PAMPHILUS, as he is coming out._) Forbear entreating. Of
these, any one reason prompts me to do it, either your own sake, or
the fact that it is the truth, or that I wish well for Glycerium
herself.

CHREM. (_starting._) Do I see Crito of Andros? Surely it is he.

CRI. Greetings to you, Chremes.

CHREM. How is it that, so contrary to your usage, you are at Athens?

CRI. {So} it has happened. But is this Simo?

CHREM. {It is} he.

CRI. Simo, were you asking for me?

SIM. How now, do you say that Glycerium is a citizen of this place?

CRI. Do you deny it?

SIM. (_ironically._) Have you come here so well prepared?

CRI. For what purpose?

SIM. Do you ask? Are you to be acting this way with impunity? Are you
to be luring young men into snares here, inexperienced in affairs, and
liberally brought up, by tempting them, and to be playing upon their
fancies by making promises?

CRI. Are you in your senses?

SIM. And are you to be patching up amours with Courtesans by marriage?

PAM. (_aside._) I'm undone! I fear that the stranger will not put up
with this.

CHREM. If, Simo, you knew this person well, you would not think thus;
he is a worthy man.

SIM. He, a worthy man! To come so opportunely to-day {just} at the
very nuptials, {and yet} never to have come before? (_Ironically._) Of
course, we must believe him, Chremes.

PAM. (_aside._) If I didn't dread my father, I have something, which,
in this conjuncture, I could opportunely suggest to him.[92]

SIM. (_sneeringly, to CHREMES._) A sharper![93]

CRI. (_starting._) Hah!

CHREM. It is his way, Crito; do excuse it.

CRI. Let him take heed how he behaves. If he persists in saying to me
what he likes, he'll be hearing things that he don't like. Am I
meddling with these matters or interesting myself? Can you not endure
your troubles with a patient mind? For as to what I say, whether it is
true or false what I have heard, can soon be known. A certain man of
Attica, a long time ago,[94] his ship being wrecked, was cast ashore
at Andros, and this woman together with him, who was {then} a little
girl; he, in his destitution, by chance first made application to the
father of Chrysis--

SIM. (_ironically._) He's beginning his tale.

CHREM. Let him alone.

CRI. Really, is he to be interrupting me in this way?

CHREM. Do you proceed.

CRI. He who received him was a relation of mine. There I heard from
him that he was a native of Attica. He died there.