O, ay, here it is—Love for Love, ay,—true,—ha, ha,—how could I be so stupid!
"O, easily enough as to that, I warrant you," said the Captain; "but, by my soul, this is one of the best jokes I ever heard! Come to a play, and not know what it is!—Why, I suppose you would n't have found it out, if they had fob'd you off with a scraping of fidlers, or an opera?—Ha! ha! ha!—why now, I should have thought you might have taken some notice of one Mr. Tattle that is in this play?
This sarcasm, which caused a general smile, made him colour: but, turning to the Captain with a look of conceit, which implied that he had a retort ready, he said, "Pray, Sir, give me leave to ask,—what do you think of one Mr. Ben, who is also in this play?
The Captain, regarding him with the utmost contempt, answered in a loud voice, "Think of him!—why I think he's a man!" And then, staring full in his face, he struck his cane on the ground, with a violence that made him start. He did not, however, chuse to take any notice of this; but, having bit his nails some time, in manifest confusion, he turned very quick to me, and, in a sneering tone of voice, said, "For my part, I was most struck with the country young lady, Miss Prue; pray what do you think of her, Ma'am?"
"Indeed,
