ve me my wife. For I postponed all my
{other} business, as was fit I should, when I understood that you were
so very desirous to have it so.

DEM. (_pointing to CHREMES._) But he has dissuaded me from giving her
to you. "For what," says he, "will be the talk among people if you do
this? Formerly, when she might have been handsomely {disposed of},
then she wasn't given; now it's a disgrace for her to be turned out of
doors, a repudiated woman;" pretty nearly, {in fact}, all the reasons
which you yourself, some little time since, were urging to me.

PHOR. Upon my faith, you are treating me in a very insulting manner.

DEM. How so?

PHOR. Do you ask me? Because I shall not be able to marry the other
person {I mentioned}; for with what face shall I return to her whom
I've slighted?

CHREM. Then besides, I see that Antipho is unwilling to part with her.
(_Aside, prompting DEMIPHO._) Say so.

DEM. Then besides, I see that my son is very unwilling to part with
the damsel. But have the goodness to step over to the Forum, and order
this money to be transferred to my account,[85] Phormio.

PHOR. What, when I've paid it over to the persons to whom I was
indebted?

DEM. What's to be done, then?

PHOR. If you will let me have her for a wife, as you promised, I'll
take her; but if you prefer that she should stay with you, the portion
must stay with me, Demipho. For it isn't fair that I should be misled
for you, as it was for your own sakes that I broke off with the other
woman, who was to have brought me a portion just as large.

DEM. Away with you to utter perdition, with this swaggering, you
vagabond. What, then, do you fancy we don't know you, or your doings?

PHOR. You are provoking me.

DEM. Would you have married her, if she had been given to you?

PHOR. Try the experiment.

DEM. That my son might cohabit with her at your house, that was your
design.

PHOR. Pray, what is that you say?

DEM. Then do you give me my money?

PHOR. Nay, but do you give me my wife?

DEM. Come before a magistrate. (_Going to seize hold of him._)

PHOR. Why, really, if you persist in being troublesome----

DEM. What will you do?

PHOR. What, I? You fancy, perhaps, just now, that I am the protector
of the portionless; for the well portioned,[86] I'm in the habit {of
being so} as well.

CHREM. What's that to us?

PHOR. (_with a careless air._) Nothing at all. I know a certain lady
here (_pointing at CHREMES'S house_) whose