Act V, Scene I

Enter THAIS from her house, followed by PYTHIAS.

THAIS. What! do you persist, hussy, in talking ambiguously to me? “I do know;” “I don’t know;” “he has gone off;” “I have heard;” “I wasn’t there.” Don’t you mean to tell me plainly, whatever it is? The girl in tears, with her garments torn, is mute; the Eunuch is off: for what reason? What has happened? Won’t you speak?

PYTH. Wretch that I am, what am I to say to you? They declare that he was not a Eunuch.

THAIS. What was he then?

PYTH. That Chærea.

THAIS. What Chærea?

PYTH. That stripling, the brother of Phædria.

THAIS. What’s that you say, you hag?

PYTH. And I am satisfied of it.

THAIS. Pray, what business had he at my house? What brought him there?

PYTH. I don’t know; unless, as I suppose, he was in love with Pamphila.

THAIS. Alas! to my confusion, unhappy woman that I am, I’m undone, if what you tell me is true. Is it about this that the girl is crying?

PYTH. I believe so.

THAIS. How say you, you arch-jade? Did I not warn you about this very thing, when I was going away from here?

PYTH. What could I do? Just as you ordered, she was intrusted to his care only.

THAIS. Hussy, I’ve been intrusting the sheep to the wolf. I’m quite ashamed to have been imposed upon in this way. What sort of man was he?

PYTH. Hush! hush! mistress, pray; we are all right. Here we have the very man.

THAIS. Where is he?

PYTH. Why there, to the left. Don’t you see?

THAIS. I see.

PYTH. Order him to be seized as quickly as possible.

THAIS. What can we do to him, simpleton?

PYTH. What do to him, do you ask? Pray, do look at him; if his face doesn’t seem an impudent one.

THAIS. Not at all.

PYTH. Besides, what effrontery he has.