pped himself in his toga and listened for a time without
moving, resembling in his white garment a marble statue. The uproar
increased, drowned the roar of the fire, was answered from every
side and from ever-increasing distances. But evidently the envoy had
something to add, for he waited. Finally, commanding silence anew, he
cried,--"I promised you panem et circenses; and now give a shout in
honor of Caesar, who feeds and clothes you; then go to sleep, dear
populace, for the dawn will begin before long."

He turned his horse then, and, tapping lightly with his cane the heads
and faces of those who stood in his way, he rode slowly to the pretorian
ranks. Soon he was under the aqueduct. He found almost a panic above,
where they had not understood the shout "Panem et circenses," and
supposed it to be a new outburst of rage. They had not even expected
that Petronius would save himself; so Nero, when he saw him, ran to the
steps, and with face pale from emotion, inquired,--

"Well, what are they doing? Is there a battle?"

Petronius drew air into his lungs, breathed deeply, and answered,--"By
Pollux! they are sweating! and such a stench! Will some one give me an
epilimma?--for I am faint." Then he turned to Caesar.

"I promised them," said he, "wheat, olives, the opening of the gardens,
and games. They worship thee anew, and are howling in thy honor. Gods,
what a foul odor those plebeians have!"

"I had pretorians ready," cried Tigellinus; "and hadst thou not quieted
them, the shouters would have been silenced forever. It is a pity,
Caesar, that thou didst not let me use force."

Petronius looked at him, shrugged his shoulders, and added,--

"The chance is not lost. Thou mayst have to use it to-morrow."

"No, no!" cried Caesar, "I will give command to open the gardens to them,
and distribute wheat. Thanks to thee, Petronius, I will have games; and
that song, which I sang to-day, I will sing publicly."

Then he placed his hands on the arbiter's shoulder, was silent a moment,
and starting up at last inquired,--

"Tell me sincerely, how did I seem to thee while I was singing?"

"Thou wert worthy of the spectacle, and the spectacle was worthy of
thee," said Petronius.

"But let us look at it again," said he, turning to the fire, "and bid
farewell to ancient Rome."

Chapter XLVII

THE Apostle's words put confidence in the souls of the Christians. The
end of the world seemed ever near to them, but they be