He’s been the ruin of me, this Aristophontes that just went inside: he knows me: he’s a particular friend of Philocrates, related to him, too. Salvation herself can’t save me now, if she so desires: there’s no chance unless I can invent some clever scheme. But what, curse it? What can I invent? What can I devise? (_reflecting, then doubtfully_) Oh, this is awful nonsense I’m at, poor simpleton! (_disgustedly_) Stuck! III. 4. Scene 4. ENTER _Hegio_, _Aristophontes_, AND _Slaves_. _Hegio_ Quo illum nunc hominem proripuisse foras se dicam ex aedibus? Where did that fellow bolt for out of the house just now, I wonder? _Tynd._ Nunc enim vero ego occidi: eunt ad te hostes, Tyndare. quid loquar? quid fabulabor? quid negabo aut quid fatebor? mihi res omnis in incerto sita est. quid rebus confidam meis? utinam te di prius perderent, quam periisti e patria tua, Aristophontes, qui ex parata re imparatam omnem facis. occisa est haec res, nisi reperio atrocem mi aliquam astutiam. (_aside_) It’s all over with me, all over with me now: the enemy are upon you, Tyndarus! What shall I say? What story shall I tell? What shall I deny--or what admit? It’s a shaky business for me on every side! What faith can I put in my luck? Oh, I wish the gods had made away with you before you made away from home, Aristophontes,--upsetting my settled plan completely! The game is up, unless I hit upon some awfully clever scheme. _Hegio_ Sequere. em tibi hominem. adi, atque adloquere. (_to Aristophontes, on seeing Tyndarus_) Come along! There’s your man! Go up and speak to him! _Tynd._ Quis homo est me hominum miserior? 540 (_aside, as Aristophontes approaches_) What mortal man is in a more confounded hole than this? (_pretends not to recognize him_) _Arist._ Quid istuc est quod meos te dicam fugitare oculos, Tyndare, proque ignoto me aspernari, quasi me numquam noveris? equidem tam sum servos quam tu, etsi ego domi liber fui, tu usque a puero servitutem servivisti in Alide. I wonder what you mean by this, Tyndarus,--avoiding my eye and snubbing me as a stranger, quite as if you never knew me? I’m just as much of a slave as you are, to be sure, but at home I was free: as for you, you’ve been slaving it in Elis from your boyhood up. _Hegio_ Edepol minime miror, si te fugitat aut oculos tuos, aut si te odit, qui istum appelles Tyndarum pro Philocrate. Bless my soul! I’m not a bit surprised if he avoids you, or your eye, no, nor if he detests you, when you call him Tyndarus instead of Philocrates. _Tynd._