_Gripe._ Oons, let her but stay at home, and she shall do what she will: in reason, that is. _Flip._ D'ye hear that, Madam? nay, now I must be on master's side; you see how he loves you, he desires only your company, pray give him that satisfaction, or I must pronounce against you. _Clar._ Well, I agree. Thou know'st I don't love to grieve him: let him be always in good humour, and I'll be always at home. _Flip._ Look you there, Sir, what would you have more? _Gripe._ Well, let her keep her word, and I'll have done quarrelling. _Clar._ I must not, however, so far lose the merit of my consent, as to let you think I'm weary of going abroad, my dear: what I do is purely to oblige you; which, that I may be able to perform, without a relapse, I'll invent what ways I can to make my prison supportable to me. _Flip._ Her prison! pretty bird! her prison! do'nt that word melt you, Sir? _Gripe._ I must confess I did not expect to find her so reasonable. _Flip._ O, Sir, soon or late wives come into good humour: husbands must only have a little patience to wait for it. _Clar._ The innocent little diversions, dear, that I shall content myself with, will be chiefly play and company. _Gripe._ O, I'll find you employment, your time shan't lie upon your hands, tho' if you have a mind now for such a companion as a----let me see----_Araminta_ for example, why I shan't be against her being with you from morning till nigh. _Clar._ You can't oblige me more, 'tis the best woman in the world. _Gripe._ Is not she? _Flip._ Ah, the old satyr! [_Aside._ _Gripe._ Then we'll have, besides her, may be sometimes----her husband; and we shall see my niece that writes verses, and my sister _Fidget_: with her husband's brother that's always merry; and his little cousin that's to marry the fat curate; and my uncle the apothecary, with his wife and all his children. O we shall divert ourselves rarely. _Flip._ Good. [_Aside._ _Clar._ O, for that, my dear child, I must be plain with you, I'll see none of them but _Araminta_, who has the manners of the court; for I'll converse with none but women of quality. _Gripe._ Ay, ay, they shall all have one quality or other. _Clar._ Then, my dear, to make our home pleasant, we'll have consorts of music sometimes. _Gripe._ Music in my house! _Clar._ Yes, my child, we must have music or the house will be so dull I shall get the spleen, and be going abroad again. _Flip._ Nay, she has so much complaisance for you, Sir, you can't dispute such things with her. _Gripe._ Ay, but if I have music---- _Clar._ Ay, but Sir, I must have music---- _Flip._ Not every day, Madam don't mean. _Clar._ No, bless me, no; but three consorts a week: three days more we'll play after dinner at _Ombre_, _Picquet_, _Basset_, and so forth, and close the evening with a handsome supper and a ball. _Gripe._ A ball!