4. She dropp'd her glove, to prove his love, then look'd at him and smiled; He bow'd, and in a moment leap'd among the lions wild. The leap was quick, return was quick-he has regain'd the place, Then threw the glove--but not with love-right in the lady's face. "By heaven" cried Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat: "No love,' quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that!" LEIGH HUNT. 177. SCENES FROM THE COMEDY OF “MONEY.”1 EVELYN, a rich man of fashion—STOUT and GLOSSMORE, violent politicians of opposite parties-SHARP, a lawyer. Enter Evelyn, meeting Stout, who comes in out of breath, with haste-Sharp is seated at a desk. Evelyn. Stout, you look heated! Stout [with great eagerness, but pompously]. I hear you've Just bought the great Groginhole property. Evelyn. It is true. Sharp says it's a bargain. Stout. Well, my dear friend Hopkins, member for Groginhole, can't live another month-excellent creature, the dearest friend I have in the world"--but the interests of mankind forbid regret for individuals! Popkins intends to start for the borough' the instant Hopkins is dead!-your interest will secure his election. Now is your time! put yourself forward in the march of enlightenment!-By all that's bigoted, here comes Glossmore! Enter Glossmore. Gloss. [eagerly]. So lucky to find you at home! Hopkins, of Groginhole, is not long for this world. Popkins, the brewer,' is already canvassing underhand (so věry ungentleman-like !) 1 In the following dialogue, which is supposed to be a copy of the conversation of ordinary life, the style of the reader should be spirited, unrestrained, and free from effort and declamation.-2 True (trå).—' Can't. - World (wêrld).— Borough (bůr' rỏ), a town incorporated with certain privileges; in England, a town that sends members to parliament.— • Big' ot ed, full of blind zeal; prejudiced. Brewer (bro' er). Keep your interest for young Lord Cipher-a most valuable candidate. This is an awful moment-the constitution depends on his return! Vote for Cipher! Stout. Popkins is your man. Evelyn [musing]. Cipher and Popkins-Popkins and Cipher. Enlightenment and Popkins-Cipher and the Constitution! I am puzzled! Stout, I am not known at Groginhole! Stout. Your property's known there!2 Evelyn. But purity of election-independence of voters. Stout. To be sure:3 Cipher bribes abominably. Frustrate his schemes-preserve the liberties of the borough-turn every man out of his house who votes against enlightenment and Popkins. Evelyn. Right! down with those who take the liberty to admire any liberty except our liberty! That is liberty! Gloss. Cipher has a stake in the country-will have fifty thousand a-year: Cipher will never give a vote without considering beforehand how people of fifty thousand a-year will be affected by the motion. Evelyn. Right; for as without law there would be no property, so to be the law for property is the only proper property of law! That is law! Stout. Popkins is all for economy: there's a sad waste of the public money-they give the Speaker five thousand a-year, when I've a brother-in-law who takes the chair at the vestry,' and who assures me confidentially he'd consent to be Speaker for half the money. Gloss. Enough, Mr. Stout. Mr. Evelyn has too much at stake for a leveler. Stout. And too much sense for a bigot. Gloss. A bigot, sir! Stout. Yes, a bigot! [Puts his hat on, and with his hands in his pockets looks fiercely at Glossmore.] 1 Return (re têrn').—2 There (thår).—3 Sure (shår).—♦ Pre serve'.— Against (a genst').- Chair.-7 Ves' try, a room for extra meetings; in the Episcopal Church, a committee which manages the worldly concerns of the parish.- Assure (ash shor'), to tell positively; declare.-9 Hål. SCENES FROM THE COMEDY OF MONEY." 409 Evelyn [laughing]. Mr. Evelyn has no politics at all. Did you ever play at battledore? Both. Battledore ! Evelyn. Battledore—that is, a contest between two parties: bōth parties knock about something with singular skill something is kept up-high-low-here-there-everywhere-nowhere! How grave are the players! how anxious the bystanders! how noisy the battledores! But, when this something falls to the ground, only fancy-it's nothing but cork and feathers!Go and play by yourselves-I'm no hand at it. Stout [aside]. Sad ignorance! Aristocrat !2 Gloss [aside]. Heartless principles! Parvenu!3 Stout. Then you don't go against us! I'll bring Popkins to morrow. Gloss. Keep yourself free till I present Cipher to you. Stout. I must go to inquire after Hopkins. The return of Popkins will be an era1 in history. [Goes out. Gloss. I must go to the club: the eyes of the country are upon Groginhole. If Cipher fail, the constitution is gone. [Goes out. Evelyn. All parties alike! nothing but money! Money versus Man!-Sharp, come here!-let me look at you. [Sharp rises from the desk.] You are my agent, my lawyer, my man of business. I believe you honest;-but what is honesty ?where does it exist?-in what part of us? Sharp. In the heart, I suppose, sir. Evelyn. Mr. Sharp, it exists in the breeches pocket! Observe,' I lay this piece of yellow earth on the table-I contem'plate you both;-the man there-the gold here. Now, there is many a man in those streets as honest as you are, who moves, thinks, feels, and reasons as well as we do; excellent in form, imperishable in soul; who, if his pockets were three days empty, would sell thought, reason, body, and soul too, for that 3 'Nothing (nůth' ing).- Aristocrat (år' is to krat), one who favors a form of government whose power is vested in the principal persons of a state; a haughty or overbearing person.- Pår' ve nu, an upstart; one lately come into notice. E' ra, a fixed point of time from which any number of years is begun to be counted.— Ver' sus, against • Breeches (brich' ez).- Observe (ob zerv ).— Earth (ẻrth). 8 little coin! Is that the fault of the man? No! it is the fault of mankind. God made man; behold what mankind has made a god! By the by, Sharp, send a hundred pounds to the poor bricklayer whose house was burnt' down yesterday. Sharp. Yes, sir. Evelyn. Well, man, don't stand gaping2 there have you no bowels? Go and see to it immediately. [They go out at opposite sides. EDWARD BULWER LYTTON. 1. 178. THE WONDERFUL HA A LOGICAL STORY. AVE you heard of the wonderful one-hoss-shay, It ran a hundred years to a day, And then, of a sudden, it—ah, but stay, Frightening people out of their wits- say? 2. Seventeen hundred and fifty-five, Georgius Secundus was then alive— Saw the earth open and gulp her down, 1 Burnt (bernt).—2 Gåp' ing.-3 Logical (18j' ik al), according to the rules of correct thinking and reasoning; discriminating.— Scår' ing.— Georgius Secundus, King George II. of England, born in 1683, and died October 25, 1760.— • Lisbon (liz' bon), a city of Western Europe, capital of the kingdom of Portugal, situated on the right bank of the Tagus, near its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. The earthquake here alluded to threw down a considerable portion of the city, and destroyed about 60,000 of its inhabitants.- EDWARD BRADDOCK, Major-General and Commanderin-Chief of the British forces in America, conducted an expedition against Fort Duquesne (du kan'), now Pittsburgh. On the 9th of July, 1755, while attempting to invest the fort, he fell into an ambuscade, prepared by the Indians and the French, in which he lost nearly one-half of his troops, and himself received a mortal wound. It was on the terrible earthquake-day That the Deacon finish'd the one-hoss-shay. 3. Now, in building of chaises, I tell you what, It should be so built that it couldn' break daown: Is only jest To make that place uz strong uz the rest." The hubs from logs from the "Settler's Ellum"- And the wedges flew from between their lips, Step and prop-iron, bolt and screw, Thoroughbrace bison-skin, thick and wide; |