_Philocr._ Edepol tibi ne in quaestione essemus cautum intellego, ita vinclis custodiisque circum moeniti sumus. (_advancing, pertly_) Gad! You guarded against having to look for us far, I perceive,--see how we’re barricaded with chains and watchmen. _Hegio_ Qui cavet ne decipiatur, vix cavet, cum etiam cavet; etiam cum cavisse ratus est, saepe is cautor captus est. an vero non iusta causa est, ut vos servem sedulo, quos tam grandi sim mercatus praesenti pecunia? The man on his guard against being deceived is hardly on his guard even when he is on his guard, even when he supposed he was on his guard, your guarder has often enough been gulled. Really though, haven’t I good reason to take pains to keep you, when I paid so high for you, cash down? _Philocr._ Neque pol tibi nos, quia nos servas, aequomst vitio vortere, neque te nobis, si abeamus hinc, si fuat occasio. 260 Bless your heart, sir, we haven’t any right to find fault with you for trying to keep us, or you with us, if we clear out--if we get a chance. _Hegio_ Ut vos hic, itidem illic apud vos meus servatur filius. My son is kept prisoner there in your country just as you are here. _Philocr._ Captus est? Captured? _Hegio_ Ita. Yes. _Philocr._ Non igitur nos soli ignavi fuimus. Then other folks besides us have been cowards. _Hegio_ Secede huc. nam sunt quae ex te solo scitari volo. quarum rerum te falsilocum mi esse nolo. (_leading him farther from Tyndarus_) Step over here. There are some matters I wish to ask you about in private. No lying about them, mind. _Philocr._ Non ero quod sciam. si quid nescibo, id nescium tradam tibi. Not I, sir, not if I know. If I don’t know about a thing, I’ll (_innocently_) tell you what I don’t know. _Tynd._ Nunc senex est in tostrina, nunc iam cultros attinet. ne id quidem, involucrum inicere, voluit, vestem ut ne inquinet. sed utrum strictimne adtonsurum dicam esse an per pectinem, nescio; verum, si frugist, usque admutilabit probe. (_aside, cheerfully_) Now the old fellow is in the barber’s chair, yes, now we have the clippers on him. And master not even willing to throw a towel over him to keep his clothes clean! Is it going to be a close crop, I wonder, or just a trim?--that’s the question. If he knows his business, though, he’ll dock him handsomely. _Hegio_ Quid tu? servosne esse an liber mavelis, memora mihi. 270 See here, would you prefer to be a slave or a free man, tell me that? _Philocr._ Proxumum quod sit bono quodque a malo longissume, id volo; quamquam non multum fuit molesta servitus, nec mihi secus erat quam si essem familiaris filius.