few corpses, and among
them Atacinus. He was quivering yet; but, after a moment of more violent
convulsion, he stretched and was motionless.

They took him then, and, returning, stopped before the gate a second
time. But they must declare to their lord what had happened.

"Let Gulo declare it," whispered some voices; "blood is flowing from his
face as from ours; and the master loves him; it is safer for Gulo than
for others."

Gulo, a German, an old slave, who had nursed Vinicius, and was inherited
by him from his mother, the sister of Petronius, said,--

"I will tell him; but do ye all come. Do not let his anger fall on my
head alone."

Vinicius was growing thoroughly impatient. Petronius and Chrysothemis
were laughing; but he walked with quick step up and down the atrium.

"They ought to be here! They ought to be here!"

He wished to go out to meet the litter, but Petronius and Chrysothemis
detained him.

Steps were heard suddenly in the entrance; the slaves rushed into the
atrium in a crowd, and, halting quickly at the wall, raised their hands,
and began to repeat with groaning,--"Aaaa!--aa!"

Vinicius sprang toward them.

"Where is Lygia?" cried he, with a terrible and changed voice.

"Aaaa!"

Then Gulo pushed forward with his bloody face, and exclaimed, in haste
and pitifully,--

"See our blood, lord! We fought! See our blood! See our blood!"

But he had not finished when Vinicius seized a bronze lamp, and with one
blow shattered the skull of the slave; then, seizing his own head with
both hands, he drove his fingers into his hair, repeating hoarsely,--"Me
miserum! me miserum!"

His face became blue, his eyes turned in his head, foam came out on his
lips.

"Whips!" roared he at last, with an unearthly voice.

"Lord! Aaaa! Take pity!" groaned the slaves.

Petronius stood up with an expression of disgust on his face. "Come,
Chrysothemis!" said he. "If 'tis thy wish to look on raw flesh, I will
give command to open a butcher's stall on the Carinae!"

And he walked out of the atrium. But through the whole house, ornamented
in the green of ivy and prepared for a feast, were heard, from moment
to moment, groans and the whistling of whips, which lasted almost till
morning.

Chapter XI

VINICIUS did not lie down that night. Some time after the departure of
Petronius, when the groans of his flogged slaves could allay neither his
rage nor his pain, he collected a crowd of other servants,