Do your duty and you'll be happy.
HELIOGABALUS
A fallacy, my dill pickle. Duty may make a man able to stand a thing, but it never makes him enjoy it. Now good-night.
[He shoos them toward the door, left]
PAULA
I object! I protest!
[The other wives begin to babble, joining her protest]
HELIOGABALUS
Enough! I order you—as Emperor! [They grow silent and slink away] Disobey, and—[They start out, HELIOGABALUS following them, toward the door] The name of the evening's nominee will reach you in due course.
PAULA