STR. (_Bolder._) Look here, what do you want?...
EUC. (_Angrier and angrier._) Hand it over, I say! Stop quibbling! I'm not
trifling now!
STR. Now what shall I hand over? Speak out! Why don't you give the thing a
name? I swear I never touched or handled anything of yours.
EUC. Put out your hands.
STR. There you are! I've done so. See them?
EUC. (_Scrutinizing his hands closely._) All right. Now put out the third
too.
STR. (_Aside, growing angry._) The foul fiends of madness have possessed
this doddering idiot. (_Majestically._) Confess you wrong me?
EUC. (_Dancing in frenzy._) To the utmost, since I don't have you strung
up! And that's what'll happen too, if you don't confess.
STR. (_Shouting._) Confess what?
EUC. What did you steal from here? (_Pointing to his house._)
STR. Strike me if I stole anything of yours, (_Aside to audience_) and if
I don't wish I'd made off with it.
EUC. Come now, shake out your cloak.
STR. (_Doing so._) As you please.
EUC. (_Stooping to see if anything falls out._) Haven't got it under your
shirt? (_Pounces upon him and ransacks clothing._)
STR. (_Resignedly._) Search me, if you like;" and so on with "Give it
back," What is it? "Put out your right hand," etc., etc.
Moliere again imitated almost slavishly (_L'Avare_, V. 3). Longwinded as
the thing is, it is clear that the liveliness of the action not only
relieves it, but could make it immensely amusing.
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