TATT. Pooh, pooh, nothing at all; I only rallied with you—a woman of ordinary rank was a little jealous of me, and I told her something or other, faith I know not what.—Come, let’s talk of something else. [_Hums a song_.] SCAN. Hang him, let him alone, he has a mind we should enquire. TATT. Valentine, I supped last night with your mistress, and her uncle, old Foresight: I think your father lies at Foresight’s. VAL. Yes. TATT. Upon my soul, Angelica’s a fine woman. And so is Mrs. Foresight, and her sister, Mrs. Frail. SCAN. Yes, Mrs. Frail is a very fine woman, we all know her. TATT. Oh, that is not fair. SCAN. What? TATT. To tell. SCAN. To tell what? Why, what do you know of Mrs. Frail? TATT. Who, I? Upon honour I don’t know whether she be man or woman, but by the smoothness of her chin and roundness of her hips. SCAN. No? TATT. No. SCAN. She says otherwise. TATT. Impossible! SCAN. Yes, faith. Ask Valentine else. TATT. Why then, as I hope to be saved, I believe a woman only obliges a man to secrecy that she may have the pleasure of telling herself. SCAN. No doubt on’t. Well, but has she done you wrong, or no? You have had her? Ha? TATT. Though I have more honour than to tell first, I have more manners than to contradict what a lady has declared. SCAN. Well, you own it? TATT. I am strangely surprised! Yes, yes, I can’t deny’t if she taxes me with it. SCAN. She’ll be here by and by, she sees Valentine every morning. TATT. How? VAL. She does me the favour, I mean, of a visit sometimes. I did not think she had granted more to anybody. SCAN. Nor I, faith. But Tattle does not use to bely a lady; it is contrary to his character. How one may be deceived in a woman, Valentine? TATT. Nay, what do you mean, gentlemen? SCAN. I’m resolved I’ll ask her. TATT. O barbarous! Why did you not tell me? SCAN. No; you told us. TATT. And bid me ask Valentine? VAL. What did I say? I hope you won’t bring me to confess an answer when you never asked me the question? TATT. But, gentlemen, this is the most inhuman proceeding— VAL. Nay, if you have known Scandal thus long, and cannot avoid such a palpable decoy as this was, the ladies have a fine time whose reputations are in your keeping. SCENE XII. [_To them_] JEREMY. JERE. Sir, Mrs. Frail has sent to know if you are stirring. VAL. Show her up when she comes. SCENE XIII. VALENTINE, SCANDAL, TATTLE. TATT. I’ll be gone. VAL. You’ll meet her. TATT. Is there not a back way? VAL. If there were, you have more discretion than to give Scandal such an advantage. Why, your running away will prove all that he can tell her.