But death brought new fear, and promised nothing beyond; while that
giant and that maiden, who was like a flower cast on the straw of the
prison, went toward it with delight, as toward the gates of happiness.

Chapter LXIV

ONE evening Scevinus, a Senator, visited Petronius and began a long
conversation, touching the grievous times in which they were living,
and also touching Caesar. He spoke so openly that Petronius, though his
friend, began to be cautious. Scevinus complained that the world was
living madly and unjustly, that all must end in some catastrophe more
dreadful still than the burning of Rome. He said that even Augustians
were dissatisfied; that Fenius Rufus, second prefect of the pretorians,
endured with the greatest effort the vile orders of Tigellinus; and that
all Seneca's relatives were driven to extremes by Caesar's conduct as
well toward his old master as toward Lucan. Finally, he began to hint
of the dissatisfaction of the people, and even of the pretorians, the
greater part of whom had been won by Fenius Rufus.

"Why dost thou say this?" inquired Petronius.

"Out of care for Caesar," said Scevinus. "I have a distant relative among
the pretorians, also Scevinus; through him I know what takes place in
the camp. Disaffection is growing there also; Caligula, knowest thou,
was mad too, and see what happened. Cassius Chaerea appeared. That was a
dreadful deed, and surely there is no one among us to praise it; still
Chaerea freed the world of a monster."

"Is thy meaning as follows: 'I do not praise Chaerea, but he was a
perfect man, and would that the gods had given us as many such as
possible'?" inquired Petronius.

But Scevinus changed the conversation, and began all at once to praise
Piso, exalting his family, his nobility of mind, his attachment to his
wife, and, finally, his intellect, his calmness, and his wonderful gift
of winning people.

"Caesar is childless," said he, "and all see his successor in Piso.
Doubtless, too, every man would help him with whole soul to gain power.
Fenius Rufus loves him; the relatives of Annaeus are devoted to him
altogether. Plautius Lateranus and Tullius Senecio would spring into
fire for him; as would Natalis, and Subrius Flavius, and Sulpicius
Asper, and Afranius Quinetianus, and even Vestinius."

"From this last man not much will result to Piso," replied Petronius.
"Vestinius is afraid of his own shadow."

"Vestinius fears dreams and spirits,"