Lady _Grace._ Why, in summer, I cou'd pass my leisure hours in riding, in reading, walking by a canal, or sitting at the end of it under a great tree; in dressing, dining, chatting with an agreeable friend, perhaps hearing a little music, taking a dish of tea, or a game of cards soberly! managing my family, looking into its accounts, playing with my children (if I had any) or in a thousand other innocent amusements----soberly! and possibly, by these means, I might induce my husband to be as sober as myself---- Lady _Town._ Well, my dear, thou art an astonishing creature! for sure such primitive antediluvian notions of life, have not been in any head these thousand years----Under a great tree! O my soul!----But I beg we may have the sober town scheme too----for I am charmed with the country one! Lady _Grace._ You shall, and I'll try to stick to my sobriety there too. Lady _Town._ Well, tho' I'm sure it will give me the vapours, I must hear it however. Lady _Grace._ Why then, for fear of your fainting, madam, I will first so far come into the fashion, that I would never be dressed out of it----but still it should be soberly. For I can't think it any disgrace to a woman of my private fortune, not to wear her lace as fine as a wedding-suit of a first Dutchess. Tho' there is one extravagance I would venture to come up to. Lady _Town._ Ay, now for it---- Lady _Grace._ I would every day be as clean as a bride. Lady _Town._ Why the men say, that's a great step to be made one----Well now you are drest----pray let's see to what purpose. Lady _Grace._ I would visit--that is, my real friends; but as little for form as possible.----I would go to court; sometimes to an assembly, nay, play at _quadrille_----soberly; I would see all the good plays; and, (because 'tis the fashion) now and then an opera----but I would not expire there, for fear I should never go again: and lastly, I can't say, but for curiosity, if I lik'd my company, I might be drawn in once to a masquerade! And this, I think, is as far at any woman can go----soberly. Lady _Town._ Well! if it had not been for that last piece of sobriety, I was just going to call for some surfeit water. Lady _Grace._ Why, don't you think, with the farther aid of breakfasting, dining, taking the air, supping, sleeping, not to say a word of devotion, the four and twenty hours might roll over in a tolerable manner? Lady _Town._ Tolerable? deplorable! Why, child, all you propose, is but to endure life, now I want to enjoy it---- _Enter Mrs. ~Trusty~._ _Trus._ Madam, your Ladyship's chair is ready. Lady _Town._ Have the Footmen their white flambeaux yet? for last night I was poison'd. _Trus._ Yes, madam: there were some come in this morning. [_Exit ~Trusty~._ Lady _Town._ My dear, you will excuse me; but you know my time is so precious---- Lady _Grace._ That I beg I may not hinder your least enjoyment of it.