Dam monologue (Act 3) — Single Life: A Comedy, in Three Acts

Is she in earnest now, or is this some little specimen of antique coquetry? After having made up my mind to make a woman miserable, I should not like to be disappointed: I had set my heart upon worrying a wife to death--to have some one to vent all my ill-humours upon--to snarl at--to find fault with--to be angry when she was pleased, and pleased only when she was angry--and to thwart and vex continually--I should have revelled in such a life, and have been delighted in letting every one see what a wretched state is the married one. She can't mean it--Oh, no--no--'tis but one of the coquettish arts of her artful sex--I'll retaliate--I'll call upon Miss Skylark or some other woman, and take her on my arm to this party, to-night--_I'll_ be a coquette--a _male_ coquette--and fight her with her own weapons.