The Conscious Lovers

well remember), gaze on and read in me your sister, Isabella. Mr. Sealand My sister! Isabella But here’s a claim more tender yet⁠—your Indiana, sir, your long-lost daughter. Mr. Sealand Oh, my child! my child! Indiana All gracious Heaven! is it possible! do I embrace my father? Mr. Sealand And I do hold thee.⁠—These passions are too strong for utterance. Rise, rise, my child, and give my tears their way.⁠—Oh, my sister! Embracing her. Isabella Now, dearest niece, my groundless fears, my painful cares no more shall vex thee. If I have wronged thy noble lover with too much suspicion, my just concern for thee, I hope, will plead my pardon. Mr. Sealand Oh! make him, then, the full amends, and be yourself the messenger of joy. Fly this instant! tell him all these wondrous turns of Providence in his favour! Tell him I have now a daughter to bestow which he no longer will decline; that this day he still shall be a bridegroom; nor shall a fortune, the merit which his father seeks, be wanting. Tell him the reward of all his virtues waits on his acceptance. Exit Isabella. My dearest Indiana! Turns and embraces her. Indiana Have I, then, at last, a father’s sanction on my love? His bounteous hand to give, and make my heart a present worthy of Bevil’s generosity? Mr. Sealand Oh, my child! how are our sorrows past o’erpaid by such a meeting! Though I have lost so many years of soft paternal dalliance with thee, yet, in one day to find thee thus, and thus bestow thee, in such perfect happiness, is ample, ample reparation!⁠—And yet, again, the merit of thy lover⁠— Indiana Oh! had I spirits left to tell you of his actions! how strongly filial duty has suppressed his love; and how concealment still has doubled all his obligations; the pride, the joy of his alliance, sir, would warm your heart, as he has conquered mine. Mr. Sealand How laudable is love when born of virtue! I burn to embrace him⁠— Indiana See, sir, my aunt already has succeeded, and brought him to your wishes. Enter Isabella, with Sir John Bevil, Bevil Jr., Mrs. Sealand, Cimberton, Myrtle, and Lucinda. John Bevil Entering. Where, where’s this scene of wonder? Mr. Sealand, I congratulate, on this occasion, our mutual happiness⁠—Your good sister, sir, has, with the story of your daughter’s fortune, filled us with surprise and joy. Now all exceptions are removed; my son has now avowed his love, and turned all former jealousies and doubts to approbation; and, I am told, your goodness has consented to reward him. Mr. Sealand If, sir, a fortune equal to his father’s hopes can make this object worthy his acceptance. Bevil Jr. I hear your mention, sir, of fortune, with pleasure only as it may prove the means to reconcile the best of fathers to my love. Let him be provident, but let me be happy.⁠—My ever-destined, my acknowledged wife! Embracing Indiana. Indiana Wife! Oh, my ever loved! My lord! my master! John Bevil I congratulate myself, as well as you, that I had a son who could, under such disadvantages, discover your great merit. Mr. Sealand Oh, Sir John! how vain, how weak is human prudence! What care, what foresight, what imagination could contrive such blest events, to make our children happy, as Providence in one short hour has laid before us? Cimberton To Mrs. Sealand. I am afraid, madam, Mr. Sealand is a little too busy for our affair. If you please, we’ll take another opportunity. Mrs. Sealand Let us have patience, sir. Cimberton But we make Sir Geoffry wait, madam. Myrtle O, sir, I am not in haste. During this, Bevil Jr., presents Lucinda to Indiana. Mr. Sealand But here! here’s our general benefactor! Excellent young man, that could be at once a lover to her beauty and a parent to her virtue. Bevil Jr. If you think that an obligation, sir, give me leave to overpay myself, in the only instance that can now add to my felicity, by begging you to bestow this lady on Mr. Myrtle. Mr. Sealand She is his without reserve; I beg he may be sent for. Mr. Cimberton, notwithstanding you never had my consent, yet there is, since I last saw you, another objection to your marriage with my daughter. Cimberton I hope, sir, your lady has concealed nothing from me? Mr. Sealand Troth, sir, nothing but what was concealed from myself⁠—another daughter, who has an undoubted title to half my estate. Cimberton How, Mr. Sealand? Why, then, if half Mrs. Lucinda’s fortune is gone, you can’t say that any of my estate is settled upon her. I was in treaty for the whole; but if that is not to be come at, to be sure there can be no bargain. Sir, I have nothing to do but take my leave of your good lady, my cousin, and beg pardon for the trouble I have given this old gentleman. Myrtle That you have, Mr. Cimberton, with all my heart. Discovers himself. All Mr. Myrtle! Myrtle And I beg pardon of the whole company that I assumed the person of Sir Geoffry, only to be present at the danger of this lady being disposed of, and in her utmost exigence to assert my right to her; which, if her parents will ratify, as they once favoured my pretensions, no abatement of fortune shall lessen her value to me. Lucinda Generous man! Mr. Sealand If, sir, you can overlook the injury of being in treaty with one who has meanly left her, as you have generously asserted your right in her, she is yours. Lucinda Mr. Myrtle, though you have ever had my heart, yet now I find I love you more, because I bring you less. Myrtle We have much more than we want; and I am glad any event has contributed to the discovery of our real inclinations to each other. Mrs. Sealand Well! however, I’m glad the girl’s disposed of, anyway. Aside. Bevil Jr. Myrtle, no longer rivals now, but brothers! Myrtle Dear