Maybe too thou wilt find some one else who
would be willing to intercede for thee. Hast thou not seen at Aulus's
some one who is near Caesar?"

"I have seen Vespasian and Titus."

"Caesar does not like them."

"And Seneca."

"If Seneca advised something, that would be enough to make Nero act
otherwise."

The bright face of Lygia was covered with a blush. "And Vinicius-"

"I do not know him."

"He is a relative of Petronius, and returned not long since from
Armenia."

"Dost thou think that Nero likes him?"

"All like Vinicius."

"And would he intercede for thee?"

"He would."

Acte smiled tenderly, and said, "Then thou wilt see him surely at the
feast. Thou must be there, first, because thou must,--only such a child
as thou could think otherwise. Second, if thou wish to return to
the house of Aulus, thou wilt find means of beseeching Petronius and
Vinicius to gain for thee by their influence the right to return. If
they were here, both would tell thee as I do, that it would be madness
and ruin to try resistance. Caesar might not notice thy absence, it is
true; but if he noticed it and thought that thou hadst the daring to
oppose his will, here would be no salvation for thee. Go, Lygia! Dost
thou hear the noise in the palace? The sun is near setting; guests will
begin to arrive soon."

"Thou art right," answered Lygia, "and I will follow thy advice."

How much desire to see Vinicius and Petronius there was in this resolve,
how much of woman's curiosity there was to see such a feast once in
life, and to see at it Caesar, the court, the renowned Poppaea and other
beauties, and all that unheard-of splendor, of which wonders were
narrated in Rome, Lygia could not give account to herself of a
certainty. But Acte was right, and Lygia felt this distinctly. There was
need to go; therefore, when necessity and simple reason supported the
hidden temptation, she ceased to hesitate.

Acte conducted her to her own unctorium to anoint and dress her; and
though there was no lack of slave women in Caesar's house, and Acte had
enough of them for her personal service, still, through sympathy for the
maiden whose beauty and innocence had caught her heart, she resolved to
dress her herself. It became clear at once that in the young Grecian, in
spite of her sadness and her perusal of the letters of Paul of Tarsus,
there was yet much of the ancient Hellenic spirit, to which physical
beauty spoke with more eloquence than aug