Arabella Yes, truly, some more champagne—without any delay. You can see all my teeth in my mouth. Do you see, I'll be ninety-eight come Easter?
Jenny
Her youth is the last straw.
Arabella There's more still. But I am of a green old age. At the age I'm at, I still don't allow myself any servants—besides, they'd charge me too much. But, do you see, my friend, do you want me to tell you? People today, they're shoddy goods—they're not worth anything, and I wouldn't bend over to pick up the lot of them.
Worthy
Is she often overcome with these vapors?
Albert
Alas, never. She must be bewitched.
Arabella At my age, I am still worth my weight in gold. My children have done me wrong. I don't look half my age. If I hadn't been married at thirteen—to tell you the truth, marriage and childbearing puts an end to youth. Such great peril. I never can remember having been a child. To tell you the truth, I was pretty enough. At twenty-seven I had fourteen children.
Jenny
What fertility! Fourteen!
Arabella Yes, all swarming. And all boys. I've never had any girls. And you see others turn out like ours. But (winking) they're rogues who'll turn out badly. These evil ones wanted to see me in a hospital. Would you believe that after the death of their late father, they squabbled with me over my dower rights? A dower earned so legitimately.
Albert
Alas, can one push mental aberration further?
Jenny (aside)
My word, the little baggage plays her role charmingly.