FONDLEWIFE _alone_.
And in the meantime I will reason with myself. Tell me, Isaac, why art
thee jealous? Why art thee distrustful of the wife of thy bosom?
Because she is young and vigorous, and I am old and impotent. Then why
didst thee marry, Isaac? Because she was beautiful and tempting, and
because I was obstinate and doting; so that my inclination was (and is
still) greater than my power. And will not that which tempted thee, also
tempt others, who will tempt her, Isaac? I fear it much. But does not
thy wife love thee, nay, dote upon thee? Yes. Why then! Ay, but to say
truth, she’s fonder of me than she has reason to be; and in the way of
trade, we still suspect the smoothest dealers of the deepest designs.
And that she has some designs deeper than thou canst reach, thou hast
experimented, Isaac. But, mum.