Page:Miscellaneous Plays 1.pdf/26

COUNT ZATERLOO.

It is a song of Halbert's, is it not?

He was a social jolly-hearted mate,
And had a knack of making ready rhymes.

BERNARD.

I knew him well: what has become of him?

COUNT ZATERLOO (pretending not to hear).

Fill up your glass, and let the flask go round.

BERNARD.

What has become of Halbert, dost thou know?

COUNT ZATERLOO. (still pretending not to hear).

This wine is richly flavour'd, is it not?

BERNARD.

It is.—But Halbert; know ye aught of him?

COUNT ZATERLOO.

The devil take thy question, asking spirit!

For when thou get'st a notion by the skirt,
Thou, like an English bull-dog, keep'st thy hold,
And wilt not let it go.—
He shot himself in prison some months since:
Now, there's thine answer for thee; art thou satisfied?

(A deep and long pause; then Zaterloo starts up as if he recollected something.)

He will be with us ere I've pav'd his way.