nnounced?" inquired
Vinicius.

"In ten days. But they will take other prisons first. The more time that
remains to us the better. All is not lost yet."

But he did not believe this; for he knew perfectly that since to the
request of Aliturus, Caesar had found the splendidly sounding answer in
which he compared himself to Brutus, there was no rescue for Lygia. He
hid also, through pity, what he had heard at Senecio's, that Caesar and
Tigellinus had decided to select for themselves and their friends the
most beautiful Christian maidens, and defile them before the torture;
the others were to be given, on the day of the games, to pretorians and
beast-keepers.

Knowing that Vinicius would not survive Lygia in any case, he
strengthened hope in his heart designedly, first, through sympathy
for him; and second, because he wished that if Vinicius had to die, he
should die beautiful,--not with a face deformed and black from pain and
watching.

"To-day I will speak more or less thus to Augusta," said he: "'Save
Lygia for Vinicius, I will save Ruflus for thee.' And I will think of
that seriously.

"One word spoken to Ahenobarbus at the right moment may save or ruin any
one. In the worst case, we will gain time."

"Thanks to thee," repeated Vinicius.

"Thou wilt thank me best if thou eat and sleep. By Athene! In the
greatest straits Odysseus had sleep and food in mind. Thou hast spent
the whole night in prison, of course?"

"No," answered Vinicius; "I wished to visit the prison to-day, but there
is an order to admit no one. Learn, O Petronius, if the order is for
to-day alone or till the day of the games."

"I will discover this evening, and to-morrow morning will tell thee for
what time and why the order was issued. But now, even were Helios to go
to Cimmerian regions from sorrow, I shall sleep, and do thou follow my
example."

They separated; but Vinicius went to the library and wrote a letter
to Lygia. When he had finished, he took it himself to the Christian
centurion who carried it at once to the prison. After a while he
returned with a greeting from Lygia, and promised to deliver her answer
that day.

Vinicius did not wish to return home, but sat on a stone and waited for
Lygia's letter. The sun had risen high in the heavens, and crowds of
people flowed in, as usual, through the Clivus Argentarius to the Forum.
Hucksters called out their wares, soothsayers offered their services to
passers-by, citizens walked w