Mercator, or The Merchant (195-235)

In vain have I escaped the sea with its dreadful tempests! Just now I really did suppose that I was both ashore and in a place of safety; but I see that by the raging waves I am being hurried towards the rocks. Say on; what took place?

After he espied the woman, he began to ask her to whom she belonged.

What did she answer?

That instant I ran up and interposed, saying that you had bought her as a maid-servant for your mother.

Did he seem to believe you in that?

Do you e’en ask me that? Why the rogue began to take liberties with her.

Prithee, what, with her?

’Twere a wonder if he had taken liberties with myself.

By heavens, my heart is saddened,

which, drop by drop is melting away, just as though you were to put salt in water. I’m undone.

Aye, aye, that one expression have you most truly uttered.

This is mere folly.

What shall I do? I do think my father won’t believe me if I say that I bought her for my mother; and then, besides, it seems to me a shame that I should tell a lie to my parent.

He’ll neither believe, nor indeed is it credible, that I bought this woman of surpassing beauty as a maid-servant for my mother.

Won’t you be quiet, you most silly man? Troth, he will believe it, for he just now believed me.

I’m dreadfully afraid that a suspicion will reach my father how the matter really stands. Prithee, answer me this that I ask you.

What do you ask?

Did he seem to suspect that she was my mistress?

He did not seem. On the contrary, in everything, just as I said it, he believed me.

As being true-as he seemed to yourself at least.

Not so; but he really did believe me.

Ah! wretched man that I am! I’m ruined! But why do I kill myself here with repining, and don’t be off to the ship? Follow me.

If you go that way, you’ll conveniently come slap upon your father.

As soon as he shall see you, dismayed and out of spirits, at once he’ll be stopping you, and enquiring where you bought her, and for how much you bought her; he’ll be trying you in your dismay.

I’ll go this way in preference. Do you think that by this my father has left the harbour?

Why, it was for that reason I ran before him hither, that he mightn’t come upon you unawares and fish it out of you.

Very properly done.

In wondrous ways[*] do the Gods make sport of men, and in wondrous fashions do they send dreams in sleep. As, for instance, I, this very last night that has passed, have sufficiently experienced in my sleep, and, mortal that I am, was much occupied therewith.

I seemed to have purchased for myself a beautiful she-goat. That she might not offend that other she-goat which I had at home before, and that they mightn’t disagree if they were both in the same spot, after that I had purchased her, I seemed to entrust her to the charge of an ape. This ape, not very long afterwards, came to me,

uttered imprecations against me, and assailed me with reproaches; he said that by her means and through the arrival of the she-goat he had suffered injury and loss in no slight degree; he said that the she-goat, which I had entrusted to him to keep, had gnawed away the marriage-portion of his wife.