Habrotonon . Look, Onêsimus.
What do you say to this? The thought has just
Struck me. Suppose . . . suppose I make the whole
Adventure mine. I'll take the ring and go
In there to play to them.
ONÊSIMUS . Go on. Explain.
Though I can guess.
HAB . He'll see it on my finger.
He'll ask me where I got it; and I'll say,
" At last year's Tauropolia, when I was
An innocent girl." All that that other girl
Went through I'll tell as happening to myself . . .
I know it well enough!
ONÊ . Magnificent!
HAB . Then, if it strikes a chord in him, he'll come
Bursting to question me . . . He's tipsy, too;
He'll blurt out the whole story without waiting
For me to speak. I'll just say " Yes" to all
He says, and never risk making mistakes
By speaking first.
ONÊ . Oh, good! Better than good!
HAB . I'll hang my head and all that, and just murmur
The obvious things. It's safe enough. " How cruel
You were to me! A cave-man!"
ONÊ . Capital!
HAB . And " Oh, how violently you threw me down!"
And " That poor cloak I ruined!" That's the kind
Of talk. But first of all I'll go indoors
And get the baby, and drop a tear, and kiss it,
And ask the woman where she got it.
ONÊ . Glory!
HAB . And bring it in; and then the final stroke;
" So now you are a father!" and I show him
The foundling.
ONÊ . Oh, Habrotonon, what cheek!
What devilry!
HAB . If once we have the proof,
And know that he's the father, then we'll make
Inquiries at our ease to find the mother.
ONÊ . [ suspiciously ]. There's one thing you've not mentioned. You'll be given
Your freedom. If he once believes that you're
The mother of his child he'll have you freed.
HAB [ musing ]. I don't know. Oh, I wonder!
ONÊ . You don't know?
Don't you? Look here, do I get any good
From all this?
HAB . Yes, by the Two Goddesses!
However it ends, I owe it all to you.
ONÊ . Ah, but suppose, when once you've caught your man,
You leave things, and forget about the true
Mother; that leaves me planted.
HAB . Why should I
Do that? Do you think I'm pining for a baby?
If only I could be free! Oh, God in heaven,
After all this, that's the reward I pray for!
ONÊ . I hope you get it.
HAB . You accept my plan?
ONÊ . With all my heart. And if you do try on
Some funny business, there'll be time enough
To fight you. Trust me, I'll know what to do.
Just for the present, though, I'll wait and see.
HAB . You do agree, then?
ONÊ . I agree.
HAB . Then quick,
Give me the ring.
ONÊ . There!
HAB . Thanks. O blessed Goddess,
Persuasion, hear me! Teach me how to tell
My story right, and may the end be well!
[ Exit Habrotonon ]
ONÊ . By Jove, she has initiative, that girl!
What do you say to this? The thought has just
Struck me. Suppose . . . suppose I make the whole
Adventure mine. I'll take the ring and go
In there to play to them.
ONÊSIMUS . Go on. Explain.
Though I can guess.
HAB . He'll see it on my finger.
He'll ask me where I got it; and I'll say,
" At last year's Tauropolia, when I was
An innocent girl." All that that other girl
Went through I'll tell as happening to myself . . .
I know it well enough!
ONÊ . Magnificent!
HAB . Then, if it strikes a chord in him, he'll come
Bursting to question me . . . He's tipsy, too;
He'll blurt out the whole story without waiting
For me to speak. I'll just say " Yes" to all
He says, and never risk making mistakes
By speaking first.
ONÊ . Oh, good! Better than good!
HAB . I'll hang my head and all that, and just murmur
The obvious things. It's safe enough. " How cruel
You were to me! A cave-man!"
ONÊ . Capital!
HAB . And " Oh, how violently you threw me down!"
And " That poor cloak I ruined!" That's the kind
Of talk. But first of all I'll go indoors
And get the baby, and drop a tear, and kiss it,
And ask the woman where she got it.
ONÊ . Glory!
HAB . And bring it in; and then the final stroke;
" So now you are a father!" and I show him
The foundling.
ONÊ . Oh, Habrotonon, what cheek!
What devilry!
HAB . If once we have the proof,
And know that he's the father, then we'll make
Inquiries at our ease to find the mother.
ONÊ . [ suspiciously ]. There's one thing you've not mentioned. You'll be given
Your freedom. If he once believes that you're
The mother of his child he'll have you freed.
HAB [ musing ]. I don't know. Oh, I wonder!
ONÊ . You don't know?
Don't you? Look here, do I get any good
From all this?
HAB . Yes, by the Two Goddesses!
However it ends, I owe it all to you.
ONÊ . Ah, but suppose, when once you've caught your man,
You leave things, and forget about the true
Mother; that leaves me planted.
HAB . Why should I
Do that? Do you think I'm pining for a baby?
If only I could be free! Oh, God in heaven,
After all this, that's the reward I pray for!
ONÊ . I hope you get it.
HAB . You accept my plan?
ONÊ . With all my heart. And if you do try on
Some funny business, there'll be time enough
To fight you. Trust me, I'll know what to do.
Just for the present, though, I'll wait and see.
HAB . You do agree, then?
ONÊ . I agree.
HAB . Then quick,
Give me the ring.
ONÊ . There!
HAB . Thanks. O blessed Goddess,
Persuasion, hear me! Teach me how to tell
My story right, and may the end be well!
[ Exit Habrotonon ]
ONÊ . By Jove, she has initiative, that girl!
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