PHORMIO. 343

men caught hold of Phormio, and tried to drag him
away; Phormio, on the other hand, struggled to get
to the door of Chremes’s house. -Finding that the
two were too strong for him, he shouted out, ‘“ Nau-
sistrata!” at the top of his voice. “Stop the villain’s
mouth!” cried Chremes. “TI can’t,” said Demipho,
“he’s too strong.” — “ Nausistrata!” shouted Phormio
again, and Nausistrata appeared. ‘ Who calls me?”
she asked, “and what is all this disturbance about ?”
Phormio told the story, Chremes cowering in abject
fear. Demipho’s intercession and her husband’s
misery, along with the reflection that what was. done
could not be undone, did something to mitigate Nau-
sistrata’s wrath; but before she had brought herself
to forgive the culprit, Phormio thought it well to
secure himself and his young friend Pheedria.
“Nausistrata,” he said, “I got one hundred and
fifty pounds from your husband by a trick, and gave
them to your son. He spent them in buying a wife.”
_ Chr. “What do you say? Buying a wife?” .

Naus. “Pray why not? If an-old man has two
wives, may not a young one have one a

Dem. “He will do what you like.”

Naus. “Well, I sha’n’t forgive him, till I hear
what my son has to say. He shall decide. And
you, sir, what is your name a

Phor. “My name is Phormio; a friend of your
family, madam, and a particular ally of your son

Pheedria.”