Sol. [Without.] There, there, go to the post-office. Mrs H. Oh! here comes Mr Solomon.

Pet. What! father?-Ay, so there is. Father's a main clever man: he knows what's going on all over the world.

Mrs H. No wonder; for you know he receives as many letters as a prime minister and all his secretaries. Enter SOLOMON.

Sol. Good morning, good morning to you, Mrs Haller. It gives me infinite pleasure to see you look so charmingly well. You have had the goodness to send for your humble servant. Any news from the Great City? There are very weighty matters in agitation. I have my letters too.

Mrs H. [Smiling.] I think, Mr Solomon, you must correspond with the four quarters of the globe.

Sol. Beg pardon, not with the whole world, Mrs Haller but [Consequentially.] to be sure I have correspondents, on whom I can rely, in the chief cities of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

Mrs H. And yet I have my doubts whether you know what is to happen this very day at this very place.

Sol. At this very place! Nothing material. We meant to have sown a little barley to-day, but the ground is too dry; and the sheep-shearing is not to be till to-morrow.

Pet. No, nor the bull-baiting till

Sol. Hold your tongue, blockhead! Get about your business.

Pet. Blockhead! there again! I suppose I'm not to open my mouth. [To MRS HALLER.] Good bye!

Mrs. H. The Count will be here to-day.

Sol. How! What!

[Exit

Mrs H. With his lady, and his brother-in-law, Baron Steinfort.

Sol. My letters say nothing of this. You are laughing at your humble servant.

Mrs H. You know, sir, I'm not much given to jesting.

Sol. Peter! Good lack-a-day!—His Right Honourable Excellency Count Wintersen, and her Right Honourable Excellency the Countess Wintersen, and his Honourable Lordship Baron Steinfort--、 And, Lord have mercy! nothing in proper order!Here, Peter! Peter!

Enter PETER.

Pet. Well, now; what's the matter again?

Sol. Call all the house together directly! Send to the game-keeper; tell him to bring some venison. Tell Rebecca to uncase the furniture, and take the covering from the Venetian looking-glasses, that her Right Honourable Ladyship the Countess may look at her gracious countenance: and tell the cook to let me see him without loss of time: and tell John to catch a brace or two of carp. And tell-and tell— and tell-tell Frederick to friz my Sunday wig.Mercy on us!-Tell-There-Go!-[Exit PETER.] Heavens and earth! so little of the new furnishing of this old castle is completed-Where are we to put his Honourable Lordship the Baron ?

Mrs H. Let him have the little chamber at the head of the stairs; it is a neat room, and commands a beautiful prospect.

Sol. Very right, very right. But that room has always been occupied by the Count's private secretary. Suppose!-Hold, I have it. You know the little lodge at the end of the park: we can thrust the secretary into that.

Mrs H. You forget, Mr Solomon; you told me that the Stranger lived there.

Sol. Pshaw! What have we to do with the Stranger? -Who told him to live there?—He must turn out.

Mrs H. That would be unjust; for you said, that let the dwelling to him, and by your own account he pays well for it.

you

Sol. He does, he does. But nobody knows who he is. The devil himself can't make him out. To be sure, I lately received a letter from Spain, which informed me that a spy had taken up his abode in this country, and from the description

Mrs H. A spy! Ridiculous! Every thing I have heard bespeaks him to be a man, who may be allowed to dwell any where. His life is solitude and silence.

Sol. So it is.

Mrs H. You tell me too he does much good.
Sol. That he does.

Mrs H. He hurts nothing; not the worm in his way.

Sol. That he does not.

Mrs H. He troubles no one.

Sol. True! true!

Mrs H. Well, what do you want more?

Sol. I want to know who he is. If the man would only converse a little, one might have an opportunity of pumping; but if one meets him in the lime-walk, or by the river, it is nothing but " Good morrow -and off he marches. Once or twice I have contrived to edge in a word-" Fine day."" Yes:""Taking a little exercise, I perceive."" Yes:"_ and off again like a shot. The devil take such close fellows, say I. And, like master like man; not a syllable do I know of that mumps his servant, except that his name is Francis.

Mrs H. You are putting yourself into a passion, and quite forget who are expected.

Sol. So I do-Mercy on us! There now, you see what misfortunes arise from not knowing people.

Mrs H. 'Tis near twelve o'clock already! If his lordship has stolen an hour from his usual sleep, the

family must soon be here. I go to my duty; you will attend to your's, Mr Solomon.

[Exit. Sol. Yes, I'll look after my duty, never fear.-There goes another of the same class. Nobody knows who she is again. However, thus much I do know of her, that her Right Honourable Ladyship the Countess, all at once, popped her into the house, like a blot of ink upon a sheet of paper. But why, wherefore, or for what reason, not a soul can tell.- "She is to manage the family within doors.' She to manage! Fire and faggots! Haven't I managed every thing within and without, most reputably, these twenty years? I must own I grow a little old, and she does take a deal of pains: but all this she learned of me. When she first came here-Mercy on us! she didn't know that linen was made of flax. But what was to be expected from one who has no foreign correspondence! [Exit

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

A Drawing-Room in the Castle, with a Piano Forte, Harp, Music, Book-stand, Sofas, Chairs, Tables, &c.

Enter SOLOMON.

Sol. Well, for once I think I have the advantage of Madam Haller. Such a dance have I provided to welcome their excellencies, and she quite out of the secret! And such a hornpipe by the little Brunette ! I'll have a rehearsal first though, and then surprise their honours after dinner.

[Flourish of Rural Music without.

Pet. [Without.] Stop; not yet, not yet: but make way there, make way, my good friends, tenants, and villagers-John! George! Frederick! Good friends, make way.

Sol. It is not the Count: it's only Baron Steinfort. Stand back, I say, and stop the music!

Enter BARON STEINFORT, ushered in by PETER and FOOTMAN. PETER mimicks and apes his Father.

Sol. I have the honour to introduce to your lordship myself, Mr Solomon, who blesses the hour in which fortune allows him to become acquainted with the Honourable Baron Steinfort, brother-in-law of his Right Honourable Excellency Count Wintersen, my noble master.

Pet. Bless our noble master!

Bar. Old and young, I see they'll allow me no peace. [Aside.] Enough, enough, good Mr Solomon. I am a soldier. I pay but few compliments, and require as few from others.

Sol. I beg, my lord-We do live in the country to be sure, but we are acquainted with the reverence due to exalted personages.

Pet. Yes We are acquainted with exalted per

sonages.

Bar. What is to become of me!-Well, well, I hope we shall be better acquainted. You must know, Mr Solomon, I intend to assist, for a couple of months. at least, in attacking the well-stocked cellars of Win

tersen.

Sol. Why not whole years, my lord?-Inexpressible would be the satisfaction of your humble servant. And, though I say it, well stocked indeed are our cellars. I have, in every respect, here managed matters in so frugal and provident a way, that his Right Honourable Excellency the Count will be astonished. [BARON yawns.] Extremely sorry it is not in my power to entertain your lordship.