THE SHIPWRECK. 289

Labr. “Yes; and you told me that I should make
my fortune in a trice in that precious island of
yours.”

Char. “And you thought, I suppose, that you
were going to swallow the place whole.”

Labr. “I tell you what, Charmides, some whale
has swallowed the trunk in which I had packed all
my gold and silver.”

Char. “The very same, I fancy, Labrax, that has
gobbled down my little pouch full of coin.”

' Labr. “And the end of it is that I am reduced to
this tunic and cloak.”

Char. “Well, we can go into partnership, for my
capital is just the same as yours.” ,

Labr. “If only the two girls had been saved, I
should not have minded. But now—and there’s
Plesidippus, who paid me a deposit for Palestra: if
he catches sight of me, there will be a pretty piece
of business.”

The truth was that Plesidippus had caught sight
of the girl as she was going back to her master’s
house from a music lesson, and had fallen in love
with her. Somehow he contrived to get a few words
with her, and finding that she was free-born, had
arranged to buy her and make her his wife. Part of
the purchase-money he paid down, but he had to
wait till the rest was remitted to him from Athens.
Meanwhile, the old villain, Labrax, had taken up
the idea of making off from Cyrene and going to

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