Crime & punishment > Peveril of the peak, or, The days of Charles II

let II.
PEVERIL OF THE PEAK.
Deb. Come, come, Lance Outram—ladyship me
10 ladyship. Have you forgot your old friend, De-
lorah Debbitch?
Lance. Deb !—So it is ! as sure as the devil’s in
London. Why, Debby, thou’rt fatter than old
Toby the butler.
Dame. (Putting on her tpectacks.) Lord, Lord,
woman ! how old a few years have made thee look !
But never mind : Handsome is as handsome does;
so sit down, my woman.
Lance. Ay ; squat, old girl.
Deb. Squat, old girl!—the low-lived wretches ;
but there’s no making a muslin gown out of a towel:
so I must e’en submit.
Dame. And live ye still with the Major, my wo¬
man ? I heard say he had just arrived at the old
Hall.
Deb. Oh, I must leave him ! the old gentle¬
man’s so full of vagaries. After whisking me and
Miss Alice, over here, at a moment’s notice, he’s
now away to the Castle, with a party, to attack Sir
Geoffry.
Dame and Lance. What sayest thou ?
Deb. True, on my word. Sir GeofFry has been
found guilty, and will shortly be tried, as partner in
the horrid plot of blowing up the King and making
a bonfire of the Parliament.
Dame. Bridgenorth to brave Peveril of the Peak !
Lance, make out, an thou be’st a man, and see
what’s stirring at the Castle.
Lance. (Seizes his bow and arrows.) Say no more,
! Naunty. I’ve eat the bread of his prosperity, and
I’ll not fly him in the day of his trouble—(Rushes
out.)
Deb. Heaven help me 1 If any thing should hap¬
pen to Lance, I shall never forgive myself.
Dame. Hush thee ! he returns.