was sick. My {mistress} immediately went to see her; no one
admitted her. On the old man coming to know of this, he yesterday came
up from the country on purpose, {and} waited immediately upon the
father of Philumena. What passed between them, I do not know as yet;
but really I do feel some anxiety in what way this is to end. You
{now} have the whole matter; {and} I shall proceed whither I was on my
way.

PHIL. And I too, for I made an appointment with a certain stranger[30]
to meet him.

PAR. May the Gods prosper what you undertake!

PHIL. Farewell!

PAR. And a kind farewell to you, my dear Philotis. (_Exeunt
severally._

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.[31]

_Enter LACHES and SOSTRATA, from the house of the former._

LACH. O faith of Gods and men! what a race is this! what a conspiracy
this! that all women should desire and reject every individual thing
alike! And not a single one can you find to swerve in any respect from
the disposition of the rest. For instance, quite as though with one
accord, do all mothers-in-law hate their daughters-in-law. Just in the
same way is it their system to oppose their husbands; their obstinacy
{here} is the same. In the very same school they all seem to me to
have been trained up to perverseness. Of that school, if there is any
mistress, I am very sure that she (_pointing at SOSTRATA_) it is.

SOS. Wretched me! when now I don't so much as know why I am accused!

LACH. Eh! you don't know?

SOS. So may the Gods kindly prosper me, Laches, and so may it be
allowed us to pass our lives together in unity!

LACH. (_aside._) May the Gods avert {such} a misfortune!

SOS. I'm sure that before long you will be sensible that I have been
accused by you undeservedly.

LACH. You, undeservedly? Can any thing possibly be said that you
deserve in return for this conduct of yours? You, who are disgracing
both me and yourself and the family, {and} are laying up sorrow for
your son. Then besides, you are making our connections become, from
friends, enemies to us, who have thought him deserving for them to
intrust their children[32] to him. You alone have put yourself
forward, by your folly, to be causing this disturbance.

SOS. What, I?

LACH. You, woman, I say, who take me to be a stone, not a man. Do you
think because it's my habit to be so much in the country, that I don't
know in what way each person is passing his life here? I know much
better what is going on here than the