TOX. I'll go over to him.
SAG. I'll go up and speak to him. (They draw closer.)
TOX. Sagaristio, I hope the gods are good to you.
SAG. Toxilus, I hope the gods give you everything you want. How are you?
TOX. So so."[131]
Note that this is canticum and the effect of the two "sing-songing" slaves on the audience must have been much the same as, upon us, the spectacle of a vaudeville "duo," entering from opposite wings and singing perchance a burlesque of grand opera at each other.
3. Adventitious entrance.
This is of a piece with the above, but is usually due to a weakness of composition, to the goddess Τύχη, who is the presiding deity of the plots of New Comedy.[132] However, there are times when appreciable fun can be extracted from this, if the actor speak in a bland jocular tone, taking the audience into his confidence, as Trin. 400 f.:
"PHILTO. But the door of the house to which I was going is opening. Isn't that nice? Lesbonicus, the very man I'm looking for, is coming out with his slave."
And Aul. 176 f.: