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SCENE II] THE DOUBLE-DEALER 151<br />
Sir Paul. Nay, I swear and vow, that was pretty.<br />
Care. O, Sir Paul, you are the happiest man alive I Such<br />
a lady! that is the envy of her own sex, and the admiration<br />
of ours.<br />
Sir Paul. Your humble servant. I am, I thank Heaven,<br />
in a fine way of living, as I may say, peacefully and happily,<br />
and I think need not envy any of my neighbours, blessed<br />
be Providence!—Ay, truly, Mr. Careless, my lady is a<br />
great blessing, a fine, discreet, well-spoken woman as you<br />
shall see, if it becomes me to say so, and we live very comfortably<br />
together; she is a little hasty sometimes, and so am<br />
I; but mine's soon over, and then I'm so sorry.—O Mr.<br />
Careless, if it were not for one thing—<br />
Enter Boy with a letter, which he tal(es to Sir PAUL.<br />
Lady Ply. [To Boy.] How often have you been told of<br />
that, you jackanapes!<br />
Sir Paul. Gad so, gadsbud!—Tim, carry it to my lady;<br />
you should have carried it to my lady first.<br />
Boy. 'Tis directed to your worship.<br />
Sir Paul. Well, well, my lady reads all letters first.—<br />
Child, do so no more; d'ye hear, Tim!<br />
Boy. No, an't please you. [Exit Boy.<br />
Sir Paul. [To CARELESS.] A humour of my wife's; you<br />
know women have little fancies.—But, as I was telling you,<br />
Mr. Careless, if it were not for one thing, I should think<br />
myself the happiest man in the world; indeed that touches<br />
me near, very near.<br />
Care. What can that be, Sir Paul?<br />
Sir Paul. Why, I have, I thank Heaven, a very plentiful<br />
fortune, a good estate in the country, some houses in town,<br />
and some money, a pretty tolerable personal estate; and it<br />
is a great grief to me, indeed it is, Mr. Careless, that I have<br />
not a son to inherit this.—Tis true, I have a daughter, and<br />
a fine dutiful child she is though I say it, blessed be Providence!<br />
I may say; for indeed, Mr. Careless, I am mightily<br />
beholden to Providence:—a poor unworthy sinner.—But<br />
if I had a son,—ah, that's my affliction, and my only affliction!<br />
indeed I cannot refrain tears when it comes into my<br />
mind. [Cries.<br />
Care. Why, me thinks, that might be easily remedied:—<br />
my lady is a fine, likely woman.
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