I would have told you that before, but I didn't know it was to my credit," said she, slyly, "till Mr.Cibber laid down the law." "Proof!" said Cibber.
"A warm letter from one lady, diamond buckles from another, and an offer of her hand and fortune from a third; _rien que cela."_ Mr.Cibber conveyed behind her back a look of absolute incredulity; she divined it.
"I will not show you the letters," continued she, "because Sir Harry, though a rake, was a gentleman; but here are the buckles;" and she fished them out of her pocket, capacious of such things.

The buckles were gravely inspected, they made more than one eye water, they were undeniable.
"Well, let us see what we can do for her," said the Laureate.

He tapped his box and without a moment's hesitation produced the most execrable distich in the language: "Now who is like Peggy, with talent at will, A maid loved her Harry, for want of a Bill?
"Well, child," continued he, after the applause which follows extemporary verses had subsided, "take _me_ in.

Play something to make me lose sight of saucy Peg Woffington, and I'll give the world five acts more before the curtain falls on Colley Cibber." "If you could be deceived," put in Mr.Vane, somewhat timidly; "I think there is no disguise through which grace and beauty such as Mrs.
Woffington's would not shine, to my eyes." "That is to praise my person at the expense of my wit, sir, is it not ?" was her reply.
This was the first word she had ever addressed to him.

The tones appeared so sweet to him that he could not find anything to reply for listening to them; and Cibber resumed: "Meantime, I will show you a real actress; she is coming here to-night to meet me.