▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Act ▁I ▁ ▁Sc ene ▁I : ▁Lady ▁S ne er well , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁young ▁wid ow , ▁and ▁her ▁h ire ling ▁S nake ▁discuss ▁her ▁various ▁sc andal - sp reading ▁plots . ▁S nake ▁asks ▁why ▁she ▁is ▁so ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁affairs ▁of ▁Sir ▁Peter ▁Te az le , ▁his ▁w ard ▁Maria , ▁and ▁Charles ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Sur face , ▁two ▁young ▁men ▁under ▁Sir ▁Peter ' s ▁inform al ▁guard ians hip , ▁and ▁why ▁she ▁has ▁not ▁yield ed ▁to ▁the ▁att ent ions ▁of ▁Joseph , ▁who ▁is ▁highly ▁respect able . ▁Lady ▁S ne er well ▁conf ides ▁that ▁Joseph ▁wants ▁Maria , ▁who ▁is ▁an ▁he ir ess , ▁and ▁that ▁Maria ▁wants ▁Charles . ▁Thus ▁she ▁and ▁Joseph ▁are ▁plot ting ▁to ▁al ien ate ▁Maria ▁from ▁Charles ▁by ▁putting ▁out ▁rum ours ▁of ▁an ▁affair ▁between ▁Charles ▁and ▁Sir ▁Peter ' s ▁new ▁young ▁wife , ▁Lady ▁Te az le . ▁Joseph ▁arriv es ▁to ▁confer ▁with ▁Lady ▁S ne er well . ▁Maria ▁herself ▁then ▁enters , ▁fle eing ▁the ▁att ent ions ▁of ▁Sir ▁Benjamin ▁Back b ite ▁and ▁his ▁uncle , ▁Cra bt ree . ▁Mrs . ▁Cand our ▁enters ▁and ▁iron ically ▁tal ks ▁about ▁how ▁" t ale - b ear ers ▁are ▁as ▁bad ▁as ▁the ▁tale - m akers ." ▁So on ▁after ▁that , ▁Sir ▁Benjamin ▁and ▁Cra bt ree ▁also ▁enter , ▁bringing ▁a ▁good ▁deal ▁of