Boy. Yes, sir.

[Exit.

[Exit Horner at the other door, and returns with Mrs. Pinchwife.

Horn. You would not take my advice, to be gone home before your husband came back, he’ll now discover all; yet pray, my dearest, be persuaded to go home, and leave the rest to my management; I’ll let you down the back way.

Mrs. Pinch. I don’t know the way home, so I don’t.

Horn. My man shall wait upon you.

Mrs. Pinch. No, don’t you believe that I’ll go at all; what, are you weary of me already?

Horn. No, my life, ’tis that I may love you long, ’tis to secure my love, and your reputation with your husband; he’ll never receive you again else.

Mrs. Pinch. What care I? d’ye think to frighten me with that? I don’t intend to go to him again; you shall be my husband now.

Horn. I cannot be your husband, dearest, since you are married to him.

Mrs. Pinch. O, would you make me believe that? Don’t I see every day at London here, women leave their first husbands, and go and live with other men as their wives? pish, pshaw! you’d make me angry, but that I love you so mainly.

Horn. So, they are coming up—In again, in, I hear ’em.—[Exit Mrs. Pinchwife.] Well, a silly mistress is like a weak place, soon got, soon lost, a man has scarce time for plunder; she betrays her husband first to her gallant, and then her gallant to her husband.

Enter Pinchwife, Alithea, Harcourt, Sparkish, Lucy, and a parson.

Pinch. Come, madam, ’tis not the sudden change of your dress, the confidence of your asseverations, and your false witness there, shall persuade me I did not bring you hither just now; here’s my witness, who cannot deny it, since you must be confronted.—Mr. Horner, did not I bring this lady to you just now?

Horn. Now must I wrong one woman for another’s sake,—but that’s no new thing with me, for in these cases I am still on the criminal’s side against the innocent.

[Aside.

Alith. Pray speak, sir.

Horn. It must be so. I must be impudent, and try my luck; impudence uses to be too hard for truth.

[Aside.

Pinch. What, you are studying an evasion or excuse for her! Speak, sir.

Horn. No, faith, I am something backward only to speak in women’s affairs or disputes.

Pinch. She bids you speak.

Alith. Ah, pray, sir, do, pray satisfy him.