SCENE I.

_A Room in COTTON'S house;--an open door in C. flat._

_Enter COTTON, with a letter._

COT. Provoking! to leave my shop all day for the sake of calling on this old Wealthington!--that I should be required to call on him!--not but he is a rich relation, and I have great expectations from him; and my foreman, Bolt, and apprentice Mizzle, are quite fit persons with whom to entrust my shop. Egad, to make all the naughty apprentices look on those two young men would be as good a lesson as going to see George Barnwell on a boxing night!

_Enter CUTAWAY, C. D._

CUT. Hollo! no one in the shop! ha, ha!--(_Aside._) Hum, she's not here.--Have you anything to sell, old gentleman?

COT. Of course I have; what do you think I keep a shop for?

CUT. Ha, ha! right! to be sure--what the devil else _should_ you keep a shop for?

COT. (_Aside._) Puppy!

CUT. But, old gentleman! a young lady used to serve in that shop--she is not ill, I hope?

COT. No, sir; on the contrary, my daughter is quite well.--Can I do anything for you in the way of business?

CUT. (_Aside._) Oh! this must be the old father she talks about.--Ha! you are the commander-in-chief of this concern, hey?

COT. Probably I am, Mr. Cutaway.

CUT. Cutaway! you know me, then? What a thing it is to be famous! Know me, and yet you were never introduced to me, to my knowledge.

COT. Oh dear no; I used to see you through the glass door of my parlour, and I intercepted certain letters to my daughter. I saw your name, and I inquired into your connexion,--and saw no reason why I should not--cut the connexion.

CUT. Very cutting, indeed. He's a sharp blade. Ha, ha! droll! funny! ha, ha!

COT. Happy to find I can please you, sir; I thus return good for evil, since you by no means please me.

CUT. Is there any way to please you?

COT. Oh, certainly; the way to please me lies through yonder door: you can't think how prettily that door is painted on the outside. As for my daughter, sir,--I keep her present abode a secret.

_Enter BOY, L._

BOY. Please, sir, your sister sent me to say that she, with your daughter, has been obliged to move to No. 19, Moonlight Street, owing to circumstances of the most peculiar nature.

CUT. Ha, ha, ha! a most profound secret! Good by, commander-in-chief! next time you have a secret, mind you don't tell it by proxy.

(_Exit, C. D._)

COT. Stupid jackanapes! you must open your damned mouth so wide as to let the cat jump out! (_Exit BOY, L._)--A connexion of which I do not in the least approve;--but--oh, those fellows are at breakfast--Bolt! Mizzle!

_Enter BOLT and MIZZLE, R._

BOLT. Yes, sir.

COT. Listen!--pressing business obliges me to be absent till late to-night; I leave the shop to your care.

BOLT. Thank'e, sir.

MIZ. For your confidence, sir.

COT. Which I know is not misplaced. (_BOLT and MIZZLE bow._)--On no account leave the premises.

BOLT. Now, my dear sir, was not that request superfluous?

MIZ. Of course, sir, without leave, we should never leave the shop.

COT. You will excuse my mentioning it, however. All foremen and apprentices are--alas! not like you. There are several very wicked foremen and apprentices in the world.

BOLT. Ah, I have heard so--I have read so--but never met any.

MIZ. No; Bolt and I are very particular with whom we associate: evil communications, you know, sir----

COT. Right! Very correct, indeed. Robert Mizzle, if you always associate with such as Charles Bolt, you will doubtless at length reach an elevated post.

MIZ. (_Aside._) Elevated post! I wonder if he means the gallows?

BOLT. You flatter me, sir--you flatter me. I discharge my duty, sir, nothing else;--to be sure, taking care of the morals of this young man----

COT. Is a heavy charge;--I am aware of it. But I must go. Farewell, Bolt! Good by, Mizzle! Excellent steady creatures! Oh, were all like them, the tragedy of George Barnwell would never have been written.

(_Exit, L. H._)

BOLT. Ha, ha, ha! why don't you laugh, Mizzle?

MIZ. Because I don't see any joke.

BOLT. Then look at me--I'm a perpetual joke!--I'm all point, like a porcupine--all fire, like a poet's heart, and light as his breeches pocket. Old Cotton has gone out all day--ha, ha! don't you take? don't you twig? A'n't you fly? A'n't you awake?

MIZ. Yes, I'm awake, but I don't see.

BOLT. We are to mind the shop, are we? I say never mind it--let's go out.

MIZ. Nonsense! you know master and we are like a man and woman in a weather-house--when one goes out the other stays at home.

BOLT. And so, when the old man's back is turned, we are to shew our heads are turned, by stopping in the shop all day--selling check'd neck-handkerchiefs and baby's red stockings? Not we!--we'll go out and have some fun, Bobby.

MIZ. No, no! it wont do; we must take care of the shop.

BOLT. Now look ye,--how does master take care of his money?

MIZ. By locking it up.

BOLT. Then that's the way we'll take care of the shop--I'll lock the door, and you shall shut the shutters.

MIZ. Oh, come, come! I sha'n't go, nor you sha'n't, either. It wont do, Charley; better be boxed here, than get in the wrong box.

BOLT. Well, I've made up my mind; the next job is to make up my body: I must dress.

MIZ. Well, you may enjoy your own holiday. Pleasant day, and fine weather to you, and a prosperous return;--I sha'n't go.

BOLT. You have no grandeur of soul--you don't love fun.

MIZ. Come, don't say that; damn it, I live upon fun--he, he!--you know I do. Give us your hand, Charley. I'll go! Oh dear, a day's pleasure!

BOLT. You'll go, will you?

MIZ. Give us your hand.

BOLT. (_Takes his hand._) Here's off for fun, then!

(_Exeunt, R._)