the double-dealer-第9章

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LORD　TOUCH。　　No；　no；　no。　　Damnation！



LADY　TOUCH。　　Nay；　I　swear　you　must　not。　　A　little　harmless　mirth；

only　misplaced；　that's　all。　　But　if　it　were　more；　'tis　over　now；　and

all's　well。　　For　my　part　I　have　forgot　it；　and　so　has　he；　I　hope；

for　I　have　not　heard　anything　from　him　these　two　days。



LORD　TOUCH。　　These　two　days！　　Is　it　so　fresh？　　Unnatural　villain！

Death；　I'll　have　him　stripped　and　turned　naked　out　of　my　doors　this

moment；　and　let　him　rot　and　perish；　incestuous　brute！



LADY　TOUCH。　　Oh；　for　heav'n's　sake；　my　lord；　you'll　ruin　me　if　you

take　such　public　notice　of　it；　it　will　be　a　town　talk。　　Consider

your　own　and　my　honour；　nay；　I　told　you　you　would　not　be　satisfied

when　you　knew　it。



LORD　TOUCH。　　Before　I've　done　I　will　be　satisfied。　　Ungrateful

monster！　how　long？



LADY　TOUCH。　　Lord；　I　don't　know；　I　wish　my　lips　had　grown　together

when　I　told　you。　　Almost　a　twelvemonth。　　Nay；　I　won't　tell　you　any

more　till　you　are　yourself。　　Pray；　my　lord；　don't　let　the　company

see　you　in　this　disorder。　　Yet；　I　confess；　I　can't　blame　you；　for　I

think　I　was　never　so　surprised　in　my　life。　　Who　would　have　thought

my　nephew　could　have　so　misconstrued　my　kindness？　　But　will　you　go

into　your　closet；　and　recover　your　temper。　　I'll　make　an　excuse　of

sudden　business　to　the　company；　and　come　to　you。　　Pray；　good；　dear

my　lord；　let　me　beg　you　do　now。　　I'll　come　immediately　and　tell　you

all；　will　you；　my　lord？



LORD　TOUCH。　　I　willI　am　mute　with　wonder。



LADY　TOUCH。　　Well；　but　go　now；　here's　somebody　coming。



LORD　TOUCH。　　Well；　I　go。　　You　won't　stay？　for　I　would　hear　more　of

this。



LADY　TOUCH。　　I　follow　instantly。　　So。





SCENE　II。





LADY　TOUCHWOOD；　MASKWELL。



MASK。　　This　was　a　masterpiece；　and　did　not　need　my　help；　though　I

stood　ready　for　a　cue　to　come　in　and　confirm　all；　had　there　been

occasion。



LADY　TOUCH。　　Have　you　seen　Mellefont？



MASK。　　I　have；　and　am　to　meet　him　here　about　this　time。



LADY　TOUCH。　　How　does　he　bear　his　disappointment？



MASK。　　Secure　in　my　assistance；　he　seemed　not　much　afflicted；　but

rather　laughed　at　the　shallow　artifice；　which　so　little　time　must　of

necessity　discover。　　Yet　he　is　apprehensive　of　some　farther　design

of　yours；　and　has　engaged　me　to　watch　you。　　I　believe　he　will　hardly

be　able　to　prevent　your　plot；　yet　I　would　have　you　use　caution　and

expedition。



LADY　TOUCH。　　Expedition　indeed；　for　all　we　do　must　be　performed　in

the　remaining　part　of　this　evening；　and　before　the　company　break　up；

lest　my　lord　should　cool　and　have　an　opportunity　to　talk　with　him

privately。　　My　lord　must　not　see　him　again。



MASK。　　By　no　means；　therefore　you　must　aggravate　my　lord's

displeasure　to　a　degree　that　will　admit　of　no　conference　with　him。

What　think　you　of　mentioning　me？



LADY　TOUCH。　　How？



MASK。　　To　my　lord；　as　having　been　privy　to　Mellefont's　design　upon

you；　but　still　using　my　utmost　endeavours　to　dissuade　him；　though　my

friendship　and　love　to　him　has　made　me　conceal　it；　yet　you　may　say；

I　threatened　the　next　time　he　attempted　anything　of　that　kind　to

discover　it　to　my　lord。



LADY　TOUCH。　　To　what　end　is　this？



MASK。　　It　will　confirm　my　lord's　opinion　of　my　honour　and　honesty；

and　create　in　him　a　new　confidence　in　me；　which　（should　this　design

miscarry）　will　be　necessary　to　the　forming　another　plot　that　I　have

in　my　head。To　cheat　you　as　well　as　the　rest。　　＇Aside。＇



LADY　TOUCH。　　I'll　do　itI'll　tell　him　you　hindered　him　once　from

forcing　me。



MASK。　　Excellent！　　Your　ladyship　has　a　most　improving　fancy。　　You

had　best　go　to　my　lord；　keep　him　as　long　as　you　can　in　his　closet；

and　I　doubt　not　but　you　will　mould　him　to　what　you　please；　your

guests　are　so　engaged　in　their　own　follies　and　intrigues；　they'll

miss　neither　of　you。



LADY　TOUCH。　　When　shall　we　meet？at　eight　this　evening　in　my

chamber？　　There　rejoice　at　our　success；　and　toy　away　an　hour　in

mirth。



MASK。　　I　will　not　fail。





SCENE　III。





MASKWELL　alone。



I　know　what　she　means　by　toying　away　an　hour　well　enough。　　Pox；　I

have　lost　all　appetite　to　her；　yet　she's　a　fine　woman；　and　I　loved

her　once。　　But　I　don't　know：　　since　I　have　been　in　a　great　measure

kept　by　her；　the　case　is　altered；　what　was　my　pleasure　is　become　my

duty；　and　I　have　as　little　stomach　to　her　now　as　if　I　were　her

husband。　　Should　she　smoke　my　design　upon　Cynthia；　I　were　in　a　fine

pickle。　　She　has　a　damned　penetrating　head；　and　knows　how　to

interpret　a　coldness　the　right　way；　therefore　I　must　dissemble

ardour　and　ecstasy；　that's　resolved。　　How　easily　and　pleasantly　is

that　dissembled　before　fruition！　　Pox　on't　that　a　man　can't　drink

without　quenching　his　thirst。　　Ha！　yonder　comes　Mellefont；

thoughtful。　　Let　me　think。　　Meet　her　at　eighthumha！　　By　heav'n　I

have　it。If　I　can　speak　to　my　lord　before。　　Was　it　my　brain　or

providence？　　No　matter　whichI　will　deceive　'em　all；　and　yet　secure

myself。　　'Twas　a　lucky　thought！　　Well；　this　double…dealing　is　a

jewel。　　Here　he　comes；　now　for　me。　　＇MASKWELL；　pretending　not　to　see

him；　walks　by　him；　and　speaks　as　it　were　to　himself。＇





SCENE　IV。





＇To　him＇　MELLEFONT；　musing。



MASK。　　Mercy　on　us；　what　will　the　wickedness　of　this　world　come　to？



MEL。　　How　now；　Jack？　　What；　so　full　of　contemplation　that　you　run

over？



MASK。　　I'm　glad　you're　come；　for　I　could　not　contain　myself　any

longer；　and　was　just　going　to　give　vent　to　a　secret；　which　nobody

but　you　ought　to　drink　down。　　Your　aunt's　just　gone　from　hence。



MEL。　　And　having　trusted　thee　with　the　secrets　of　her　soul；　thou　art

villainously　bent　to　discover　'em　all　to　me；　ha？



MASK。　　I'm　afraid　my　frailty　leans　that　way。　　But　I　don't　know

whether　I　can　in　honour　discover　'em　all。



MEL。　　All；　all；　man！　　What；　you　may　in　honour　betray　her　as　far　as

she　betrays　herself。　　No　tragical　design　upon　my　person；　I　hope。



MASK。　　No；　but　it's　a　comical　design　upon　mine。



MEL。　　What　dost　thou　mean？



MASK。　　Listen　and　be　dumb；　we　have　been　bargaining　about　the　rate　of

your　ruin　…



MEL。　　Like　any　two　guardians　to　an　orphan　heiress。　　Well？



MASK。　　And　whereas　pleasure　is　generally　paid　with　mischief；　what


mischief　I　do　is　to　be　paid　with　pleasure。



MEL。　　So　when　you've　swallowed　the　potion　you　sweeten　your　mouth

with　a　plum。



MASK。　　You　are　merry；　sir；　but　I　shall　probe　your　constitution。　　In

short；　the　price　of　your　banishment　is　to　be　paid　with　the　person　of

…



MEL。　　Of　Cynthia　and　her　fortune。　　Why；　you　forget　you　told　me　this

before。



MASK。　　No；　no。　　So　far　you　are　right；　and　I　am；　as　an　earnest　of

that　bargain；　to　have　full　and　free　possession　of　the　person　of

your　aunt。



MEL。　　Ha！　　Pho；　you　trifle。



MASK。　　By　this　light；　I'm　serious；　all　raillery　apart。　　I　knew

'twould　stun　you。　　This　evening　at　eight　she　will　receive　me　in　her

bedchamber。



MEL。　　Hell　and　the　devil；　is　she　abandoned　of　all　grace？　　Why；　the

woman　is　possessed。



MASK。　　Well；　will　you　go　in　my　stead？



MEL。　　By　heav'n；　into　a　hot　furnace　sooner。



MASK。　　No；　you　would　not；　it　would　not　be　so　convenient；　as　I　can

order　matters。



MEL。　　What　d'ye　mean？



MASK。　　Mean？　　Not　to　disappoint　the　lady；　I　assure　you。　　Ha；　ha；　ha；

how　gravely　he　looks。　　Come；　come；　I　won't　perplex　you。　　'Tis　the

only　thing　that　providence　could　have　contrived　to　make　me　capable

of　serving　you；　either　to　my　inclination　or　your　own　necessity。



MEL。　　How；　how；　for　heav'n's　sake；　dear　Maskwell？



MASK。　　Why；　thus。　　I'll　go　according　to　appointment；　you　shall　have

notice　at　the　critical　minute　to　come　and　surprise　your　aunt　and　me

together。　　Counterfeit　a　rage　against　me；　and　I'll　make　my　escape

through　the　private　passage　from　her　chamber；　which　I'll　take　care

to　leave　open。　　'Twill　be　hard　if　then　you　can't　bring　her　to　any

conditions。　　For　this　discovery　will　disarm　her　of　all　defence；　and

leave　her　entirely　at　your