256 PHILEMON.

Meanwhile Charmides himself had landed, and was
making his way to his home. It so happened, in-
deed, that he and his own pretended messenger came
at the same time into the street in which his house
stood. His attention was attracted by the man’s curi-
ous dress, the most conspicuous feature of which was
a huge hat resembling a mushroom. A closer inspec-
tion did not make him like the man’s look any more.
“ That’s some swindler or cutpurse,” he said to him-
self. ‘He’s probably examining the house, and
means to pay them a visit some night.” When the
next moment he saw the stranger knock at his own
door, it seemed to him high time to interfere. ‘Ho!
young man,” he cried, “what do you want? What
are you knocking at that door for?”

Messenger. “T want a young man of the name of
Lesbionicus, and an old gentleman, Callicles by name,
who has a white head like you.”

Charmides (aside). “Why, he is asking after my
son, and the friend to whom I entrusted my family
and my property.”

Mes. “Can you tell me where these gentlemen
live?”

Char. “You tell me first who you are, what is your
family, and where you come from.”

Mes. “That is a great number of questions to put
all at once. I don’t know which to answer first. Put
them quietly one by one, and I'll tell you my name,
what I have done, and where I have travelled.”