very far from mistaken in
making a guess what it is he wants me for.

LACH. (_to himself._) I must take care that I don't, through anger,
miss gaining in this quarter what I {otherwise} might, and that I
don't do any thing which hereafter it would have been better I had not
done. I'll accost her. (_Accosts her._) Bacchis, good-morrow to you!

BACCH. Good-morrow to you, Laches!

LACH. Troth, now, Bacchis, I suppose you somewhat wonder what can be
my reason for sending the lad to fetch you out of doors.

BACCH. Upon my faith, I am even in some anxiety as well, when I
reflect what I am, lest the name of my calling should be to my
prejudice; for my behavior I can easily defend.

LACH. If you speak the truth, you will be in no danger, woman, from
me, for I am now of that age that it is not meet for me to receive
forgiveness for a fault; for that reason do I the more carefully
attend to every particular, that I may not act with rashness; for if
you now do, or intend to do, that which is proper for deserving
{women} to do, it would be unjust for me, in my ignorance, to offer an
injury to you, when undeserving of it.

BACCH. On my word, great is the gratitude that I ought to feel toward
you for such conduct; for he who, after committing an injury, would
excuse himself, would profit me but little. But what is the matter?

LACH. You admit my son, Pamphilus, to your house.

BACCH. Ah!

LACH. Just let me {speak}: before he was married to this woman,
I tolerated your amour. Stay! I have not yet said to you what I
intended. He has now got a wife: look out for another person more to
be depended on, while you have time to deliberate; for neither will he
be of this mind all his life, nor, i' faith, will you be {always} of
your present age.

BACCH. Who is it says this?

LACH. His mother-in-law.

BACCH. What! that I--

LACH. That you {do}: and she has taken away her daughter; and for that
reason, has wished secretly to destroy the child that has been born.

BACCH. Did I know any other means whereby I might be enabled to
establish my credit with you, more solemn than an oath, I would,
Laches, assure you of this, that I have kept Pamphilus at a
distance[57] from me ever since he took a wife.

LACH. You are very good. But, pray, do you know what I would prefer
that you should do?

BACCH. What? Tell me.

LACH. Go in-doors there (_pointing to the house of PHIDIPPUS_) to the
women, and make the same promise, on oath, to t