_Miss M. [Rising.]_ Pray miss, none of your insinuations against the queen of Spain. _Miss S_. Don't be in a passion, madam. _Miss M_. Yes, madam, but I will be in a passion, when the interest of my country is at stake. _Miss S. [Rising.]_ Perhaps, madam, I have a heart as warm in the interest of my country as you can have; though I pay money for the papers I read, and that's more than you can say. _Miss M_. Miss, miss, my papers are paid for too by somebody, though I don't pay for them; I don't suppose the old woman, as you call her, sends 'em about at her own expence; but I'd have you to know, miss, I value my money as little as you in my country's cause; and rather than have no army, I would part with every farthing of these sixteen shillings to maintain it. _Miss S_. And if my sweetheart was to vote for the colonel, though I like this fan of all the fans I ever saw in my life, I would tear it all to pieces, because it was his Valentine's gift to me. Oh, heavens! I have torn my fan; I would not have torn my fan for the world! Oh! my poor dear fan! I wish all parties were at the devil, for I am sure I shall never get a fan by them. _Miss M_. Notwithstanding all you have said, madam, I should be a brute not to pity you under this calamity: comfort yourself, child, I have a fan the exact fellow to it; if you bring your sweetheart over to vote for the colonel you shall have it. _Miss S_. And can I sell my country for a fan? What's my country to me? I shall never get a fan by it. And will you give it me for nothing? _Miss M_. I'll make you a free present of it. _Miss S_. I am ashamed of your conquest, but I'll take the fan. _Miss M_. And now, my dear, we'll go and drink a dish of tea together. And let all parties blame me if they can, Who're bribed by honours trifling as a fan. [_Exeunt_ Misses. _Trap_. There ends act the fourth. If you want to know the moral of this, the devil must be in you. Faith, this incident of the fan struck me so strongly that I was once going to call this comedy by the name of The Fan. But come, now for act the fifth. _Promp_. Sir, the player who is to begin it is just stepped aside on some business; he begs you would stay a few minutes for him. _Trap_. Come, Fustian, you and I will step into the green-room, and chat with the actresses meanwhile. _Fust_. But don't you think these girls improper persons to talk of parties? _Trap_. Sir, I assure you it is not out of nature: and I have often heard these affairs canvast by men who had not one whit more understanding than these girls. [_Exeunt_. ACT III. SCENE I.--Enter TRAPWIT, FUSTIAN, and SNEERWELL. _Trap_. Fie upon't, fie upon't! make no excuses. _Sneer_. Consider, sir, I am my own enemy. _Trap_. I do consider that you might have past your time, perhaps, here as well as in another place. _Sneer_. But I hope I have not transgressed much.