cius, with as much warmth as if he had been baptized
already; "there are thousands and tens of thousands of them in Rome, in
the cities of Italy, in Greece and Asia. There are Christians among
the legions and among the pretorians; they are in the palace of Caesar
itself. Slaves and citizens, poor and rich, plebeian and patrician,
confess that faith. Dost thou know that the Cornelii are Christians,
that Pomponia Graecina is a Christian, that likely Octavia was, and Acte
is? Yes, that teaching will embrace the world, and it alone is able to
renew it. Do not shrug thy shoulders, for who knows whether in a month
or a year thou wilt not receive it thyself?"

"I?" said Petronius. "No, by the son of Leto! I will not receive it;
even if the truth and wisdom of gods and men were contained in it. That
would require labor, and I have no fondness for labor. Labor demands
self-denial, and I will not deny myself anything. With thy nature, which
is like fire and boiling water, something like this may happen any time.
But I? I have my gems, my cameos, my vases, my Eunice. I do not believe
in Olympus, but I arrange it on earth for myself; and I shall flourish
till the arrows of the divine archer pierce me, or till Caesar commands
me to open my veins. I love the odor of violets too much, and a
comfortable triclinium. I love even our gods, as rhetorical figures,
and Achaea, to which I am preparing to go with our fat, thin-legged,
incomparable, godlike Caesar, the august period-compelling Hercules,
Nero."

Then he was joyous at the very supposition that he could accept the
teaching of Galilean fishermen, and began to sing in an undertone,--

"I will entwine my bright sword in myrtle, After the example of
Harmodius and Aristogiton."

But he stopped, for the arrival of Eunice was announced. Immediately
after her coming supper was served, during which songs were sung by the
cithara players; Vinicius told of Chilo's visit, and also how that visit
had given the idea of going to the Apostles directly,--an idea which
came to him while they were flogging Chilo.

At mention of this, Petronius, who began to be drowsy, placed his hand
on his forehead, and said,--"The thought was good, since the object was
good. But as to Chilo, I should have given him five pieces of gold; but
as it was thy will to flog him, it was better to flog him, for who knows
but in time senators will bow to him, as to-day they are bowing to our
cobbler-knight, Vatinius. Go