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46 Sterl. Why,—why,—there may be ſomething in that.—Let me ſee; Fanny with fifty thouſand inſtead of Betſey with fourſcore—But how can this be, Sir John?—For you know I am to pay this money into the hands of my Lord Ogleby; who, I believe—between you and me, Sir John,—is not overſtocked with ready money at preſent; and threeſcore thouſand of it, you know, is to go to pay off the preſent incumbrances on the eſtate, Sir John.

Sir John. That objection is eaſily obviated.—Ten of the twenty thouſand, which would remain as a ſurplus of the fourſcore, after paying off the mortgage, was intended by his Lordſhip for my uſe, that we might ſet off with ſome little eclat on our marriage; and the other ten for his own.—Ten thouſand pounds therefore I ſhall be able to pay you immediately; and for the remaining twenty thouſand you ſhall have a mortgage on that part of the eſtate which is to be made over to me, with whatever ſecurity you ſhall require for the regular payment of the intereſt, 'till the principal is duly diſcharged.

Sterl. Why—to do you juſtice, Sir John, there is ſomething fair and open in your propoſal; and ſince I find you do not mean to put an affront upon the family—

Sir John. Nothing was ever farther from my thoughts, Mr. Sterling.—And after all, the whole affair is nothing extraordinary—ſuch things happen every day—and as the world has only heard generally of a treaty between the families, when this marriage takes place, nobody will be the wiſer, if we have but diſcretion enough to keep our own counſel.

Sterl. True, true; and ſince you only transfer from one girl to the other, it is no more than transferring ſo much ſtock, you know.

Sir John. The very thing.

Sterl. Odſo! I had quite forgot. We are reckoning without our hoſt here. There is another difficulty— Sir