Act I, Scene III

Enter EUCLIO, from his house.

EUC. (to himself). Now, with my mind at ease, at length I go out of my house, after I've seen that everything is safe in-doors. Now do you return at once into the house (to Staphyla), and keep watch in-doors.

STAPH. Keep watch in-doors upon nothing at all, forsooth; or is it, that no one may carry the house away. For here in our house there's nothing else for thieves to gain, so filled is it with emptiness and cobwebs.

EUC. 'Tis a wonder that, for your sake, Jupiter doesn't now make me a King Philip, or a Darius, you hag of hags. I choose those cobwebs to be watched for me. I am poor, I confess it--I put up with it. What the Gods send, I endure. Go in-doors, shut to the door, I shall be there directly. Take you care not to let any strange person into the house.

STAPH. What if any person asks for fire?

EUC. I wish it to be put out, that there may be no cause for any one asking it of you. But if the fire shall be kept in, you yourself shall be forthwith extinguished. Then do you say that the water has run out, if any one asks for it.

STAPH. The knife, the hatchet, the pestle and mortar, utensils that neighbours are always asking the loan of

EUC. Say that thieves have come and carried them off. In fact, in my absence, I wish no one to be admitted into my house; and this, too, do I tell you beforehand, if Good Luck should come, don't you admit her.

STAPH. I' faith, she takes good care, I think, not to be admitted; for though close at hand, she has never come to our house.

EUC. Hold your tongue, and go in-doors.

STAPH. I'll hold my tongue, and be off.

EUC. Shut the door, please, with both bolts. I shall be there directly. (Staphyla goes into the house.) I'm tormented in my mind, because I must go away from my house! I' faith, I go but very unwillingly; but I know full well what I'm about; for the person that is our master of our ward has given notice that he will distribute a didrachm of silver to each man; if I relinquish that, and don't ask for it, at once I fancy that all will be suspecting that I've got gold at home; for it isn't very likely that a poor man would despise ever such a trifle, so as not to ask for his piece of money. For as it is, while I am carefully concealing it from all, lest they should know, all seem to know it, and all salute me more civilly than they formerly used to salute me; they come up to me, they stop, they shake hands; they ask me how I am, what I'm doing, what business I'm about. Now I'll go there whither I had set out; afterwards, I'll betake myself back again home as fast as ever I can.