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THE ALIENATED MANOR: A COMEDY.
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MARY.

He is of late more ungracious to us all; but I must confess I have perceived something of what you say.

FREEMANTLE.

I perceive it whenever I come near him, in every gesture of his body, in every glance of his eye. I perceive too well that he has discovered my secret, and disapproves, more strongly than I had apprehended, my attachment to you.

MARY.

His mind is sometimes warped; he does not always judge fairly.

FREEMANTLE.

My precaution in paying my chief attentions to your sister-in-law, which, by my uncle's advice, I have practised, that I might not provoke him to discard me till a favourable turn in my affairs, then daily looked for, should entitle me to declare myself, and, I will also own, to engage Mrs. Charville more heartily in my interest,—all this precaution has been in vain; and I find that my own undirected, incautious conduct would have been the more successful of the two: at least, I am sure it could not have been less so.

MARY.

Then pursue it, now, and retrieve your error.