she stoops to conquer-第12章

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　result　of　courageous　innocence　and　conscious　virtue。

SIR　CHARLES。　　What　can　it　mean？　　He　amazes　me！

HARDCASTLE。　　I　told　you　how　it　would　be。　　Hush！

MARLOW。　　I　am　now　determined　to　stay；　madam；　and　I　have　too　good　an　opinion　of　my　father's　discernment；　when　he　sees　you；　to　doubt　his　approbation。

MISS　HARDCASTLE。　　No；　Mr。　Marlow；　I　will　not；　cannot　detain　you。　　Do　you　think　I　could　suffer　a　connexion　in　which　there　is　the　smallest　room　for　repentance？　　Do　you　think　I　would　take　the　mean　advantage　of　a　transient　passion；　to　load　you　with　confusion？　　Do　you　think　I　could　ever　relish　that　happiness　which　was　acquired　by　lessening　yours？

MARLOW。　　By　all　that's　good；　I　can　have　no　happiness　but　what's　in　your　power　to　grant　me！　　Nor　shall　I　ever　feel　repentance　but　in　not　having　seen　your　merits　before。　　I　will　stay　even　contrary　to　your　wishes；　and　though　you　should　persist　to　shun　me；　I　will　make　my　respectful　assiduities　atone　for　the　levity　of　my　past　conduct。

MISS　HARDCASTLE。　　Sir；　I　must　entreat　you'll　desist。　　As　our　acquaintance　began；　so　let　it　end；　in　indifference。　　I　might　have　given　an　hour　or　two　to　levity；　but　seriously；　Mr。　Marlow；　do　you　think　I　could　ever　submit　to　a　connexion　where　I　must　appear　mercenary；　and　you　imprudent？　　Do　you　think　I　could　ever　catch　at　the　confident　addresses　of　a　secure　admirer？

MARLOW。　　（Kneeling。）　　Does　this　look　like　security？　　Does　this　look　like　confidence？　　No；　madam；　every　moment　that　shows　me　your　merit；　only　serves　to　increase　my　diffidence　and　confusion。　　Here　let　me　continue

SIR　CHARLES。　　I　can　hold　it　no　longer。　　Charles；　Charles；　how　hast　thou　deceived　me！　　Is　this　your　indifference；　your　uninteresting　conversation？

HARDCASTLE。　　Your　cold　contempt；　your　formal　interview！　　What　have　you　to　say　now？

MARLOW。　　That　I'm　all　amazement！　　What　can　it　mean？

HARDCASTLE。　　It　means　that　you　can　say　and　unsay　things　at　pleasure：　that　you　can　address　a　lady　in　private；　and　deny　it　in　public：　that　you　have　one　story　for　us；　and　another　for　my　daughter。

MARLOW。　　Daughter！This　lady　your　daughter？

HARDCASTLE。　　Yes；　sir；　my　only　daughter；　my　Kate；　whose　else　should　she　be？

MARLOW。　　Oh；　the　devil！

MISS　HARDCASTLE。　　Yes；　sir；　that　very　identical　tall　squinting　lady　you　were　pleased　to　take　me　for　（courtseying）；　she　that　you　addressed　as　the　mild；　modest；　sentimental　man　of　gravity；　and　the　bold；　forward；　agreeable　Rattle　of　the　Ladies'　Club。　　Ha！　ha！　ha！

MARLOW。　　Zounds！　there's　no　bearing　this；　it's　worse　than　death！

MISS　HARDCASTLE。　　In　which　of　your　characters；　sir；　will　you　give　us　leave　to　address　you？　　As　the　faltering　gentleman；　with　looks　on　the　ground；　that　speaks　just　to　be　heard；　and　hates　hypocrisy；　or　the　loud　confident　creature；　that　keeps　it　up　with　Mrs。　Mantrap；　and　old　Miss　Biddy　Buckskin；　till　three　in　the　morning？　　Ha！　ha！　ha！

MARLOW。　　O；　curse　on　my　noisy　head。　　I　never　attempted　to　be　impudent　yet；　that　I　was　not　taken　down。　　I　must　be　gone。

HARDCASTLE。　　By　the　hand　of　my　body；　but　you　shall　not。　　I　see　it　was　all　a　mistake；　and　I　am　rejoiced　to　find　it。　　You　shall　not；　sir；　I　tell　you。　　I　know　she'll　forgive　you。　　Won't　you　forgive　him；　Kate？　　We'll　all　forgive　you。　　Take　courage；　man。　　（They　retire；　she　tormenting　him；　to　the　back　scene。）


Enter　MRS。　HARDCASTLE　and　Tony。


MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　So；　so；　they're　gone　off。　　Let　them　go；　I　care　not。

HARDCASTLE。　　Who　gone？

MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　My　dutiful　niece　and　her　gentleman；　Mr。　Hastings；　from　town。　　He　who　came　down　with　our　modest　visitor　here。

SIR　CHARLES。　　Who；　my　honest　George　Hastings？　　As　worthy　a　fellow　as　lives；　and　the　girl　could　not　have　made　a　more　prudent　choice。

HARDCASTLE。　　Then；　by　the　hand　of　my　body；　I'm　proud　of　the　connexion。

MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　Well；　if　he　has　taken　away　the　lady；　he　has　not　taken　her　fortune；　that　remains　in　this　family　to　console　us　for　her　loss。

HARDCASTLE。　　Sure；　Dorothy；　you　would　not　be　so　mercenary？

MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　Ay；　that's　my　affair；　not　yours。

HARDCASTLE。　　But　you　know　if　your　son；　when　of　age；　refuses　to　marry　his　cousin；　her　whole　fortune　is　then　at　her　own　disposal。

MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　Ay；　but　he's　not　of　age；　and　she　has　not　thought　proper　to　wait　for　his　refusal。


Enter　HASTINGS　and　MISS　NEVILLE。


MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　（Aside。）　　What；　returned　so　soon！　　I　begin　not　to　like　it。

HASTINGS。　　（To　HARDCASTLE。）　　For　my　late　attempt　to　fly　off　with　your　niece　let　my　present　confusion　be　my　punishment。　　We　are　now　come　back；　to　appeal　from　your　justice　to　your　humanity。　　By　her　father's　consent；　I　first　paid　her　my　addresses；　and　our　passions　were　first　founded　in　duty。

MISS　NEVILLE。　　Since　his　death；　I　have　been　obliged　to　stoop　to　dissimulation　to　avoid　oppression。　　In　an　hour　of　levity；　I　was　ready　to　give　up　my　fortune　to　secure　my　choice。　　But　I　am　now　recovered　from　the　delusion；　and　hope　from　your　tenderness　what　is　denied　me　from　a　nearer　connexion。

MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　Pshaw；　pshaw！　this　is　all　but　the　whining　end　of　a　modern　novel。

HARDCASTLE。　　Be　it　what　it　will；　I'm　glad　they're　come　back　to　reclaim　their　due。　　Come　hither；　Tony；　boy。　　Do　you　refuse　this　lady's　hand　whom　I　now　offer　you？

TONY。　　What　signifies　my　refusing？　　You　know　I　can't　refuse　her　till　I'm　of　age；　father。

HARDCASTLE。　　While　I　thought　concealing　your　age；　boy；　was　likely　to　conduce　to　your　improvement；　I　concurred　with　your　mother's　desire　to　keep　it　secret。　　But　since　I　find　she　turns　it　to　a　wrong　use；　I　must　now　declare　you　have　been　of　age　these　three　months。

TONY。　　Of　age！　　Am　I　of　age；　father？

HARDCASTLE。　　Above　three　months。

TONY。　　Then　you'll　see　the　first　use　I'll　make　of　my　liberty。　　（Taking　MISS　NEVILLE's　hand。）　　Witness　all　men　by　these　presents；　that　I；　Anthony　Lumpkin；　Esquire；　of　BLANK　place；　refuse　you；　Constantia　Neville；　spinster；　of　no　place　at　all；　for　my　true　and　lawful　wife。　　So　Constance　Neville　may　marry　whom　she　pleases；　and　Tony　Lumpkin　is　his　own　man　again。

SIR　CHARLES。　　O　brave　'squire！

HASTINGS。　　My　worthy　friend！

MRS。　HARDCASTLE。　　My　undutiful　offspring！

MARLOW。　　Joy；　my　dear　George！　　I　give　you　joy　sincerely。　　And　could　I　prevail　upon　my　little　tyrant　here　to　be　less　arbitrary；　I　should　be　the　happiest　man　alive；　if　you　would　return　me　the　favour。

HASTINGS。　　（To　MISS　HARDCASTLE。）　　Come；　madam；　you　are　now　driven　to　the　very　last　scene　of　all　your　contrivances。　　I　know　you　like　him；　I'm　sure　he　loves　you；　and　you　must　and　shall　have　him。

HARDCASTLE。　　（Joining　their　hands。）　　And　I　say　so　too。　　And；　Mr。　Marlow；　if　she　makes　as　good　a　wife　as　she　has　a　daughter；　I　don't　believe　you'll　ever　repent　your　bargain。　　So　now　to　supper。　　To…morrow　we　shall　gather　all　the　poor　of　the　parish　about　us；　and　the　mistakes　of　the　night　shall　be　crowned　with　a　merry　morning。　　So；　boy；　take　her；　and　as　you　have　been　mistaken　in　the　mistress；　my　wish　is；　that　you　may　never　be　mistaken　in　the　wife。　　＇Exeunt　Omnes。＇





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