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 "We will wait," answered Glaucon. Soon afterwards Polemarchus came up, with Adeimantus the brother of Glaucon, and Niceratus the son of Nicias, and a few other persons, apparently coming away from the procession. Polemarchus instantly began: "Socrates, if I am not deceived, you are taking your departure for the city."

"You are not wrong in your conjecture," I replied.

"Well, do you see what a large body we are?"

"Certainly I do."

"Then either prove yourselves the stronger party, or else stay where you are."

"No," I replied; "there is still an alternative: suppose we persuade you that you ought to let us go."

"Could you possibly persuade us, if we refused to listen?"

"Certainly not," replied Glaucon.

"Make up your minds, then, that we shall refuse to listen."

Here Adeimantus interposed, and said: "Are you not aware that towards evening there will be a torch-race on horseback in honour of the goddess?"

"On horseback!" I exclaimed; "that is a novelty. Will they carry torches, and pass them on to one another, while the horses are racing? or how do you mean?"

"As you say," replied Polemarchus; "besides, there will be a night festival, which it will be worth while to look at. We will rise after dinner, and go out to see this festival; and there we shall meet with many of our young men, with whom we can converse. Therefore stay, and do not refuse us."—D.

And so they are persuaded to return with Polemarchus to his home, where they find his father, the aged Cephalus, surrounded by his sons and friends.

"You should come to see me oftener," says Cephalus to Socrates, "now that I cannot come to you. I find