Pinch. Come, begin:—“Sir”—
[Dictates.
Mrs. Pinch. Shan’t I say, “Dear Sir?”—You know one says always something more than bare “Sir.”
Pinch. Write as I bid you, or I will write whore with this penknife in your face.
Mrs. Pinch. Nay, good bud—“Sir”—
[Writes.
Pinch. “Though I suffered last night your nauseous, loathed kisses and embraces”—Write!
Mrs. Pinch. Nay, why should I say so? You know I told you he had a sweet breath.
Pinch. Write!
Mrs. Pinch. Let me but put out “loathed.”
Pinch. Write, I say!
Mrs. Pinch. Well then.
[Writes.
Pinch. Let’s see, what have you writ?—[Takes the paper and reads.] “Though I suffered last night your kisses and embraces”—Thou impudent creature! where is “nauseous” and “loathed?”
Mrs. Pinch. I can’t abide to write such filthy words.
Pinch. Once more write as I’d have you, and question it not, or I will spoil thy writing with this. I will stab out those eyes that cause my mischief.
[Holds up the penknife.
Mrs. Pinch. O Lord! I will.
Pinch. So—so—let’s see now.—[Reads.] “Though I suffered last night your nauseous, loathed kisses and embraces”—go on—“yet I would not have you presume that you shall ever repeat them”—so—
[She writes.
Mrs. Pinch. I have writ it.
Pinch. On, then—“I then concealed myself from your knowledge, to avoid your insolencies.”—
[She writes.
Mrs. Pinch. So—
Pinch. “The same reason, now I am out of your hands”—
[She writes.
Mrs. Pinch. So—