and he has no idea what he’s giving, what it costs him. This is his only thought: he wants to please, please his girl, please me, please the waiting-woman, please the men servants, please the maid servants, too: yes, the new lover makes up to my little dog, even, so that he may be glad to see him. This is the plain truth: every one ought to keep a sharp eye for the main chance. _Argyr._ Perdidici istaec esse vera damno cum magno meo. I have thoroughly learned the truth of that, and a pretty penny it’s cost me. _Cle._ Si ecastor nunc habeas quod des, alia verba praehibeas; nunc quia nihil habes, maledictis te eam ductare postulas. Tut, tut! If you had anything left to give us, your language would be different; now that you have nothing, you expect to get her by abuse. _Argyr._ Non meum est. That’s not my way. _Cle._ Nec meum quidem edepol, ad te ut mittam gratiis. 190 verum aetatis atque honoris gratia hoc fiet tui, quia nobis lucro fuisti potius quam decori tibi: si mihi dantur duo talenta argenti numerata in manum, hanc tibi noctem honoris causa gratiis dono dabo. Nor mine, sir, to let you have her gratis--mercy, no! But, considering your youth and our high regard for you, this shall be done, seeing you have been more of an income to us than a credit to yourself: just hand me over (_casually_) four hundred pounds in cash and you shall have this evening with her, in token of said high regard, as a free gift from me. _Argyr._ Quid si non est? What if I haven’t it? _Cle._ Tibi non esse credam, illa alio ibit tamen. (_smiling, but firm_) I’ll give you credit--that you haven’t it: the girl shall go to some one else, however. _Argyr._ Ubi illaec quae dedi ante? Where is what I gave you before? _Cle._ Abusa. nam si ea durarent mihi, mulier mitteretur ad te, numquam quicquam poscerem. diem aquam solem lunam noctem, haec argento non emo: ceterum quae volumus uti Graeca mercamur fide. Spent. Why, if it had lasted, you should have your lady, and not a thing would I be asking for. Daylight, water, sunlight, moonlight, darkness--for these things I have to pay no money: everything else we wish to use we purchase on Greek credit. quom a pistore panem petimus, vinum ex oenopolio. 200 si aes habent, dant mercem: eadem nos discipulina utimur. semper oculatae manus sunt nostrae, credunt quod vident. vetus est: “nihili coactiost”--scis cuius. non dico amplius. When we go to the baker for bread, to the vintner for wine, their rule is commodities for cash: we use the same system ourselves. Our hands have eyes always: seeing is believing with them. As the old proverb has it: “There’s no getting”--you know what. I say no more. _Argyr._