y, lest the old gentleman should now {come
to know} any thing about his mistress.

CLIN. O Jupiter!

SYR. Do be quiet.

CLIN. My Antiphila will be mine.

SYR. Do you {still} interrupt me thus?

CLIN. What can I do? My {dear} Syrus, I'm transported with joy! Do
bear with me.

SYR. I' faith, I really do bear with you.

CLIN. We are blest with the life of the Gods.

SYR. I'm taking pains to no purpose, I doubt.

CLIN. Speak; I hear you.

SYR. But still you'll not mind it.

CLIN. I will.

SYR. This must be seen to, I say, that your friend's business as well
is placed in a state of security. For if you now go away from us, and
leave Bacchis here, our {old man} will immediately come to know that
she is Clitipho's mistress; if you take her away {with you}, it will
be concealed just as much as it has been hitherto concealed.

CLIN. But still, Syrus, nothing can make more against my marriage than
this; for with what face am I to address my father {about it}? You
understand what I mean?

SYR. Why not?

CLIN. What can I say? What excuse can I make?

SYR. Nay, I don't want you to dissemble; tell him the whole case just
as it really is.

CLIN. What is it you say?

SYR. I bid you {do this; tell him} that you are in love with her, and
want her for a wife: that this {Bacchis} is Clitipho's {mistress}.

CLIN. You require a thing that is fair and reasonable, and easy to be
done. And I suppose, then, you would have me request my father to keep
it a secret from your old man.

SYR. On the contrary; to tell him directly the matter just as it is.

CLIN. What? Are you quite in your senses or sober? Why, you were for
ruining him outright. For how could he be in a state of security? Tell
me {that}.

SYR. For my part, I yield the palm to this device. Here I do pride
myself exultingly, in having in myself such exquisite resources, and
power of address so great, as to deceive them both by telling the
truth: so that when your old man tells ours that she is his son's
mistress, he'll still not believe him.

CLIN. But yet, by these means you again cut off all hopes of my
marriage; for as long as {Chremes} believes that she is my mistress,
he'll not give me his daughter. Perhaps you care little what becomes
of me, so long as you provide for him.

SYR. What the plague, do you suppose I want this pretense to be kept
up for an age? 'Tis but for a single day, {only} till I have secured
the money: you be quiet; {I ask} no mo