"I beg your pardon, ladies," he said, leaning against the doorframe; "I am looking for Mrs. Susan Warren."
"Then thou'rt seeking an early grave," the dealer quipped, and the others laughed merrily. "Get along with ye, now; 'tis too early in the day to bother Susie or any o' the rest of us."
"Forgive me," Ebenezer said hastily. "I had no mind to intrude upon your game."
" 'Tis but a simple hand of lanterloo," said the woman with the cards.
"Simple to misdeal!" cried another, who spoke with a French accent. "What is it that you do? Cheat me?"
"Ye dare call me a cheat!" the first replied. "Thou'rt something brave for one not a fortnight loose o' your serving-papers!"
"Hold thy tongue, boîte sèche!" growled the French woman. "I know Captain Scurry swived you for your freight, what time he fetched you off the streets and shipped you hither!"
"No more than Slye did you," cried the dealer, "though God alone knows why a man would swive a sow!"
"I beg your pardon," Ebenezer interrupted. "If you are servants of the house — "
"Non, certainement, I am no servant!"
"The truth is," said the dealer, "Grace here's a hooker."
"A what?" asked the poet.
"A hooker," the woman repeated with a wink. "A quail, don't ye know."
"A quail!" the woman named Grace shrieked. "You call me a quail, you — gaullefretière!"
"Whore!" shouted the first.
"Bas-cul!" retorted the other.
"Frisker!"
"Consoeur!"
"Trull!"
"Friquenelle!"
"Sow!"
"Usagère!"
"Bawd!"
"Viagère!"
"Strawgirl!"
"Sérane!"
"Tumbler!"
"Poupinette!"
"Mattressback!"
"Brimballeuse!"
"Nannygoat!"
"Chouette!"
"Windowgirl!"
"Wauve!"
"Lowgap!"
"Peaultre!"
"Galleywench!"
"Baque!"
"Drab!"
"Fastfanny!"
"Gaure!"
"Ringer!"
"Bringue!"
"Capercock!"
"Ancelle!"
"Nellie!"
"Gallière!"
"Chubcheeker!"
"Chèvre!"
"Nightbird!"
"Paillasse!"
"Rawhide!"
"Capre!"
"Shortheels!"
"Paillarde!"
"Bumbessie!"
"Image!"
"Furrowbutt!"
"Voyagère!"
"Pinkpot!"
"Femme de vie!"
"Rum-and-rut!"
"Fellatrice!"
"Ladies! Ladies!" the Laureate cried, but by this time the cardplayers, including the two disputants, were possessed with mirth, and paid him no heed.
"Coxswain!" shouted the one whose turn it was to play.
"Trottière!" Grace replied.
"Conycatcher!"
"Gourgandine!"
"Tart!"
"Coquatrice!"
"Fluter!"
"Coignée!"
"Cockeye!"
"Pelerine!"
"Crane!"
"Drôllesse!"
"Trotter!"
"Pellice!"
"Fleecer!"
"Toupie!"
"Fatback!"
"Saffrette!"
"Nightbag!"
"Reveleuse!"
"Vagrant!"
"Postiqueuse!"
"Arsebender!"
"Tireuse de vinaigre!"
"Sally-dally!"
"Rigobette!"
"Bitch!"
"Prêtresse du membre!"
"Saltflitch!"
"Sourdite!"
"Canvasback!"
"Redresseuse!"
"Hipflipper!"
"Personnière!"
"Hardtonguer!"
"Ribaulde!"
"Bedbug!"
"Posoera!"
"Hamhocker!"
"Ricaldex!"
"Bullseye!"
"Sac-de-nuit!"
"Breechdropper!"
"Roussecaigne!"
"Giftbox!"
"Scaldrine!"
"Craterbutt!"
"Tendrière de reins!"
"Pisspallet!"
"Presentière!"
"Narycherry!"
"Femme de mal recapte!"
"Poxbox!"
"Tousel"
"Flapgap!"
"Rafatière!"
"Codhopper!"
"Courieuse!"
"Bellylass!"
"Gondinette!"
"Trollop!"
"Esquoceresse!"
"Peddlesnatch!"
"Folieuse!"
"Backgammon!"
"Gondine!"
"Joygirl!"
"Drue!"
"Prickpocket!"
"Galloise!"
"Dear God in Heav'n, cease!" Ebenezer commanded.
"Nay, by Christ, 'tis a war to the end!" cried the dealer. "Would ye surrender to the French? Why, she's naught but a common meatcooker!"
"And you a janneton!" the other replied gleefully.
"Arsievarsie!"
"Fillette de pis!"
"Backscratcher!"
"Demoiselle de morals!"
"Bumpbacon!"
"Gaultière!"
"Full-o'-tricks!"
"Ensaignante!"
"Pesthole!"
"Gast!"
"Romp!"
"Court talon!"
"Pigpoke!"
"Folle de corps!"
"Scabber!"
"Gouine!"
"Strumpet!"
"Fille de joie!"
"Gullybum!"
"Drouine!"
"Tess Tuppence!"
"Gaupe!"
"Slattern!"
"Entaille d'amour!"
"Doxy!"
"Accrocheuse!"
"Chippie!"
"Cloistrière!"
"Puddletrotter!"
"Bagasser!"
"Hetaera!"
"Caignardière!"
"Pipecleaner!"
"Barathre!"
"Rumper!"
"Cambrouse!"
"Hotpot!"
"Alicaire!"
"Backbender!"
"Champisse!"
"Sink-o'-perdition!"
"Cantonnière!"
"Leasepiece!"
"Ambubaye!"
"Spreadeagle!"
"Bassara!"
"Gutterflopper!"
"Bezoche!"
"Cockatrice!"
"Caille!"
"Sausage-grinder!"