442 THEOCRITUS
Praxinoe. Tremendous ! Take bold of me, Gorgo ; and you, Eunoe, take hold of Eutycbis I — tight hold, or you '11 be lost. Here we go in all together. Hold tight to us, Eunoe ! Ο dear ! Ο dear ! Gorgo, there 's my scarf torn right in two. For heaven's sake, my good man, as you hope to be saved, take care of my dress !
Stranger. I '11 do what I can, but it does n't depend upon me.
Praxinoe. What heaps of people I They push like a drove of pigs.
Stranger. Don't be frightened, ma'am, we are all right.
Praxinoe. May you be all right, my dear sir, to the last day you live, for the care you have taken of us ! What a kind, considerate man ! There is Eunoe jammed in a squeeze. Push, you goose, push I Cap- ital ! V^e are all of us on the right side of the door, as the bridegroom said when he had locked himself in with the bride.
Gorgo. Praxinoe, come this way. Do but look at that work, how delicate it is ! — how exquisite ! Why, they might wear it in heaven.
Praxinoe. Heavenly patroness of needlewomen, what hands were hired to do that work? Who de- signed those beautiful patterns ? They seem to stand up and move about, as if they were real ; — as if they were living things, and not needlework. Well, man is a wonderful creature ! And look, look, how charm- ing he lies there on his silver couch, w^ith just a soft down on his cheeks, that beloved Adonis, — Adonis, whom one loves, even though he is dead !
Another Stranger. You wretched woman, do stop your incessant chatter ! Like turtles, you go on for-
