heca adjoining the oecus,
he said to her,--"Listen to me, Pomponia. I will go to Caesar, though
I judge that my visit will be useless; and though Seneca's word means
nothing with Nero now, I will go also to Seneca. To-day Sophonius,
Tigellinus, Petronius, or Vatinius have more influence. As to Caesar,
perhaps he has never even heard of the Lygian people; and if he has
demanded the delivery of Lygia, the hostage, he has done so because some
one persuaded him to it,--it is easy to guess who could do that."

She raised her eyes to him quickly.

"Is it Petronius?"

"It is."

A moment of silence followed; then the general continued,--"See what it
is to admit over the threshold any of those people without conscience or
honor. Cursed be the moment in which Vinicius entered our house, for
he brought Petronius. Woe to Lygia, since those men are not seeking a
hostage, but a concubine."

And his speech became more hissing than usual, because of helpless rage
and of sorrow for his adopted daughter. He struggled with himself some
time, and only his clenched fists showed how severe was the struggle
within him.

"I have revered the gods so far," said he; "but at this moment I think
that not they are over the world, but one mad, malicious monster named
Nero."

"Aulus," said Pomponia. "Nero is only a handful of rotten dust before
God."

But Aulus began to walk with long steps over the mosaic of the
pinacotheca. In his life there had been great deeds, but no great
misfortunes; hence he was unused to them. The old soldier had grown more
attached to Lygia than he himself had been aware of, and now he could
not be reconciled to the thought that he had lost her. Besides, he felt
humiliated. A hand was weighing on him which he despised, and at the
same time he felt that before its power his power was as nothing.

But when at last he stifled in himself the anger which disturbed his
thoughts, he said,--"I judge that Petronius has not taken her from
us for Caesar, since he would not offend Poppaea. Therefore he took her
either for himself or Vinicius. Today I will discover this."

And after a while the litter bore him in the direction of the Palatine.
Pomponia, when left alone, went to little Aulus, who did not cease
crying for his sister, or threatening Caesar.

Chapter V

AULUS had judged rightly that he would not be admitted to Nero's
presence. They told him that Caesar was occupied in singing with the
lute-player, Te