Lady Rod. Nay, nay, my lord, as I had nai reason to have the least affection till my cousin Egerton, and as my intended marriage with him was entirely an act of obedience till my grandmother, provided my cousin Sandy will be as agreeable till her ladyship as my cousin Charles here wou’d have been,—­I have nai the least objection till the change.  Ay, ay! one brother is as guid till Rodolpha as another.

Sir Per. I’ll answer, madam, for your grandmother.—­Now, my lord, what say you?

Lord Lum. Nay, Sir Pertinax, so the agreement stands, all is right again.  Come, child, let us begone.—­Ay, ay, so my affairs are made easy, it is equal to me whom she marries.—­I say, Sir Pertinax, let them be but easy, and rat me, if I care if she concorporates with the Cham of Tartary. [Exit.

Sir Per. As to you, my Lady Macsycophant, I suppose you concluded, before you gave your consent till this match, that there wou’d be an end of aw intercourse betwixt you and me.—­Live with your Constantia, madam, your son, and that black sheep there.—­Live with them.—­You shall have a jointure, but not a bawbee besides, living or dead, shall you, or any of your issue, ever see of mine;—­and so, my vengeance light upon you aw together. [Exit.

Lady Rod. Weel, cousin Egerton, in spite of the ambitious frenzy of your father, and the thoughtless dissipation of mine, Don Cupid has at last carried his point in favour of his devotees.—­But I must now take my leave.—­Lady Macsycophant, your most obedient.—­Maister Sidney, yours.—­ Permit me, Constantia, to have the honour of congratulating myself on our alliance.

Con. Madam, I shall ever study to deserve and to return this kindness.

Lady Rod. I am sure you will.—­But ah!—­I neglect my poor Sandy aw this while! and, guid traith, mine ain heart begins to tell me what his feels, and chides me for tarrying so long.—­I will therefore fly till him on the wings of love and guid news;—­for I am sure the poor lad is pining with the pip of expectation and anxious jeopardy.  And so, guid folks, I will leave you with the fag end of an auld North-Country wish:—­’May mutual love and guid humour be the guests of your hearts, the theme of your tongues, and the blithsome subjects of aw your tricksey dreams through the rugged road of this deceitful world; and may our fathers be an example till ourselves to treat our bairns better than they have treated us.’ [Exit.

Eger. You seem melancholy, sir.

Mel. These precarious turns of fortune, sir, will press upon the heart,—­for, notwithstanding my Constantia’s happiness, and mine in hers—­ I own I cannot help feeling some regret, that my misfortunes should be the cause of any disagreement between a father, and the man to whom I am under the most endearing obligations.

Eger. You have no share in his disagreement; for had not you been born, from my father’s nature, some other cause of his resentment must have happened.—­But for a time at least, sir, and, I hope, for life, affliction and angry vicissitudes have taken their leaves of us all.—­If affluence can procure content and ease, they are within our reach.—­My fortune is ample, and shall be dedicated to the happiness of this domestic circle.—­