_T._ Except your ladyship ... I beg your ladyship’s pardon. 530 _D._ Except me? _T._ And me. _D._ And you? _T._ And old Sir Gregory, I may say. _D._ Please, Tristram, keep to the matter. By what signs know you that your master is in love? _T._ First because he talks nonsense aloud to himself; then he reads and writes so many letters. _D._ Letters, you say! 539 _T._ Certainly. Why, the moment that you left, He pulled one out and read it to himself. And now I am dead, he says, and now I live; And all the rest of it. _D._ I must know from whom That letter came. _T._ And that much I can tell. I saw him write it to himself, last night, And put it in his pocket. To my knowledge, He has never sent it, and received no other, Nor spoke to a lady since;—when, on a sudden, He whips it out, and reads it to himself As if ’twere newly come. Then, off he goes, 550 Bragging, ’tis an appointment for to-night. _D._ To-night? _T._ Ay, so he said. But he can’t hide The truth from me. The fact is this, my lady; He makes believe. He sees that everybody Is full of this same love: since ’tis the fashion He’d be ashamed, just for the lack of a lady, To come behind. But all the love he makes Is to himself. _D._ But if there were a lady, Think you she would be of the court? _T._ Why certainly. _D._ How so? _T._ Because ’tis only in the court 560 That such ridiculous foolery would pass. _D._ Stay. If he loved a lady of the court, I think I must have known her. _T._ Very true. Your ladyship is right. If ’twere a lady, She could not be of the court. _D._ Then we must look To find her in the town. _T._ ’Tis very plain, That if she is not in the court, she is in the town. _D._ I have set you on the track. If you will serve me, Discover who this lady is: observe Your master narrowly; above all to-night 570 Follow him where’er he goes, watch all he does; And bring me word to-morrow. That’s the service For which, good Tristram, I will pay you well. But can I trust you? _T._ I never deceived any one, my lady: and if I can discover my master’s secret, your ladyship shall know it. I hold, like your ladyship, that love is a most contemptible disease, from which a good servant should seek to deliver his master. But I don’t think we shall find any lady. 580 _D._ No lady, no pay, Tristram; remember that: And, above all, be secret. Now, go your way, And tell your master I wish to see him here. _T._ I will, your ladyship. (_Aside._) And as for secrets—if you knew my master’s as well as I know yours, you would not need to take me into your pay. [_Exit._