Sir Per. O! my lord, it is my duty to oblige your lordship to the utmost stretch of my abeelity.

    Enter TOMLINS.

Tom. Colonel Toper presents his compliments to you, sir, and having no family down with him in the country, he and Captain Hardbottle, if not inconvenient, will do themselves the honour of taking a family dinner with you.

Sir Per. They are two of our militia officers—­does your lordship know them?

LordLum. By sight only.

Sir Per. I am afraid, my lord, they will interrupt our business.

Lord Lum. Not at all:  I should be glad to be acquainted with Toper; they say he’s a damned jolly fellow.

Sir Per. O! devilish jolly—­devilish jolly:  he and the captain are the two hardest drinkers in the county.

Lord Lum. So I have heard; let us have them by all means, Mac:  they will enliven the scene.  How far are they from you?

Sir Per. Just across the meadows—­not half a mile, my lord:  a step, a step.

LordLum. O! let us have the jolly dogs, by all means.

Sir Per. My compliments—­I shall be proud of their company. [Exit Tom.] Guif ye please, my lord, we will gang and chat a bit with the women:  I have not seen Lady Rodolpha since she returned fra the Bath.  I long to have a little news from her about the company there.

Lord Lum. O! she’ll give you an account of them, I warrant you.
                                       [A very loud laugh without.

Lady Rodolpha. [Without.] Ha, ha, ha! weel I vow, cousin Egerton, you have a vast deal of shrewd humour.—­But Lady Macsycophant, which way is Sir Pertinax?

Lady Mac. [Without._] Strait forward, madam.

Lord Lum.  Here the hairbrain comes:  it must be her, by the noise,

Lady Rod. [Without.] Allons—­gude folks—­follow me—­sans ceremonie.

    Enter Lady RODOLPHA, Lady MACSYCOPHANT, EGERTON, and SIDNEY.

Lady Rod. [Running up to Sir Per.] Sir Pertinax, your most devoted, most obsequious, and most obedient vassal. [Curtsies very low.

Sir Per. [Bowing ridiculously low.] Lady Rodolpha, down till the ground, my congratulations and duty attend you, and I should rejoice to kiss your ladyship’s footsteps.

Lady Rod. [Curtsying very low.] O!  Sir Pertinax, your humeelity is most sublimely complaisant:—­at present, unanswerable;—­but I shall intensely study to return it—­fyfty fald.

Sir Per.  Your ladyship does me singular honour:—­weel, madam—­ha! you look gaily;—­weel, and how—­how is your ladyship, after your jaunt till the Bath?

Lady Rod.  Never better, Sir Pertinax:—­as weel as youth, health, riotous spirits, and a careless happy heart can make me.