cius; "more than once it seemed to
me that we were enchanted, both of us."

"And if thou," said Petronius, "were to go, for example, to the priests
of Serapis? Among them, as among priests in general, there are many
deceivers, no doubt; but there are others who have reached wonderful
secrets."

He said this, however, without conviction and with an uncertain voice,
for he himself felt how empty and even ridiculous that counsel must seem
on his lips.

Vinicius rubbed his forehead, and said: "Enchantments! I have seen
sorcerers who employed unknown and subterranean powers to their personal
profit; I have seen those who used them to the harm of their enemies.
But these Christians live in poverty, forgive their enemies, preach
submission, virtue, and mercy; what profit could they get from
enchantments, and why should they use them?"

Petronius was angry that his acuteness could find no reply; not wishing,
however, to acknowledge this, he said, so as to offer an answer of some
kind,--"That is a new sect." After a while he added: "By the divine
dweller in Paphian groves, how all that injures life! Thou wilt admire
the goodness and virtue of those people; but I tell thee that they are
bad, for they are enemies of life, as are diseases, and death itself.
As things are, we have enough of these enemies; we do not need the
Christians in addition. Just count them: diseases, Caesar, Tigellinus,
Caesar's poetry, cobblers who govern the descendants of ancient Quirites,
freedmen who sit in the Senate. By Castor! there is enough of this. That
is a destructive and disgusting sect. Hast thou tried to shake thyself
out of this sadness, and make some little use of life?"

"I have tried," answered Vinicius.

"Ah, traitor!" said Petronius, laughing; "news spreads quickly through
slaves; thou hast seduced from me Chrysothemis!"

Vinicius waved his hand in disgust.

"In every case I thank thee," said Petronius. "I will send her a pair of
slippers embroidered with pearls. In my language of a lover that means,
'Walk away.' I owe thee a double gratitude,--first, thou didst not
accept Eunice; second, thou hast freed me from Chrysothemis. Listen to
me! Thou seest before thee a man who has risen early, bathed, feasted,
possessed Chrysothemis, written satires, and even at times interwoven
prose with verses, but who has been as wearied as Caesar, and often
unable to unfetter himself from gloomy thoughts. And dost thou know why
that was so? It