15.34 Praxinoa, that full gathering suits you really well. Do tell me what you gave for the material.
PRAXINOA
15.36 Don’t speak of it, Gorgo; it was more than eight golden sovereigns, and I can tell you I put my very soul into making it up.
GORGO
Well, all I can say is, it’s most successful.
PRAXINOA
15.38 I’m inclined to agree with you. note (to Eunoa) Come, put on my cloak and hat for me, and mind you do it properly. (Eunoa puts her cloak about her head and shoulders and pins the straw sun-hat to it). (taking up the child) No; I’m not going to take you, Baby. Horse-bogey bites little boys. (the child cries) You may cry as much as you like; I’m not going to have you lamed for life. (to Gorgo, giving the child to the nurse) Come along. Take Baby and amuse him, Phyrgia, and call the dog indoors and lock he front-door.
(in the street) GORGO note
15.44 Heavens, what a crowd! How we’re to get through this awful crush and how long it’s going to take us, I can’t imagine. Talk of an antheap!
PRAXINOA
15.46 I must say, you’ve done us many a good turn, my good Ptolemy, since your father went to heaven. We have no villains sneaking up to murder us in the streets nowadays in the good old Egyptian style. They don’t play those awful games now – the thorough-paced rogues, every one of them the same, all queer!
15.51 Gorgo dearest! what shall we do? The Royal Horse! Don’t run me down, my good man. That bay’s rearing. Look, what temper! Stand back, Eunoa, you reckless girl! He’ll be the death of that man. Thank goodness I left Baby at home!
GORGO
15.56 It’s all right, Praxinoa, We’ve got well behind them, you see. They’re all where they ought to be, now.
PRAXINOA (recovering)
15.57 And fortunately I can say the same note of my poor wits. Ever since I was a girl, two things have frightened me more than anything else, a horrid chilly snake and a horse. Let’s go on. Here’s ever such a crowd pouring after us.
GORGO (to an Old Woman)
Have you come from the palace, mother?
OLD WOMAN
Yes, my dears.
GORGO
15.60 Then we can get there all right, can we?
OLD WOMAN
15.61 Trying took Troy, my pretty; don’t they say where there’s a will there’s a way?
GORGO
15.63 That old lady gave us some oracles, note didn’t she?
PRAXINOA (mock-sententiously)
15.64 My dear, note women knew everything. They know all about Zeus marrying Hera.
GORGO
15.65 Do look, Praxinoa; what a crowd there is at the door! It’s marvellous!
PRAXINOA
15.66 Give me your arm, Gorgo; and you take hold of Eutychis’ arm, Eunoa; and you take care, Eutychis, not to get separated. We’ll all go in together. Mind you keep hold of me, Eunoa. Oh dear, oh dear, Gorgo! my summer cloak’s note torn right in two (to a stranger) For Heaven’s sake, as you wish to be saved, mind my cloak, sir.
FIRST STRANGER
I really can’t help what happens; but I’ll do my best.
PRAXINOA
15.72 The crowd’s simply enormous; they’re pushing like a drove of pigs.
FIRST STRANGER
Don’t be alarmed, madam; we’re all right.
PRAXINOA
15.73 You deserve to be all right to the end of your days, my dear sir, for the care you’ve been taking of us (to Gorgo) What a kind considerate man! Poor Eunoa’s getting squeezed. (to Eunoa) Push, you coward, can’t you? (they pass in)
That’s all right. All inside, as the bridegroom said when he shut the door.
GORGO (referring, as they move forward towards the dais, to the draperies which hang between the pillars)
15.78 Praxinoa, do come here. Before you do anything else I insist upon your looking at the embroideries. How delicate they are! and in such good taste! They’re really hardly human, are they?
PRAXINOA
15.80 Huswife Athena! the weavers that made that material and the embroiderers who did that close detailed work are simply marvels. How realistically the things all stand and move about in it! they’re living! It is wonderful what people can do. And then the Holy Boy; how perfectly beautiful he looks lying on his silver couch, with the down of manhood just showing on his cheeks, – (religioso) the thrice-beloved Adonis, beloved even down below!
SECOND STRANGER
15.87 Oh dear, oh dear, ladies! do stop that eternal cooing. (to the bystanders) They’ll weary me to death with their ah-ah-ah-ing.
PRAXINOA
15.89 My word! where does that person come from? What business is it of yours if we do coo? Buy your slaves before you order them about, pray. You’re giving your orders to Syracusans. If you must know, we’re Corinthians by extraction, like Bellerophon himself. What we talk’s Peloponnesian. I suppose Dorians may speak Doric, mayn’t they? Persephone! let's have no more masters than the one we’ve got. I shall do just as I like. Pray don’t waste your breath. note
GORGO
