FORESIGHT, SCANDAL, MRS FORESIGHT, BEN LEGEND.
MRS FORESIGHT Here's Mr Benjamin, he can tell us if his father be come home.
BEN LEGEND Who? Father? Ay, he's come home with a vengeance.
MRS FORESIGHT Why, what's the matter?
BEN LEGEND Matter! Why, he's mad.
FORESIGHT Mercy on us, I was afraid of this. And there's the handsome young woman, she, as they say, brother Val went mad for, she's mad too, I think.
FORESIGHT Oh, my poor niece, my poor niece, is she gone too? Well, I shall run mad next.
MRS FORESIGHT Well, but how mad? How d'ye mean?
BEN LEGEND Nay, I'll give you leave to guess. I'll undertake to make a voyage to Antegoa--no, hold; I mayn't say so, neither. But I'll sail as far as Leghorn and back again before you shall guess at the matter, and do nothing else. Mess, you may take in all the points of the compass, and not hit right.
MRS FORESIGHT Your experiment will take up a little too much time.
BEN LEGEND Why, then, I'll tell you; there's a new wedding upon the stocks, and they two are a-going to be married to rights.
SCANDAL Who?
BEN LEGEND Why, father and--the young woman. I can't hit of her name.
SCANDAL Angelica?
BEN LEGEND Ay, the same.
MRS FORESIGHT Sir Sampson and Angelica? Impossible!
BEN LEGEND That may be--but I'm sure it is as I tell you.
SCANDAL 'Sdeath, it's a jest. I can't believe it.
BEN LEGEND Look you, friend, it's nothing to me whether you believe it or no. What I say is true, d'ye see, they are married, or just going to be married, I know not which.
FORESIGHT Well, but they are not mad, that is, not lunatic?
BEN LEGEND I don't know what you may call madness. But she's mad for a husband, and he's horn mad, I think, or they'd ne'er make a match together. Here they come.