By-and-by a singular Couple, Arm in Arm, left the Ball-Rooms for the Ante-Chamber, dressed like Charles the Second's Courtiers, all but their Heads; for one had the Head of a Fox, and the other of a monstrous Goose. The latter said, "Quack!" whenever he was pushed by the Crowd, which was held an exceeding good Joke, for Folks cried, "Well done, Goose! Quack again!" and, when he did so, went into Peals of Laughter. At Length, with his Friend the Fox, he sat down on a Bench just in Front of our Orange-Trees, exclaiming to his Companion, "Precious hot Work! Even Popularity may be too fatiguing."
"I never had enough of it to know that," says the Fox.
"You! Why, you've been steeped in it to the Lips!—among a certain Coterie at any Rate. You are feigning Modesty, Mr. Fox."
"All I said was, I had never had too much; perhaps, not enough. We belong to an insatiable Race. By-the-by, I proved myself a Goose To-Night in choosing to play Fox, for you are by far the more popular."
"And only by saying Quack."
"Quackery goes a great Way in this World,—I might have known 'twould be so."
"Monstrous fine Masquerade this!" said the Goose.
"Oh, delightful! Have you made out many People?"
"Why, to tell you the Truth, I've been so observed myself, I've had no Time to observe others."
"Quack!"