Tell me, and dally not, where is the money? Dro. E. I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner: 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,(18) Ant. S. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of season; Reserve them till a merrier hour than this. Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee? Dro. E. To me, sir! why, you gave no gold to me. Ant. S. Come on, sir knave, have done your foolishness, And tell me how thou hast dispos'd thy charge. Dro. E. My charge was but to fetch you from the mart Ant. S. Now, as I am a Christian, answer me, Dro. E. I have some marks of yours upon my pate, Ant. S. Thy mistress' marks! what mistress, slave, hast 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. [Beating him. 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. Ant. S. Upon my life, by some device or other The villain is o'er-raught of all my money. [Exit. ACT II. SCENE I. Before the house of ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus. 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. 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, (20) Adr. Why should their liberty than ours be more? There's nothing situate under heaven's eye Lords (21) of the wide world and wild watery seas, Of more pre-eminence than fish and fowls, Adr. This servitude makes you to keep unwed. Adr. But, were you wedded, you would bear some sway. Adr. How if your husband start some otherwhere? Luc. Till he come home again, I would forbear. Adr. Patience unmov'd, no marvel though she pause; But were we burden'd with like weight of pain, As much, or more, we should ourselves complain : So thou, that hast no unkind mate to grieve thee, Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to try.- Enter DROMIO of Ephesus. Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand? Dro. E. Nay, he's 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,(22) 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. Adr. But say, I prithee, is he coming home? It seems he hath great care to please his wife. Dro. E. Why, mistress, sure my master is horn-mad. Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain! Dro. E. But, sure, he is stark mad. I mean not cuckold-mad; When I desir'd him to come home to dinner, He ask❜d me for a thousand(23) marks in gold: ""Tis dinner-time," quoth I; "My gold," quoth he: "Your meat doth burn," quoth I; "My gold," quoth he: "Will you come home ?"(24) quoth I; "My gold," quoth he; "Where is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?” "The pig," quoth I, "is burn'd;" "My gold," quoth he: "My mistress, sir," quoth I; " Hang up thy mistress! I know not thy mistress; out on thy mistress!" Luc. Quoth who? Dro. E. Quoth my master: "I know," quoth he, "no house, no wife, no mistress." I thank him, I bear home upon my shoulders; Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him home. For God's sake, send some other messenger. Adr. Back, slave, or I will break thy pate across. Between you I shall have a holy head. Adr. Hence, prating peasant! fetch thy master home. That like a football you do spurn me thus ? You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither: Hath homely age th' alluring beauty took [Exit By him not ruin'd? then is he the ground A sunny look of his would soon repair: But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale, And feeds from home; poor I am but his stale. Luc. Self-harming jealousy,-fie, beat it hence! Or else what lets it but he would be here? Will lose his beauty; and though gold bides still, Luc. How many fond fools serve mad jealousy! [Exeunt. SCENE II. The Mart. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse. Ant. S. The gold I gave to Dromio is laid up Safe at the Centaur; and the heedful slave Is wander'd forth, in care to seek me out. By computation and mine host's report, Enter DROMIO of Syracuse. |