_Pinch._ Did he so?--promise her marriage!--then she shall have no other. Go tell her so; and if she will come and discourse with me a little concerning the means, I will about it immediately. Go.--[_Exit_ Mrs. PINCHWIFE.] His estate is equal to Sparkish's, and his extraction as much better than his, as his parts are; but my chief reason is, I'd rather be akin to him by the name of brother-in-law than that of cuckold. _Re-enter_ Mrs. PINCHWIFE. Well, what says she now? _Mrs. Pinch._ Why, she says, she would only have you lead her to Horner's lodging; with whom she first will discourse the matter before she talks with you, which yet she cannot do; for alack, poor creature, she says she can't so much as look you in the face, therefore she'll come to you in a mask. And you must excuse her, if she make you no answer to any question of yours, till you have brought her to Mr. Horner; and if you will not chide her, nor question her, she'll come out to you immediately. _Pinch._ Let her come: I will not speak a word to her, nor require a word from her. _Mrs. Pinch._ Oh, I forgot: besides she says, she cannot look you in the face, though through a mask; therefore would desire you to put out the candle. _Pinch._ I agree to all. Let her make haste.--There, 'tis out--[_Puts out the candle. Exit_ Mrs. PINCHWIFE.] My case is something better: I'd rather fight with Horner for not lying with my sister, than for lying with my wife; and of the two, I had rather find my sister too forward than my wife. I expected no other from her free education, as she calls it, and her passion for the town. Well, wife and sister are names which make us expect love and duty, pleasure and comfort; but we find 'em plagues and torments, and are equally, though differently, troublesome to their keeper; for we have as much ado to get people to lie with our sisters as to keep 'em from lying with our wives. _Re-enter_ Mrs. PINCHWIFE _masked, and in hoods and scarfs, and a night-gown and petticoat of_ ALITHEA'S. What, are you come, sister? let us go then.--But first, let me lock up my wife. Mrs. Margery, where are you? _Mrs. Pinch._ Here, bud. _Pinch._ Come hither, that I may lock you up: get you in.--[_Locks the door._] Come, sister, where are you now? [Mrs. PINCHWIFE _gives him her hand; but when he lets her go, she steals softly on to the other side of him, and is led away by him for his_ Sister, ALITHEA. SCENE II.--HORNER'S _Lodging._ HORNER _and_ Quack. _Quack._ What, all alone? not so much as one of your cuckolds here, nor one of their wives! They use to take their turns with you, as if they were to watch you.