LUC. I? not at all; it was you who took that resolution. ERAS. I? I thought it would please you. LUC. Me; not at all; you did it for your own satisfaction. ERAS. But what if my heart should wish to resume its former chain? If, though very sad, it should sue for pardon...? [Footnote: An imitation from Horace, book iii., ode ix., vers. 17 and 18. _Quid? si prisca redet Venus Diductosque jugo cogit aheneo?_] LUC. No, no; do no such thing; my weakness is too great. I am afraid I might too quickly grant your request. ERAS. Oh! you cannot grant it, nor I ask for it, too soon, after what I have just heard. Consent to love me still, madam; so pure a flame ought to burn for ever, for your own sake. I ask for it, pray grant me this kind pardon. LUC. Lead me home. SCENE IV.--MARINETTE, GROS-RENÉ. MAR. Oh! cowardly creature, GR.-RE. Oh! weak courage. MAR. I blush with indignation. GR.-RE. I am swelling with rage; do not imagine I will yield thus. MAR. And do not think to find such a dupe in me. GR.-RE. Come on, come on; you shall soon see what my wrath is capable of doing. MAR. I am not the person you take me for; you have not my silly mistress to deal with. It is enough to look at that fine phiz to be smitten with the man himself! Should I fall in love with your beastly face? Should I hunt after you? Upon my word, girls like us are not for the like of you. GR.-RE. Ay! and you address me in such a fashion? Here, here, without any further compliments, there is your bow of tawdry lace, and your narrow ribbon; it shall not have the honour of being on my ear any more. MAR. And to show you how I despise you, here, take back your half hundred of Paris pins, which you gave me yesterday with so much bragging. GR.-RE. Take back your knife too; a thing most rich and rare; it cost you about twopence when you made me a present of it. MAR. Take back your scissors with the pinchbeck chain. GR.-RE. I forgot the piece of cheese you gave me the day before yesterday--here it is; I wish I could bring back the broth you made me eat, so that I might have nothing belonging to you. MAR. I have none of your letters about me now, but I shall burn every one of them. GR.-RE. And do you know what I shall do with yours? MAR. Take care you never come begging to me again to forgive you. GR. RE. (_Picking up a bit of straw_). To cut off every way of being reconciled, we must break this straw between us; when a straw is broken, it settles an affair between people of honour.