Theuropides advances to his own door, at which he
knocks, and looks up at the closed windows. Tranio
comes forward.
Tran. Who's this? who ventures near this house of ours?
Theu. Why, this is my man Tranio!
Tran. O, dear master,
O, welcome home! I am so glad to see you—
Are you quite well?
Theu. Quite, as you see (knocks again).
Tran. Thank heavens!
Theu. But you,—are ye all mad?
Tran. Why so?
Theu. Because
Here you are walking about, and nobody in.
(Knocks and kicks at the door.) Not a soul seems to hear.
Will nobody open? (Kicks again.)
I shall kick the door down presently.
Tran. (shuddering and shrieking). O—O—Oh!
Don't ye do that, dear master—don't ye, don't ye!
—Act ii. sc. 2.
Then Tranio begins his story. The house is haunted. There is a ghost there, of a man who was murdered in it by the last owner for the sake of his gold, and buried under the floor. This ghost had come to young Philolaches in his sleep, nearly frightened him out of his senses, and warned him to quit his premises at once. Pluto would not admit him into the Shades, he said, because he had not been properly buried, and so he was obliged to live in this house, and he wanted it all to himself. So they had shut it up, Tranio tells the father, and left the ghost in possession; and, for the present, his son is gone into the country. Just in the agony of the tale, a noise is heard inside
