MARIA.Ungenerously urged--but whatever my sentiments of that unfortunate young man are, be assured I shall not feel more bound to give him up because his Distresses have sunk him so low as to deprive him of the regard even of a Brother.
SURFACE.Nay but Maria do not leave me with a Frown--by all that's honest, I swear----Gad's Life here's Lady Teazle--you must not--no you shall--for tho' I have the greatest Regard for Lady Teazle----MARIA.Lady Teazle!
SURFACE.Yet were Sir Peter to suspect----[Enter LADY TEAZLE, and comes forward]
LADY TEAZLE.What's this, Pray--do you take her for me!--Child you are wanted in the next Room.--What's all this, pray--SURFACE.O the most unlucky circumstance in Nature.Maria has somehow suspected the tender concern I have for your happiness, and threaten'd to acquaint Sir Peter with her suspicions--and I was just endeavouring to reason with her when you came.
LADY TEAZLE.Indeed but you seem'd to adopt--a very tender mode of reasoning--do you usually argue on your knees?
SURFACE.O she's a Child--and I thought a little Bombast----but Lady Teazle when are you to give me your judgment on my Library as you promised----LADY TEAZLE.No--no I begin to think it would be imprudent--and you know I admit you as a Lover no farther than Fashion requires.
SURFACE.True--a mere Platonic Cicisbeo, what every London wife is entitled to.
LADY TEAZLE.Certainly one must not be out of the Fashion--however, I have so much of my country Prejudices left--that--though Sir Peter's ill humour may vex me ever so, it never shall provoke me to----SURFACE.The only revenge in your Power--well I applaud your moderation.
LADY TEAZLE.Go--you are an insinuating Hypocrite--but we shall be miss'd--let us join the company.
SURFACE.True, but we had best not return together.
LADY TEAZLE.Well don't stay--for Maria shan't come to hear any more of your Reasoning, I promise you--[Exit.]
SURFACE.A curious Dilemma truly my Politics have run me into.
I wanted at first only to ingratiate myself with Lady Teazle that she might not be my enemy with Maria--and I have I don't know how--become her serious Lover, so that I stand a chance of Committing a Crime I never meditated--and probably of losing Maria by the Pursuit!--Sincerely I begin to wish I had never made such a Point of gaining so very good a character, for it has led me into so many curst Rogueries that I doubt I shall be exposed at last.
[Exit.]
SCENE III.--At SIR PETER'S
--ROWLEY and SIR OLIVER--
SIR OLIVER.Ha! ha! ha! and so my old Friend is married, hey?--a young wife out of the country!--ha! ha! that he should have stood Bluff to old Bachelor so long and sink into a Husband at last!
ROWLEY.But you must not rally him on the subject Sir Oliver--'tis a tender Point I assure you though He has been married only seven months.
SIR OLIVER.Ah then he has been just half a year on the stool of Repentance--Poor Peter! But you say he has entirely given up Charles--never sees him, hey?
ROWLEY.His Prejudice against him is astonishing--and I am sure greatly increased by a jealousy of him with Lady Teazle--which he has been industriously led into by a scandalous Society--in the neighbourhood--who have contributed not a little to Charles's ill name.Whereas the truth is[,] I believe[,] if the lady is partial to either of them his Brother is the Favourite.