Page:The Greek bucolic poets (1912).djvu/211

Rh My dear, pray don’t call your good Dinon such names before'Baby. See how he’s staring at you. (to the child) It’s all right, Zopy, my pet. It’s not dad-dad she’s talking about.

Upon my word, the child understands.

Nice dad-dad.

And yet that dad-dad of his the other day—the other day, now, I tell him ‘ Daddy, get mother some soap and rouge from the shop,’ and, would you believe it? back he came with a packet of salt, the great six feet of folly!

Mine’s just the same. Diocleidas is a perfect spendthrift. Yesterday he gave seven shillings a piece for mere bits of dog’s hair, mere pluckings of old handbags, five of them, all ﬁlth, all work to be done over again. But come, my dear, get your cloak and gown. I want you to come with me (grandly) to call on our high and mighty Prince Ptolemy to see the Adonis. I hear the Queen’s getting up something quite splendid this year.

Fine folks, ﬁne ways. Rh