Get this No Fear to go!
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65 |
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Some devils ask but the parings of one’s nail, a rush, a hair,
a drop of blood, a pin, a nut, a cherrystone; but she, more
covetous, would have a chain. Master, be wise. An if you
give it her, the devil will shake her chain and fright us with it.
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DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Some devils ask for nothing more than nail clippings, a hair, a drop of blood, a pin, a nut, or a cherry pit. But this one’s greedy: she wants a necklace. Be wise, master. If you give it to her, she’ll shake the chain and frighten us, like the angel in the Bible.
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COURTESAN
I pray you, sir, my ring or else the chain.
I hope you do not mean to cheat me so.
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COURTESAN
Now listen, either give me my ring or give me the necklace. I hope you’re not trying to cheat me.
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ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Avaunt, thou witch!—Come, Dromio, let us go.
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ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Be gone, witch! Come, Dromio, let’s go.
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DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
“Fly pride,” says the peacock. Mistress, that you know.
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DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Accusing us of cheating is like the proud peacock accusing someone else of pride. Mistress, you know about that.
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Exeunt ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
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ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE exit. |
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75 80 85 |
COURTESAN
Now, out of doubt Antipholus is mad;
Else would he never so demean himself.
A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats,
And for the same he promised me a chain.
Both one and other he denies me now.
The reason that I gather he is mad,
Besides this present instance of his rage,
Is a mad tale he told today at dinner
Of his own doors being shut against his entrance.
Belike his wife, acquainted with his fits,
On purpose shut the doors against his way.
My way is now to hie home to his house
And tell his wife that, being lunatic,
He rushed into my house and took perforce
My ring away. This course I fittest choose,
For forty ducats is too much to lose.
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COURTESAN
Antipholus has gone insane, no question about it. If not, he’d never behave like this. He has a ring of mine, worth forty ducats, and he promised to give me a necklace in exchange for it. Now he won’t give me either. The reason I think he’s insane, besides the way he just acted, is that he told a senseless story over lunch about being locked out of his own house. His wife probably did it on purpose because she knows what kind of fits he’s having. I must go to his house and tell his wife that he came bursting into my place like a lunatic and stole my ring. It’s my best option: I can’t afford to lose forty ducats.
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Exit |
She exits. |
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