the way of the world(如此世道)-第4节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
MIRA。 A fool； and your brother； Witwoud？
WIT。 Ay； ay； my half…brother。 My half…brother he is； no nearer； upon
honour。
MIRA。 Then 'tis possible he may be but half a fool。
WIT。 Good； good； Mirabell； LE DROLE！ Good； good； hang him； don't
let's talk of him。Fainall； how does your lady？ Gad； I say anything in the
world to get this fellow out of my head。 I beg pardon that I should ask a
man of pleasure and the town a question at once so foreign and domestic。
But I talk like an old maid at a marriage； I don't know what I say： but she's
the best woman in the world。
FAIN。 'Tis well you don't know what you say； or else your
commendation would go near to make me either vain or jealous。
WIT。 No man in town lives well with a wife but Fainall。 Your
judgment； Mirabell？
MIRA。 You had better step and ask his wife； if you would be credibly
informed。
WIT。 Mirabell！
MIRA。 Ay。
18
… Page 19…
The Way of the World
WIT。 My dear； I ask ten thousand pardons。 Gad； I have forgot what I
was going to say to you。
MIRA。 I thank you heartily； heartily。
WIT。 No； but prithee excuse me：… my memory is such a memory。
MIRA。 Have a care of such apologies； Witwoud； for I never knew a
fool but he affected to complain either of the spleen or his memory。
FAIN。 What have you done with Petulant？
WIT。 He's reckoning his money； my money it was： I have no luck to…
day。
FAIN。 You may allow him to win of you at play； for you are sure to be
too hard for him at repartee： since you monopolise the wit that is between
you； the fortune must be his of course。
MIRA。 I don't find that Petulant confesses the superiority of wit to be
your talent； Witwoud。
WIT。 Come； come； you are malicious now； and would breed debates。
Petulant's my friend； and a very honest fellow； and a very pretty fellow；
and has a smatteringfaith and troth； a pretty deal of an odd sort of a small
wit： nay； I'll do him justice。 I'm his friend； I won't wrong him。 And if he
had any judgment in the world； he would not be altogether contemptible。
Come； come； don't detract from the merits of my friend。
FAIN。 You don't take your friend to be over…nicely bred？
WIT。 No； no； hang him； the rogue has no manners at all； that I must
own； no more breeding than a bum…baily； that I grant you：… 'tis pity； the
fellow has fire and life。
MIRA。 What； courage？
WIT。 Hum； faith； I don't know as to that； I can't say as to that。 Yes；
faith； in a controversy he'll contradict anybody。
MIRA。 Though 'twere a man whom he feared or a woman whom he
loved。
WIT。 Well； well； he does not always think before he speaks。 We have
all our failings； you are too hard upon him； you are； faith。 Let me excuse
him；I can defend most of his faults； except one or two； one he has； that's
the truth on't；if he were my brother I could not acquit himthat indeed I
could wish were otherwise。
19
… Page 20…
The Way of the World
MIRA。 Ay； marry； what's that； Witwoud？
WIT。 Oh； pardon me。 Expose the infirmities of my friend？ No； my
dear； excuse me there。
FAIN。 What； I warrant he's unsincere； or 'tis some such trifle。
WIT。 No； no； what if he be？ 'Tis no matter for that； his wit will excuse
that。 A wit should no more be sincere than a woman constant： one argues a
decay of parts； as t'other of beauty。
MIRA。 Maybe you think him too positive？
WIT。 No； no； his being positive is an incentive to argument； and keeps
up conversation。
FAIN。 Too illiterate？
WIT。 That？ That's his happiness。 His want of learning gives him the
more opportunities to show his natural parts。
MIRA。 He wants words？
WIT。 Ay； but I like him for that now： for his want of words gives me
the pleasure very often to explain his meaning。
FAIN。 He's impudent？
WIT。 No that's not it。
MIRA。 Vain？
WIT。 No。
MIRA。 What； he speaks unseasonable truths sometimes； because he
has not wit enough to invent an evasion？
WIT。 Truths？ Ha； ha； ha！ No； no； since you will have it； I mean he
never speaks truth at all； that's all。 He will lie like a chambermaid； or a
woman of quality's porter。 Now that is a fault。
20
… Page 21…
The Way of the World
SCENE VII。
＇To them＇ COACHMAN。
COACH。 Is Master Petulant here； mistress？
BET。 Yes。
COACH。 Three gentlewomen in a coach would speak with him。
FAIN。 O brave Petulant！ Three！
BET。 I'll tell him。
COACH。 You must bring two dishes of chocolate and a glass of
cinnamon water。
21
… Page 22…
The Way of the World
SCENE VIII。
MIRABELL； FAINALL； WITWOUD。
WIT。 That should be for two fasting strumpets； and a bawd troubled
with wind。 Now you may know what the three are。
MIRA。 You are very free with your friend's acquaintance。
WIT。 Ay； ay； friendship without freedom is as dull as love without
enjoyment or wine without toasting： but to tell you a secret； these are trulls
whom he allows coach…hire； and something more by the week； to call on
him once a day at public places。
MIRA。 How！
WIT。 You shall see he won't go to 'em because there's no more
company here to take notice of him。 Why； this is nothing to what he used
to do：… before he found out this way； I have known him call for himself …
FAIN。 Call for himself？ What dost thou mean？
WIT。 Mean？ Why he would slip you out of this chocolate…house； just
when you had been talking to him。 As soon as your back was turned
whip he was gone； then trip to his lodging； clap on a hood and scarf and a
mask； slap into a hackney…coach； and drive hither to the door again in a
trice； where he would send in for himself； that I mean； call for himself；
wait for himself； nay； and what's more； not finding himself； sometimes
leave a letter for himself。
MIRA。 I confess this is something extraordinary。 I believe he waits for
himself now； he is so long a coming； oh； I ask his pardon。
22
… Page 23…
The Way of the World
SCENE IX。
PETULANT； MIRABELL； FAINALL； WITWOUD； BETTY。
BET。 Sir； the coach stays。
PET。 Well； well； I come。 'Sbud； a man had as good be a professed
midwife as a professed whoremaster； at this rate； to be knocked up and
raised at all hours； and in all places。 Pox on 'em； I won't come。 D'ye hear；
tell 'em I won't come。 Let 'em snivel and cry their hearts out。
FAIN。 You are very cruel； Petulant。
PET。 All's one； let it pass。 I have a humour to be cruel。
MIRA。 I hope they are not persons of condition that you use at this
rate。
PET。 Condition？ Condition's a dried fig； if I am not in humour。 By this
hand； if they were youraayour what…d'ee…call…'ems themselves； they
must wait or rub off； if I want appetite。
MIRA。 What…d'ee…call…'ems！ What are they； Witwoud？
WIT。 Empresses； my dear。 By your what…d'ee…call…'ems he means
Sultana Queens。
PET。 Ay； Roxolanas。
MIRA。 Cry you mercy。
FAIN。 Witwoud says they are …
PET。 What does he say th'are？
WIT。 I？ Fine ladies； I say。
PET。 Pass on； Witwoud。 Harkee； by this light； his relationstwo co…
heiresses his cousins； and an old aunt； who loves cater…wauling better than
a conventicle。
WIT。 Ha； ha； ha！ I had a mind to see how the rogue would come off。
Ha； ha； ha！ Gad； I can't be angry with him； if he had said they were my
mother and my sisters。
MIRA。 No？
WIT。 No； the rogue's wit and readiness of invention charm me； dear
Petulant。
BET。 They are gone； sir； in great anger。
PET。 Enough； let 'em trundle。 Anger helps complexion； saves paint。
23
… Page 24…
The Way of the World
FAIN。 This continence is all dissembled； this is in order to have
som
