Sir Sig. Oh, enough, enough—Madam, I’ll take my leave—I see you are something busy at present,—an I’ll—
Cor. Not for the World:—Philippa, bring in the Cavalier—that you may see there’s none here fears him, Signior.
Sir Sig. Oh, hold, hold—Madam, you are mistaken in that point; for, to tell you the truth, I do fear—having—a certain—Aversion or Antipathy— to—Madam—a Gentleman—Why, Madam, they’re the very Monsters of the Nation, they devour every Day a Virgin.—
Cor. Good Heavens! and is he such a Fury?
Sir Sig. Oh, and the veriest Beelzebub;—besides, Madam, he vow’d my Death, if ever he catcht me near this House; and he ever keeps his word in cases of this Nature—Oh, that’s he, [Knocking at the Door.] I know it by a certain trembling Instinct about me!—Oh, what shall I do—
Cor. Why—I know not,—can you leap a high Window?
Sir Sig. He knocks again,—I protest I am the worst Vaulter in Christendom.—Have you no moderate danger—between the two extremes of the Window or the mad Count? no Closet?—Fear has dwindled me to the scantling of a Mousehole.
Cor. Let me see,—I have no leisure to pursue my Revenge farther, and will rest satisfy’d with this,—for this time. [Aside.]—Give me the Candle,—and whilst Philippa is conducting the Cavalier to the Alcove by dark, you may have an Opportunity to slip out—perhaps there may be danger in his being seen—[Aside.] Farewel, Fool—
[Ex. Cornelia with the Candle, Phil. goes to the Door, lets in Gal. takes him by the hand.
Gal. Pox on’t, my Knight’s bound for Viterbo, and there’s no persuading him into safe Harbour again.—He has given me but two hours to dispatch matters here,—and then I’m to imbark with him upon this new Discovery of honourable Love, as he call it, whose Adventurers are Fools, and the returning Cargo, that dead Commodity called a Wife! a Voyage very suitable to my Humour.—Who’s there?—