(aside) I suppose it would be more duteous of me to go to
      meet him. (advances slowly)

Amph.

Amphitruo uxorem salutat laetus speratam suam, quam omnium Thebis vir unam esse optimam diiudicat, quamque adeo cives Thebani vero rumiferant probam. valuistin usque? exspectatum advenio?

(with playful courtliness) Gladly does Amphitryon greet his darling wife, whom her husband judges to be the one best lady in all Thebes; yea, and justly do the citizens of Thebes bruit her virtue. (earnestly) Have you been well all this time?  Are you glad to see me?

Sos.

  Haud vidi magis.
  exspectatum eum salutat magis haud quicquam quam canem. 680

      (aside) Glad?  None more so!  Welcomes him about as warmly
      as she would a dog!

Amph.

  Et quom te[19] gravidam et quom te pulchre plenam aspicio, gaudeo.

      Ah, it is splendid to see your condition, dear, and to see
      you getting on so finely.

Alc.

  Obsecro ecastor, quid tu me deridiculi gratia
  sic salutas atque appellas, quasi dudum non videris
  quasique nunc primum recipias te domum huc ex hostibus?[20] (684)

Good gracious!  Why are you making fun of me with all these greetings and salutations, as if you had not seen me a little while ago and were just this moment back from the war?

Amph.

  Immo equidem te nisi nunc hodie nusquam vidi gentium. (686)

      (surprised) Why, why, but I have not seen you—­no,
      nowhere at all except this very instant.

Alc.

  Cur negas?

      What makes you deny it?

Amph.

  Quia vera didici dicere.

      Because I have learned to tell the truth.

Alc.

Haud aequom facit qui quod didicit id dediscit. an periclitamini quid animi habeam? sed quid huc vos revortimini tam cito? an te auspicium commoratum est an tempestas continet 690 qui non abiisti ad legiones, ita uti dudum dixeras?

It is not a good plan to learn a thing and then unlearn it.  Or is this a test of my feelings?  But why are you returning so quickly?  Were you delayed by bad omens, or is it the weather detains you, that you have not gone away to the army, as you spoke of doing a little while ago?

Amph.

  Dudum? quam dudum istuc factum est?

      A little while ago?  How little a while ago was that?

Alc.

  Temptas. iam dudum, modo.

      Tease!  Oh, quite a little while ago—­just now.

Amph.

  Qui istuc potis est fieri, quaeso, ut dicis:  iam dudum, modo?

      For heaven’s sake, how can those statements agree—­“quite a
      little while ago” and “just now”?