按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
LADY FROTH。 Three times aloud； as I love letters。 But did you talk
of love？ O Parnassus！ Who would have thought Mr。 Brisk could have
been in love； ha； ha； ha。 O heavens； I thought you could have no
mistress but the Nine Muses。
BRISK。 No more I have； egad； for I adore 'em all in your ladyship。
Let me perish； I don't know whether to be splenetic； or airy upon't；
the deuce take me if I can tell whether I am glad or sorry that your
ladyship has made the discovery。
LADY FROTH。 O be merry by all means。 Prince Volscius in love！ Ha；
ha； ha。
BRISK。 O barbarous； to turn me into ridicule！ Yet； ha； ha； ha。
The deuce take me； I can't help laughing myself； ha； ha； ha； yet by
heavens； I have a violent passion for your ladyship； seriously。
LADY FROTH。 Seriously？ Ha； ha； ha。
BRISK。 Seriously； ha； ha； ha。 Gad I have； for all I laugh。
LADY FROTH。 Ha； ha； ha！ What d'ye think I laugh at？ Ha； ha； ha。
BRISK。 Me； egad； ha； ha。
LADY FROTH。 No； the deuce take me if I don't laugh at myself； for
hang me if I have not a violent passion for Mr。 Brisk； ha； ha； ha。
BRISK。 Seriously？
LADY FROTH。 Seriously； ha； ha； ha。
BRISK。 That's well enough； let me perish； ha； ha； ha。 O
miraculous； what a happy discovery。 Ah my dear charming Lady Froth！
LADY FROTH。 Oh my adored Mr。 Brisk！ ＇Embrace。＇
SCENE VII。
＇To them＇ LORD FROTH。
LORD FROTH。 The company are all ready。 How now？
BRISK。 Zoons！ madam； there's my lord。 ＇Softly to her。＇
LADY FROTH。 Take no notice； but observe me。 Now； cast off； and
meet me at the lower end of the room； and then join hands again； I
could teach my lord this dance purely； but I vow； Mr。 Brisk； I can't
tell how to come so near any other man。 Oh here's my lord； now you
shall see me do it with him。 ＇They pretend to practise part of a
country dance。＇
LORD FROTH。 Oh； I see there's no harm yet； but I don't like this
familiarity。 ＇Aside。＇
LADY FROTH。 Shall you and I do our close dance； to show Mr。 Brisk？
LORD FROTH。 No； my dear； do it with him。
LADY FROTH。 I'll do it with him； my lord； when you are out of the
way。
BRISK。 That's good； egad； that's good。 Deuce take me； I can hardly
hold laughing in his face。 ＇Aside。＇
LORD FROTH。 Any other time； my dear； or we'll dance it below。
LADY FROTH。 With all my heart。
BRISK。 Come； my lord； I'll wait on you。 My charming witty angel！
＇To her。＇
LADY FROTH。 We shall have whispering time enough； you know； since
we are partners。
SCENE VIII。
LADY PLYANT and CARELESS。
LADY PLYANT。 Oh； Mr。 Careless； Mr。 Careless； I'm ruined； I'm
undone。
CARE。 What's the matter； madam？
LADY PLYANT。 Oh； the unluckiest accident； I'm afraid I shan't live
to tell it you。
CARE。 Heaven forbid！ What is it？
LADY PLYANT。 I'm in such a fright； the strangest quandary and
premunire！ I'm all over in a universal agitation； I dare swear
every circumstance of me trembles。 O your letter； your letter！ By
an unfortunate mistake I have given Sir Paul your letter instead of
his own。
CARE。 That was unlucky。
LADY PLYANT。 Oh； yonder he comes reading of it； for heaven's sake
step in here and advise me quickly before he sees。
SCENE IX。
SIR PAUL with the Letter。
SIR PAUL。 O Providence； what a conspiracy have I discovered。 But
let me see to make an end on't。 ＇Reads。＇ HumAfter supper in the
wardrobe by the gallery。 If Sir Paul should surprise us； I have a
commission from him to treat with you about the very matter of fact。
Matter of fact！ Very pretty； it seems that I am conducting to my
own cuckoldom。 Why； this is the very traitorous position of taking
up arms by my authority； against my person！ Well； let me see。 Till
then I languish in expectation of my adored charmer。Dying Ned
Careless。 Gads…bud； would that were matter of fact too。 Die and be
damned for a Judas Maccabeus and Iscariot both。 O friendship！ what
art thou but a name？ Henceforward let no man make a friend that
would not be a cuckold： for whomsoever he receives into his bosom
will find the way to his bed； and there return his caresses with
interest to his wife。 Have I for this been pinioned； night after
night for three years past？ Have I been swathed in blankets till I
have been even deprived of motion？ Have I approached the marriage
bed with reverence as to a sacred shrine； and denied myself the
enjoyment of lawful domestic pleasures to preserve its purity； and
must I now find it polluted by foreign iniquity？ O my Lady Plyant；
you were chaste as ice； but you are melted now； and false as water。
But Providence has been constant to me in discovering this
conspiracy； still； I am beholden to Providence。 If it were not for
Providence； sure； poor Sir Paul； thy heart would break。
SCENE X。
＇To him＇ LADY PLYANT。
LADY PLYANT。 So； sir； I see you have read the letter。 Well； now；
Sir Paul； what do you think of your friend Careless？ Has he been
treacherous； or did you give his insolence a licence to make trial
of your wife's suspected virtue？ D'ye see here？ ＇Snatches the
letter as in anger。＇ Look； read it。 Gads my life； if I thought it
were so； I would this moment renounce all communication with you。
Ungrateful monster！ He？ is it so？ Ay； I see it； a plot upon my
honour； your guilty cheeks confess it。 Oh； where shall wronged
virtue fly for reparation？ I'll be divorced this instant。
SIR PAUL。 Gads…bud； what shall I say？ This is the strangest
surprise。 Why； I don't know anything at all； nor I don't know
whether there be anything at all in the world； or no。
LADY PLYANT。 I thought I should try you； false man。 I； that never
dissembled in my life； yet to make trial of you； pretended to like
that monster of iniquity； Careless； and found out that contrivance
to let you see this letter； which now I find was of your own
inditingI do； heathen； I do。 See my face no more； I'll be
divorced presently。
SIR PAUL。 O strange； what will become of me？ I'm so amazed； and so
overjoyed； so afraid； and so sorry。 But did you give me this letter
on purpose； he？ Did you？
LADY PLYANT。 Did I？ Do you doubt me； Turk； Saracen？ I have a
cousin that's a proctor in the Commons； I'll go to him instantly。
SIR PAUL。 Hold； stay； I beseech your ladyship。 I'm so overjoyed；
stay； I'll confess all。
LADY PLYANT。 What will you confess； Jew？
SIR PAUL。 Why； now； as I hope to be saved； I had no hand in this
letternay； hear me； I beseech your ladyship。 The devil take me
now if he did not go beyond my commission。 If I desired him to do
any more than speak a good word only just for me； gads…bud； only for
poor Sir Paul； I'm an Anabaptist； or a Jew； or what you please to
call me。
LADY PLYANT。 Why； is not here matter of fact？
SIR PAUL。 Ay； but by your own virtue and continency that matter of
fact is all his own doing。 I confess I had a great desire to have
some honours conferred upon me； which lie all in your ladyship's
breast； and he being a well…spoken man； I desired him to intercede
for me。
LADY PLYANT。 Did you so？ presumption！ Oh； he comes； the Tarquin
comes； I cannot bear his sight。
SCENE XI。
CARELESS； SIR PAUL。
CARE。 Sir Paul； I'm glad I've met with you； 'gad； I have said all I
could； but can't prevail。 Then my friendship to you has carried me
a little farther in this matter。
SIR PAUL。 Indeed； well sir； I'll dissemble with him a little。
＇Aside。＇
CARE。 Why； faith I have in my time known honest gentlemen abused by
a pretended coyness in their wives； and I had a mind to try my
lady's virtue。 And when I could not prevail for you； gad； I
pretended to be in love myself； but all in vain； she would not hear
a word upon that subject。 Then I writ a letter to her； I don't know
what effects that will have； but I'll be sure to tell you when I do；
though by this light I believe her virtue is impregnable。
SIR PAUL。 O Providence！ Providence！ What discoveries are here
made？ Why； this is better and more miraculous than the rest。
CARE。 What do you mean？
SIR PAUL。 I can't tell you； I'm so overjoyed； come along with me to
my lady； I can't contain myself； come； my dear friend。
CARE。 So； so； so； this difficulty's over。 ＇Aside。＇
SCENE XII。
MELLEFONT； MASKWELL； from different doors。
MEL。 Maskwell！ I have been looking for you'tis within a quarter
of eight。
MASK。 My lady is just gone into my lord's closet； you had best
steal into her chamber before she comes； and lie concealed there；
otherwise she may lock the door when we are together； and you not
easily get in to surprise us。
MEL。 He？ You say true。
MASK。 You had best make haste； for after she has made some apology
to the company for her own and