ria hesitated. The impulse which kept her from revealing the truth was
dumb and blind, but it was there, and it saved her. She bit her lip.

"I will not tell!" she said in distress.

"We promise not to take him from thee," said Nigidia, and laughed with
the rest.

"He sure must be the highest in the land, to win thy love," chimed in
Paula, ready to carry on the game. "Perhaps it is Fabian, the friend of
Marius, who hath the eyes of a god. Or perhaps it is old Aulus Plautus,
of Gobannium. He is a widower these twenty years, and hath no teeth and
but one eye--but his jewels sparkle enough for the other."

But Varia's face changed, and her eyes grew dark and hunted.

"Now you do make sport of me!" she cried. "What have I done that ye
should bait me thus?" Before any girl could answer she faced them in a
mist of quick, angry tears. "I am glad that my father's guests may be
thus easily amused!"

They started upon her, in a moment all contrition, ready to embrace her
and make amends; but she jumped off the couch and fled from them into
her bedchamber and closed the door.

"We are as mean as we can be!" said Gratia, with reproach. "I think it
great shame for us that we should not have remembered how it is with
her. I am glad I was not first to start it!"

Paula and Nigidia took fire.

"What have we done save what we would do to any bride?" asked Paula.
"Who could have thought she would take it so? But she is not so
different from the rest of us, perhaps!"

"Perhaps no better!" said Nigidia.

"Then would she have thy teaching to thank for that!" Gratia flashed
back. "And it is in my mind that the less she gets of it the better it
will be for her."

When Nerissa came again, shortly, it was to find her lady alone and
weeping. But this was no new thing of late. Nerissa came prepared to
speak solemnly, as was her duty; Varia turned a petulant shoulder to
her.

"Why will ye not let me be in peace?" she cried. "I do not wish to
wed--I am happy as I am. I will _not_ be meek and obedient, and incline
in all things unto my lord husband! I do not wish him for husband! I
hate him. And oh, Nerissa, in three days--"

She wept afresh. Nerissa stroked her hair.

"There, then, lady-bird, never take it so! It is right that all maids
should wed. The lord Marius will be kind to thee; he will give thee
great affection. At least, the gods grant that he may! Thou wilt have
jewels such as thou hast never dreamed of, and robes such