I implore you, gracious madam,—
Joy of his heart—but my abomination—
Queen of his soul—but enemy of my ribs—
His pet, my pest—his angel, but my devil—
Light of his eyes—but black as night to me—
Don't be so very cross to him,—if you can help it.
Adelphasium (laughing and turning away). Go hang
yourself! you and your master too!
Mil. I shall lead a precious life of it, I see, through you;
I've got a back already in your service
Whealed like an oyster-shell.
Adel. It's your own back
That you think most of, I suspect; not him,
Or how he cheats me with deceitful promises.
When Hanno has discovered that these two sisters are the long-lost daughters in search of whom he has journeyed to Calydon, he determines to play upon their feelings for a while—in the most unnecessary and unlikely fashion—by pretending to them that he merely comes to claim them as his slaves. And here, again, there are little touches on the part of Adelphasium which almost redeem the scene from tediousness. Hanno pretends to summon the girls before the magistrate, in order to prove his claim; and the lover, who is present, and helps (though with evident impatience) to humour the father's jest, asks him if he shall at once make Adelphasium his prisoner. She has heard him address the stranger as his "cousin;" and the fine scorn with which, as she draws back from his eager arm, she exclaims—
"Said you this person was your kinsman, sir?"
could not fail to be effective from the lips of a clever
