MRS. HARDCASTLE. Lord, Mr. Hardcastle, you’re for ever at your Dorothys and your old wifes. You may be a Darby, but I’ll be no Joan, I promise you. I’m not so old as you’d make me, by more than one good year. Add twenty to twenty, and make money of that. HARDCASTLE. Let me see; twenty added to twenty makes just fifty and seven. MRS. HARDCASTLE. It’s false, Mr. Hardcastle; I was but twenty when I was brought to bed of Tony, that I had by Mr. Lumpkin, my first husband; and he’s not come to years of discretion yet. HARDCASTLE. Nor ever will, I dare answer for him. Ay, you have taught him finely. MRS. HARDCASTLE. No matter. Tony Lumpkin has a good fortune. My son is not to live by his learning. I don’t think a boy wants much learning to spend fifteen hundred a year. HARDCASTLE. Learning, quotha! a mere composition of tricks and mischief. MRS. HARDCASTLE. Humour, my dear; nothing but humour. Come, Mr. Hardcastle, you must allow the boy a little humour. HARDCASTLE. I’d sooner allow him a horse-pond. If burning the footmen’s shoes, frightening the maids, and worrying the kittens be humour, he has it. It was but yesterday he fastened my wig to the back of my chair, and when I went to make a bow, I popt my bald head in Mrs. Frizzle’s face. MRS. HARDCASTLE. And am I to blame? The poor boy was always too sickly to do any good. A school would be his death. When he comes to be a little stronger, who knows what a year or two’s Latin may do for him? HARDCASTLE. Latin for him! A cat and fiddle. No, no; the alehouse and the stable are the only schools he’ll ever go to. MRS. HARDCASTLE. Well, we must not snub the poor boy now, for I believe we shan’t have him long among us. Anybody that looks in his face may see he’s consumptive. HARDCASTLE. Ay, if growing too fat be one of the symptoms. MRS. HARDCASTLE. He coughs sometimes. HARDCASTLE. Yes, when his liquor goes the wrong way. MRS. HARDCASTLE. I’m actually afraid of his lungs. HARDCASTLE. And truly so am I; for he sometimes whoops like a speaking trumpet--(Tony hallooing behind the scenes)--O, there he goes--a very consumptive figure, truly. Enter TONY, crossing the stage. MRS. HARDCASTLE. Tony, where are you going, my charmer? Won’t you give papa and I a little of your company, lovee? TONY. I’m in haste, mother; I cannot stay. MRS. HARDCASTLE. You shan’t venture out this raw evening, my dear; you look most shockingly. TONY. I can’t stay, I tell you. The Three Pigeons expects me down every moment. There’s some fun going forward. HARDCASTLE. Ay; the alehouse, the old place: I thought so. MRS. HARDCASTLE. A low, paltry set of fellows. TONY. Not so low, neither. There’s Dick Muggins the exciseman, Jack Slang the horse doctor, Little Aminadab that grinds the music box, and Tom Twist that spins the pewter platter. MRS. HARDCASTLE. Pray, my dear, disappoint them for one night at least.