asingstoke!
ROB. Basingstoke! Of course it is--Basingstoke.
MAR. Then make it so!
ROB. There, there--it's all right--he's married you
now--that is, I've married you (turning to Despard)--I say, which
of us has married her?
DES. Oh, I've married her.
ROB. (aside). Oh, I'm glad of that. (To Margaret.) Yes,
he's married you now (passing her over to Despard), and anything
more disreputable than my conduct seems to have been I've never
even heard of. But my mind is made up--I will defy my ancestors.
I will refuse to obey their behests, thus, by courting death,
atone in some degree for the infamy of my career!
MAR. I knew it--I knew it--God bless
you--(Hysterically).
DES. Basingstoke!
MAR. Basingstoke it is! (Recovers herself.)

PATTER-TRIO.
ROBIN, DESPARD, and MARGARET.

ROB. My eyes are fully open to my awful situation--
I shall go at once to Roderic and make him an oration.
I shall tell him I've recovered my forgotten moral senses,
And I don't care twopence-halfpenny for any consequences.
Now I do not want to perish by the sword or by the dagger,
But a martyr may indulge a little pardonable swagger,
And a word or two of compliment my vanity would flatter,
But I've got to die tomorrow, so it really doesn't matter!

DES. So it really doesn't matter--

MAR. So it really doesn't matter--

ALL. So it really doesn't matter, matter, matter, matter, matter!

MAR. If were not a little mad and generally silly
I should give you my advice upon the subject, willy-nilly;
I should show you in a moment how to grapple with the
question,
And you'd really be astonished at the force of my
suggestion.
On the subject I shall write you a most valuable letter,
Full of excellent suggestions when I feel a little better,
But at present I'm afraid I am as mad as any hatter,
So I'll keep 'em to myself, for my opinion doesn't matter!

DES. Her opinion doesn't matter--

ROB. Her opinion doesn't matter--

ALL. Her opinion doesn't matter, matter, matter, matter,
matter!

DES. If I had been so lucky as to have a steady brother
Who could talk to me as we are talking now to one another