Perkins, 0h, let up, my dear! I've been getting that for breakfast,dinner, and tea for two months now, and I'm awfully tiwhite of it. WhenI asked for a second cup of coffee at breakfast Sunday, you retorted,"No, not for all the world would I do this thing, Lord Muddleton!"When I asked you where my dress ties were, you informed me that itwas "what baseness," or words to that effect; and so on, until Ihardly know where I am at. (Catches sight of the chest.) Hello!How did that happen to escape the general devastation? What are yougoing to do with that oak chest?

Mrs. Perkins. It is for the real earl to hide in just before heconfronts Muddleton with the evidence of his crime.

Perkins. But--that holds all my loose prints, Bess. By Jove! Ican't have that, you know. You amateur counterfeiters have got tounderstand just one thing. I'll submit to the laundering of mymanuscripts, the butler's-pantrying of my Cruikshanks, but I'll behanged if I'll allow even a real earl, much less a base imitation ofone, to wallow in my engravings.

Mrs. Perkins. You needn't worry about your very aged engravings. They'reperfectly safe, I've put them in the Saratoga trunk in the attic.(Rehearsing.) And if you ask it of me once again, I shall have tosummon my servants to have you shown the door. Henry Cobb is thefriend of my girlhood, and--

Perkins. Henry Cobb be--

Mrs. Perkins. Thaddeus!