PAR. If at any time she came to converse with her, she would instantly withdraw from her presence,[29] and refuse to see her; in fine, when she could no longer endure her, she pretended that she was sent for by her mother to assist at a sacrifice. When she had been there a few days, {Sostrata} ordered her to be fetched. She made some, I know not what, excuse. Again she gave similar orders; no one sent back {any excuse}. After she had sent for her repeatedly, they pretended that the damsel was sick. My {mistress} immediately went to see her; no one admitted her. On the old man coming to know of this, he yesterday came up from the country on purpose, {and} waited immediately upon the father of Philumena. What passed between them, I do not know as yet; but really I do feel some anxiety in what way this is to end. You {now} have the whole matter; {and} I shall proceed whither I was on my way. PHIL. And I too, for I made an appointment with a certain stranger[30] to meet him. PAR. May the Gods prosper what you undertake! PHIL. Farewell! PAR. And a kind farewell to you, my dear Philotis. (_Exeunt severally._ ACT THE SECOND. SCENE I.[31] _Enter LACHES and SOSTRATA, from the house of the former._ LACH. O faith of Gods and men! what a race is this! what a conspiracy this! that all women should desire and reject every individual thing alike! And not a single one can you find to swerve in any respect from the disposition of the rest. For instance, quite as though with one accord, do all mothers-in-law hate their daughters-in-law. Just in the same way is it their system to oppose their husbands; their obstinacy {here} is the same. In the very same school they all seem to me to have been trained up to perverseness. Of that school, if there is any mistress, I am very sure that she (_pointing at SOSTRATA_) it is. SOS. Wretched me! when now I don’t so much as know why I am accused! LACH. Eh! you don’t know? SOS. So may the Gods kindly prosper me, Laches, and so may it be allowed us to pass our lives together in unity! LACH. (_aside._) May the Gods avert {such} a misfortune! SOS. I’m sure that before long you will be sensible that I have been accused by you undeservedly. LACH. You, undeservedly? Can any thing possibly be said that you deserve in return for this conduct of yours? You, who are disgracing both me and yourself and the family, {and} are laying up sorrow for your son. Then besides, you are making our connections become, from friends, enemies to us, who have thought him deserving for them to intrust their children[32] to him. You alone have put yourself forward, by your folly, to be causing this disturbance. SOS. What, I?