) You miss the point? The lady that spares her
lover spares herself too little. Lovers are the same as fish
to us--no good unless they're fresh. Your fresh ones are
juicy and sweet; you can season them to taste in a stew,
bake them, and turn them every way. Your fresh one wants to
give you things, wants to be asked for something: in his
case it all comes from a full cupboard, you see;

neque ille scit quid det, quid damni faciat: illi rei studet,
volt placere sese amicae, volt mihi, volt pedisequae,
volt famulis, volt etiam ancillis; et quoque catulo meo
subblanditur novos amator, se ut quom videat gaudeat.
vera dico: ad suom quemque hominem quaestum esse aequomst callidum.

and he has no idea what he's giving, what it costs him.
This is his only thought: he wants to please, please his
girl, please me, please the waiting-woman, please the men
servants, please the maid servants, too: yes, the new lover
makes up to my little dog, even, so that he may be glad to
see him. This is the plain truth: every one ought to keep a
sharp eye for the main chance.

_Argyr._

Perdidici istaec esse vera damno cum magno meo.

I have thoroughly learned the truth of that, and a pretty
penny it's cost me.

_Cle._

Si ecastor nunc habeas quod des, alia verba praehibeas;
nunc quia nihil habes, maledictis te eam ductare postulas.

Tut, tut! If you had anything left to give us, your language
would be different; now that you have nothing, you expect to
get her by abuse.

_Argyr._

Non meum est.

That's not my way.

_Cle._

Nec meum quidem edepol, ad te ut mittam gratiis. 190
verum aetatis atque honoris gratia hoc fiet tui,
quia nobis lucro fuisti potius quam decori tibi:
si mihi dantur duo talenta argenti numerata in manum,
hanc tibi noctem honoris causa gratiis dono dabo.

Nor mine, sir, to let you have her gratis--mercy, no! But,
considering your youth and our high regard for you, this
shall be done, seeing you have been more of an income to us
than a credit to yourself: just hand me over (_casually_)
four hundred pounds in cash and you shall have this evening
with her, in token of said high regard, as a free gift from
me.

_Argyr._

Quid si non est?

What if I haven't it?

_Cle._

Tibi non esse credam, ill