the way of the world-第16部分

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MRS。　FAIN。　　Was　there　no　mention　made　of　me　in　the　letter？　　My



mother　does　not　suspect　my　being　in　the　confederacy？　　I　fancy



Marwood　has　not　told　her；　though　she　has　told　my　husband。







FOIB。　　Yes；　madam；　but　my　lady　did　not　see　that　part。　　We　stifled



the　letter　before　she　read　so　far。　　Has　that　mischievous　devil　told



Mr。　Fainall　of　your　ladyship　then？







MRS。　FAIN。　　Ay；　all's　out：　　my　affair　with　Mirabell；　everything



discovered。　　This　is　the　last　day　of　our　living　together；　that's　my



comfort。







FOIB。　　Indeed；　madam；　and　so　'tis　a　comfort；　if　you　knew　all。　　He



has　been　even　with　your　ladyship；　which　I　could　have　told　you　long



enough　since；　but　I　love　to　keep　peace　and　quietness　by　my　good



will。　　I　had　rather　bring　friends　together　than　set　'em　at　distance。



But　Mrs。　Marwood　and　he　are　nearer　related　than　ever　their　parents



thought　for。







MRS。　FAIN。　　Say'st　thou　so；　Foible？　　Canst　thou　prove　this？







FOIB。　　I　can　take　my　oath　of　it；　madam；　so　can　Mrs。　Mincing。　　We



have　had　many　a　fair　word　from　Madam　Marwood　to　conceal　something



that　passed　in　our　chamber　one　evening　when　you　were　at　Hyde　Park；



and　we　were　thought　to　have　gone　a…walking。　　But　we　went　up



unawaresthough　we　were　sworn　to　secrecy　too：　　Madam　Marwood　took　a



book　and　swore　us　upon　it：　　but　it　was　but　a　book　of　poems。　　So　long



as　it　was　not　a　bible　oath；　we　may　break　it　with　a　safe　conscience。







MRS。　FAIN。　　This　discovery　is　the　most　opportune　thing　I　could　wish。



Now；　Mincing？











SCENE　III。











＇To　them＇　MINCING。







MINC。　　My　lady　would　speak　with　Mrs。　Foible；　mem。　　Mr。　Mirabell　is



with　her；　he　has　set　your　spouse　at　liberty；　Mrs。　Foible；　and　would



have　you　hide　yourself　in　my　lady's　closet　till　my　old　lady's　anger



is　abated。　　Oh；　my　old　lady　is　in　a　perilous　passion　at　something



Mr。　Fainall　has　said；　he　swears；　and　my　old　lady　cries。　　There's　a



fearful　hurricane；　I　vow。　　He　says；　mem；　how　that　he'll　have　my



lady's　fortune　made　over　to　him；　or　he'll　be　divorced。







MRS。　FAIN。　　Does　your　lady　or　Mirabell　know　that？







MINC。　　Yes　mem；　they　have　sent　me　to　see　if　Sir　Wilfull　be　sober；



and　to　bring　him　to　them。　　My　lady　is　resolved　to　have　him；　I　think；



rather　than　lose　such　a　vast　sum　as　six　thousand　pound。　　Oh；　come；



Mrs。　Foible；　I　hear　my　old　lady。







MRS。　FAIN。　　Foible；　you　must　tell　Mincing　that　she　must　prepare　to



vouch　when　I　call　her。







FOIB。　　Yes；　yes；　madam。







MINC。　　Oh；　yes　mem；　I'll　vouch　anything　for　your　ladyship's　service；



be　what　it　will。











SCENE　IV。











MRS。　FAINALL；　LADY　WISHFORT；　MRS。　MARWOOD。







LADY。　　O　my　dear　friend；　how　can　I　enumerate　the　benefits　that　I



have　received　from　your　goodness？　　To　you　I　owe　the　timely　discovery



of　the　false　vows　of　Mirabell；　to　you　I　owe　the　detection　of　the



impostor　Sir　Rowland。　　And　now　you　are　become　an　intercessor　with　my



son…in…law；　to　save　the　honour　of　my　house　and　compound　for　the



frailties　of　my　daughter。　　Well；　friend；　you　are　enough　to　reconcile



me　to　the　bad　world；　or　else　I　would　retire　to　deserts　and



solitudes；　and　feed　harmless　sheep　by　groves　and　purling　streams。



Dear　Marwood；　let　us　leave　the　world；　and　retire　by　ourselves　and　be



shepherdesses。







MRS。　MAR。　　Let　us　first　dispatch　the　affair　in　hand；　madam。　　We



shall　have　leisure　to　think　of　retirement　afterwards。　　Here　is　one



who　is　concerned　in　the　treaty。







LADY。　　O　daughter；　daughter；　is　it　possible　thou　shouldst　be　my



child；　bone　of　my　bone；　and　flesh　of　my　flesh；　and　as　I　may　say；



another　me；　and　yet　transgress　the　most　minute　particle　of　severe



virtue？　　Is　it　possible　you　should　lean　aside　to　iniquity；　who　have



been　cast　in　the　direct　mould　of　virtue？　　I　have　not　only　been　a



mould　but　a　pattern　for　you；　and　a　model　for　you；　after　you　were



brought　into　the　world。







MRS。　FAIN。　　I　don't　understand　your　ladyship。







LADY。　　Not　understand？　　Why；　have　you　not　been　naught？　　Have　you　not



been　sophisticated？　　Not　understand？　　Here　I　am　ruined　to　compound



for　your　caprices　and　your　cuckoldoms。　　I　must　pawn　my　plate　and　my



jewels；　and　ruin　my　niece；　and　all　little　enough　…







MRS。　FAIN。　　I　am　wronged　and　abused；　and　so　are　you。　　'Tis　a　false



accusation；　as　false　as　hell；　as　false　as　your　friend　there；　ay；　or



your　friend's　friend；　my　false　husband。







MRS。　MAR。　　My　friend；　Mrs。　Fainall？　　Your　husband　my　friend；　what　do



you　mean？







MRS。　FAIN。　　I　know　what　I　mean；　madam；　and　so　do　you；　and　so　shall



the　world　at　a　time　convenient。







MRS。　MAR。　　I　am　sorry　to　see　you　so　passionate；　madam。　　More　temper



would　look　more　like　innocence。　　But　I　have　done。　　I　am　sorry　my



zeal　to　serve　your　ladyship　and　family　should　admit　of



misconstruction；　or　make　me　liable　to　affronts。　　You　will　pardon　me；



madam；　if　I　meddle　no　more　with　an　affair　in　which　I　am　not



personally　concerned。







LADY。　　O　dear　friend；　I　am　so　ashamed　that　you　should　meet　with　such



returns。　　You　ought　to　ask　pardon　on　your　knees；　ungrateful



creature；　she　deserves　more　from　you　than　all　your　life　can



accomplish。　　Oh；　don't　leave　me　destitute　in　this　perplexity！　　No；



stick　to　me；　my　good　genius。







MRS。　FAIN。　　I　tell　you；　madam；　you're　abused。　　Stick　to　you？　　Ay；



like　a　leech；　to　suck　your　best　blood；　she'll　drop　off　when　she's



full。　　Madam；　you　shan't　pawn　a　bodkin；　nor　part　with　a　brass



counter；　in　composition　for　me。　　I　defy　'em　all。　　Let　'em　prove



their　aspersions：　　I　know　my　own　innocence；　and　dare　stand　a　trial。











SCENE　V。











LADY　WISHFORT；　MRS。　MARWOOD。







LADY。　　Why；　if　she　should　be　innocent；　if　she　should　be　wronged



after　all；　ha？　　I　don't　know　what　to　think；　and　I　promise　you；　her



education　has　been　unexceptionable。　　I　may　say　it；　for　I　chiefly



made　it　my　own　care　to　initiate　her　very　infancy　in　the　rudiments　of



virtue；　and　to　impress　upon　her　tender　years　a　young　odium　and



aversion　to　the　very　sight　of　men；　ay；　friend；　she　would　ha'



shrieked　if　she　had　but　seen　a　man　till　she　was　in　her　teens。　　As



I'm　a　person；　'tis　true。　　She　was　never　suffered　to　play　with　a　male



child；　though　but　in　coats。　　Nay；　her　very　babies　were　of　the



feminine　gender。　　Oh；　she　never　looked　a　man　in　the　face　but　her　own



father　or　the　chaplain；　and　him　we　made　a　shift　to　put　upon　her　for



a　woman；　by　the　help　of　his　long　garments；　and　his　sleek　face；　till



she　was　going　in　her　fifteen。







MRS。　MAR。　　'Twas　much　she　should　be　deceived　so　long。







LADY。　　I　warrant　you；　or　she　would　never　have　borne　to　have　been



catechised　by　him；　and　have　heard　his　long　lectures　against　singing



and　dancing　and　such　debaucheries；　and　going　to　filthy　plays；　and



profane　music　meetings；　where　the　lewd　trebles　squeak　nothing　but



bawdy；　and　the　basses　roar　blasphemy。　　Oh；　she　would　have　swooned　at



the　sight　or　name　of　an　obscene　play…bookand　can　I　think　after　all



this　that　my　daughter　can　be　naught？　　What；　a　whore？　　And　thought　it



excommunication　to　set　her　foot　within　the　door　of　a　playhouse。　　O



dear　friend；　I　can't　believe　it。　　No；　no；　as　she　says；　let　him　prove



it；　let　him　prove　it。







MRS。　MAR。　　Prove　it；　madam？　　What；　and　have　your　name　prostituted　in



a　public　court；　yours　and　your　daughter's　reputation　worried　at　the



bar　by　a　pack　of　bawling　lawyers？　　To　be　ushered　in　with　an　OH　YES



of　scandal；　and　have　your　case　opened　by　an　old　fumbling　leacher　in



a　quoif　like　a　man　midwife；　to　bring　your　daughter's　infamy　to



light；　to　be　a　theme　for　legal　punsters　and　quibblers　by　the



statute；　and　become　a　jest；　against　a　rule　of　court；　where　there　is



no　precedent　for　a　jest　in　any　record；　not　even　in　Doomsday　Book。



To　discompose　the　gravity　of　the　bench；　and　provoke　naughty



interrogatories　in　more　naughty　law　Latin；　while　the　good　judge；



tickled　with　the　proceeding；　simpers　under　a　grey　beard；　and　fidges



off　and　on　his　cushion　as　if　he　had　swallowed　cantharides；　or　sate



upon　cow…itch。







LADY。　　Oh；　'tis　very　hard！







MRS。　MAR。　　And　then　to　have　my　young　revellers　of　the　Temple　take



notes；　like　prentices　at　a　conventicle；　and　after　talk　it　over　again



in　Commons；　or　before　drawers　in　an　eating…house。







LADY。　　Worse　and　worse。







MRS。　MAR。　　Nay；　this　is　nothing；　if　it　would　end　here　'twere　well。



But　it　must　after　this　be　consigned　by　the　shorthand　writers　to　the



public　press；　and　from　thence　be　transferred　to　the　hands；　nay；　into



the　throats　and　lungs；　of　hawkers；　with　voices　more　licentious　than



the　loud　flounder…man's。　　And　this　you　must　hear　till　you　are



stunned；　nay；　you　must　hear　nothing　else　for　some　days。







LADY。　　Oh　'tis　insupportable。　　No；　no；　dear　friend；　make　it　up；　make



it　up；　ay；　ay；　I'll　compound。　　I'll　give　up　all；　myself　and　my　all；



my　niece　and　her　all；　anything；　everything；　for　composition。







MRS。　MAR。　　Nay；　madam；　I　advise　nothing；　I　only　lay　before　you；　as　a



friend；　the　inconveniences　which　perhaps　you　have　overseen。　　Here



comes　Mr。　Fainall；　if　he　will　be　satisfied　to　huddle　up　all　in



silence；　I　shall　be　glad。　　You　must　think　I　would　rather



congratulate　than　condole　with　you。











SCENE　VI。











FAINALL；　LADY　WISHFORT；　MRS。　MARWOOD。







LADY。　　Ay；　ay；　I　do　not　doubt　it；　dear　Marwood。　　No；　no；　I　do　not



doubt