"You must beat my answer into your understanding while I beat this man's verse into mine.
'And like the birds, etc.'" Pomander recovered himself a little; he laughed with quiet insolence.
"Tell me," said he, "do you really refuse ?" "My good soul," said Mrs.Woffington, "why this surprise! Are you so ignorant of the stage and the world as not to know that I refuse such offers as yours every week of my life ?" "I know better," was the cool reply.

She left it unnoticed.
"I have so many of these," continued she, "that I have begun to forget they are insults." At this word the button broke off Sir Charles's foil.
"Insults, madam! They are the highest compliments you have left it in our power to pay you." The other took the button off her foil.
"Indeed!" cried she, with well-feigned surprise.

"Oh! I understand.
To be your mistress could be but a temporary disgrace; to be your wife would be a lasting discredit," she continued.

"And now, sir, having played your rival's game, and showed me your whole hand" (a light broke in upon our diplomat), "do something to recover the reputation of a man of the world.

A gentleman is somewhere about in whom you have interested me by your lame satire; pray tell him I am in the green-room, with no better companion than this bad poet." Sir Charles clinched his teeth.
"I accept the delicate commission," replied he, "that you may see how easily the man of the world drops what the rustic is eager to pick up." "That is better," said the actress, with a provoking appearance of good-humor.