Do you wish me to tell you whose she is? She, she— (Aside.) Ah me! upon my faith, I don’t know what to say.DORIPPADo you hesitate?LYSIMACHUS(aside.)I never saw one who did it more.DORIPPABut why don’t you tell me?LYSIMACHUSNay, but if I may— DORIPPAYou ought to tell me.LYSIMACHUSI cannot, you hurry me so; you press me as though were guilty.DORIPPA(ironically.)I know you are free from all guilt.LYSIMACHUSSpeak out as boldly as you please.DORIPPATell me, then. LYSIMACHUSI, tell you?DORIPPAWhy, it must be told, in spite of everything.LYSIMACHUSShe is— Do you wish me tell her name as well?DORIPPAYou are trifling. I’ve caught you in the fact; you are guilty.LYSIMACHUSGuilty of what?If now I had no occasion for silence, now I shouldn’t tell youI shouldn’t tell you: This he says, in his confusion, by mistake for I should tell you..Why, this same woman is —DORIPPAWho is she? LYSIMACHUSShe—DORIPPAMarry, come up! don’t you know who she is?LYSIMACHUSWhy, yes, I do know. I’ve been chosen as an arbitrator with respect to her. DORIPPAAn arbitrator? Now I know; you have invited her here to consult with you.LYSIMACHUSWhy no; she has been given me as a deposit.DORIPPA(ironically.)I understand.LYSIMACHUSBy my troth, it’s not anything of that sort.DORIPPAYou are clearing yourself too soonClearing yourself too soon: Numero. Rost thinks that this means you have quite, or satisfactorily cleared yourself; Dorippa, of course, saying so in an ironical manner. She seems, however, rather to allude to his defending himself before he is accused. Lysimachus pretends that some persons have disputed the possession of Pasicompsa, and that she has been left in his hands by mutual consent, till he has given his decision..LYSIMACHUS(aside.)Too much of a business have I met with; really I’m stuck fast.

(Enter a COOK, at a distance, with SCULLIONS and provisions.)A COOK.Make haste, get quickly on, for I’ve got to cook a dinner for an old gentleman in love. And, in fact, when I think of it again, it’s to be cooked for ourselves, not him for whom we’ve been hired: for a person that’s in love, if he has that with which he is in love, he esteems that as food,to see her, embrace her, kiss her, chat with her; but we, I trust, shall return well laden home. Step this way. But see, here’s the old gentleman that hired us.LYSIMACHUS(aside.)Why, look! I’m undone! here’s the Cook.