l spirits; they
are not in the Stadium, for they despise horse races. Never have the
hands of a Christian done thee honor with plaudits. Never has one of
them recognized thee as god. They are enemies of the human race, of the
city, and of thee. The people murmur against thee; but thou hast given
me no command to burn Rome, and I did not burn it. The people want
vengeance; let them have it. The people want blood and games; let them
have them. The people suspect thee; let their suspicion turn in another
direction."

Nero listened with amazement at first; but as Tigellinus proceeded, his
actor's face changed, and assumed in succession expressions of anger,
sorrow, sympathy, indignation. Suddenly he rose, and, casting off the
toga, which dropped at his feet, he raised both hands and stood silent
for a time. At last he said, in the tones of a tragedian,--

"O Zeus, Apollo, Here, Athene, Persephone, and all ye immortals! why did
ye not come to aid us? What has this hapless city done to those cruel
wretches that they burnt it so inhumanly?"

"They are enemies of mankind and of thee," said Poppaea.

"Do justice!" cried others. "Punish the incendiaries! The gods
themselves call for vengeance!"

Nero sat down, dropped his head to his breast, and was silent a second
time, as if stunned by the wickedness of which he had heard. But after a
while he shook his hands, and said,--

"What punishments, what tortures befit such a crime? But the gods will
inspire me, and, aided by the powers of Tartarus, I will give my
poor people such a spectacle that they will remember me for ages with
gratitude."

The forehead of Petronius was covered with a sudden cloud. He thought of
the danger hanging over Lygia and over Vinicius, whom he loved, and over
all those people whose religion he rejected, but of whose innocence he
was certain. He thought also that one of those bloody orgies would begin
which his eyes, those of an aesthetic man, could not suffer. But above
all he thought: "I must save Vinicius, who will go mad if that maiden
perishes"; and this consideration outweighed every other, for Petronius
understood well that he was beginning a game far more perilous than any
in his life. He began, however, to speak freely and carelessly, as
his wont was when criticising or ridiculing plans of Caesar and the
Augustians that were not sufficiently aesthetic,--

"Ye have found victims! That is true. Ye may send them to the arena, or
array them i