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Show A I?6 The Provoked Wife. A C T II, SCENE, St. James's 7V£. Enter Lady Fancyful and Madamoifelle. Lady Fan.\X T E L L , 1 vow, Madamoifelle I'm V V ftrangely impatient to know who this confident Fellow is. Enter Heartfree. Look, there's Heartfree, But fure it can't be him • he's a profefs'd Woman-hater. Yet w h o knows what my wicked Dyes may have done ? Madam. 11 nous approche, Madam. Lady Fan, Yes, 'tis he : n o w will he be moft intolerably Cavalier, tho he fhould be in love with me. Heartf, Madam, I'm your humble Servant; I perceive you have more Humility and Good-Nature than I thought you had. Lady Fan. What you attribute to Humility and Good- Nature, Sir, may perhaps be only due to Curiofity. I had a mind to know who 'twas had ill Manners enough to write that Letter. [Throwing him his Letter, Heartf. Well, and n o w I hope you are fatisfy'd. Lady Fan. I a m fo, Sir; Good-bVy t'ye. Heartf. Nay, hold there ; tho you have done your Bufinefs, 1 han't done mine: By your Lady (hip's leave, we muft have one moment's Prattle together. Have you a mind to be the prettieft W o m a n about Town, or not? H o w fhe ftares upon m e ! What! this pafTes for an impertinent Queftion with you now, becaufe you think you are fo already. L a d y i ^ . Pray, Sir, let m e ask you a Queftion in m y Turn : By what Right do you pretend to examine TheProvoPdWifeT^ 137 Heartf. By the fame Right that the Strong govern the VPeak, becaufe I have you in m y power -, for you cannot get fo'quickly to your Coach, but I fhall have time enough to make you hear every thing I have to fay to yoU. Lady Fan. Thefe are ftrange Liberties you take, Mr. Heartfree. Heartf. They are fo, Madam, but there's no help folic 5 for know that I have a Defign upon you. Lady Fan. Upon me, Sir ! Heartf. Yes; and one that will turn to your Glory, and my Comfort, if you will but be a little wifer than you ufe to be. Lady Fan Very well, Sir. Heartf. Let m e fee .Your Vanity, Madam, I take to be about fome eight Degrees higher than any Woman's in the T o w n , let t'other be w h o fhe will ; and my Indifference is naturally about the fame pitch. N o w could you find the way to turn this Indifference into Fire and Flames, methinks your Vanity ought to be fatisfy'd ; and this, perhaps, you might bring about upon pretty reafonable Terms. L'. Fancy. And pray at what rate would this Indifference be bought off, if one fhould have fo depraved an Appetite to defire it ? Heartf. Why, Madam, to drive a Quaker's Bargain, and make but one word with you, if I do part with it •you muft lay m e d o w n - . y o u r Affectation. Lady Fan. M y Affectation, Sir ! Heartf. W h y , I ask you nothing but what you may Very well fpare. Lady han. You grow rude, Sir. Come, Madamoifelle, 'tis high time to be gone. Madam, Alons, alons, alons. Heartf. [flopping themf] Nay, you m a y as well ftand M l ; for hear m e you fhall, walk which way you pleafe. Lady Ban, What mean you, Sir ? Heartf, I mean to tell you, that you are the moft ungrateful W o m a n upon Earth. Lady Fan. Ungrateful ! T o w h o ? Heartf. |