I’ll let you know immediately.(Goes into the house of LACHES.)DORIAS Ruined outright! Prithee, my dear, I never did so much as hear of a deed so abominable!PYTHIAS Why, faith, I had heard that they were extremely fond of the women, but were incapable; unfortunately what has happened never came into my mind; otherwise I should have shut him up somewhere, and not have intrusted the girl to him.

(Enter PHAEDRIA from the house of LACHES, with DORUS in CHAEREA’s clothes.)PHAEDRIA(dragging him out.)Come out, you villain! What, do you lag behind, you runaway? Out with you, you sorry bargain!DORUS(crying out.)Mercy, I do entreat you!PHAEDRIA Oh, do look at that! How the villain distorts his face. What means your coming back hither? Why this change of dress? What have you to say? If I had delayed a moment, Pythias, I shouldn’t have found him at home: he had just prepared, in this fashion, for flight.(Pointing at his dress.)PYTHIAS Have you caught the fellow, pray?PHAEDRIA Caught him, why not?PYTHIAS O well done!DORIAS Upon my faith that really is capital!PYTHIAS Where is he?PHAEDRIA Do you ask the question? Don’t you see him?(Pointing to the EUNUCH.)PYTHIAS(staring about.)See whom, pray?PHAEDRIA This fellow, to be sure (pointing).PYTHIAS What person is this?PHAEDRIA The same that was brought to your house to-day.PYTHIAS Not one of our people has ever beheld this person with her eyes, Phaedria.PHAEDRIA Not beheld him?PYTHIAS Prithee, did you fancy that this was he who was brought to our house?PHAEDRIA Why, I had no other. PYTHIAS O dear!this one really isn’t to be compared with the other. He was of a handsome and genteel appearance.PHAEDRIA He seemed so, just then, because he was decked out in party-colored clothes:In party-colored clothes: It was the custom to dress Eunuchs in party-colored clothes of bright hue. Most probably it was from them that the motley descended to the fools and buffoons of the Middle Ages. now he appears ugly, for this reason—because he hasn’t got them on.PYTHIAS Prithee, do hold your tongue; as though indeed the difference was so trifling.A young man was brought to our house to-day, whom, really, Phaedria, you would have liked to look upon. This is a withered, antiquated, lethargic, old fellow, with a speckled complexion.With a speckled complexion: Colore stellionino; probably having spots or freckles on his face like a stellio or lizard. PHAEDRIA(starting.)Hah! What tale is this? You’ll so befool me that I sha’n’t know what I bought.(To DORUS.) How now, sirrah, did I not buy you?DORUS You did buy me.