cover my acquaintance and familiarity with my former self; and fall from my transformation to a reformation into Waitwell. Nay, I sha'n't be quite the same Waitwell neither---for now I remember I'm married, and can't be my own again.

Ay, there's my grief; that's the sad change of life; To loose my title, and yet keep my wife.

[Exit.

ACT III. SCENE 1.

A Room in Lady Wishfort's House. Lady WISHFORT at her Toilet, PEG waiting.

Lady Wishfort.

MERCIFUL, no news of Foible yet?

Peg. No, madam.

L. Wish. I have no more patience---If I have not fretted myself till I am pale again, there's no veracity in me. Fetch me the red-the red, do you hear, sweet-heart? an arrant ash-colour, as I am a person. Look you how this wench stirs! why dost thou not fetch me a little red? didst thou not hear me, mopus? Peg. The red ratafia, does your ladyship mean, or the cherry-brandy?

L. Wish. Ratafia, fool! no, fool, not the ratafia, fool---Grant me patience! I mean the Spanish paper, ideot; complexion. Darling paint, paint, paint;--dost thou understand that, changeling, dangling thy

hands like bobbins before thee? why dost thou not stir, puppet? thou wooden thing upon wires.

Peg. Lord, madam, your ladyship is so impatient--I cannot come at the paint, madam; Mrs. Foible has lock'd it up, and carried the key with her.

L. Wish. Plague take you both--Fetch me the cherry-brandy then. [Exit Peg.] I'm as pale and as faint, I look like Mrs. Qualmsick, the curate's wife, that's always breeding— -Wench, come, come, wench, what art thou doing, sipping? tasting? save thee, dost thou not know the bottle?

PEG enters with a Bottle and a China Cup. Peg. Madam, I was looking for a cup.

L. Wish. A cup, save thee; and what a cup hast thou brought! dost thou take me for a Fairy, to drink out of an acorn? why didst thou not bring thy thimble? hast thou ne'er a brass thimble clinking in thy pocket with a bit of nutmeg? I warrant thee. Come, fill, fill-So-again. See who that is-[One knocks.] Set down the bottle first.-Here, here, under the table-What, would'st thou go with the bottle in thy hand, like a tapster? [Exit Peg.] As I'm a person, this wench has lived in an inn upon the road, before she came to me, "like Maritornes the Asturian in "Don Quixote."

PEG enters.

No Foible yet?

Peg. No, madam, Mrs. Marwood.

L. Wish. O Marwood, let her come in. Come in,

good Marwood.

Mrs. MARWOOD enters.

Mrs. Mar. I am surprised to find your ladyship in dishabile at this time of day.

L. Wish. Foible's a lost thing; has been abroad since morning, and never heard of since.

Mrs. Mar. I saw her but now, as I came mask'd through the park, in conference with Mirabell.

L. Wish. With Mirabell? you call my blood into my face, with mentioning that traitor. She durst not have the confidence. I sent her to negotiate an affair, in which, if I'm detected, I'm undone. If that wheedling villain has wrought upon Foible to detect me, I'm ruin'd. Oh, my dear friend, I'm a wretch of wretches if I'm detected.

Mrs. Mar. O, madam, you cannot suspect Mrs. Foible's integrity.

L. Wish. O, he carries poison in his tongue that would corrupt integrity itself. If she has given him an opportunity, she has as good as put her integrity into his hands. Ah! dear Marwood, what's integrity to an opportunity?-Hark! I hear her-Dear, friend, retire into my closet, that I may examine her with more freedom-You 'll pardon me, dear friend, I can make bold with you-There are books over the chimney---Quarles and Pryn, and the Short View of the Stage, with Bunyan's works, to entertain you--- } [Exit Mrs. Marwood. [Exit Peg.

Go, you thing, and send her in.

T

FOIBLE enters.

L. Wish. O, Foible, where hast thou been? what

hast thou been doing?

Foi. Madam, I have seen the party.

L. Wish. But what hast thou done?

Foi. Nay, 't is your ladyship has done, "and are "to do ;" I have only promised. But a man so enamour'd-so transported! well, if worshiping of pictures be a sin-poor Sir Rowland, I say.

L. Wish. The miniature has been counted likeBut hast thou not betray'd me, Foible? hast thou not detected me to that faithless Mirabell? What hadst thou to do with him in the park? answer me, has he got nothing out of thee?

Foi. So mischief has been before-hand with me -what shall I say? [Aside.] Alas, madam, could I help it, if I met that confident thing? was I in fault? If you had heard how he used me, and all upon your ladyship's account, I'm sure you would not suspect my fidelity. Nay, if that had been the worst, I could have borne: but he had a fling at your ladyship too; and then I could not hold : but, i'faith, I gave him his

own.

L. Wish. Me! what did the filthy fellow say? |

Foi. O, madam; 't is a shame to say what he said -With his taunts and his fleers, tossing up his nose. Humph, says he, what you are a hatching some plot,' says he, you are so early abroad, or catering says he, ferreting for some disbanded officer, I war

rant-Half-pay is but thin subsistence,' says he, 'Well, what pension does your lady propose? Let me see:' says he, what, she must come down pretty deep now, she's superannuated' says he, and-

6

L. Wish. Odds my life, I'll have him—I'll have him murder'd. I'll have him poison'd. Where does he eat? I'll marry a drawer to have him poison'd in his wine, "I'll send for Robin from Locket's immediately."

Foi. Poison him! poisoning's too good for him. Starve him, madam, starve him; marry Sir Rowland, and get him disinherited. O, you would bless yourself, to hear what he said.

L. Wish. A villain! superannuated!

Foi. Humph,' says he, I hear you are laying designs against me too,' says he, and Mrs. Millamant is to marry, my uncle, he does not suspect a word of your ladyship; but,' says he, 'I'll fit you for that I warrant you,' says he, ‘I'll hamper you for that,' says he, you and your old frippery too, says he, I'll handle you

L. Wish. Audacious villain! handle me! would he durst-Frippery! old frippery! Was there ever such a foul-mouth'd fellow? I'll be married to-morrow I'll be contracted to-night.

Foi. The sooner the better, madam,

L. Wish. Will Sir Rowland be here, say'st thou ? when, Foible?

Foi. Incontinently, madam. No new Sheriff's wife expects the return of her husband after knighthood,

F