الفصل الفصل 9 · [_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

ready--she 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 10.