Act IV, Scene IV

Enter PHÆDRIA from the house of LACHES, with DORUS in CHÆREA’S clothes.

PHÆD. (dragging him out.) Come out, you villain! What, do you lag behind, you runaway? Out with you, you sorry bargain!

DORUS (crying out.) Mercy, I do entreat you!

PHÆD. Oh, do look at that! How the villain distorts his face. What means your coming back hither? Why this change of dress? What have you to say? If I had delayed a moment, Pythias, I shouldn’t have found him at home: he had just prepared, in this fashion, for flight. (Pointing at his dress.)

PYTH. Have you caught the fellow, pray?

PHÆD. Caught him, why not?

PYTH. O well done!

DORIAS. Upon my faith that really is capital!

PYTH. Where is he?

PHÆD. Do you ask the question? Don’t you see him? (Pointing to the EUNUCH.)

PYTH. (staring about.) See whom, pray?

PHÆD. This fellow, to be sure (pointing).

PYTH. What person is this?

PHÆD. The same that was brought to your house to-day.

PYTH. Not one of our people has ever beheld this person with her eyes, Phædria.

PHÆD. Not beheld him?

PYTH. Prithee, did you fancy that this was he who was brought to our house?

PHÆD. Why, I had no other.

PYTH. O dear! this one really isn’t to be compared with the other. He was of a handsome and genteel appearance.

PHÆD. He seemed so, just then, because he was decked out in party-colored clothes: now he appears ugly, for this reason-- because he hasn’t got them on.

PYTH. Prithee, do hold your tongue; as though indeed the difference was so trifling. A young man was brought to our house to-day, whom, really, Phædria, you would have liked to look upon. This is a withered, antiquated, lethargic, old fellow, with a speckled complexion.

PHÆD. (starting.) Hah! What tale is this? You’ll so be-fool me that I sha’n’t know what I bought. (To DORUS.) How now, sirrah, did I not buy you?

DORUS. You did buy me.

PYTH. Bid him answer me in my turn.

PHÆD. Question him.

PYTH. (to DORUS.) Did you come here to-day to our house? (DORUS shakes his head.) He says, no. But it was the other one that came, about sixteen years of age; whom Parmeno brought with him.

PHÆD. (to DORUS.) Well now, in the first place tell me this, where did you get that dress that you have on? What, are you silent? Monster of a fellow, are you not going to speak (Shakes him.)

DORUS. Chærea came.

PHÆD. What, my brother?

DORUS. Yes.

PHÆD. When?

DORUS. To-day.

PHÆD. How long since?

DORUS. Just now.

PHÆD. With whom?

DORUS. With Parmeno.

PHÆD. Did you know him before?

DORUS. No.

PHÆD. How did you know he was my brother?

DORUS. Parmeno said he was. He gave me these clothes.

PHÆD. I’m undone!

DORUS. He himself put on mine; afterward, they both went out together.

PYTH. Now are you quite satisfied that I am sober, and that we have told you no falsehood? Is it now sufficiently evident that the girl has been ravished?

PHÆD. Avaunt, you beast, do you believe what he says?

PYTH. What is there to believe? The thing speaks for itself.

PHÆD. (apart to DORUS.) Step aside a little this way. Do you hear? (DORUS steps aside.) A little further still. That will do. Now tell me this once more; did Chærea take your clothes off you?

DORUS. He did.

PHÆD. And did he put them on?

DORUS. He did.

PHÆD. And was he brought here instead of you?

DORUS. Yes.

PHÆD. Great Jupiter! O wicked and audacious fellow!

PYTH. Woe unto me! Now at last will you believe that we have been insulted in a disgraceful manner?

PHÆD. It is no wonder that you believe what the fellow says. (Aside.) What I’m to do I know not. (Aside to DORUS.) Hark you, deny it all again. (Aloud.) Can I not this day extract the truth from you? Did you really see my brother Chærea?

DORUS. No.

PHÆD. He can’t be brought to confess without being punished, I see: follow me this way. At one moment he affirms, at another denies. (Aside.) Ask pardon of me.

DORUS. Indeed, I do entreat you, Phædria.

PHÆD. (kicking him.) Be off in-doors.

DORUS. Oh! oh!

PHÆD. (aside.) How in any other fashion to get decently out of this I don’t know; for really it’s all up with me. (Aloud, with pretended indignation.) Will you be trifling with me even here, you knave? (Follows DORUS into the house.)