his, while quivering in his arms from
happiness. After a while Petronius asked,--

"But if we should have to separate?"

Eunice looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"How is that, lord?"

"Fear not; I ask, for who knows but I may have to set out on a long
journey?"

"Take me with thee-"

Petronius changed the conversation quickly, and said,--

"Tell me, are there asphodels on the grass plot in the garden?"

"The cypresses and the grass plots are yellow from the fire, the leaves
have fallen from the myrtles, and the whole garden seems dead."

"All Rome seems dead, and soon it will be a real graveyard. Dost
thou know that an edict against the Christians is to be issued, and a
persecution will begin during which thousands will perish?"

"Why punish the Christians, lord? They are good and peaceful."

"For that very reason."

"Let us go to the sea. Thy beautiful eyes do not like to see blood."

"Well, but meanwhile I must bathe. Come to the elaeothesium to anoint
my arms. By the girdle of Kypris! never hast thou seemed to me so
beautiful. I will give command to make a bath for thee in the form of a
shell; thou wilt be like a costly pearl in it. Come, Golden-haired!"

He went out, and an hour later both, in garlands of roses and with misty
eyes, were resting before a table covered with a service of gold. They
were served by boys dressed as Cupids, they drank wine from ivy-wreathed
goblets, and heard the hymn to Apollo sung to the sound of harps, under
direction of Anthemios. What cared they if around the villa chimneys
pointed up from the ruins of houses, and gusts of wind swept the ashes
of burnt Rome in every direction? They were happy thinking only of love,
which had made their lives like a divine dream. But before the hymn was
finished a slave, the chief of the atrium, entered the hall.

"Lord," said he, in a voice quivering with alarm, "a centurion with a
detachment of pretorians is standing before the gate, and, at command of
Caesar, wishes to see thee."

The song and the sound of lutes ceased. Alarm was roused in all present;
for Caesar, in communications with friends, did not employ pretorians
usually, and their arrival at such times foreboded no good. Petronius
alone showed not the slightest emotion, but said, like a man annoyed by
continual visits,--

"They might let me dine in peace." Then turning to the chief of the
atrium, he said, "Let him enter."

The slave disappeared behind the curtain;