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204
THE ALIENATED MANOR: A COMEDY.

fear. Ha! ha! ha! What made you put on such a ludicrous disguise? If I were a vain woman, now, I should think you were jealous.

CHARVILLE.

Call it by what name you please, Madam; but the levity of your conduct, the unblushing partiality shown on every occasion to that minion of your fancy, your total want of regard for myself, but poorly concealed under the mask of easy general carelessness, has raised up that within me which every man must feel, who is not as insensible as the earth on which he treads.

MRS. CHARVILLE.

And you have, in serious earnestness, thus disguised yourself to be a spy upon my conduct. And you have, no doubt, made some notable discovery to justify your suspicion.

CHARVILLE.

Madam, madam! this is no time for trifling. It is for you to justify—I mean explain those appearances, if they have indeed deceived me. Why is Sir Robert Freemantle so often in this house, and received by you with such indecorous pleasure and familiarity?

MRS. CHARVILLE.

Had you asked me that question before with open and manly sincerity, you should have had an answer as open and sincere; but since you have preferred plots, and disguises, and conceal-