Loveyet. To be sure I have. Let me see,—I shou'd like a woman an inch or two less than six feet high now, and thick in proportion: By my body, such a woman wou'd look noble by the side of me when she was entient.
Trueman. Oh, monstrous! Entient! an entient woman by the side of an antient husband! Most preposterous, unnatural, and altogether incongruous!
Loveyet. Poh, a fig for your high-flown nonsense. I suppose you think it would cost me a great deal of trouble.
Trueman. No, no; some clever young blade will save you the trouble.
Loveyet. By my body, I should love dearly to have such a partner; she would be a credit to me when she had me under the arm.
Trueman. Under the thumb, you mean.
Loveyet. Under the Devil, you mean.
Trueman. You're right; you might as well be under the Devil's government as petticoat government; you're perfectly right there.
Loveyet. I'm not perfectly right;—I—I—I mean you are not perfectly right; and as for her age, why I should like her to be—let me see—about ten years younger than myself: a man shou'd be at least ten years older than his wife.
Trueman. Ten years; fifty-three and ten are sixty-three. Then you mean your wife shall be fifty-three years of age.