GETA. All our hopes, Hegio, are centred in you; you we have for {our} only {friend}; you are our protector, our father. The old man, {Simulus}, when dying, recommended us to you; if you forsake us, we are undone. HEG. Beware how you mention {that}; I neither will do it, nor do I think thaat; with due regard to the ties of relationship, I could. DEM. (_apart._) I’ll accost him. (_Approaches HEGIO._) Hegio, I bid you welcome right heartily. HEG. (_starting._) Oh! I you are the very man I was looking for. Greetings to you, Demea. DEM. Why, what’s the matter? HEG. Your eldest son Æschinus, whom you gave to your brother to adopt, has been acting the part of neither an honest man nor a gentleman. DEM. What has he been doing? HEG. You knew my friend and year’s-mate, Simulus? DEM. Why not? HEG. He has debauched his daughter, a virgin. DEM. Hah! HEG. Stay, Demea. You have not yet heard the worst. DEM. Is there any thing still worse? HEG. Worse, by far: for this indeed might in some measure have been borne with. The hour of night prompted him; passion, wine, young blood; ’tis human nature. When he was sensible of what he had done, he came voluntarily to the girl’s mother, weeping, praying, entreating, pledging his honor, vowing that he would take her home.[53] {The affair} was pardoned, hushed, up, his word taken. The girl from that intercourse became pregnant: {this} is the tenth month. He, worthy fellow, has provided himself, if it please the Gods, with a Music-girl to live with; the other he has cast off. DEM. Do you say this for certain? HEG. The mother of the young woman is among us,[54] the young woman too; the fact {speaks for} itself; this Geta, besides, according to the common run of servants, not a bad one or of idle habits; he supports them; alone, maintains the whole family; take him, bind him,[55] examine him upon the matter. GETA. Aye, faith, put me to the torture, Demea, if such is not the fact: besides, he will not deny it. Confront me with him. DEM. (_aside._) I am ashamed; and what to do, or how to answer him, I don’t know. PAM. (_crying out within the house of SOSTRATA._) Ah me! I am racked with pains! Juno Lucina,[56] bring aid, save me, I beseech thee! HEG. Hold; is she in labor, pray? GETA. No doubt of it, Hegio. HEG. Ah! she is now imploring your protection, Demea; let her obtain from you spontaneously what the power {of the law} compels you to give. I do entreat the Gods that what befits you may at once be done. But if your sentiments are otherwise, Demea, I will defend both them and him who is dead to the utmost of my power. He was my kinsman:[57] we were brought up together from children, we were companions in the wars and at home, together we experienced the hardships of poverty. I will therefore exert myself, strive, use all methods, in fine lay down my life, rather than forsake these women. What answer do you give me?