248/655 PHILEMON.

_ At this point Philto came up. He courteously in-
troduced the business which he had in hand. ~Les-
bionicus could not believe him to be serious. It was
not like him, he said, to make fun of an unfortunate
man. Philto protested that he had no thought of
the kind in his head; but only to be met with the
reply that the two families were not in the same
position. The daughter of an impoverished house
could not marry into one so wealthy. “I had
hoped,” said the old man, “for a kinder answer. -
It is not wise to refuse a friendly offer.”

Stas. “The old man is right.” _

Les. (to the slave). “ Hold your tongue, or I’ll knock
your eye out.”

Stas. “I don’t care. If I had only one eye I _
should say the same.”

Phil. “You say our position is not the same.
Well, consider this. You are next to a rich man at
a public dinner. Something is served to him which
you like; would you eat it with him, or go away
dinnerless ?”

Les. “I should eat it with him, if he did not ob-
ject.”

Stas. “So should I, whether he objected or not.
We must have no false shame about eating. Itisa
matter of life and death. I will make way for a man
in the street or the footpath; but when it, comes to
eating — no; in these hard times a dinner is not to
be despised.”