be jealous."

And he gave command to bear them both to Chrysothemis.

But in the entrance Petronius put his hand on Vinicius's shoulder, and
said,--"Wait; it seems to me that I have discovered a plan."

"May all the gods reward thee!"

"I have it! I judge that this plan is infallible. Knowest what, Marcus?"

"I listen to thee, my wisdom."

"Well, in a few days the divine Lygia will partake of Demeter's grain in
thy house."

"Thou art greater than Caesar!" exclaimed Vinicius with enthusiasm.

Chapter IV

IN fact, Petronius kept his promise. He slept all the day following his
visit to Chrysothemis, it is true; but in the evening he gave command to
bear him to the Palatine, where he had a confidential conversation with
Nero; in consequence of this, on the third day a centurion, at the
head of some tens of pretorian soldiers, appeared before the house of
Plautius.

The period was uncertain and terrible. Messengers of this kind were more
frequently heralds of death. So when the centurion struck the hammer at
Aulus's door, and when the guard of the atrium announced that there
were soldiers in the anteroom, terror rose through the whole house.
The family surrounded the old general at once, for no one doubted that
danger hung over him above all. Pomponia, embracing his neck with
her arms, clung to him with all her strength, and her blue lips moved
quickly while uttering some whispered phrase. Lygia, with a face pale
as linen, kissed his hand; little Aulus clung to his toga. From the
corridor, from chambers in the lower story intended for servant-women
and attendants, from the bath, from the arches of lower dwellings, from
the whole house, crowds of slaves began to hurry out, and the cries of
"Heu! heu, me miserum!" were heard. The women broke into great weeping;
some scratched their cheeks, or covered their heads with kerchiefs.

Only the old general himself, accustomed for years to look death
straight in the eye, remained calm, and his short eagle face became as
rigid as if chiselled from stone. After a while, when he had silenced
the uproar, and commanded the attendants to disappear, he said,--"Let me
go, Pomponia. If my end has come, we shall have time to take leave."

And he pushed her aside gently; but she said,--"God grant thy fate and
mine to be one, O Aulus!"

Then, failing on her knees, she began to pray with that force which fear
for some dear one alone can give.

Aulus passed out to the atri