Scene 2 + 

Library in Trenchard Manor. Oriel Window, L. C., with curtains. Two chairs and table brought on at change. + 

Enter Mr. Binny and Mr. Coyle, L. 1 E. + 

Mr. Binny + 

Sir Hedward will see you directly, Mr. Coyle. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Very well. House full of company, I see, Mr. Binny. + 

Mr. Binny + 

Cram full, Mr. Coyle. As one of the first families in the country we must keep up our position. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Rubbing his hands. Certainly, certainly, that is as long as we can, Mr. Binny. Tell Murcott, my clerk, to bring my papers in here. You’ll find him in the servant’s hall, and see that you keep your strong ale out of his way. People who serve me must have their senses about them. + 

Mr. Binny + 

Aside. I should say so, or ’e’d ’ave hevery tooth hout in their ’eds, the wiper. Exit, L. 1 E. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

And now to show this pompous baronet the precipice on which he stands. + 

Enter Murcott, with green bag and papers. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Are you sober, sirrah? + 

Murcott + 

Yes, Mr. Coyle. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Then see you keep so. + 

Abel Murcott + 

I’ll do my best, sir. But, oh! do tell them to keep liquor out of my way. I can’t keep from it now, try as I will, and I try hard enough, God help me! + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Pshaw! Get out those mortgages and the letters from my London agent. Murcott takes papers from bag and places them on table. Mr. Coyle looks off, R. 1 E. So; here comes Sir Edward. Go, but be within call. I may want you to witness a signature. + 

Abel Murcott + 

I will sir. Aside. I must have brandy, or my hand will not be steady enough to write. Exit, L. 1 E. + 

Enter Sir Edward Trenchard, R. 1 E. Mr. Coyle bows. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Good morning, Mr. Coyle, good morning. With affected ease. There is a chair, Mr. Coyle. They sit. So you see those infernal tradespeople are pretty troublesome. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

My agent’s letter this morning announces that Walter and Brass have got judgement and execution on their amount for repairing your town house last season. Refers to papers. Boquet and Barker announce their intention of taking this same course with the wine account. Handmarth is preparing for a settlement of his heavy demand for the stables. Then there is Temper for pictures and other things and Miss Florence Trenchard’s account with Madame Pompon, and⁠— + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Confound it, why harass me with details, these infernal particulars? Have you made out the total? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Four thousand, eight hundred and thirty pounds, nine shillings and sixpence. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Well, of course we must find means of settling this extortion. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Yes, Sir Edward, if possible. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

If possible? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

I, as your agent, must stoop to detail, you must allow me to repeat, if possible. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Why, you don’t say there will be any difficulty in raising the money? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

What means would you suggest, Sir Edward. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

That, sir, is your business. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

A foretaste in the interest on the Fanhille and Ellenthrope mortgages, you are aware both are in the arrears, the mortgagees in fact, write here to announce their intentions to foreclose. Shows papers. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Curse your impudence, pay them off. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

How, Sir Edward? + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Confound it, sir, which of us is the agent? Am I to find you brains for your own business? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

No, Sir Edward, I can furnish the brains, but what I ask of you is to furnish the money. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

There must be money somewhere, I came into possession of one of the finest properties in Hampshire only twenty-six years ago, and now you mean to tell me I cannot raise 4,000 pounds? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

The fact is distressing, Sir Edward, but so it is. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

There’s the Ravensdale property unencumbered. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

There, Sir Edward, you are under a mistake. The Ravensdale property is deeply encumbered, to nearly its full value. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Springing up. Good heavens. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

I have found among my father’s papers a mortgage of that very property to him. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

To your father! My father’s agent? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Yes, bearing date the year after the great contested election for the county, on which the late Sir Edward patriotically spent sixty thousand pounds for the honor of not being returned to Parliament. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

A mortgage on the Ravensdale estate. But it must have been paid off, Mr. Coyle, Anxiously have you looked for the release or the receipt? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Neither exists. My father’s sudden death explains sufficiently. I was left in ignorance of the transaction, but the seals on the deed and the stamps are intact, here it is, sir. Shows it. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Sir, do you know that if this be true I am something like a beggar, and your father something like a thief. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

I see the first plainly, Sir Edward, but not the second. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Do you forget sir, that your father was a charity boy, fed, clothed by my father? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Well, Sir Edward? + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

And do you mean to tell me, sir, that your father repaid that kindness by robbing his benefactor? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Certainly not, but by advancing money to that benefactor when he wanted it, and by taking the security of one of his benefactor’s estates, as any prudent man would under the circumstances. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Why, then, sir, the benefactor’s property is yours. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Pardon me, the legal estate you have your equity of redemption. You have only to pay the money and the estate is yours as before. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

How dare you, sir, when you have just shown me that I cannot raise five hundred pounds in the world. Oh! Florence, why did I not listen to you when you warned me against this man? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Aside. Oh! she warned you, did she? Aloud. I see one means, at least, of keeping the Ravensdale estate in the family. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

What is it? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

By marrying your daughter to the mortgagee. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

To you? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

I am prepared to settle the estate on Miss Trenchard the day she becomes Mrs. Richard Coyle. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Springing up. You insolent scoundrel, how dare you insult me in my own house, sir. Leave it, sir, or I will have you kicked out by my servants. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

I never take an angry man at his word, Sir Edward. Give a few moments reflection to my offer, you can have me kicked out afterwards. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Pacing stage. A beggar, Sir Edward Trenchard a beggar, see my children reduced to labor for their bread, to misery perhaps; but the alternative, Florence detests him, still the match would save her, at least, from ruin. He might take the family name, I might retrench, retire, to the continent for a few years. Florence’s health might serve as a pretence. Repugnant as the alternative is, yet it deserves consideration. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Who has watched. Now, Sir Edward, shall I ring for the servants to kick me out? + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Nay Mr. Coyle, you must pardon my outburst, you know I am hasty, and⁠— + 

Florence Trenchard + 

Without. Papa, dear! Enters gaily, starts on seeing Mr. Coyle. Papa, pardon my breaking in on business, but our American cousin has come, such an original⁠—and we are only waiting for you to escort us to the field. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

I will come directly, my love. Mr. Coyle, my dear, you did not see him. + 

Florence Trenchard + 

Disdainfully. Oh! yes, I saw him, papa. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Nay, Florence, your hand to Mr. Coyle. Aside. I insist. + 

Florence Trenchard + 

Papa. Frightened at his look, gives her hand. Mr. Coyle attempts to kiss it, she snatches it away and crosses to L. + 

Sir Edward Trenchard + 

Crosses to L. Come, Florence. Mr. Coyle, we will join you in the park. Come, my love, take my arm. Hurries her off, L. 1 E. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Shallow, selfish fool. She warned you of me did she? And you did not heed her; you shall both pay dearly. She, for her suspicions, and you that you did not share them. Walks up and down. How lucky the seals were not cut from that mortgage, when the release was given. ’Tis like the silly security of the Trenchard’s. This mortgage makes Ravensdale mine, while the release that restores it to its owner lies in the recess of the bureau, whose secret my father revealed to me on his deathbed. Enter Murcott, L. 1 E. Write to the mortgagee of the Fanhill and Ellenthrope estates, to foreclose before the week is out, and tell Walters and Brass to put in execution today. We’ll prick this windbag of a Baronet. Abel, we have both a bone to pick with him and his daughter. Murcott starts. Why, what’s the matter? + 

Abel Murcott + 

Nothing, the dizziness I’ve had lately. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Brandy in the evening, brandy in the morning, brandy all night. What a fool you are, Murcott. + 

Abel Murcott + 

Who knows that as well as I do? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

If you would but keep the money out of your mouth, there’s the making of a man in you yet. + 

Abel Murcott + 

No, no, it’s gone too far, it’s gone too far, thanks to the man who owns this house, you know all about it. How he found me a thriving, sober lad, flogging the village children through their spelling book. How he took a fancy to me as he called it, and employed me here to teach his son and Miss Florence. His voice falters. Then remember how I forgot who and what I was, and was cuffed out of the house like a dog. How I lost my school, my good name, but still hung about the place, they all looked askance at me, you don’t know how that kills the heart of a man, then I took to drink and sank down, down, till I came to this. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

You owe Sir Edward revenge, do you not? You shall have a rare revenge on him, that mortgage you found last week puts the remainder of the property in my reach, and I close my hand on it unless he will consent to my terms. + 

Abel Murcott + 

You can drive a hard bargain. I know. + 

Mr. Coyle + 

And a rare price I ask for his forbearance, Abel⁠—his daughter’s hand. + 

Abel Murcott + 

Florence? + 

Mr. Coyle + 

Yes, Florence marries Richard Coyle. Richard Coyle steps into Sir Edward’s estates. There, you dog, will not that be a rare revenge. So follow me with those papers. Crosses to L. And now to lay the mine that will topple over the pride of the Trenchards. Exit L. 1 E. + 

Abel Murcott + 

He marry Florence! Florence Trenchard! My Florence. Mine! Florence his wife. No, no, better a thousand times she had been mine, low as I am, when I dreampt that dream, but it shan’t be, it shan’t be. Tremblingly putting papers in bag. If I can help her, sot though I am. Yes, I can help her, if the shock don’t break me down. Oh! my poor muddled brain, surely there was a release with it when I found it. I must see Florence to warn her and expose Mr. Coyle’s villainy. Oh! how my poor head throbs when I try to. I shall die if I don’t have a drop of brandy, yes brandy. Exit, L. 1 E. + 