The Merry Wives of Windsor

Excerpt: ...III. A room in Ford's house Enter MISTRESS FORD and MISTRESS PAGE. MRS. FORD What, John! what, Robert! MRS. PAGE Quickly, quickly: -- Is the buck-basket -- MRS. FORD I warrant. What, Robin, I say! Enter SERVANTS with a basket. MRS. PAGE Come, come, come. MRS. FORD Here, set it down. MRS. PAGE Give your men the charge; we must be brief. MRS. FORD Marry, as I told you before, John and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brew-house; and when I suddenly call you, come forth, and, without any pause or staggering, take this basket on your shoulders: that done, trudge with it in all haste, and carry it among the whitsters in Datchet-Mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch close by the Thames side. MRS. PAGE You will do it? MRS. FORD I have told them over and over; they lack no direction. Be gone, and come when you are called. Exeunt SERVANTS. MRS. PAGE Here comes little Robin. Enter ROBIN. MRS. FORD How now, my eyas-musket! what news with you? ROBIN My Master Sir John is come in at your back-door, Mistress Ford, and requests your company. MRS. PAGE You little Jack-a-Lent, have you been true to us? ROBIN Ay, I'll be sworn. My master knows not of your being here, and hath threatened to put me into everlasting liberty, if I tell you of it; for he swears he'll turn me away. MRS. PAGE Thou 'rt a good boy; this secrecy of thine shall be a tailor to thee, and shall make thee a new doublet and hose. I'll go hide me. MRS. FORD Do so. Go tell thy master I am alone. Exit ROBIN. Mistress Page, remember you your cue. MRS. PAGE I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hiss me. Exit MISTRESS PAGE. MRS. FORD Go to, then; we'll use this unwholesome humidity, this gross watery pumpion; we'll teach him to know turtles from jays. Enter FALSTAFF. FALSTAFF "Have I caught thee, my heavenly jewel?" Why, now let me die, for I have lived long enough: this is the period of my ambition: O this blessed hour! MRS. FORD O, sweet Sir John! FALSTAFF Mistress Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot...