outburst,--

"I know where the divine Lygia is living; I will show thee the street
and the house."

Vinicius repressed the emotion with which that news filled him, and
said,--"Where is she?"

"With Linus, the elder priest of the Christians. She is there with
Ursus, who goes as before to the miller, a namesake of thy dispensator
Demas. Yes, Demas! Ursus works in the night; so if thou surround the
house at night, thou wilt not find him. Linus is old, and besides him
there are only two aged women in the house."

"Whence dost thou know all this?"

"Thou rememberest, lord, that the Christians had me in their hands, and
spared me. True, Glaucus was mistaken in thinking that I was the
cause of his misfortunes; but he believed that I was, poor man, and he
believes so yet. Still they spared me. Then be not astonished, lord,
that gratitude filled my heart. I am a man of former, of better times.
This was my thought: Am I to desert friends and benefactors? Would I not
have been hard-hearted not to inquire about them, not to learn what
was happening to them, how health was serving them, and where they were
living? By the Pessinian Cybele! I am not capable of such conduct.
At first I was restrained by fear that they might interpret my wishes
incorrectly. But the love which I bore them proved greater than my fear,
and the ease with which they forgive every injustice lent me special
courage. But above all I was thinking of thee, lord. Our last attempt
ended in defeat; but can such a son of Fortune be reconciled with
defeat? So I prepared victory for thee. The house stands apart. Thou
mayst give command to thy slaves to surround it so that not a mouse
could escape. My lord, on thee alone it depends to have that magnanimous
king's daughter in thy house this very night. But should that happen,
remember that the cause of it is the very poor and hungry son of my
father."

The blood rushed to Vinicius's head. Temptation shook all his being
again. Yes; that was the method, and this time a certain one. Once
he has Lygia in his house, who can take her? Once he makes Lygia his
mistress, what will be left to her, unless to remain so forever? And let
all religions perish! What will the Christians mean to him then, with
their mercy and forbidding faith? Is it not time to shake himself free
of all that? Is it not time to live as all live? What will Lygia do
later, save to reconcile her fate with the religion which she professes?
That, too, i