Traverſe. I can anſwer for that, Sir—and that will be cleared off immediately on the payment of the firſt part of Miſs Sterling's portion—You agree, on your part, to come down with 80,000 l.—
Sterl. Down on the nail.—Ay, ay, my money is ready to-morrow if he pleaſes—he ſhall have it in India-bonds, or notes, or how he chuſes.—Your lords, and your dukes, and your people at the court-end of the town ſtick at payments ſometimes—debts unpaid, no credit loſt with them—but no fear of us ſubſtantial fellows—eh, Mr. Serjeant!—
Flower. Sir John having laſt term, according to agreement, levied a fine, and ſuffered a recovery, has thereby cut off the entail of the Ogleby eſtate for the better effecting the purpoſes of the preſent intended marriage; on which above-mentioned Ogleby eſtate, a jointure of 2000 l. per ann. is ſecured to your eldeſt daughter, now Elizabeth Sterling, ſpinſter, and the whole eſtate, after the death of the aforeſaid earl, deſcends to the heirs male of Sir John Melvil on the body of the aforefaid Elizabeth Sterling lawfully to be begotten.
Traverſe. Very true—and Sir John is to be put in immediate poſſeſſion of as much of his Lordſhip's Somerſetſhire eſtate, as lies in the manors of Hogmore and Cranford, amounting to between two and three thouſands per ann. and at the death of Mr. Sterling, a further ſum of ſeventy thouſand
Enter Sir John Melvil.
Sterl. Ah, Sir John! Here we are—hard at it—paving the road to matrimony—We'll have no jolts; all upon the nail, as eaſy as the new pavement.—Firſt the lawyers, then comes the doctor—Let us but diſpatch the long-robe, we ſhall ſoon ſet Pudding-ſleeves to work, I warrant you.
Sir John. I am ſorry to interrupt you, Sir—but I hope that both you and theſe gentlemen will excuſe me—having ſomething very particular for your private ear, I took the liberty of following you, and
beg
