_Lyd._ 'Tis as hard for a woman to conceal her indignation from her apostate lover, as to conceal her love from her faithful servant. _L. Flip._ Or almost as hard as it is for the prating fellows now-a-days to conceal the favours of obliging ladies. _Lyd._ If Ranger should come up, (I saw him just now in the street,) the discovery of my anger to him now would be as mean as the discovery of my love to him before. _L. Flip._ Though I did so mean a thing as to love a fellow, I would not do so mean a thing as to confess it, certainly, by my trouble to part with him. If I confessed love, it should be before they left me. _Lyd._ So you would deserve to be left, before you were. But could you ever do so mean a thing as to confess love to any? _L. Flip._ Yes; but I never did so mean a thing as really to love any. _Lyd._ You had once a husband. _L. Flip._ Fy! madam, do you think me so ill bred as to love a husband? _Lyd._ You had a widow's heart, before you were a widow, I see. _L. Flip._ I should rather make an adventure of my honour with a gallant for a gown, a new coach, a necklace, than clap my husband's cheeks for them, or sit in his lap. I should be as ashamed to be caught in such a posture with a husband, as a brisk well-bred spark of the town would be to be caught on his knees at prayers--unless to his mistress. _Enter_ RANGER _and_ DAPPERWIT. _Lyd._ Mr. Ranger, 'twas obligingly done of you. _Ran._ Indeed, cousin, I had kept my promise with you last night, but this gentleman knows-- _Lyd._ You mistake me; but you shall not lessen any favour you do to me. You are going to excuse your not coming to me last night, when I take it as a particular obligation, that though you threatened me with a visit, upon consideration you were so civil as not to trouble me. _Dap._ This is an unlucky morning with me! here's my eternal persecution, the widow Flippant. [_Aside._ _L. Flip._ What, Mr. Dapperwit! [DAPPERWIT _retires to the back of the stage, followed by_ LADY FLIPPANT. _Ran._ Indeed, cousin, besides my business, another cause I did not wait on you was, my apprehension you were gone to the Park, notwithstanding your promise to the contrary. _Lyd._ Therefore, you went to the Park to visit me there, notwithstanding your promise to the contrary? _Ran._ Who, I at the Park! when I had promised to wait upon you at your lodging! But were you at the Park, madam? _Lyd._ Who, I at the Park! when I had promised to wait for you at home! I was no more at the Park than you were. Were you at the Park? _Ran._ The Park had been a dismal desert to me, notwithstanding all the good company in it, if I had wanted yours. _Lyd._ [_Aside._] Because it has been the constant endeavour of men to keep women ignorant, they think us so; but 'tis that increases our inquisitiveness, and makes us know them ignorant as false. He is as impudent a dissembler as the widow Flippant, who is making her importunate addresses in vain, for aught I see.