And seeing he has regarded me as worthy of his confidence, I have special reason to respect his inclinations. Now that he has applied to me, as a respectful son should to his father, I am desirous that he should have some money for his mistress. _Lib._ Cupis id quod cupere te nequiquam intellego. dotalem servom Sauream uxor tua adduxit, cui plus in manu sit quam tibi. You’re desirous of something you’ll desire in vain, sir, I reckon. Your wife’s brought along Saurea, that dower slave of hers, to have more power than you. _Dem._ Argentum accepi, dote imperium vendidi. nunc verba in pauca conferam quid te velim. viginti iam usust filio argenti minis: face id ut paratum iam sit. (_bitterly_) Sold myself! Gave up my authority for a dowry! (_pause_) Now, in a word, here is what I want of you. My son needs eighty pounds[B] at once: will you see it is procured at once. [Footnote B: It has seemed advisable to use the terms of the English coinage system throughout this version; the value of the money metals, however, has shrunk very considerably since Plautus’s day.] _Lib._ Unde gentium? 90 Where in the world from? _Dem._ Me defraudato. Cheat me out of it. _Lib._ Maxumas nugas agis: nudo detrahere vestimenta me iubes. defraudem te ego? age sis, tu sine pennis vola. tene ego defraudem, cui ipsi nihil est in manu, nisi quid tu porro uxorem defraudaveris? What awful nonsense you do talk! You’re telling me to strip the clothes off a naked man. I cheat you out of it? Come, sir, will you kindly fly without wings! I cheat you out of it, when you don’t own a thing, unless you’ve played the same game and cheated your wife out of something? _Dem._ Qua me, qua uxorem, qua tu servom Sauream potes, circumduce, aufer; promitto tibi non offuturum, si id hodie effeceris. Well, me, or my wife, or servant Saurea--do your best, swindle us, rook us, I promise you your interests won’t suffer, if you accomplish this to-day. _Lib._ Iubeas una opera me piscari in aere, venari autem rete iaculo in medio mari.[5] 100 You might as well order me to go a-fishing in the air, yes, and to take my casting net and do some deep sea--hunting. _Dem._ Tibi optionem sumito Leonidam, fabricare quidvis, quidvis comminiscere: perficito, argentum hodie ut habeat filius, amicae quod det. Have Leonida for your adjutant: manufacture something, devise something--anything: see you get the money to-day for my son to give his girl. _Lib._ Quid ais tu, Demaenete? Look here. _Dem._ Quid vis? Well? _Lib._ Si forte in insidias devenero, tun redimes me, si me hostes interceperint?