OCR Text |
Show \ i The Recruiting Officer. fomewhere^ and before we get Husbands our Servants mult expect to bear with em. Luc. Then, Madam, you had better raife m e to a Degree above a Servant: You know m y Family, and that 500 /. would fet m e upon the foot of a Gentlewoman, and make me worthy the Confidence of any Lady in the Land; befides, Madam, twill extreamly encourage me in the great Defign I now ha^e in hand. Mel. I don't find that your Defign can be of any great Advantage to you: 'Twill pleafe me, indeed, in the Humour I have of being reveng'd on the Fool for his Vanity of making Love to me, fo I don't much care if I do promife you five hundred Pound up<"m m y Day of Marriage. Luc. That is the way, Madam, to make m e diligent in the Vocation of a Confidant, which I think is generally to bring People together. Mel. O Lucy I I can hold m y Secret no longer: Y o u muft know, that hearing of the famous Fortune-teller in Town, I went difguis'd to fatisfie a Curiofity, which has coft m e dear: That Fellow is certainly the Devil, or one of his Bofom Favourites, he has told m e the moft furprizing things of m y paft Life Luc. Things paft, Madam, can hardly be reckon'd furprizing, becaufe w e kno^r them already. Did he tell you any thing furprizing that was to come? Mel. One thing very furprizing; he faid I fhould die a Maid! Luc. Die a Maid ! C o m e into the World for nothing Dear Madam, if you fhou'd believe him, it might come to pafs; for the bare Thought on't might kill one in four and twenty Hours And did you ask him any Queftions about me? Mel. You ! W h y , I pafs'd for you. Luc. So 'tis I that a m to die a Maid But the Devil was a Liar from the beginning, he cant make m e die a Maid I have put it out of his power already. Mel. I do but ;eft, 1 wou'd have pafs'd for you, and cali'd m y felf Lucy ; but he prefently told m e m y Name, m y Quality, m y Fortune, and gave me tire whole Hiftory of my Life He told m e of a Lover I had in this Country, and defcrib'd Worthy exactly, but in nothing fo well as in his prefent Indifference I fled to him for Refuge here to day, he never fo much as encourag'd me in m y Fright, but coldly told me, that k the T o w n hcea uwfaes t foo rcreyn ffuorr et hme yA cCcoinddeunctt,; b eexccauusf'ed ihti sm niogth tw agiivtneg |