alton! what brought you here?

Miss Alton.Madam, I was brought here for an hour's concealment; who I really am, I wou'd not, if possible to avoid it, divulge in this house. When you saw me last, you honour'd me with a favourable opinion—My story not explained at full, might subject me to doubts, that wou'd ​shake your candour. The circumstances in which I am involved, are strange, and have succeeded with the rapidity and confusion of a dream— Suffer me to recover for a moment my disorder'd spirits, and I will satisfy you farther.

Lady Emily.What shall I do?—She is pale and ready to faint—I cannot let her be exposed in such a situation—Retire—You may rely upon me for present security—You know best your pre­tensions to my future opinion—(hearing Sir Cle­ment) begone, or you are discover'd—(shuts her in, and locks Clifford's door)

Sir Clement.Oh! the triumph of honour! Oh the sincerity of friendship, how my opinions are ratified—how my system is proved.

Lady Emily.Oh, spirits, spirits, forsake me not—oh, for a moment's dissimulation!

Sir Clement.There are some now who wou'd feed moroseness and misanthropy with such events; to me they give delight as convictions and warnings to mankind.

Lady Emily.Of how superior a quality, my good Uncle must be to the benevolence you pos­sess! it rises with the progress of mischief; and is gratified (upon principles of general good) by finding confidence abused, and esteem misplaced. Am I not right in attributing your joy at present so that sort of refinement?

Sir Clement.Hah! and to what sensations, my good niece, shall be attributed the present state of your spirits? To the disgust you took to Clifford almost at first sight. It will not be with indiffe­rence, but pleasure, you will hear of his turning ​out the veriest rascal, the most compleat impostor, the most abandon'd—but hold! hold—I must not wrong him by superlatives——he is match'd too.

Lady Emily.Really!—I congratulate you upon such a check of charity.

Sir Clement.And I wish you joy, my pretty pert one, upon the credit your sex has acquired, in producing this other Chef-d'ouvre—Such a composition of the highest vices and the lowest—

Lady Emily.I know it will be in vain to op­pose the pleasure you take in colouring, by my want of taste to enjoy it; but you may spare your preparatory shading, and come to the points with which I am not acquainted.

Sir Clement.And pray my incurious niece, with what points are you acquainted?

Lady Emily.That, before Mr. Clifford went abroad, it is suspected his passions betray'd him into a fault that must be shocking to your mora­lity, and that I'm sure it is not my intention to justify. He ought to have resisted. It's a shame we have not more examples of young men cor­recting the frailties of womankind—I dare say he neglected a fair opportunity of becoming a pro­digy.

Sir Clement.I protest you have a pretty way of dressing up an apology for the venial faults of youth—and it comes with a peculiar grace from a delicate lady of twenty.

Lady Emily.Come, Sir; no more of your sar­casms. I can treat wrong actions with levity, and yet consider them with detestation. Prudes and pretenders condemn with austerity. To the collection of suspicions you are master of, let me add one—In a young lady of the delicacy—and ​age you have described, always suspect the virtue that does not wear a smile.

Sir Clement.And the sincerity that wears one aukwardly—If you wou'd know the history of Clifford, ask but your brother; if of the precious adventurer he has carried off, enquire of Miss Alscrip—We shall come up with her yet—woe be to any one who harbours her.

Prompt.Joy to your honour, I see you have caught her.

Sir Clement.Her!—who?

Prompt (Lady Emily turning.)I ask your lady­ship's pardon—Having only the glimpse of a pet­ticoat, and knowing the object of my chase was in this house, I confess I mistook you.

Sir Clement.In this house?

Prompt.As sure as we are—She came in thorough the garden, under Mr. Clifford's arm—up the other stairs, I suppose—If my lady had been hereabouts—she must have seen her.

Lady Emily (in confusion.)Yes, but unluckily, I was quite out of the way.

Sir Clement.Such audaciousness passes credibi­lity—Emily what do you think of him?

Lady Emily.That he is a monster (aside.) How my dilemmas multiply.

Sir Clement.What, to my house! to his apart­ment here! I wonder he did not ask for pro­tection in your's—What should you have said?

Lady Emily.I don't know; but, had I been so imposed upon as to receive her, I should scorn to betray even the criminal I had engaged to protect.

​Sir Clement (tries at the door, finds it lock'd.)Emily, my dear, do ring the bell to know if the housekeeper has a second key to this lock.

Lady Emily.What shall I do?

Prompt.She is certainly there, Sir, and cannot escape. Where can she better remain, till you can assemble all parties, confront them face to face, and bring every thing that has pass'd to a full explanation?

Sir Clement.With all my heart; send and col­lect every body concerned as fast as possible—How I long for so complicated an exhibition of the purity of the human heart—Come with me, Emily, and help to digest my plan—Friends and lovers, what a scene shall we shew you. (Takes Lady Emily under the arm.) [Exeunt.