the double-dealer-第6部分
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！
'tis a barbarity of barbarities； and nothing could be guilty of it …
MEL。 But the greatest villain imagination can form； I grant it； and
next to the villainy of such a fact is the villainy of aspersing me
with the guilt。 How？ which way was I to wrong her？ For yet I
understand you not。
LADY PLYANT。 Why； gads my life； cousin Mellefont； you cannot be so
peremptory as to deny it； when I tax you with it to your face？ for
now Sir Paul's gone； you are CORUM NOBUS。
MEL。 By heav'n； I love her more than life or …
LADY PLYANT。 Fiddle faddle； don't tell me of this and that； and
everything in the world； but give me mathemacular demonstration；
answer me directly。 But I have not patience。 Oh； the impiety of
it； as I was saying； and the unparalleled wickedness！ O merciful
Father！ How could you think to reverse nature so； to make the
daughter the means of procuring the mother？
MEL。 The daughter to procure the mother！
LADY PLYANT。 Ay； for though I am not Cynthia's own mother； I am her
father's wife； and that's near enough to make it incest。
MEL。 Incest！ O my precious aunt； and the devil in conjunction。
＇Aside。＇
LADY PLYANT。 Oh； reflect upon the horror of that； and then the
guilt of deceiving everybody； marrying the daughter； only to make a
cuckold of the father； and then seducing me； debauching my purity；
and perverting me from the road of virtue in which I have trod thus
long； and never made one trip； not one FAUX PAS。 Oh； consider it！
What would you have to answer for if you should provoke me to
frailty？ Alas！ humanity is feeble； heav'n knows！ very feeble； and
unable to support itself。
MEL。 Where am I？ is it day？ and am I awake？ Madam …
LADY PLYANT。 And nobody knows how circumstances may happen
together。 To my thinking； now I could resist the strongest
temptation。 But yet I know； 'tis impossible for me to know whether
I could or not； there's no certainty in the things of this life。
MEL。 Madam； pray give me leave to ask you one question。
LADY PLYANT。 O Lord； ask me the question； I'll swear I'll refuse
it； I swear I'll deny ittherefore don't ask me； nay； you shan't
ask me； I swear I'll deny it。 O Gemini； you have brought all the
blood into my face； I warrant I am as red as a turkey…cock。 O fie；
cousin Mellefont！
MEL。 Nay； madam； hear me； I mean …
LADY PLYANT。 Hear you？ No； no； I'll deny you first and hear you
afterwards。 For one does not know how one's mind may change upon
hearing。 Hearing is one of the senses； and all the senses are
fallible。 I won't trust my honour； I assure you； my honour is
infallible and uncomeatable。
MEL。 For heav'n's sake； madam …
LADY PLYANT。 Oh； name it no more。 Bless me； how can you talk of
heav'n； and have so much wickedness in your heart？ May be you don't
think it a sinthey say some of you gentlemen don't think it a sin。
May be it is no sin to them that don't think it so； indeed； if I did
not think it a sinBut still my honour； if it were no sin。 But
then； to marry my daughter for the conveniency of frequent
opportunities； I'll never consent to that； as sure as can be； I'll
break the match。
MEL。 Death and amazement！ Madam； upon my knees …
LADY PLYANT。 Nay； nay； rise up； come； you shall see my good…nature。
I know love is powerful； and nobody can help his passion。 'Tis not
your fault； nor； I swear； it is not mine。 How can I help it； if I
have charms？ And how can you help it； if you are made a captive？ I
swear it is pity it should be a fault。 But my honour；well； but
your honour； toobut the sin！well； but the necessityO Lord；
here's somebody coming； I dare not stay。 Well； you must consider of
your crime； and strive as much as can be against it；strive； be
sure。 But don't be melancholic； don't despair。 But never think
that I'll grant you anything。 O Lord； no。 But be sure you lay
aside all thoughts of the marriage； for though I know you don't love
Cynthia； only as a blind for your passion to me； yet it will make me
jealous。 O Lord； what did I say？ Jealous！ no； no； I can't be
jealous； for I must not love you； therefore don't hope；but don't
despair neither。 Oh； they're coming； I must fly。
SCENE VI。
MELLEFONT alone。
MEL。 ＇After a pause。＇ So then； spite of my care and foresight； I
am caught； caught in my security。 Yet this was but a shallow
artifice； unworthy of my Machiavellian aunt。 There must be more
behind： this is but the first flash； the priming of her engine。
Destruction follows hard； if not most presently prevented。
SCENE VII。
＇To him＇ MASKWELL。
MEL。 Maskwell； welcome； thy presence is a view of land； appearing
to my shipwrecked hopes。 The witch has raised the storm； and her
ministers have done their work： you see the vessels are parted。
MASK。 I know it。 I met Sir Paul towing away Cynthia。 Come；
trouble not your head； I'll join you together ere to…morrow morning；
or drown between you in the attempt。
MEL。 There's comfort in a hand stretched out to one that's sinking；
though ne'er so far off。
MASK。 No sinking； nor no danger。 Come； cheer up； why； you don't
know that while I plead for you； your aunt has given me a retaining
fee。 Nay； I am your greatest enemy； and she does but journey…work
under me。
MEL。 Ha！ how's this？
MASK。 What d'ye think of my being employed in the execution of all
her plots？ Ha； ha； ha； by heav'n； it's true： I have undertaken to
break the match； I have undertaken to make your uncle disinherit
you； to get you turned out of doors； and toha； ha； ha； I can't
tell you for laughing。 Oh； she has opened her heart to me！ I am to
turn you a…grazing； and toha； ha； ha； marry Cynthia myself。
There's a plot for you。
MEL。 Ha！ Oh； see； I see my rising sun！ Light breaks through
clouds upon me； and I shall live in dayOh； my Maskwell！ how shall
I thank or praise thee？ Thou hast outwitted woman。 But； tell me；
how couldst thou thus get into her confidence？ Ha！ How？ But was
it her contrivance to persuade my Lady Plyant to this extravagant
belief？
MASK。 It was； and to tell you the truth； I encouraged it for your
diversion。 Though it made you a little uneasy for the present； yet
the reflection of it must needs be entertaining。 I warrant she was
very violent at first。
MEL。 Ha； ha； ha； ay； a very fury； but I was most afraid of her
violence at last。 If you had not come as you did； I don't know what
she might have attempted。
MASK。 Ha； ha； ha； I know her temper。 Well； you must know； then；
that all my contrivances were but bubbles； till at last I pretended
to have been long secretly in love with Cynthia； that did my
business； that convinced your aunt I might be trusted； since it was
as much my interest as hers to break the match。 Then； she thought
my jealousy might qualify me to assist her in her revenge。 And； in
short； in that belief； told me the secrets of her heart。 At length
we made this agreement； if I accomplish her designs （as I told you
before） she has engaged to put Cynthia with all her fortune into my
power。
MEL。 She is most gracious in her favour。 Well； and； dear Jack； how
hast thou contrived？
MASK。 I would not have you stay to hear it now； for I don't know
but she may come this way。 I am to meet her anon； after that； I'll
tell you the whole matter。 Be here in this gallery an hour hence；
by that time I imagine our consultation may be over。
MEL。 I will； till then success attend thee。
SCENE VIII。
MASKWELL alone。
Till then； success will attend me； for when I meet you； I meet the
only obstacle to my fortune。 Cynthia； let thy beauty gild my
crimes； and whatsoever I commit of treachery or deceit； shall be
imputed to me as a merit。 Treachery？ What treachery？ Love cancels
all the bonds of friendship； and sets men right upon their first
foundations。
Duty to kings； piety to parents； gratitude to benefactors； and
fidelity to friends； are different and particular ties。 But the
name of rival cuts 'em all asunder； and is a general acquittance。
Rival is equal； and love like death an universal leveller of
mankind。 Ha！ But is there not such a thing as honesty？ Yes； and
whosoever has it about him； bears an enemy in his breast。 For your
honest man； as I take it； is that nice； scrupulous； conscientious
person； who will cheat nobody but himself； such another coxcomb as
your wise man； who is too hard for all the world； and will be made a
fool of by nobody but himself； ha； ha； ha。 Well； for wisdom and
honesty give me cunning and hypocrisy； oh； 'tis such a pleasure to
angle for fair…faced fools！ Then that hungry gudgeon credulity will
bite at anything。 Why； let me see； I have the same face； the same
words and accents when I speak what I do think； and when I speak
what I do not think； the very same； and dear dissimulation is the
only art not to be known from nature。
Why will mankind be fools； and be deceived；
And why are friends' and lovers' oaths believed；
When each； who searches strictly his own mind；
May so much fraud and power of baseness find？
ACT III。SCENE I。
LORD TOUCHWOOD and LADY TOUCHWOOD。
LADY TOUCH。 My lord； can you blame my brother Plyant if he refuse
his daughter upon this provocation？ The contract's void by this
unheard…of impiety。
LORD TOUCH。 I don't believe it true； he has better principles。
Pho； 'tis nonsense。 Come； come； I know my Lady Plyant has a large
eye； and would centre everything in her own circle； 'tis not the
first time she has mistaken respect for love； and made Sir Paul
jealous of the civility of an undesigning person； the better to
bespeak his security in her unfeigned pleasures。
LADY TOUCH。 You censure hardly； my lord； my sister's honour is very
well known。
LORD TOUCH。 Yes； I believe I kno
