Languages & literature > Key to the drama

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was no more than an artifice, whereby
without offending my miftrefs, I might fe-
cure your gold.” Never did artful wo¬
man better aft her part than now did Bella.
She not only preferved Anabella's peace and
reputation, and confounded the growing jea-
loufyof the old Thane; but by an adroit-
nefs peculiar to the well-trained Abigails,
ingenioufly accounted for Macbeth's, being
at the time and place when Thurfoe's emil-
faries had found h\m\■—’Thurfoe flared like
one diflrafted; and although his bread was
replete with wrath, he could not utter one
fyliable! The Thane of Kyle, between re-
fentment and aftoniflilnenr, at length as
gravely as cuttingly, told him, That thofe
prejudices which are natural in favour of
a man of noble birth, would have inclined
me to give preference to your evidence
againfl a fervant’s, if the probabilities were
equal; but as her’s is fupported by argu¬
ment and good nature, whilfl your’s feems
to have no other foundation but revenge
and malevolence, I muft undoubtedly re-
jeft it, and defpife you for an injurious at¬
tempt to rob my faithful Anabella of her
fame, and me .of my happinefs, for no
other reafon, than becaufe fhe refufed to
facrifice her virtue to your infidious and
criminal addreffes ! Avaunt! be gone 1
infamous wretch ! It is well for thee, that
thy