University of Virginia Library

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

Enter LAMPADISCUS.
LAMPADISCUS.
I never knew one worthier of the torture
Than this old jade!—What!—To deny pointblank
All she'd confess'd!—But see, my mistress comes!
What's here?—A casket!—trinkets!—What means this?—
[seeing the casket which Halisca had dropt.
Nobody's near—I'll play a childish trick
And stoop to it—

[taking up the casket.
Enter PHANOSTRATA.
Pha.
What art about, Lampadio?

Lam.
This casket, mistress—Was it from our house?—
For here I took it up, just at the door—

Pha.
What news from the old woman?

Lam.
News! There's not
On earth so vile a jade—Why, she denies
Each circumstance that she confess'd but now—
And shall I let the jade delude me thus?
No—I'll die any death rather than bear it.

Pha.
Gods! I adjure you!

[looking in the casket.]
Lam.
Why call on the gods?

Pha.
Save us!

Lam.
What is't?—

Pha.
These are the very trinkets
Along with which you expos'd my girl to die.

Lam.
Art in thy senses?

Pha.
[still looking at them.]
They're the very same.

Lam.
Persist you?—

Pha.
Yes, the same—

[still looking at them.
Lam.
If any woman
But you had said it, I had thought her drunk.

Pha.
I speak not idly. No, by Castor's temple—
Say, whence should these things be—This casket, say,
What god could lay it 'fore our very door?
Sure, sacred hope, on purpose at the instant,
Comes to my help in person—

[They stand apart.]

SCENE II.

Enter HALISCA.
Hal.
If the gods
Lend me not help, I am undone—Nor know I
Where to apply, so vex'd am I in mind.
I dread my back, should but my mistress know
How careless I have been—Did I not here,
Before these doors receive, and in my hands
Hold fast the casket?—Where it is, I know not;
Unless, as I imagine was the case, I dropt it
Just hereabout—Good folk, spectators, say,
Has any body found it? Ta'en it away?
Or who?—I pray you, this or that way, went he!—
But I am ne'er the wiser to ask these,
And vex myself—They're sure to take a pleasure
In the misfortunes of our sex—I'll mark
If there are any footsteps; for the casket,
If no one has been here since I went in,
Must have laid here—And what's this here!—'Tis gone—
'Tis lost I fear—Unhappy, careless wretch!
'Tis gone—And, by the loss, I'm lost myself.
But I'll go on as I begun, and search.
Within, I fear—Without, I dread—On all sides
I am unhappy—Lot of human kind!—
Now is the man rejoicing who has got it,
Tho' of no use to him, it may to me—
But I lose time, while I neglect to look—
Halisca, mind, look at the earth—Look down,
And, tracing with your eyes, conjecture shrewdly.

Lam.
Here! mistress!—

Pha.
What?

Lam.
This is the very person—

Pha.
What person?

Lam.
She that dropt the casket.—See,
She's seeking, in the very place it fell.

Pha.
'Tis plain—

Hal.
Here, here he went—I see the mark
On this side, of a slipper in the dust—
I'll trace it this way—Here he stood and talk'd
With some one else—Here, in this very place
The bustle rose—He did not enter here—
But here—he stop'd: and at this place went out—
Here was a conference—The marks shew too—
What!—what are these?—But here's a single footstep—
He goes out there—Let me consider it—
Hither he went from thence—He pass'd no farther.
'Tis all in vain—What's lost, is lost—My skin
Lost with the casket—I'll go in again—

[going.
Pha.
Stay, woman.—Here are they would speak with you.

Hal.
Who calls me back?

Lam.
Who calls you?—A good woman,
And a bad man—

Hal.
Away with all that's bad:
I want the good— [going.]
Yet, whoe'er calls me back,
Knows better what he'd have, than I who'm call'd—
I will return— [to Lam.]
Have you seen any one
Pick up a casket hereabout of trinkets,
That I, unlucky, lost?—For in my fright,
While we all ran to stop Alcesimarchus
From an attempt upon his life, I think,
I drop'd the casket here—

Lam.
This is our woman.
Mistress, let us attend—

Hal.
I'm quite undone!
What answer to my mistress, who with care
Gave it in charge, as the best means by which
Silenium might her parents know again;
The girl my mistress brought up from a child,
Whom from the courtezan she had—

Lam.
She tells
Our very tale—And, giving us these marks,
Knows where your daughter is—

Hal.
She does—And now
Most willingly would give her to her parents—
You're absent, friend, [to Lam.]
and minding other matters—
I commend mine to you—

Lam.
They're yours I'm minding.
And all you say, I swallow like my food—
I only answer'd by the bye, to a question
My mistress ask'd—Now I return to you—
If you have need, say; and command my service.
What was you seeking?—

Hal.
Friend!—Good lady too!
I greet you—

Pha.
And we you—What are you seeking?

Hal.
Why, I was tracing out the marks of somewhat.
I've some how lost—

Pha.
What is it?—speak—What is it?

Hal.
Something—A loss to some—But to our family
A great concern—

Lam.
A slippery chap, I doubt—
And sly—Ha!—Mistress!—

Pha.
So she seems, by Castor!

Lam.
She's like a vile and cursed animal—

Pha.
What animal?

Lam.
A caterpillar she,
That in a vine leaf winds itself about;
So winds she in her story—Say, what seek you?

Hal.
A casket, youth, just now escap'd from me.

Lam.
Escap'd!—You should have got a larger cage.

Hal.
The prey was not so great—

Lam.
A wonder that!
A little casket holds much money's-worth.

Pha.
Let her go on—

Lam.
She has my free leave to do so.

Pha.
Say then, what was within?

Hal.
Some childrens toys.

Lam.
Here is a certain man knows where it is—

Hal.
And here's a certain woman, would be thankful,
Would he produce it—

Lam.
But this certain man
Expects to be rewarded for his pains.

Hal.
Ay, but the woman has not wherewithal,
Who has lost the casket—

Lam.
He demands some money.

Hal.
He may demand it, but to little purpose.

Lam.
He will not, woman, give his pains for nothing.

Pha.
Have done your prate—'Twill be to your advantage.
I do confess, I have myself your casket.

Hal.
Salvation's self be with you! But where is it?

Pha.
'Tis here, and safe—But I would talk with you
Of this my great concern—And here I make you
Partaker of my happiness—

Hal.
What mean you?—
Who are you?—

Pha.
I'm the mother of that girl,
Who had these toys about her when expos'd.

Hal.
And do you then live here?

Pha.
Your guess is right.
But I beseech you, woman, to the point,
And lay aside all circumstance—Speak out—
How did these toys come first into your hands?

Hal.
They were my mistress' daughter's.

Lam.
That's a lie—
They were my mistress' property, not yours.

Pha.
Don't interrupt her—

Lam.
I am dumb—

Pha.
Go on,
Woman; and tell me where the owner is—

Hal.
Here in the neighbourhood—

Pha.
By Pollux' temple!
My husband's son-in-law lives there—

Lam.
Most true—

Pha.
Still are you interrupting me?—Go on—
What do they call her age?

Hal.
Just seventeen.

Pha.
She is my daughter then—

Lam.
Her age confirms it.

Hal.
All that you sought, you've found—I'll seek my mistress—

Lam.
They've all they want—I'll seek a mistress too—

Pha.
I've found my daughter, whom with care I sought for.

Hal.
Safe to return, what once is given in trust,
Is just and right; else, the benevolent
Suffers, who did the kindness.—This our foundling,
Doubtless, turns out your daughter—And my mistress
Will sure return your own—With that intent
She left her house—Best learn the whole from her;
I'm but a servant—

Pha.
All you ask is right—

Hal.
I choose you owe to her the obligation—
But I beseech you, give me up the casket—

Pha.
What say you, Lampadiscus?

Lam.
'Tis your own;
And you should keep your own—

Pha.
And yet, I pity her.

Lam.
In my opinion, this you ought to do—
Give her the casket, and go in with her—

Pha.
I'll follow your advice—Here, take the casket—
[giving it.
And let's go in—But, what's your mistress' name?

Hal.
Melænis—

Pha.
Lead the way—I'll follow you.

[Exeunt.