bear at once the weight of supreme power
and the highest talents."

"I sympathize with thee, O Caesar; and with me earth and sea, not
counting Vinicius, who deifies thee in his soul."

"He, too, has always been dear to me," said Caesar, "though he serves
Mars, not the Muses."

"He serves Aphrodite first of all," answered Petronius. And suddenly he
determined to settle the affair of his nephew at a blow, and at the same
time to eliminate every danger which might threaten him. "He is in love,
as was Troilus with Cressida. Permit him, lord, to visit Rome, for he
is dying on my hands. Dost thou know that that Lygian hostage whom thou
gavest him has been found, and Vinicius, when leaving for Antium, left
her in care of a certain Linus? I did not mention this to thee, for thou
wert composing thy hymn, and that was more important than all besides.
Vinicius wanted her as a mistress; but when she turned out to be as
virtuous as Lucretia, he fell in love with her virtue, and now his
desire is to marry her. She is a king's daughter, hence she will cause
him no detriment; but he is a real soldier: he sighs and withers and
groans, but he is waiting for the permission of his Imperator."

"The Imperator does not choose wives for his soldiers. What good is my
permission to Vinicius?"

"I have told thee, O lord, that he deifies thee."

"All the more may he be certain of permission. That is a comely maiden,
but too narrow in the hips. The Augusta Poppaea has complained to me that
she enchanted our child in the gardens of the Palatine."

"But I told Tigellinus that the gods are not subject to evil charms.
Thou rememberest, divinity, his confusion and thy exclamation, 'Habet!'"

"I remember."

Here he turned to Vinicius,--"Dost thou love her, as Petronius says?"

"I love her, lord," replied Vinicius.

"Then I command thee to set out for Rome to-morrow, and marry her.
Appear not again before my eyes without the marriage ring."

"Thanks to thee, lord, from my heart and soul."

"Oh, how pleasant it is to make people happy!" said Nero. "Would that I
might do nothing else all my life!"

"Grant us one favor more, O divinity," said Petronius: "declare thy will
in this matter before the Augusta. Vinicius would never venture to wed
a woman displeasing to the Augusta; thou wilt dissipate her prejudice, O
lord, with a word, by declaring that thou hast commanded this marriage."

"I am willing," said Caesar. "I could refuse nothing to