ue, as dear
good Mr. Gracely says.

HERALD. There comes his very reverse,--Mr. Worthnought.

CANTWELL. Ah, he is a profane rake; he is lighter than vanity, as Mr.
Gracely says;--a mere painted sepulchre.

HERALD. That ancient sepulchre of yours is pretty much daub'd, I think.
[_Aside._

_Enter WORTHNOUGHT._

WORTHNOUGHT. Ladies, _J'ay bien de la joye de vous voir._ I have the
supernal and superlative hanor and felicity, of being most respectfully
yours.

CANTWELL. I hope I have the pleasure to see Mr. Worthnought well.

WORTHNOUGHT. _La, La, Mademoiselle; assez bien: Je vous suis oblige._--She
has reviv'd her wither'd chaps with rouge in a very nasty manner, 'pan
hanor. [_Aside._]--Have you heard the news, respecting Miss Harriet
Trueman, ladies?

CANTWELL. Yes, now I think on 't, there is a report about town, that old
Mr. Loveyet saw her and another rather familiar together.

WORTHNOUGHT. Oh, you have not heard half, madam.

CANTWELL. Do, let us hear, Mr. Worthnought.

HERALD. Aye, do; but do not say anything that will hurt Miss Tabitha's
delicacy; for, before you came in, I was complaining that I was _barren_ of
anything new, and she was almost ready to swoon at the expression.

WORTHNOUGHT. If Miss Tabitha has such an antipathy to barrenness, she will
not be offended at my subject, which is a very prolific one, I assure you;
for Miss Trueman is on the verge of _bearing_ a son.

CANTWELL. Oh, horrid! What will this wicked world come to at last!--A
good-for-nothing, wanton hussy.

WORTHNOUGHT. Very true, madam:--by persons of easy notions of virtue,
indeed, it would be considered a trifling _faux pas_, as the French call
it; a perfect _bagatelle_; or, at most, a superficial act of incontinency;
but to those who have such rigid notions of virtue as Miss Cantwell, for
example, or Miss Herald, or their humble servant; it appears quite another
thing, quite another thing, ladies:--though it is one of my foibles;--I own
it is a fault to be so intalerably nice about the affairs of women; but it
is a laudable imperfection, if I may be allowed the phrase;--it is erring
on the safe side, for women's affairs are delicate things to meddle with,
ladies.

CANTWELL. You are perfectly in the right, Mr. Worthnought, but one can't
help speaking up for the honour of one's sex, you know.

WORTHNOUGHT. Very true, madam:--to make the matter still worse, ladies,