_Hip._ Excellent governess! you do understand the world, I see. _Prue._ Then you should be guided by me. _Hip._ Art thou in earnest then, damned jade?--would'st thou have me marry him?--Well, there are more poor young women undone, and married to filthy fellows by the treachery and evil counsel of chambermaids, than by the obstinacy and covetousness of parents. _Prue._ Does not your father come on purpose out of Spain to marry you to him? Can you release yourself from your aunt or father any other way? Have you a mind to be shut up as long as you live? For my part, though you can hold out upon the lime from the walls here, salt, old shoes, and oatmeal, I cannot live so: I must confess my patience is worn out. _Hip._ Alas, alas, poor Prue! your stomach lies another way: I will take pity of you, and get me a husband very suddenly, who may have a servant at your service. But rather than marry my cousin, I will be a nun in the new protestant nunnery they talk of; where, they say, there will be no hopes of coming near a man. _Prue._ But you can marry nobody but your cousin, miss: your father you expect to-night; and be certain his Spanish policy and wariness, which has kept you up so close ever since you came from Hackney school, will make sure of you within a day or two at farthest. _Hip._ Then 'tis time to think how to prevent him--stay-- _Prue._ In vain, vain, miss! _Hip._ If we knew but any man, any man, though he were but a little handsomer than the devil, so that he were a gentleman! _Prue._ What if you did know any man? if you had an opportunity, could you have confidence to speak to a man first? but if you could, how could you come to him, or he to you? nay, how could you send to him? for though you could write, which your father in his Spanish prudence would never permit you to learn, who should carry the letter?--But we need not be concerned for that, since we know not to whom to send it. _Hip._ Stay--it must be so--I'll try however-- _Enter_ Monsieur de PARIS. _Mons. Serviteur! serviteur! la cousine;_ I come to give the _bon soir_, as the French say. _Hip._ O, cousin! you know him; the fine gentleman they talk of so much in town. _Prue._ What! will you talk to him of any man else? _Mons._ I know all the _beau monde, cousine_. _Hip._ Master-- _Mons._ Monsieur Taileur, Monsieur Esmit, Monsieur-- _Hip._ These are Frenchmen-- _Mons. Non, non_; voud you have me say Mr. Taylor, Mr. Smith? Fi! fi! _tête non!_-- _Hip._ But don't you know the brave gentleman they talk so much of in town? _Mons._ Who? Monsieur Gerrard? _Hip._ What kind of man is that Mr. Gerrard? and then I'll tell you. _Mons._ Why--he is truly a pretty man, a pretty man--a pretty so so--kind of man, for an Englishman. _Hip._ How a pretty man? _Mons._ Why, he is conveniently tall--but-- _Hip._ But what? _Mons._ And not ill-shaped--but-- _Hip._ But what? _Mons._ And handsome, as 'tis thought, but--