the double-dealer-第11章
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SIR PAUL。 Why; I have; I thank heaven; a very plentiful fortune; a
good estate in the country; some houses in town; and some money; a
pretty tolerable personal estate; and it is a great grief to me;
indeed it is; Mr。 Careless; that I have not a son to inherit this。
'Tis true I have a daughter; and a fine dutiful child she is; though
I say it; blessed be providence I may say; for indeed; Mr。 Careless;
I am mightily beholden to providence。 A poor unworthy sinner。 But
if I had a son! Ah; that's my affliction; and my only affliction;
indeed I cannot refrain tears when it comes in my mind。 'Cries。'
CARE。 Why; methinks that might be easily remediedmy lady's a fine
likely woman …
SIR PAUL。 Oh; a fine likely woman as you shall see in a summer's
day。 Indeed she is; Mr。 Careless; in all respects。
CARE。 And I should not have taken you to have been so old …
SIR PAUL。 Alas; that's not it; Mr。 Careless; ah! that's not it; no;
no; you shoot wide of the mark a mile; indeed you do; that's not it;
Mr。 Careless; no; no; that's not it。
CARE。 No? What can be the matter then?
SIR PAUL。 You'll scarcely believe me when I shall tell youmy lady
is so nice。 It's very strange; but it's true; too trueshe's so
very nice; that I don't believe she would touch a man for the world。
At least not above once a year; I'm sure I have found it so; and;
alas; what's once a year to an old man; who would do good in his
generation? Indeed it's true; Mr。 Careless; it breaks my heart。 I
am her husband; as I may say; though far unworthy of that honour;
yet I am her husband; but alas…a…day; I have no more familiarity
with her personas to that matterthan with my own motherno
indeed。
CARE。 Alas…a…day; this is a lamentable story。 My lady must be told
on't。 She must i'faith; Sir Paul; 'tis an injury to the world。
SIR PAUL。 Ah! would to heaven you would; Mr。 Careless; you are
mightily in her favour。
CARE。 I warrant you; what! we must have a son some way or other。
SIR PAUL。 Indeed I should be mightily bound to you if you could
bring it about; Mr。 Careless。
LADY PLYANT。 Here; Sir Paul; it's from your steward。 Here's a
return of 600 pounds; you may take fifty of it for the next half
year。 'Gives him the letter。'
SCENE IX。
'To them' LORD FROTH; CYNTHIA。
SIR PAUL。 How does my girl? Come hither to thy father; poor lamb:
thou'rt melancholic。
LORD FROTH。 Heaven; Sir Paul; you amaze me; of all things in the
world。 You are never pleased but when we are all upon the broad
grin: all laugh and no company; ah; then 'tis such a sight to see
some teeth。 Sure you're a great admirer of my Lady Whifler; Mr。
Sneer; and Sir Laurence Loud; and that gang。
SIR PAUL。 I vow and swear she's a very merry woman; but I think she
laughs a little too much。
LORD FROTH。 Merry! O Lord; what a character that is of a woman of
quality。 You have been at my Lady Whifler's upon her day; madam?
CYNT。 Yes; my lord。 I must humour this fool。 'Aside。'
LORD FROTH。 Well; and how? hee! What is your sense of the
conversation?
CYNT。 Oh; most ridiculous; a perpetual comfort of laughing without
any harmony; for sure; my lord; to laugh out of time; is as
disagreeable as to sing out of time or out of tune。
LORD FROTH。 Hee; hee; hee; right; and then; my Lady Whifler is so
readyshe always comes in three bars too soon。 And then; what do
they laugh at? For you know laughing without a jest is as
impertinent; hee! as; as …
CYNT。 As dancing without a fiddle。
LORD FROTH。 Just i'faith; that was at my tongue's end。
CYNT。 But that cannot be properly said of them; for I think they
are all in good nature with the world; and only laugh at one
another; and you must allow they have all jests in their persons;
though they have none in their conversation。
LORD FROTH。 True; as I'm a person of honour。 For heaven's sake let
us sacrifice 'em to mirth a little。 'Enter BOY and whispers SIR
PAUL。'
SIR PAUL。 Gads so。Wife; wife; my Lady Plyant; I have a word。
LADY PLYANT。 I'm busy; Sir Paul; I wonder at your impertinence。
CARE。 Sir Paul; harkee; I'm reasoning the matter you know。 Madam;
if your ladyship please; we'll discourse of this in the next room。
SIR PAUL。 O ho; I wish you good success; I wish you good success。
Boy; tell my lady; when she has done; I would speak with her below。
SCENE X。
CYNTHIA; LORD FROTH; LADY FROTH; BRISK。
LADY FROTH。 Then you think that episode between Susan; the dairy…
maid; and our coachman is not amiss; you know; I may suppose the
dairy in town; as well as in the country。
BRISK。 Incomparable; let me perish。 But then; being an heroic
poem; had you not better call him a charioteer? Charioteer sounds
great; besides; your ladyship's coachman having a red face; and you
comparing him to the sunand you know the sun is called Heaven's
charioteer。
LADY FROTH。 Oh; infinitely better; I'm extremely beholden to you
for the hint; stay; we'll read over those half a score lines again。
'Pulls out a paper。' Let me see here; you know what goes before;
the comparison; you know。 'Reads。'
For as the sun shines ev'ry day;
So of our coachman I may say。
BRISK。 I'm afraid that simile won't do in wet weather; because you
say the sun shines every day。
LADY FROTH。 No; for the sun it won't; but it will do for the
coachman; for you know there's most occasion for a coach in wet
weather。
BRISK。 Right; right; that saves all。
LADY FROTH。 Then I don't say the sun shines all the day; but that
he peeps now and then; yet he does shine all the day too; you know;
though we don't see him。
BRISK。 Right; but the vulgar will never comprehend that。
LADY FROTH。 Well; you shall hear。 Let me see。 'Reads。'
For as the sun shines ev'ry day;
So of our coachman I may say;
He shows his drunken fiery face;
Just as the sun does; more or less。
BRISK。 That's right; all's well; all's well。 'More or less。'
LADY FROTH reads:
And when at night his labour's done;
Then too; like Heav'n's charioteer the sun:
Ay; charioteer does better。
Into the dairy he descends;
And there his whipping and his driving ends;
There he's secure from danger of a bilk;
His fare is paid him; and he sets in milk。
For Susan you know; is Thetis; and so …
BRISK。 Incomparable well and proper; egadbut I have one exception
to makedon't you think bilk(I know it's good rhyme)but don't
you think BILK and FARE too like a hackney coachman?
LADY FROTH。 I swear and vow I'm afraid so。 And yet our Jehu was a
hackney coachman; when my lord took him。
BRISK。 Was he? I'm answered; if Jehu was a hackney coachman。 You
may put that in the marginal notes though; to prevent criticism
only mark it with a small asterism; and say; 'Jehu was formerly a
hackney coachman。'
LADY FROTH。 I will。 You'd oblige me extremely to write notes to
the whole poem。
BRISK。 With all my heart and soul; and proud of the vast honour;
let me perish。
LORD FROTH。 Hee; hee; hee; my dear; have you done? won't you join
with us? We were laughing at my Lady Whifler and Mr。 Sneer。
LADY FROTH。 Ay; my dear; were you? Oh; filthy Mr。 Sneer; he's a
nauseous figure; a most fulsamic fop; foh! He spent two days
together in going about Covent Garden to suit the lining of his
coach with his complexion。
LORD FROTH。 O silly! yet his aunt is as fond of him as if she had
brought the ape into the world herself。
BRISK。 Who; my Lady Toothless? Oh; she's a mortifying spectacle;
she's always chewing the cud like an old ewe。
CYNT。 Fie; Mr。 Brisk; eringo's for her cough。
LADY FROTH。 I have seen her take 'em half chewed out of her mouth;
to laugh; and then put 'em in again。 Foh!
LORD FROTH。 Foh!
L