the way of the world-第2部分

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LADY　WISHFORT；　enemy　to　Mirabell；　for　having　falsely　pretended　love



to　her；Mrs。　Leigh



MRS。　MILLAMANT；　a　fine　lady；　niece　to　Lady　Wishfort；　and　loves



Mirabell；Mrs。　Bracegirdle



MRS。　MARWOOD；　friend　to　Mr。　Fainall；　and　likes　Mirabell；Mrs。　Barry



MRS。　FAINALL；　daughter　to　Lady　Wishfort；　and　wife　to　Fainall；



formerly　friend　to　Mirabell；Mrs。　Bowman



FOIBLE；　woman　to　Lady　Wishfort；Mrs。　Willis



MINCING；　woman　to　Mrs。　Millamant；Mrs。　Prince



DANCERS；　FOOTMEN；　ATTENDANTS。







SCENE：　　London。







The　time　equal　to　that　of　the　presentation。















ACT　I。SCENE　I。















A　Chocolate…house。







MIRABELL　and　FAINALL　rising　from　cards。　　BETTY　waiting。







MIRA。　　You　are　a　fortunate　man；　Mr。　Fainall。







FAIN。　　Have　we　done？







MIRA。　　What　you　please。　　I'll　play　on　to　entertain　you。







FAIN。　　No；　I'll　give　you　your　revenge　another　time；　when　you　are　not



so　indifferent；　you　are　thinking　of　something　else　now；　and　play　too



negligently：　　the　coldness　of　a　losing　gamester　lessens　the　pleasure



of　the　winner。　　I'd　no　more　play　with　a　man　that　slighted　his　ill



fortune　than　I'd　make　love　to　a　woman　who　undervalued　the　loss　of



her　reputation。







MIRA。　　You　have　a　taste　extremely　delicate；　and　are　for　refining　on



your　pleasures。







FAIN。　　Prithee；　why　so　reserved？　　Something　has　put　you　out　of



humour。







MIRA。　　Not　at　all：　　I　happen　to　be　grave　to…day；　and　you　are　gay；



that's　all。







FAIN。　　Confess；　Millamant　and　you　quarrelled　last　night；　after　I



left　you；　my　fair　cousin　has　some　humours　that　would　tempt　the



patience　of　a　Stoic。　　What；　some　coxcomb　came　in；　and　was　well



received　by　her；　while　you　were　by？







MIRA。　　Witwoud　and　Petulant；　and　what　was　worse；　her　aunt；　your



wife's　mother；　my　evil　geniusor　to　sum　up　all　in　her　own　name；　my



old　Lady　Wishfort　came　in。







FAIN。　　Oh；　there　it　is　then：　　she　has　a　lasting　passion　for　you；　and



with　reason。What；　then　my　wife　was　there？







MIRA。　　Yes；　and　Mrs。　Marwood　and　three　or　four　more；　whom　I　never



saw　before；　seeing　me；　they　all　put　on　their　grave　faces；　whispered



one　another；　then　complained　aloud　of　the　vapours；　and　after　fell



into　a　profound　silence。







FAIN。　　They　had　a　mind　to　be　rid　of　you。







MIRA。　　For　which　reason　I　resolved　not　to　stir。　　At　last　the　good



old　lady　broke　through　her　painful　taciturnity　with　an　invective



against　long　visits。　　I　would　not　have　understood　her；　but　Millamant



joining　in　the　argument；　I　rose　and　with　a　constrained　smile　told



her；　I　thought　nothing　was　so　easy　as　to　know　when　a　visit　began　to



be　troublesome；　she　reddened　and　I　withdrew；　without　expecting　her



reply。







FAIN。　　You　were　to　blame　to　resent　what　she　spoke　only　in　compliance



with　her　aunt。







MIRA。　　She　is　more　mistress　of　herself　than　to　be　under　the



necessity　of　such　a　resignation。







FAIN。　　What？　though　half　her　fortune　depends　upon　her　marrying　with



my　lady's　approbation？







MIRA。　　I　was　then　in　such　a　humour；　that　I　should　have　been　better



pleased　if　she　had　been　less　discreet。







FAIN。　　Now　I　remember；　I　wonder　not　they　were　weary　of　you；　last



night　was　one　of　their　cabal…nights：　　they　have　'em　three　times　a



week　and　meet　by　turns　at　one　another's　apartments；　where　they　come



together　like　the　coroner's　inquest；　to　sit　upon　the　murdered



reputations　of　the　week。　　You　and　I　are　excluded；　and　it　was　once



proposed　that　all　the　male　sex　should　be　excepted；　but　somebody



moved　that　to　avoid　scandal　there　might　be　one　man　of　the　community；



upon　which　motion　Witwoud　and　Petulant　were　enrolled　members。







MIRA。　　And　who　may　have　been　the　foundress　of　this　sect？　　My　Lady



Wishfort；　I　warrant；　who　publishes　her　detestation　of　mankind；　and



full　of　the　vigour　of　fifty…five；　declares　for　a　friend　and　ratafia；



and　let　posterity　shift　for　itself；　she'll　breed　no　more。







FAIN。　　The　discovery　of　your　sham　addresses　to　her；　to　conceal　your



love　to　her　niece；　has　provoked　this　separation。　　Had　you　dissembled



better；　things　might　have　continued　in　the　state　of　nature。







MIRA。　　I　did　as　much　as　man　could；　with　any　reasonable　conscience；　I



proceeded　to　the　very　last　act　of　flattery　with　her；　and　was　guilty



of　a　song　in　her　commendation。　　Nay；　I　got　a　friend　to　put　her　into



a　lampoon；　and　compliment　her　with　the　imputation　of　an　affair　with



a　young　fellow；　which　I　carried　so　far；　that　I　told　her　the



malicious　town　took　notice　that　she　was　grown　fat　of　a　sudden；　and



when　she　lay　in　of　a　dropsy；　persuaded　her　she　was　reported　to　be　in



labour。　　The　devil's　in't；　if　an　old　woman　is　to　be　flattered



further；　unless　a　man　should　endeavour　downright　personally　to



debauch　her：　　and　that　my　virtue　forbade　me。　　But　for　the　discovery



of　this　amour；　I　am　indebted　to　your　friend；　or　your　wife's　friend；



Mrs。　Marwood。







FAIN。　　What　should　provoke　her　to　be　your　enemy；　unless　she　has　made



you　advances　which　you　have　slighted？　　Women　do　not　easily　forgive



omissions　of　that　nature。







MIRA。　　She　was　always　civil　to　me；　till　of　late。　　I　confess　I　am　not



one　of　those　coxcombs　who　are　apt　to　interpret　a　woman's　good



manners　to　her　prejudice；　and　think　that　she　who　does　not　refuse　'em



everything　can　refuse　'em　nothing。







FAIN。　　You　are　a　gallant　man；　Mirabell；　and　though　you　may　have



cruelty　enough　not　to　satisfy　a　lady's　longing；　you　have　too　much



generosity　not　to　be　tender　of　her　honour。　　Yet　you　speak　with　an



indifference　which　seems　to　be　affected；　and　confesses　you　are



conscious　of　a　negligence。







MIRA。　　You　pursue　the　argument　with　a　distrust　that　seems　to　be



unaffected；　and　confesses　you　are　conscious　of　a　concern　for　which



the　lady　is　more　indebted　to　you　than　is　your　wife。







FAIN。　　Fie；　fie；　friend；　if　you　grow　censorious　I　must　leave　you：…



I'll　look　upon　the　gamesters　in　the　next　room。







MIRA。　　Who　are　they？







FAIN。　　Petulant　and　Witwoud。Bring　me　some　chocolate。







MIRA。　　Betty；　what　says　your　clock？







BET。　　Turned　of　the　last　canonical　hour；　sir。







MIRA。　　How　pertinently　the　jade　answers　me！　　Ha！　almost　one　a'



clock！　　＇Looking　on　his　watch。＇　　Oh；　y'are　come！











SCENE　II。











MIRABELL　and　FOOTMAN。







MIRA。　　Well；　is　the　grand　affair　over？　　You　have　been　something



tedious。







SERV。　　Sir；　there's　such　coupling　at　Pancras　that　they　stand　behind



one　another；　as　'twere　in　a　country…dance。　　Ours　was　the　last　couple



to　lead　up；　and　no　hopes　appearing　of　dispatch；　besides；　the　parson



growing　hoarse；　we　were　afraid　his　lungs　would　have　failed　before　it



came　to　our　turn；　so　we　drove　round　to　Duke's　Place；　and　there　they



were　riveted　in　a　trice。







MIRA。　　So；　so；　you　are　sure　they　are　married？







SERV。　　Married　and　bedded；　sir；　I　am　witness。







MIRA。　　Have　you　the　certificate？







SERV。　　Here　it　is；　sir。







MIRA。　　Has　the　tailor　brought　Waitwell's　clothes　home；　and　the　new



liveries？







SERV。　　Yes；　sir。







MIRA。　　That's　well。　　Do　you　go　home　again；　d'ye　hear；　and　adjourn



the　consummation　till　farther　order；　bid　Waitwell　shake　his　ears；



and　Dame　Partlet　rustle　up　her　feathers；　and　meet　me　at　one　a'　clock



by　Rosamond's　pond；　that　I　may　see　her　before　she　returns　to　her



lady。　　And；　as　you　tender　your　ears；　be　secret。











SCENE　III。











MIRABELL；　FAINALL；　BETTY。







FAIN。　　Joy　of　your　success；　Mirabell；　you　look　pleased。







MIRA。　　Ay；　I　have　been　engaged　in　a　matter　of　some　sort　of　mirth；



which　is　not　yet　ripe　for　discovery。　　I　am　glad　this　is　not　a　cabal…



night。　　I　wonder；　Fainall；　that　you　who　are　married；　and　of



consequence　should　be　discreet；　will　suffer　your　wife　to　be　of　such



a　party。







FAIN。　　Faith；　I　am　not　jealous。　　Besides；　most　who　are　engaged　are



women　and　relations；　and　for　the　men；　they　are　of　a　kind　too



contemptible　to　give　scandal。







MIRA。　　I　am　of　another　opinion：　　the　greater　the　coxcomb；　always　the



more　the　scandal；　for　a　woman　who　is　not　a　fool　can　have　but　one



reason　for　associating　with　a　man　who　is　one。







FAIN。　　Are　you　jealous　as　often　as　you　see　Witwoud　entertained　by



Millamant？







MIRA。　　Of　her　understanding　I　am；　if　not　of　her　person。







FAIN。　　You　do　her　wrong；　for；　to　give　her　her　due；　she　has　wit。







MIRA。　　She　has　beauty　enough　to　make　any　man　think　so；　and



complaisance　enough　not　to　contradict　him　who　shall　tell　her　so。







FAIN。　　For　a　passionate　lover　methinks　you　are　a　man　somewhat　too



discerning　in　the　failings　of　your　mistress。







MIRA。　　And　for　a　discerning　man　somewhat　too　passionate　a　lover；　for



I　like　her　with　all　her　faults；　nay；　like　her　for　her　faults。　　Her



follies　are　so　natural；　or　so　artful；　that　they　become　her；　and



those　affectations　which　in　another　woman　would　be　odious　serve　but



to　make　her　more　agreeable。　　I'll　tell　thee；　Fainall；　she　once　used



me　with　that　insolence　that　in　revenge　I　took　her　to　pieces；　sifted



her；　and　separated　her　failings：　　I　studied　'em　and　got　'em　by　rote。



The　catalogue　was　so　large　that　I　was　not　without　hopes；　one　day　or



other；　to　hate　her　heartily。　　To　which　end　I　so　used　myself　to　think



of　'em；　that　at　length；　contrary　to　my　design　and　expect