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Enter DIABOLUS and the PARASITE.1
DIABOLUS
Follow this way. Am I to put up with this, or shall I hold my tongue? I would rather die than not discover this to his wife. And say you so, old man? With a mistress would you be acting the part of a youngster? Would you be excusing yourself to your wife, and calling yourself an aged man? Would you be taking the mistress from her lover? And would you be presenting the money to the procuress, and be secretly pilfering it from your wife at home? You should hang me, rather than you should carry off these matters undiscovered. On my honor, I'll really go this instant hence to her whom I'm sure that you'll very soon be destroying, in order that you may be able to supply your extravagance, unless, indeed, she shall first prevent you. A PARASITE
I'm of opinion that thus you must act. 'Tis more becoming that I should disclose this matter, rather than yourself, lest she may think that you, excited by reason of love, rather than for her own sake, have acted thus. DIABOLUS
Why, faith, you say what's right. Do you then contrive to raise a storm and strife against him, that he, together with his own son, is carousing with one mistress the livelong day, and that he's secretly pilfering from her. A PARASITE
Don't suggest to me. I'll take care of that. DIABOLUS
But I'll wait for you at home. Exit DIABOLUS; the PARASITE goes into the house of DEMÆNETUS.
1 One scene, at least, is clearly lost here, as we are not informed how Diabolus has become acquainted with the manœuvres to obtain the money, and the disgraceful compact made by Demænetus; although, not improbably, he has caught sight of him in the house of the procuress.
The Comedies of Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley. London. G. Bell and Sons. 1912.
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