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242 WILLIAM CONGREVE [ACT III
Foresight and Sir Sampson coming.—Sister, do you take'
miss down into the parlour, and I'll carry Mr. Benjamin
into my chamber, for they must not know that they are
fallen out.—Come, sir, will you venture yourself with me?
[Looking fondly on him.
Ben. Venture, mess, and that I will, though 'twere to
sea in a storm. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV
The Same
Enter Sir SAMPSON and FORESIGHT.
Sir Samp. I left 'em together here; what, are they gone?
Ben's a brisk boy; he has got her into a corner; father's
own son, faith, he'll touzle her, and mouzle her; the rogue's
sharp set, coming from sea; if he should not stay for saying
grace, old Foresight, but fall to without the help of a parson,
haP Odd, if he should, I could not be angry with him;
'twould be but like me, a chip of the old bloc^. Ha! thou'rt
melancholic, old prognostication; as melancholic as if thou
hadst spilt the salt, or pared thy nails on a Sunday.—Come,
cheer up, look about thee: look up, old star-gazer.—[Aside.]
Now is he poring upon the ground for a crooked pin, or
an old horse-nail, with the head towards him.
Fore. Sir Sampson, we'll have the wedding to-morrow
morning.
Sir Samp. With all my heart.
Fore. At ten o'clock, punctually at ten.
Sir Samp. To a minute, to a second; thou shalt set thy
watch, and the bridegroom shall observe its motions; they
shall be married to a minute; go to bed to a minute; and
when the alarm strikes, they shall keep time like the figures
of St. Dunstan's clock, and consummatum est shall ring all
over the parish.
Enter SCANDAL.
Scan. Sir Sampson, sad news!
Fore. Bless us!
Sir Samp. Why, what's the matter?
Scan. Can't you guess at what ought to afflict you and
him, and all of us more than anything else?