Tho' some Husbands, in such a Case, would have proved _mere Husbands_, yet he was so much charm'd with her Love and Understanding, that he liv'd very happy with her.

Therefore when I say an unfortunate Marriage, with other Circumstances, conducted to the shortening of his Days; I only mean that his Fortune, being too slender to support a Family, led him into a great many Cares and Inconveniences." [Footnote A: Farquhar was playing in "The Indian Emperor" being cast for Guyomar, a character whose pleasant duty it is to kill Vasquez, the Spanish general.

This particular Guyomar forgot to change his sword for a theatre foil, and in the subsequent encounter gave Vasquez too realistic a punishment].
No one would have appreciated the unconscious humour of Chetwood's assertion about "some husbands" more than Farquhar himself.

One trembles to think, by the way what a "mere husband" must have been in the reigns of William or Anne.
In the meantime we are almost forgetting young Mistress Oldfield, who is still reading the "Scornful Lady," and putting new life and grace into lines which nowadays seem a bit academic and musty.

The captain has not forgotten her, however; on the contrary, he is so charmed with what he hears that he makes some flimsy excuse to get into that room behind the bar whence the silvery voice proceeds.