d by Leda; or in Athens the famous Sarmatian
armor made of horse-hoofs; or in Euboea the ship of Agamemnon; or the
cup for whose pattern the left breast of Helen served? Hast thou seen
Alexandria, Memphis, the Pyramids, the hair which Isis tore from her
head in grief for Osiris? Hast thou heard the shout of Memnon? The world
is wide; everything does not end at the Trans-Tiber! I will accompany
Caesar, and when he returns I will leave him and go to Cyprus; for it
is the wish of this golden-haired goddess of mine that we offer doves
together to the divinity in Paphos, and thou must know that whatever she
wishes must happen."

"I am thy slave," said Eunice.

He rested his garlanded head on her bosom, and said with a smile,--"Then
I am the slave of a slave. I admire thee, divine one, from feet to
head!"

Then he said to Vinicius: "Come with us to Cyprus. But first remember
that thou must see Caesar. It is bad that thou hast not been with him
yet; Tigellinus is ready to use this to thy disadvantage. He has no
personal hatred for thee, it is true; but he cannot love thee, even
because thou art my sister's son. We shall say that thou wert sick. We
must think over what thou art to answer should he ask thee about Lygia.
It will be best to wave thy hand and say that she was with thee till she
wearied thee. He will understand that. Tell him also that sickness kept
thee at home; that thy fever was increased by disappointment at not
being able to visit Naples and hear his song; that thou wert assisted to
health only by the hope of hearing him. Fear no exaggeration. Tigellinus
promises to invent, not only something great for Caesar, but something
enormous. I am afraid that he will undermine me; I am afraid too of thy
disposition."

"Dost thou know," said Vinicius, "that there are people who have no fear
of Caesar, and who live as calmly as if he were non-existent?"

"I know whom thou hast in mind--the Christians."

"Yes; they alone. But our life,--what is it if not unbroken terror?"

"Do not mention thy Christians. They fear not Caesar, because he has not
even heard of them perhaps; and in every case he knows nothing of them,
and they concern him as much as withered leaves. But I tell thee that
they are incompetents. Thou feelest this thyself; if thy nature is
repugnant to their teaching, it is just because thou feelest their
incompetence. Thou art a man of other clay; so trouble not thyself or me
with them. We shall be able