a man of honor.

{_CHREMES and DEMIPHO apart._}

CHREM. Has not she, as I said, a liberal air?

DEM. She has.

PHOR. --And therefore I was coming, Demipho,
To let you know I'm ready to receive
My wife whene'er you please. For I postpon'd
All other business, as indeed I ought,
Soon as I found ye were so bent on this.

DEM. Aye, but my brother has dissuaded me
From going any further in this business.
"For how will people talk of it?" says he:
"At first you might have done it handsomely;
But then you'd not consent to it; and now,
After cohabitation with your son,
To think of a divorce is infamous."
--In short, he urg'd almost the very things
That you so lately charg'd me with yourself.

PHOR. You trifle with me, gentlemen.

DEM. How so?

PHOR. How so? Because I can not marry t'other,
With whom I told you I was first in treaty.
For with what face can I return to her
Whom I have held in such contempt?

CHREM. Tell him
Antipho does not care to part with her. (_Prompting DEMIPHO._)

DEM. And my son too don't care to part with her:
--Step to the Forum then, and give an order
For the repayment of our money, Phormio.

PHOR. What! when I've paid it to my creditors?

DEM. What's to be done then?

PHOR. Give me but the wife
To whom you have betroth'd me, and I'll wed her.
But if you'd rather she should stay with you,
The portion stays with me, good Demipho,
For 'tis not just I should be bubbled by you;
When, to retrieve your honor, I've refus'd
Another woman with an equal fortune.

DEM. A plague upon your idle vaporing,
You vagabond!--D'ye fancy we don't know you?
You, and your fine proceedings?

PHOR. You provoke me.

DEM. Why, would you marry her, if proffer'd?

PHOR. Try me.

DEM. What! that my son may keep her privately
At your house?--That was your intention.

PHOR. Ha!
What say you, Sir?

DEM. Give me my money, Sirrah!

PHOR. Give me my wife, I say.

DEM. To justice with him!

PHOR. To justice? Now, by Heaven, gentlemen,
If you continue to be troublesome----

DEM. What will you do?

PHOR. What will I do? Perhaps
You think that I can only patronize
Girls without portion; but be sure of this,
I've some with portions too.

CHREM. What's that to us?

PHOR. Nothing.--I know a lady here whose husband----

CHREM. Ha! (_Carelessly._)

DEM. What's the matter?

PHOR. --Had another wife
At Lemnos.

CHREM. (_aside_). I'm a dead man.

PHOR. --By which other
He had a daughter;