The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (story books to read TXT) 📖

not disgracing them, is to keep as long as you can out of their company. Look'ee now, master, to go to them in such haste - with an ounce of lead in your brains - I should think might as well be let alone. Our ancestors are very good kind of folks; but they are the last people I should choose to have a visiting acquaintance with.

ACRES But, David, now, you don't think there is such very, very, very great danger, hey? - Odds life! people often fight without any mischief done!

DAVID By the mass, I think 'tis ten to one against you! - Oons! here to meet some lion-headed fellow, I warrant, with his damned double-barrelled swords, and cut-and-thrust pistols! - Lord bless us! it makes me tremble to think o't - Those be such desperate bloody-minded weapons! Well, I never could abide 'em! - from a child I never could fancy 'em! - I suppose there an't been so merciless a beast in the world as your loaded pistol!

ACRES Zounds! I won't be afraid! - Odds fire and fury! you shan't make me afraid. - Here is the challenge, and I have sent for my dear friend Jack Absolute to carry it for me.

DAVID Ay, i' the name of mischief, let him be the messenger. - For my part I wouldn't lend a hand to it for the best horse in your stable. By the mass! it don't look like another letter! It is, as I may say, a designing and malicious-looking letter; and I warrant smells of gunpowder like a soldier's pouch! - Oons! I wouldn't swear it mayn't go off!

ACRES Out, you poltroon! you ha'n't the valour of a grasshopper.

DAVID Well, I say no more - 'twill be sad news, to be sure, at Clod-Hall! but I ha' done. - How Phillis will howl when she hears of it! - Ay, poor bitch, she little thinks what shooting her master's going after! And I warrant old Crop, who has carried your honour, field and road, these ten years, will curse the hour he was born. [Whimpering.]

ACRES It won't do, David - I am determined to fight - so get along you coward, while I'm in the mind.

[Enter SERVANT.]

SERVANT Captain Absolute, sir.

ACRES Oh! show him up.

[Exit SERVANT.]

DAVID Well, Heaven send we be all alive this time to-morrow.

ACRES What's that? - Don't provoke me, David!

DAVID Good-bye, master. [Whimpering.]

ACRES Get along, you cowardly, dastardly, croaking raven!

[Exit DAVID.]

[Enter CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.]

ABSOLUTE What's the matter, Bob?

ACRES A vile, sheep-hearted blockhead! If I hadn't the valour of St. George and the dragon to boot - -

ABSOLUTE But what did you want with me, Bob?

ACRES Oh! - There - - [Gives him the challenge.]

ABSOLUTE [Aside.] To Ensign Beverley. - So, what's going on now? - [Aloud.] Well, what's this?

ACRES A challenge!

ABSOLUTE Indeed! Why, you won't fight him; will you, Bob?

ACRES Egad, but I will, Jack. Sir Lucius has wrought me to it. He has left me full of rage - and I'll fight this evening, that so much good passion mayn't be wasted.

ABSOLUTE But what have I to do with this?

ACRES Why, as I think you know something of this fellow, I want you to find him out for me, and give him this mortal defiance.

ABSOLUTE Well, give it to me, and trust me he gets it.

ACRES Thank you, my dear friend, my dear Jack; but it is giving you a great deal of trouble.

ABSOLUTE Not in the least - I beg you won't mention it. - No trouble in the world, I assure you.

ACRES You are very kind. - What it is to have a friend! - You couldn't be my second, could you, Jack?

ABSOLUTE Why no, Bob - not in this affair - it would not be quite so proper.

ACRES Well, then, I must get my friend Sir Lucius. I shall have your good wishes, however, Jack?

ABSOLUTE Whenever he meets you, believe me.

[Re-enter SERVANT.]

SERVANT Sir Anthony Absolute is below, inquiring for the captain.

ABSOLUTE I'll come instantly. - -

[Exit SERVANT.]

Well, my little hero, success attend you. [Going.]

ACRES
- - Stay - stay, Jack. - If Beverley should ask you what kind of a man your friend Acres is, do tell him I am a devil of a fellow - will you, Jack?

ABSOLUTE To be sure I shall. I'll say you are a determined dog - hey, Bob!

ACRES Ah, do, do - and if that frightens him, egad, perhaps he mayn't come. So tell him I generally kill a man a week; will you, Jack?

ABSOLUTE I will, I will; I'll say you are called in the country Fighting Bob.

ACRES Right - right - 'tis all to prevent mischief; for I don't want to take his life if I clear my honour.

ABSOLUTE No! - that's very kind of you.

ACRES Why, you don't wish me to kill him - do you, Jack?

ABSOLUTE No, upon my soul, I do not. But a devil of a fellow, hey? [Going.]

ACRES True, true - but stay - stay, Jack - you may add, that you never saw me in such a rage before - a most devouring rage!

ABSOLUTE I will, I will.

ACRES Remember, Jack - a determined dog!

ABSOLUTE Ay, ay, Fighting Bob!

[Exeunt severally.]

* * * * * * *


Scene II - Mrs. MALAPROP's Lodgings. [Mrs. MALAPROP and LYDIA.]

Mrs. MALAPROP Why, thou perverse one! - tell me what you can object to him? Isn't he a handsome man? - tell me that. A genteel man? a pretty figure of a man?

LYDIA [Aside.] She little thinks whom she is praising! - [Aloud.] So is Beverley, ma'am.

Mrs. MALAPROP No caparisons, miss, if you please. Caparisons don't become a young woman. No! Captain Absolute is indeed a fine gentleman!

LYDIA [Aside.] Ay, the Captain Absolute you have seen.

Mrs. MALAPROP Then he's so well bred; - so full of alacrity, and adulation! - and has so much to say for himself: - in such good language, too! His physiognomy so grammatical! Then his presence is so noble! I protest, when I saw him, I thought of what Hamlet says in the play: -
"Hesperian curls - the front of Job himself! -
An eye, like March, to threaten at command! -
A station, like Harry Mercury, new - - " Something about kissing - on a hill - however, the similitude struck me directly.

LYDIA [Aside.] How enraged she'll be presently, when she discovers her mistake!

[Enter SERVANT.]

SERVANT Sir Anthony and Captain Absolute are below, ma'am.

Mrs. MALAPROP Show them up here. - -

[Exit SERVANT.]

Now, Lydia, I insist on your behaving as becomes a young woman. Show your good breeding, at least, though you have forgot your duty.

LYDIA Madam, I have told you my resolution! - I shall not only give him no encouragement, but I won't even speak to, or look at him. [Flings herself into a chair, with her face from the door.]

[Enter Sir ANTHONY ABSOLUTE and CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.]

Sir ANTHONY Here we are, Mrs. Malaprop; come to mitigate the frowns of unrelenting beauty, - and difficulty enough I had to bring this fellow. - I don't know what's the matter; but if I had not held him by force, he'd have given me the slip.

Mrs. MALAPROP You have infinite trouble, Sir Anthony, in the affair. I am ashamed for the cause! - [Aside to LYDIA.] Lydia, Lydia, rise, I beseech you! - pay your respects!

Sir ANTHONY I hope, madam, that Miss Languish has reflected on the worth of this gentleman, and the regard due to her aunt's choice, and my alliance. - [Aside to CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.] Now, Jack, speak to her.

ABSOLUTE [Aside.] What the devil shall I do! - [Aside to Sir ANTHONY.] You see, sir, she won't even look at me whilst you are here. I knew she wouldn't! I told you so. Let me entreat you, sir, to leave us together! [Seems to expostulate with his father.]

LYDIA [Aside.] I wonder I ha'n't heard my aunt exclaim yet! sure she can't have looked at him! - perhaps the regimentals are alike, and she is something blind.

Sir ANTHONY I say, sir, I won't stir a foot yet!

Mrs. MALAPROP I am sorry to say, Sir Anthony, that my affluence over my niece is very small. - [Aside to LYDIA.] Turn round, Lydia: I blush for you!

Sir ANTHONY May I not flatter myself, that Miss Languish will assign what cause of dislike she can have to my son! - [Aside to CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.] Why don't you begin, Jack? - Speak, you puppy - speak!

Mrs. MALAPROP It is impossible, Sir Anthony, she can have any. She will not say she has. - [Aside to LYDIA.] Answer, hussy! why don't you answer?

Sir ANTHONY Then, madam, I trust that a childish and hasty predilection will be no bar to Jack's happiness. - [Aside to CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.] Zounds! sirrah! why don't you speak?

LYDIA [Aside.] I think my lover seems as little inclined to conversation as myself. - How strangely blind my aunt must be!

ABSOLUTE Hem! hem! madam - hem! - [Attempts to speak, then returns to Sir ANTHONY.] Faith! sir, I am so confounded! - and - so - so - confused! - I told you I should be so, sir - I knew it. - The - the - tremor of my passion entirely takes away my presence of mind.

Sir ANTHONY But it don't take away your voice, fool, does it? - Go up, and speak to her directly!

[CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE makes signs to Mrs. MALAPROP to leave them together.]

Mrs. MALAPROP Sir Anthony, shall we leave them together? - [Aside to LYDIA.] Ah! you stubborn little vixen!

Sir ANTHONY Not yet, ma'am, not yet! - [Aside to CAPTAIN ABSOLUTE.] What the devil are you at? unlock your jaws, sirrah, or - -

ABSOLUTE [Aside.] Now Heaven send she may be too sullen to look round! - I must disguise my voice. - [Draws near LYDIA, and speaks in a low hoarse tone.] Will not Miss Languish lend an ear to the mild accents of true love? Will not - -

Sir ANTHONY What the devil ails the fellow? why don't you speak out? - not stand croaking like a frog in a quinsy!

ABSOLUTE The - the - excess of my awe, and my - my - my modesty, quite choke me!

Sir ANTHONY Ah! your modesty again! - I'll tell you what, Jack; if you don't speak out directly, and glibly too, I shall be in such a rage! - Mrs. Malaprop, I wish the lady would favour us with something more than a side-front.

[Mrs. MALAPROP seems to chide LYDIA.]

ABSOLUTE [Aside.] So all will out, I see! - [Goes up to LYDIA, speaks softly.] Be not surprised, my Lydia, suppress all surprise at present.

LYDIA [Aside.] Heavens! 'tis Beverley's voice! Sure he can't have imposed on Sir Anthony too! - [Looks round by degrees, then starts up.] Is this possible! - my Beverley! - how can this be?