I crave your pardon. Soon, at five o'clock, tent, Enter DROMIO of Ephesus. Here comes the almanack of my true date, - soon? Dro. E. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too late: The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit; have no stomach; your fast; Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir; tell me this, I pray; Where have you left the money that I gave you? Dro. E. O,-sixpence, that I had o'Wednesday last, To pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper; Ant. S. I am not in a sportive humour now: If I return, I shall be post indeed; For she will score your fault upon my pate. Methinks, your maw, like mine, should be your clock, And strike you home without a messenger. Reserve them till a merrier hour than this: me. Ant. S. Come on, sir knave, have done your And tell me, how thou hast dispos'd thy charge. mart Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner; My mistress, and her sister, stay for you. Ant. S. Now, as I am a christian, answer me, In what safe place you have bestow'd my money; Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours, That stands on tricks when I am undispos'd: Where is the thousand marks thou hadst of me? Dro. E. I have some marks of yours upon my pate, Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders, you both. If I should pay your worship those again, 6 Head. Ant. S. Thy mistress' marks! what mistress, slave, hast thou ? Dro. E. Your worship's wife, my mistress at the Phoenix: She that doth fast, till you come home to dinner, And prays, that you will hie you home to dinner. Ant. S. What, wilt thou flout me thus unto my face, Being forbid? There, take you that, sir knave. Dro. E. What mean you, sir? for God's sake, hold your hands; Nay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my heels. [Exit DROMIO, E. Ant. S. Upon my life, by some device or other, The villain is o'er-raught of all my money. They say, this town is full of cozenage; As, nimble jugglers, that deceive the eye, Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks, And many such like liberties of sin; If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner. I'll to the Centaur, to go seek this slave; I greatly fear, my money is not safe. [Exit. ACT THE SECOND. SCENE I. A publick Place. Enter ADRIANA, and LUCIANA. Adr. Neither my husband, nor the slave return'd, That in such haste I sent to seek his master! Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock. 7 Over-reached. Luc. Perhaps, some merchant hath invited him, And from the mart he's somewhere gone to dinner, Good sister, let us dine, and never fret: A man is master of his liberty: Time is their master; and, when they see time, Adr. Why should their liberty than ours be more? Adr. This servitude makes you to keep unwed. Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practice to obey. Luc. Till he come home again, I would forbear. pause; They can be meek, that have no other cause. But, if thou live to see like right bereft, Enter DROMIO of Ephesus. Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand? Dro. E. Nay, he is at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness. Adr. Say, didst thou speak with him? know'st thou his mind? Dro. E. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine ear: Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it. Luc. Spake he so doubtfully, thou couldst not feel his meaning? Dro. E. Nay, he struck so plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubtfully, that I could scarce understand them. 8 Adr. But say, I pr'ythee, is he coming home? When I desir'd him to come home to dinner, Dro. E. Quoth my master: I know, quoth he, no house, no wife, no mistress ; i. e. Scarce stand under them. |