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I'm placing this here while I develop a synopsis for the play, before placing it in the main article.
| 275 words |
Alone in his dressing-room, the rake Dorimant reads a couplet he has quoted in a note and reflects on his "decay of passion" for his mistress.[1]
Dorimant receives a series of guests. As she offers him a ripe peach, an orange-woman reveals the interest taken in him by a beautiful young heiress from the country. Dorimant's friend Medley arrives and berates the orange-woman, but Dorimant encourages her to give as good as she gets. Dorimant fails in an attempt to strong-arm her into bringing the country heiress to see him. She reveals the low opinion of him that his reputation has encouraged in the heiress' mother. Medley guesses that the mother is Lady Woodvill and the heiress her daughter Harriet. His description of Harriet arouses Dorimant's desire. The orange-woman describes how she has heard that an old judge was similarly smitten.
As the orange-woman leaves, Medley inquires after Dorimant's mistress, Mrs Loveit. Medley reads Dorimant's note of apology for her. Having seen Dorimant with a masked lady at the theatre, Medley suggests that its deception is implausible and easily discovered. Dorimant explains that he wants a quarrel with Mrs Loveit in order to provide a surreptitious exit-strategy from the affair. He reveals that his new mistress, the masked lady, is a close friend of Mrs Loveit who will stir up the quarrel for him. Dorimant plans to accuse Mrs Loveit of infidelity with "the next fop that comes into my head". He banters with a shoemaker, who arrives to fit Dorimant's new shoes.
Young Bellair arrives and apologizes to Dorimant and Medley for his absence of late. Medley teases him for his plans to marry.
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