Wild Oats Part 21

_John._ Was a good man, and a greater honour to his black, than your honour has been to your blue cloth--Eh, by the word of a seaman, here he is himself.

_Enter_ BANKS.

_Sir Geo._ Your brother!

_Banks._ Captain Seymour! have I found you, sir?

_Sir Geo._ My dear Banks, I'll make every reparation.--Amelia shall really be my wife.

_Banks._ That, sir, my sister is already; for when I performed the marriage ceremony, which you took only as the cloak of your deception, I was actually in orders.

_John._ Now, who's the crimp, and the pander? I never told you this since; because I thought a man's own reflections were the best punishment for betraying an innocent woman.

_Lady Am._ Madam, my inmost soul partaketh of thy gladness, and joy for thy reformation. [_To_ SIR GEORGE.] But thy prior marriage to this lady, annuls the subsequent, and my cousin Harry is not now thy heir.

_Sir Geo._ So much the better; he's an unnatural cub; but, Amelia, I flatter myself I have an heir, my infant boy.--

_Amelia._ Ah, husband, you had; but--

_Sir Geo._ Gone! well, well, I see I have been a miserable scoundrel --Eh, I will, yes, I'll adopt that brave kind lad, that wou'dn't let any body kill me but himself. He shall have my estate, that's my own acquisition--My lady, marry him, puppy unknown's a fine fellow!

Amelia, only for him, you'd never have found your husband Captain Seymour in Sir George Thunder.

_Amelia._ What?

_Banks._ Are you Sir George Thunder?

_Enter_ LANDLORD, _followed by_ EPHRAIM.

_Land._ Please you, madam, they've got a footpad in custody.

_Eph._ I am come to sit in judgment, for there is a bad man in thy house, Mary. Bring him before me.

_Sir Geo._ Before you, old squintabus? And perhaps you don't know I'm a magistrate?

_Eph._ I'll examine him.

_Sir Geo._ You be d.a.m.n'd--I'll examine him myself, [_Shoves_ EPHRAIM.]

Tow him in here. I'll give him a pa.s.sport to Winchester bilboes.

_Amelia._ [_Kneels to_ SIR GEORGE.] Oh, sir, as you hope for mercy, extend it to this youth; but even should he be guilty, which, from our knowledge of his benevolent and n.o.ble nature, I think next to an impossibility, let the services he has rendered to us--he protected, relieved your forsaken wife, and her unhappy brother, in the hour of want and sorrow.

_Sir Geo._ What, Amelia, plead for a robber! Consider, my love, justice is above bias or partiality. If my son violated the laws of his country, I'd deliver him up a public victim to disgrace and punishment.

_Lady Am._ Oh, my impartial uncle! Had thy country any laws to punish him, who instead of paltry gold, would rob the artless virgin of her dearest treasure, in the rigid judge I should now behold the trembling criminal.

_Enter_ TWITCH, _with_ ROVER _bound, who keeps his face averted, and Two_ RUFFIANS.

_Eph._ [_Advances._] Speak thou.

_Sir Geo._ Hold thy clapper thou--Who are the prosecutors?

_Eph._ Call in--

_Sir Geo._ Will n.o.body stop his mouth? [JOHN DORY _pushes him up against the wall_.] Where are the prosecutors?

_Twitch._ There, tell his wors.h.i.+p, the justice.

_2d Ruffian._ A justice--Oh! the devil! I thought we should have nothing but quakers to deal with. [_Aside._] Why, your honour, I'll swear--[_In a feigned country voice._

_Sir Geo._ [_Looking at them._] Oh, ho! Clap down the hatches, secure these sharks.

_Rover._ I thought I should find you here, Abraw.a.n.g, and that you had some knowledge of these fellows.

_Lady Am._ Heavens! my cousin Harry--[_Aside._]

_Sir Geo._ The devil! isn't this my spear and s.h.i.+eld?

_John._ [_Advances._] My young master--Oh! what have you been at here?

[_Unbinds_ ROVER.]

_Enter_ HARRY.

_Harry._ My dear fellow, are you safe.

_Rover._ Yes, d.i.c.k, I was brought in here very safe, I a.s.sure you.

_Harry._ A confederate in custody below has made a confession of their villainy, that they concerted this plan to accuse him of a robbery; first for revenge, then, in hope to share the reward for apprehending him: he also owns they are not sailors, but depredators on the public.

_Sir Geo._ Keep them safe in limbo. [_Ruffians taken off._]--Not knowing that the justice of peace, whom they've brought the lad now here before, is the very man they attacked, ha, ha, ha! The rogues have fallen into their own snare.

_Rover._ What, now, you're a justice of peace; well said, Abraw.a.n.g!

_Amelia._ Then, Sir George, you know him too?

_Sir Geo._ Know puppy unknown! to be sure.

_Rover._ Madam, I am happy to see you again. [_To_ AMELIA.]--Ah, how do you do, my kind host? [_Shakes hands with_ BANKS.

_Lady Am._ I rejoice at thy safety--Be reconciled to him. [_To_ SIR GEORGE.

_Sir Geo._ Reconciled!--If I don't love, respect, and honour him, I should be unworthy of the life he rescued. But who is he?

_Harry._ Sir, he is--

_Rover._ d.i.c.k, I thank you for your good wishes; but I am still determined not to impose on this lady--Madam, as I at first told this well meaning tar, when he forced me to your house, I am not the son of Sir George Thunder.

_John._ No! Then I wish you were the son of an admiral, and I your father.