Love for Love [16]
and his handkerchief is sweet, pure sweet, sweeter than roses. Smell him, mother--madam, I mean. He gave me this ring for a kiss.
TATT. O fie, Miss, you must not kiss and tell.
MISS. Yes; I may tell my mother. And he says he'll give me something to make me smell so. Oh, pray lend me your handkerchief. Smell, cousin; he says he'll give me something that will make my smocks smell this way. Is not it pure? It's better than lavender, mun. I'm resolved I won't let nurse put any more lavender among my smocks--ha, cousin?
MRS FRAIL. Fie, Miss; amongst your linen, you must say. You must never say smock.
MISS. Why, it is not bawdy, is it, cousin?
TATT. Oh, madam; you are too severe upon Miss; you must not find fault with her pretty simplicity: it becomes her strangely. Pretty Miss, don't let 'em persuade you out of your innocency.
MRS FORE. Oh, demm you toad. I wish you don't persuade her out of her innocency.
TATT. Who, I, madam? O Lord, how can your ladyship have such a thought? Sure, you don't know me.
MRS FRAIL. Ah devil, sly devil. He's as close, sister, as a confessor. He thinks we don't observe him.
MRS FORE. A cunning cur, how soon he could find out a fresh, harmless creature; and left us, sister, presently.
TATT. Upon reputation
MRS FORE. They're all so, sister, these men. They love to have the spoiling of a young thing, they are as fond of it, as of being first in the fashion, or of seeing a new play the first day. I warrant it would break Mr Tattle's heart to think that anybody else should be beforehand with him.
TATT. O Lord, I swear I would not for the world -
MRS FRAIL. O hang you; who'll believe you? You'd be hanged before you'd confess. We know you--she's very pretty! Lord, what pure red and white!--she looks so wholesome; ne'er stir: I don't know, but I fancy, if I were a man -
MISS. How you love to jeer one, cousin.
MRS FORE. Hark'ee, sister, by my soul the girl is spoiled already. D'ee think she'll ever endure a great lubberly tarpaulin? Gad, I warrant you she won't let him come near her after Mr Tattle.
MRS FRAIL. O my soul, I'm afraid not--eh!--filthy creature, that smells all of pitch and tar. Devil take you, you confounded toad-- why did you see her before she was married?
MRS FORE. Nay, why did we let him--my husband will hang us. He'll think we brought 'em acquainted.
MRS FRAIL. Come, faith, let us be gone. If my brother Foresight should find us with them, he'd think so, sure enough.
MRS FORE. So he would--but then leaving them together is as bad: and he's such a sly devil, he'll never miss an opportunity.
MRS FRAIL. I don't care; I won't be seen in't.
MRS FORE. Well, if you should, Mr Tattle, you'll have a world to answer for; remember I wash my hands of it. I'm thoroughly innocent.
SCENE XI.
TATTLE, MISS PRUE.
MISS. What makes 'em go away, Mr Tattle? What do they mean, do you know?
TATT. Yes my dear; I think I can guess, but hang me if I know the reason of it.
MISS. Come, must not we go too?
TATT. No, no, they don't mean that.
MISS. No! What then? What shall you and I do together?
TATT. I must make love to you, pretty Miss; will you let me make love to you?
MISS. Yes, if you please.
TATT. Frank, i'Gad, at least. What a pox does Mrs Foresight mean by this civility? Is it to make a fool of me? Or does she leave us together out of good morality, and do as she would be done by?--Gad, I'll understand it so. [Aside.]
MISS. Well; and how will you make love to me--come, I long to have you begin,--must I make love too? You must tell me how.
TATT. You must let me speak, Miss, you must not speak first; I must ask you questions, and you must answer.
MISS. What, is it like the catechism? Come then, ask me.
TATT. D'ye think you can love me?
MISS. Yes.
TATT. Pooh, pox, you must not say yes already; I shan't care a farthing for you then in a twinkling.
MISS. What must I say then?
TATT. Why you must say no, or you believe not, or
TATT. O fie, Miss, you must not kiss and tell.
MISS. Yes; I may tell my mother. And he says he'll give me something to make me smell so. Oh, pray lend me your handkerchief. Smell, cousin; he says he'll give me something that will make my smocks smell this way. Is not it pure? It's better than lavender, mun. I'm resolved I won't let nurse put any more lavender among my smocks--ha, cousin?
MRS FRAIL. Fie, Miss; amongst your linen, you must say. You must never say smock.
MISS. Why, it is not bawdy, is it, cousin?
TATT. Oh, madam; you are too severe upon Miss; you must not find fault with her pretty simplicity: it becomes her strangely. Pretty Miss, don't let 'em persuade you out of your innocency.
MRS FORE. Oh, demm you toad. I wish you don't persuade her out of her innocency.
TATT. Who, I, madam? O Lord, how can your ladyship have such a thought? Sure, you don't know me.
MRS FRAIL. Ah devil, sly devil. He's as close, sister, as a confessor. He thinks we don't observe him.
MRS FORE. A cunning cur, how soon he could find out a fresh, harmless creature; and left us, sister, presently.
TATT. Upon reputation
MRS FORE. They're all so, sister, these men. They love to have the spoiling of a young thing, they are as fond of it, as of being first in the fashion, or of seeing a new play the first day. I warrant it would break Mr Tattle's heart to think that anybody else should be beforehand with him.
TATT. O Lord, I swear I would not for the world -
MRS FRAIL. O hang you; who'll believe you? You'd be hanged before you'd confess. We know you--she's very pretty! Lord, what pure red and white!--she looks so wholesome; ne'er stir: I don't know, but I fancy, if I were a man -
MISS. How you love to jeer one, cousin.
MRS FORE. Hark'ee, sister, by my soul the girl is spoiled already. D'ee think she'll ever endure a great lubberly tarpaulin? Gad, I warrant you she won't let him come near her after Mr Tattle.
MRS FRAIL. O my soul, I'm afraid not--eh!--filthy creature, that smells all of pitch and tar. Devil take you, you confounded toad-- why did you see her before she was married?
MRS FORE. Nay, why did we let him--my husband will hang us. He'll think we brought 'em acquainted.
MRS FRAIL. Come, faith, let us be gone. If my brother Foresight should find us with them, he'd think so, sure enough.
MRS FORE. So he would--but then leaving them together is as bad: and he's such a sly devil, he'll never miss an opportunity.
MRS FRAIL. I don't care; I won't be seen in't.
MRS FORE. Well, if you should, Mr Tattle, you'll have a world to answer for; remember I wash my hands of it. I'm thoroughly innocent.
SCENE XI.
TATTLE, MISS PRUE.
MISS. What makes 'em go away, Mr Tattle? What do they mean, do you know?
TATT. Yes my dear; I think I can guess, but hang me if I know the reason of it.
MISS. Come, must not we go too?
TATT. No, no, they don't mean that.
MISS. No! What then? What shall you and I do together?
TATT. I must make love to you, pretty Miss; will you let me make love to you?
MISS. Yes, if you please.
TATT. Frank, i'Gad, at least. What a pox does Mrs Foresight mean by this civility? Is it to make a fool of me? Or does she leave us together out of good morality, and do as she would be done by?--Gad, I'll understand it so. [Aside.]
MISS. Well; and how will you make love to me--come, I long to have you begin,--must I make love too? You must tell me how.
TATT. You must let me speak, Miss, you must not speak first; I must ask you questions, and you must answer.
MISS. What, is it like the catechism? Come then, ask me.
TATT. D'ye think you can love me?
MISS. Yes.
TATT. Pooh, pox, you must not say yes already; I shan't care a farthing for you then in a twinkling.
MISS. What must I say then?
TATT. Why you must say no, or you believe not, or