[
110]
He wanted to produce some more lines even more
silly than the last, I believe, when Tryphaena's maid took Giton below decks, and
ornamented the boy's head with some of her mistress's artificial curls. Further, she
also took some eyebrows out of a box, and by cunningly following the lines where he
was defaced she restored his proper beauty complete. Tryphaena recognized the true
Giton, there was a storm of tears, and she then for the first time gave the boy a
kiss
[p. 229] with real affection. Of course, I was glad to see him
clothed again in his former loveliness, but still I kept hiding my own face
continually, for I realized that I was marked with no common ugliness, since not
even Lichas considered me fit to speak to. But the same maid came and rescued me
from gloom, called me aside, and decked me with equally becoming curls. Indeed, my
face shone with a greater glory. My curls were golden . . .
Then Eumolpus, our spokesman in peril and the begetter of our present peace, to save
our jollity from falling dumb for want of good stories, began to hurl many taunts at
the fickleness of women; how easily they fell in love, how quickly they forgot even
their own sons, how no woman was so chaste that she could not be led away into utter
madness by a passion for a stranger. He was not thinking of old tragedies or names
notorious in history, but of an affair which happened in his lifetime. He would tell
it us if we liked to listen. So all eyes and ears were turned upon him, and he began
as follows:
