beg you will oblige me with an audience immediately.
Sterl. Ay, with all my heart—Gentlemen, Mr. Serjeant, you'll excuſe it—Buſineſs muſt be done, you know.—The writings will keep cold till to-morrow morning.
Flower. I muſt be at Warwick, Mr. Sterling, the day after.
Sterl. Nay, nay, I ſhan't part with you to-night, gentlemen, I promiſe you—My houſe is very full, but I have beds for you all, beds for your ſervants, and ſtabling for all your horſes.—Will you take a turn in the garden, and view ſome of my improvements before dinner? Or will you amuſe yourſelves in the green, with a game of bowls and a cool tankard?—My ſervants ſhall attend you—Do you chuſe any other refreſhment?—Call for what you pleaſe;—do as you pleaſe;—make yourſelves quite at home, I beg of you.—Here,—Thomas, Harry, William, wait on theſe Gentlemen!—[follows the lawyers out, bawling and talking, and then returns to Sir John.] And now, Sir, I am entirely at your ſervice.—What are your commands with me, Sir John?
Sir John. After having carried the negotiation between our families to ſo great a length, after having aſſented ſo readily to all your propoſals, as well as received ſo many inſtances of your chearful compliance with the demands made on our part, I am extremely concerned, Mr. Sterling, to be the involuntary cauſe of any uneaſineſs.
Sterl. Uneaſineſs! what uneaſineſs?—Where buſineſs is tranſacted as it ought to be, and the parties underſtand one another, there can be no uneaſineſs. You agree, on ſuch and ſuch conditions to receive my daughter for a wife; on the ſame conditions I agree to receive you as a ſon-in-law; and as to all the reſt, it follows of courſe, you know, as regularly as the payment of a bill after acceptance.
Sir
