MAID O welcome, Heracles! come in, swee...

Enter a MAID-SERVANT of Persephone, from the door.

MAID

O welcome, Heracles! come in, sweetheart.

My Lidy, when they told her, set to work,

Baked mighty loaves, boiled two or three tureens

Of lentil soup, roasted a prime ox whole,

Made rolls and honey-cakes. So come along.

XANTHIAS declining

You are too kind.

MAID

I will not let you go.

I will not let you! Why, she's stewing slices

Of juicy bird's-flesh, and she's making comfits,

And tempering down her richest wine. Come, dear,

Come along in.

XANTHIAS still declining

Pray thank her.

MAID

O you're jesting,

I shall not let you off: there's such a lovely

Flute-girl all ready, and we've two or three

Dancing-girls also.

XANTHIAS

Eh! what! Dancing-girls?

MAID

Young budding virgins, freshly tired and trimmed.

Come, dear, come in. The cook was dishing up

The cutlets, and they are bringing in the tables.

XANTHIAS

Then go you in, and tell those dancing-girls

Of whom you spake, I'm coming in Myself.

Aristophanes, The Frogs