SCENE.—AnApartment,contiguoustothelast.

scene.—anapartment,contiguoustothelast.

selby,asiflistening.

selby

thesoundshavediedaway.whatamichangedto?

whatdoihere,list'ningliketoanabject,

orheartlesswittol,thatmusthearnogood,

ifhehearaught?"thisshalltotheearofyourhusband."

itwasthewidow'sword.iguess'dsomemystery,

andthesolutionwithavengeancecomes.

whatcanmywifehaveleftuntoldtome,

thatmustbetoldbyproxy?ibegin

tocallindoubtthecourseofherlifepast

undermyveryeyes.shehathnotbeengood,

notvirtuous,notdiscreet;shehathnotoutrun

mywishesstillwithpromptandmeekobservance.

perhapssheisnotfair,sweet-voiced;hereyes

notlikethedove's;allthisaswellmaybe,

asthatsheshouldentreasureupasecret

inthepeculiarclosetofherbreast,

andgrudgeittomyear.itismyright

toclaimthehalvesinanytruthsheowns,

asmuchasinthebabeihavebyher;

uponwhosefacehenceforthifeartolook,

lestishouldfancyinitsinnocentbrow

somestrangeshamewritten.

enterlucy.

sister,ananxiouswordwithyou.

fromoutthechamber,wheremywifebutnow

heldtalkwithherencroachingfriend,iheard

(notofsetpurposeheark'ning,butbychance)

avoiceofchiding,answer'dbyatone

ofreplication,suchasthemeekdove

makes,whenthekitehasclutch'dher.thehighwidow

wasloudandstormy.idistinctlyheard

onethreatpronounced—"yourhusbandshallknowall."

iamnolistener,sister;andihold

asecret,gotbysuchunmanlyshift,

thepitiful'stofthefts;butwhatmineear,

inotintendingit,receivesperforce,

icountmylawfulprize.somesubtlemeaning

lurksinthisfiend'sbehaviour;which,byforce,

orfraud,imustmakemine.

lucy

thegentlestmeans

arestillthewisest.what,ifyoushouldpress

yourwifetoadisclosure?

selby

ihavetried

allgentlermeans;thrownoutlowhints,which,though

merelyestionsstill,haveneverfail'd