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_ ACT V - SCENE II
SCENE II. MR. FRIENDLY'S House.
HARRIET
[solus].
Notwithstanding the arrival of Charles, and the happy result of the interview with my father, my mind is not at ease;--these strange rumours must have some foundation;--one says he is married to Maria; another says, he is discovered to be illegitimate; a third reports, he was found in company with a woman of ill fame; and to conclude the catalogue of evil tidings, a fourth says, that old Mr. Loveyet is going to disinherit him, in consequence of his having made him a grandfather, since his arrival.--But here he comes.
[Enter YOUNG LOVEYET.]
LOVEYET.
She seems very thoughtful;--perhaps, she too has been unfortunate in her suit to her father;--or, what is far worse, perhaps,--but I will not cherish such gloomy apprehensions.--Your servant, madam.
HARRIET.
Good day, Mr. Loveyet.--"Your servant, madam!"--What a stoical salutation! I fear there is too much truth in what I have heard. [Aside.
LOVEYET.
You seem unusually serious, Miss Harriet: I hope Mr. Trueman has not proved relentless as you expected.
HARRIET.
No sir; it gives me pleasure to acquaint you,
my father was all kindness and forgiveness.
LOVEYET.
I wish I could say so of mine;--he indeed was kind and forgiving too at first; but no sooner had I begun to anticipate approaching happiness, than one luckless circumstance deprived me of all that love and hope had inspired.
HARRIET.
An unlucky circumstance, indeed; but would the disappointment really be so great, if you were obliged to give up the thought of an alliance with me?
LOVEYET.
How, Miss Harriet! Give up the thought of having you!--By heaven, it must be so!--Yes, the beau would never have presumed to say so much if it were not so;--and Frankton's ambiguous account of them both, confirms the suspicion;--and then the extravagant encomiums he bestowed on her yesterday.--Confusion! my fears were just, though he ridicul'd me for exposing them.--But she must not see my anxiety.
[Aside.]
HARRIET.
If my doubts are well founded, he must be an adept in the art of dissimulation. I will try him a little farther.
--[Aside.]
What think you, Mr. Loveyet, of our New-York beauties? Have not the superior charms of so many fine women, been able to overcome such old-fashioned notions as constancy and priority of affection?
LOVEYET.
I have beheld their beauty with equal pleasure and astonishment; and the understanding, the affability, and vivacity, by which strangers, with so much propriety, characterize my fair countrywomen, give them a pre-eminence over the ladies of most other countries, that is highly gratifying to a mind already so much attached to its native city, by the most endearing of all human ties;--they are all that the warmest, the most luxuriant fancy can wish; beautiful--almost beyond the possibility of an increase of charms; and--I had almost said, they furnish room for love and warm conceptions, "even to madness!"
HARRIET.
I am in doubt no longer;
--such passionate expressions must have Love for their prompter.
[Aside.]
LOVEYET.
My friend Frankton extolled them highly; but his description derogates from their desert;--you, too, he praised;--I listened to him--with unspeakable delight, and believed him with all the ardour of faith and expectation; for I could readily believe that, which I had so often, so sweetly experienced;--but when you last blest my eyes with that enchanting form, how was the idea exceeded by the reality!--To do justice to such perfection, the praises I this minute bestowed on the ladies I have seen, would be spiritless and insufficient!--To charms like Miss Harriet's, what hermit could remain insensible!--I was not insensible;--the tender passion, I began so early to entertain; a passion, which length of absence, and a succession of objects and events, had rendered too dormant, was then excited to sensations the most exquisitely sensible;--was then taught to glow with a flame, too fervent to be now suppressed!
HARRIET.
Were I but sure of his sincerity!
[Aside.]
LOVEYET.
With what indifference she hears me!--If she is so insensible to the genuine effusions of a heart like mine, I am lost indeed! But I will try a little deception to discover the truth. [Aside.]--What a lovely picture Mr. Frankton drew of Miss Airy! But it was not too highly finished; for a thousand Loves and Graces have conspired, to make her the most accomplished of her sex.
HARRIET.
My pride shall not let him triumph over my chagrin.
[Aside.]
--I know Miss Airy to be as accomplished as you represent her, sir: and Mr. Frankton gave such a lovely description of her, you say;--I dare say he did;--oh,--yes--yes
[Appears disconcerted, by striving to hide her concern.]
--he loves her to distraction;--Mr. Frankton has doubtless made a wise choice.
LOVEYET.
By all that's false, she is concerned at Frankton's having praised his mistress! She absolutely loves him!
[Aside.]
HARRIET.
And you have seen the amiable Miss Airy, sir.
LOVEYET.
Forgive me, honour and veracity.
[Aside.]
--Yes, Miss Trueman; and not without a deep
sense of her uncommon worth and beauty.
HARRIET.
I admire your discernment, sir;--Mr. Frankton, too, is a very nice judge of female merit; and he cannot evince his judgment better, than by praising my friend Maria.
LOVEYET.
Pardon me, madam: with submission to your friend's merit,
I think his panegyric would better apply to you.
HARRIET.
That compliment is too great, to be meant, I fancy.
LOVEYET.
I rather think, you value the author of it so little,
that you would as soon he should withhold it, madam.
HARRIET.
Certainly, sir, when I have reason to think there
is another who has a better right to it, and for
whom it is secretly intended.
LOVEYET.
You wrong me much, madam:--some tattling gossip or designing knave,
has whispered some falsehood to my prejudice;--probably my rival,--Mr. Worthnought.
HARRIET.
If you have come here with a design to use me ill, sir,
I beg you will tell me so, and then I shall act accordingly.
LOVEYET.
Your actions accord very illy with your professions, I think, madam.
HARRIET.
Your duplicity, sir, both in word and action,
justifies my retorting that ungenerous accusation.
LOVEYET.
I entreat you to believe me, Miss Harriet, when I say, I am unconscious of having done anything I ought to be ashamed of, since my arrival: I am so confident of this, that the circulation of a malicious rumour, however dishonourable to me, would give me little disquiet, did I not reflect, that it is the object of Harriet's credulity;--a reflection, that is the source of real unhappiness to me:--be kind then, Harriet, and tell me wherein I am guilty;--obscurity in a matter so interesting, gives more torture to the mind, than the most unwelcome truth.
HARRIET.
He must be sincere.
[Aside.]
--Your request shall be comply'd with, sir.--The principal offence you are charged with, is your having been smitten by the lady, on whom you have bestowed such liberal commendation;--be that as it may, I heard Mr. Loveyet talk of such a match:--I believe it will require a more able advocate than yourself, to defend this cause.
LOVEYET.
Suppose I assure you, on the sacred honour of a gentleman, that what you have heard is false;--suppose I add the more important sanction of an oath, to seal the truth.
HARRIET.
I will save you that trouble:
--you have an advocate here, which has already gained your cause.
LOVEYET.
Oh, Harriet, you are too good!--Conscious as I am of the rectitude of my conduct, as it respects my Harriet;--sure as I am of not deserving your displeasure, I still feel myself unworthy of such matchless goodness.
HARRIET.
You say too much; and compel me to tell you that you merit my highest esteem.
LOVEYET.
Esteem! What a cold epithet!
--And am not I entitled to something more than esteem?
HARRIET.
Excuse the poverty of the expression; and be assured,
my heart dictated a more exalted word;--let this
confession atone for the fault.
LOVEYET.
And yet I would fain attract your esteem too; for, I have heard connoisseurs in the science of Love say, it is possible to love an object, and that to distraction, without having a particle of esteem for it.
HARRIET.
I have assured you that my esteem is at least equalled by a more passionate affection:--but how strangely you talk!--First you acknowledge yourself unworthy of my favour;--then you are alarmed that I should only esteem you; and when I talk of a passion, superior to mere Platonic love, you are afraid, on the other hand, it is a blind, enthusiastic impulse, not founded on esteem.--How inconsistent are lovers!
LOVEYET.
Your reasoning, like your person, surprises, charms and subdues:--I will be more consistent;--but our contention is only for pre-eminence in love;--delightful emulation! Agreeable inconsistency!
HARRIET.
I am now ashamed of my childish suspicions; but I should not have been so credulous, had it not been for an affection, which rendered my better judgment blind to the fallacy, and made me more apprehensive of your inconstancy, than satisfied of your innocence; and this disposed me to misinterpret every thing you said.
LOVEYET.
And your apparent indifference, in consequence of that misinterpretation, excited similar suspicions in me; and thus, mutual distrust produced mutual misapprehension.
HARRIET.
But you have not told me the particulars of
your interview with old Mr. Loveyet.
LOVEYET.
Were you to hear those particulars, they would only afford you pain;--'tis sufficient for me to tell you, he has turned me out of his house, only because I told him, I was a friend to the new Constitution, forsooth.
HARRIET.
He is a strange character:--when I call'd on my father,
I was alarmed to find them at high words;--and he abus'd
me most unmercifully.
LOVEYET.
He did? 'Tis well for him he has call'd himself my father;--but if my Harriet consents, I will immediately put myself in a situation that will justify my preventing his future ill usage:--Fortune has enabled me to act independent either of his frown or his favour;--I have taken such measures, in consequence of his base usage, as will guard us against the effects of the one, without obliging us to cringe for the other.
HARRIET.
I am happy to hear it; but affluence is not my object, nor poverty my dread; and I am happy I can convince you how little I desire an alliance for interest, by now tendering you the whole of my trifling fortune, in case your father should deprive you of yours.
LOVEYET.
Charming Harriet! Miracle of disinterested love!
Thus let me evince my gratitude.
[Kneels, and kisses her hand.]
HARRIET.
Pray do not worship me, Mr. Loveyet; I am less generous than you imagine;--self-love is at the bottom of this noble declaration; for if I did not suppose you capable of making me happier than any other man, I would keep both my fortune and my person, to myself.
LOVEYET.
Better and better!--Your explanation gives me new reason to adore such uncommon worth, and makes me blest beyond measure! By heaven, New-York does not contain such a fortunate fellow!
Enter FRANKTON.
HARRIET.
[Seeing FRANKTON.]
--Ha, ha. You could not say more, if you were addressing my friend Maria.
LOVEYET.
Talk not of your friend Maria,--
HARRIET.
You talked enough of her perfections just now, for both of us.
FRANKTON.
He did, eigh?
[Aside.]
LOVEYET.
I spoke of her as I thought she deserv'd; she is a lovely creature, but--but
[Sees FRANKTON.]
--Frankton!
FRANKTON.
I hope Miss Trueman will excuse my coming in so abruptly:
--I have been looking for Mr. Loveyet, all over the city;
at last I concluded, I might find him here.
HARRIET.
Really sir; and pray, what made you conclude so?
FRANKTON.
I thought it was within the compass of probability, madam.
LOVEYET.
Perhaps it was the lady you wanted to see so much, Frankton;
--that she might be here, was certainly within the compass of probability.
FRANKTON.
Had I then known what I have discovered since, I should have looked for you at some place not very distant from the lady, whose perfections you have been contemplating with so much admiration; for by Miss Harriet's account, you have seen her, perhaps, more than once.
LOVEYET.
I saw her yesterday, and was charmed with her beauty.
--Whenever I am betrayed into one falsehood, I am
obliged to support it with twenty more.
[Aside.]
HARRIET.
It is really so, sir;--he was enraptured with her idea just now.
--I fear your friend is your rival, sir.
LOVEYET.
And I fear my friend is my rival, madam.
HARRIET.
Nay, what cause have you for such a fear?
LOVEYET.
About as good as you have, my dear.--I am glad you came in when you did, Frankton; for you must know, we have had certain mutual doubts and jealousies; in consequence of which, a little ill-natured altercation, otherwise called love, ensued: a small foretaste of conjugal felicity; but the short-liv'd storm soon subsided, and a reconciliation made all calm again.
FRANKTON.
I have something to say to you in private, Loveyet.
[Aside to LOVEYET.]
--I am sorry to deprive you of Mr. Loveyet's company, madam;
but I trust you will excuse me, when I tell you I have particular business with him.
HARRIET.
By all means, sir.
FRANKTON.
Your most obedient, madam.
LOVEYET.
[Goes up to HARRIET.]
--Adieu;--expect me soon, and be assured of my unalterable fidelity.
[Exit with FRANKTON.]
HARRIET.
Farewell.--I wish he had look'd for you a little farther, before he had taken you away.
--There are so many captivating objects in the city
(as he has already seen and declared),
and dissipation abounds so much among us, that who knows, if he is now sincere, how long he will remain so;--and how long after marriage:--"Ah, there's the rub."--Well, matrimony will put his constancy to the test, that's one comfort;--it is a hazardous expedient, but it is a certain one. _
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