HEG. Do you ask the question? You weeder and sower of villanies, and in especial their reaper. TYND. Ought you not to have ventured to say the harrower first? For countrymen always harrow before they weed. HEG. Why, with what assurance he stands before me. TYND. It's proper for a servant, innocent and guiltless, to be full of confidence, most especially before his master. HEG. (_to the _SLATES). Bind this fellow's hands tightly, will you. TYND. I am your own--do you command them to be cut off even. But what is the matter on account of which you blame me? HEG. Because me and my fortunes, so far as in you singly lay, by your rascally _and_ knavish stratagems you have rent in pieces, and have districted my affairs and spoiled all my resources and my plans, _in that_ you've thus robbed me of Philocrates by your devices. I thought that he was the slave, you the free man. So did you say yourselves, and in this way did you change names between you. TYND. I confess that all was done so, as you say, and that by a stratagem he has got away from you, through my aid and cleverness; and prithee, now, do you blame me for that, i' faith? HEG. Why, it has been done with your extreme torture _for the consequence_. TYND. So I don't die by reason of my misdeeds, I care but little. If I do die here, then he returns not, as he said _he would_; but when I'm dead, this act will be remembered to my honor, that I caused my captive master to return from slavery and the foe, a free man, to his father in his native land; and that I preferred rather to expose my own life to peril, than that he should be undone. HEG. Take care, then, to enjoy that fame at Acheron. TYND. He who dies for virtue's sake, still does not perish. HEG. When I've tortured you in the most severe manner, and for your schemes put you to death, let them say either that you have perished or that you have died; so long as you do die, I don't think it matters if they say you live. TYND. I' faith, if you do do so, you'll do it not without retribution, if he shall return here, as I trust that he will return. ARIST. (_aside_). O ye immortal Gods! I understand it now; now I know what the case _really_ is. My friend Philocrates is at liberty with his father, in his native land. 'Tis well; nor have I any person to whom I could so readily wish well. But this thing grieves me, that I've done this person a bad turn, who now on account of me and my talking is in chains. HEG. (_to_ TYNDARUS). Did I not forbid you this day to utter anything false to me? TYND. You did forbid me. HEG. Why did you dare to tell me lies? TYND. Because the truth would have prejudiced him whom I was serving; now falsehood has advantaged him. HEG. But it will prejudice yourself. TYND. 'Tis very good. Still, I have saved my master, whom I rejoice at being saved, to whom my elder master had assigned me as a protector. But do you think that this was wrongly done?