_Ph._ Ay. He gave you a blessing this morning. _Pam._ May the gods bless him. I love him at this moment. _Ph._ Come, we must be gone. _Pam._ Hercules! there is old Menedemus himself. Make haste! I hope he has not overheard us. _Ph._ March by in good style. _Pam._ CHRYSNOTAPAROYS. _Ph._ BO CHRYSNOTAPAROYS. _MENEDEMUS._ _Chrysnotaparoys_! Whatever jargon is this? 910 Queer-looking fellows too to be prowling about my house, And talking of me. Some maskers my neighbour Chremes hires To honour the Feast of Bacchus. A stupid, vulgar fashion, This orientalising, in great vogue too, and still Gains ground, I fear; and this is one of the gaudy-days. ’Tis well I did not accept his invitation to dine. Mummery and tomfoolery! Alas, I have been all day More nervous and anxious than ever. I even thought this morning I heard my poor son’s voice: so certain I was that I ran To the end of the garden and looked.—Surely I was either born 920 With a mind most singularly sensible of grief, or else The saying is not true that time is sorrow’s cure. My sorrow rather increases upon me every day, And the longer he is away the more do I yearn for him, And miss him. _Re-enter Chremes from Menedemus’ house._ _Chr._ (_aside_). Why here he is, just when I’d given him up.— O Menedemus! _Men._ What is the matter? _Chr._ Alas, Menedemus! _Men._ You frighten me, Chremes. _Chr._ I’ve sought you everywhere. _Men._ I had to go in the town. Is anything wrong? _Chr._ I came To tell you how I had done you a service; light of heart. Because I had done you a service, knew you must approve, 930 And did not doubt that you would repay me a little sum That I ventured on your behalf. _Men._ Certainly, Chremes; well? _Chr._ I knew you would, but still I came to explain at once. I sought for you in your garden in vain; and coming out, Intending to go to your house, just as I opened the gate, Just here, I met two foreigners strangely dressed. _Men._ In white? _Chr._ You saw them? _Men._ A moment ago. Who are they? _Chr._ The elder one Addressed me in Persian. _Men._ In Persian, did he? What did he say? _Chr._ I’ll tell you. When they saw me at your gate, coming out, They thought most naturally that I was you. _Men._ I see. 940 _Chr._ I did not undeceive them. _Men._ They thought that you were me? _Chr._ They did.