Lady _Town._ Tho' to tell you the truth, my Dear, I rather think we
squeez'd a little too much lemon into it, this bout; for it grew so
sour at last, that--I think----I almost told him, he was a fool----and
he again----talk'd something oddly of----turning me out of doors.
Lady _Grace._ O! have a care of that!
Lady _Town._ Nay, if he should, I may thank my own wise father for
that----
Lady _Grace._ How so?
Lady _Town._ Why----when my good Lord first open'd his honourable
trenches before me, my unaccountable Papa, in whose hands I then was,
gave me up at discretion.
Lady _Grace._ How do you mean?
Lady _Town._ He said, the wives of this age were come to that pass,
that he would not desire even his own Daughter should be trusted with
pin-money; so that my whole train of separate inclinations are left
entirely at the mercy of an husband's odd humours.
Lady _Grace._ Why, that, indeed, is enough to make a woman of spirit
look about her!
Lady _Town._ Nay, but to be serious; my Dear; what would you really
have a woman do in my case?
Lady _Grace._ Why----If I had a sober husband as you have, I would make
myself the happiest wife in the world by being as sober as he.
Lady _Town._ O! you wicked thing! how can you teize one at this rate?
when you know he is so very sober, that (except giving me money) there
is not one thing in the world he can do to please me! And I at the
same time, partly by nature, and partly, perhaps, by keeping the best
company, do with my soul love almost every thing he hates! I dote upon
assemblies! my heart bounds at a ball; and at an Opera----I expire!
then I love play to distraction! Cards inchant me! and Dice--put me out
of my little wits! Dear! dear Hazard! oh! what a flow of spirits it
gives one! do you never play at hazard, child?
Lady _Grace._ Oh! never! I don't think it fits well upon women; there
is something so masculine, so much the air of a rake in it! you see how
it makes the men swear and curse! and when a woman is thrown into the
same passion----why----
Lady _Town._ That's very true! one is a little put to it, sometimes,
not to make use of the same words to express it.
Lady _Grace._ Well----and, upon ill luck, pray what words are you
really forc'd to make use of?
Lady _Town._ Why upon a very hard case, indeed, when a sad wrong word
is rising, just to one's tongue's end, I give a great gulp----and
swallow it.
Lady _Grace._ Well----and is not that enough to make you forswear play,
as long as you live?
Lady _Town._ O yes! I have forsworn it.
Lady _Grace._ Seriously?
Lady _Town._ Solemnly! a thousand times; but then one is constantly
forsworn.
Lady _Grace._ And how can you answer that?
Lady _Town._ My dear, what we say, when we are losers, we look upon to
be no more binding than a lover's oath, or a great man's promise. But I
beg pardon, child; I should not lead you so far into the world; you are
a prude, and design to live soberly.
Lady _Grace._ Why, I confess my nature, and my education do, in a good
degree, incline me that way.
Lady _Town._ Well! how a woman of spirit, (for you don't want that,
child) can dream of living soberly, is to me inconceivable! for you
will marry I suppose.
Lady _Grace._ I can't tell but I may.
Lady _Town._ And won't you live in town?
Lady _Grace._ Half the year, I should like it very well.
Lady _Town._ My stars! and you would really live in London half the
year to be sober in it!
Lady _Grace._ Why not?
Lady _Town._ Why can't you as well go, and be sober in the country?
Lady _Grace._ So I would----t'other half year.
Lady _Town._ And pray what comfortable scheme of life would you form
now, for your summer and winter sober entertainments?
Lady _Grace._ A scheme, that I think might very well content us.
Lady _Town._ O! of all things let's hear it.
Lady _Grace._ Why, in summer, I cou'd pass my leisure hours in riding,
in reading, walking by a canal, or sitting at the end of it under a
great tree; in dressing, dining, chatting with an agreeable friend,
perhaps hearing a little music, taking a dish of tea, or a game of
cards soberly! managing my family, looking into its accounts, playing
with my children (if I had any) or in a thousand other innocent
amusements----soberly! and possibly, by these means, I might induce my
husband to be as sober as myself----
Lady _Town._ Well, my dear, thou art an astonishing creature! for sure
such primitive antediluvian notions of life, have not been in any head
these thousand years----Under a great tree! O my soul!----But I beg we
may have the sober town scheme too----for I am charmed with the country
one!
Lady _Grace._ You shall, and I'll try to stick to my sobriety there too.
Lady _Town._ Well, tho' I'm sure it will give me the vapours, I must
hear it however.
Lady _Grace._ Why then, for fear of your fainting, madam, I will first
so far come into the fashion, that I would never be dressed out of
it----but still it should be soberly. For I can't think it any disgrace
to a woman of my private fortune, not to wear her lace as fine as a
wedding-suit of a first Dutchess. Tho' there is one extravagance I
would venture to come up to.