the double-dealer-第7章

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LADY　PLYANT。　　Have　I　behaved　myself　with　all　the　decorum　and　nicety

befitting　the　person　of　Sir　Paul's　wife？　　Have　I　preserved　my　honour

as　it　were　in　a　snow…house　for　these　three　years　past？　　Have　I　been

white　and　unsullied　even　by　Sir　Paul　himself？



SIR　PAUL。　　Nay；　she　has　been　an　invincible　wife；　even　to　me；　that's

the　truth　on't。



LADY　PLYANT。　　Have　I；　I　say；　preserved　myself　like　a　fair　sheet　of

paper　for　you　to　make　a　blot　upon？



SIR　PAUL。　　And　she　shall　make　a　simile　with　any　woman　in　England。



MEL。　　I　am　so　amazed；　I　know　not　what　to　say。



SIR　PAUL。　　Do　you　think　my　daughter；　this　pretty　creaturegadsbud；

she's　a　wife　for　a　cherubim！do　you　think　her　fit　for　nothing　but

to　be　a　stalking　horse；　to　stand　before　you；　while　you　take　aim　at

my　wife？　　Gadsbud；　I　was　never　angry　before　in　my　life；　and　I'll

never　be　appeased　again。



MEL。　　Hell　and　damnation！　　This　is　my　aunt；　such　malice　can　be

engendered　nowhere　else。　　＇Aside。＇



LADY　PLYANT。　　Sir　Paul；　take　Cynthia　from　his　sight；　leave　me　to

strike　him　with　the　remorse　of　his　intended　crime。



CYNT。　　Pray；　sir；　stay；　hear　him；　I　dare　affirm　he's　innocent。



SIR　PAUL。　　Innocent！　　Why；　hark'eecome　hither；　Thyhark'ee；　I　had

it　from　his　aunt；　my　sister　Touchwood。　　Gadsbud；　he　does　not　care　a

farthing　for　anything　of　thee　but　thy　portion。　　Why；　he's　in　love

with　my　wife。　　He　would　have　tantalised　thee；　and　made　a　cuckold　of

thy　poor　father；　and　that　would　certainly　have　broke　my　heart。　　I'm

sure；　if　ever　I　should　have　horns；　they　would　kill　me；　they　would

never　come　kindlyI　should　die　of　'em　like　a　child　that　was　cutting

his　teethI　should　indeed；　Thytherefore　come　away；　but　providence

has　prevented　all；　therefore　come　away　when　I　bid　you。



CYNT。　　I　must　obey。





SCENE　V。





LADY　PLYANT；　MELLEFONT。



LADY　PLYANT。　　Oh；　such　a　thing！　the　impiety　of　it　startles　meto

wrong　so　good；　so　fair　a　creature；　and　one　that　loves　you　tenderly

'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；