Unum exorare vos sinite nos.

      (with dignity) Be good enough to grant us one request.

Lor.
    Over.

  Quidnam id est?

      Well, what is it?

Tynd.

  Ut sine hisce arbitris
  atque vobis nobis detis locum loquendi.

      Merely this—­give us an opportunity to talk together without
      being overheard by these good fellows (pointing to slaves)
      and yourselves.

Lor.
    Over.

  Fiat. abscedite hinc:  nos concedamus huc.
  sed brevem orationem incipisse.

      All right. (to slaves) Away with you! (to other overseer)
      Let’s drop back here. (to captives) Make it short, though.

Tynd.

  Em istuc mihi certum erat. concede huc.

      Oh yes, that was my intention. (to Philocrates, drawing
      him farther from slaves) Come this way.

Lor.
    Over.

  Abite ab istis.

      (to slaves still hanging about) Get out and leave ’em
      alone. (slaves obey)

Tynd.

  Obnoxii ambo
  vobis sumus propter hanc rem, quom quae volumus nos
  copia est; ea[6] facitis nos compotes.

      (to overseers) We are much obliged to you, both of us, for
      the privilege of doing as we wish; we owe it to you.

Philocr.

Secede huc nunciam, si videtur, procul. ne arbitri dicta nostra arbitrari queant 220 neu permanet palam haec nostra fallacia. nam doli non doli sunt, nisi astu colas, sed malum maxumum, si id palam provenit.

(to Tyndarus) Step over here now, if you please, come over, so that no one may catch what we say and leave us with a scheme that has leaked out. (they move still farther from the overseers) Shrewd management is what makes a trick a trick, you know:  once it gets out, it becomes an instrument of torture.

nam si erus mihi es tu atque ego me tuom esse servom assimulo, tamen viso opust, cauto est opus, ut hoc sobrie sineque arbitris accurate agatur, docte et diligenter; tanta incepta res est:  haud somniculose hoc agendum est.

No matter if you are passing as my master and I as your slave, even so we’ve got to be wary, we’ve got to be cautious, so that our plan may be worked out in a clear- headed way, quietly and carefully, with discretion and diligence.  It’s a big job we’ve got in hand:  we can’t go to sleep over it.

Tynd.

  Ero ut me voles esse.

      I will be all you wish me to be, sir.

Philocr.

  Spero.

      I hope so.

Tynd.

  Nam tu nunc vides pro tuo caro capite
  carum offerre me meum caput vilitati. 230