he letter and read as follows:--

"Marcus Vinicius to Aulus Plautius greeting. What has happened, has
happened by the will of Caesar, before which incline your heads, as I and
Petronius incline ours."

A long silence followed.

Chapter VI

PETRONIUS was at home. The doorkeeper did not dare to stop Vinicius, who
burst into the atrium like a storm, and, learning that the master of
the house was in the library, he rushed into the library with the same
impetus. Finding Petronius writing, he snatched the reed from his hand,
broke it, trampled the reed on the floor, then fixed his fingers into
his shoulder, and, approaching his face to that of his uncle, asked,
with a hoarse voice,--"What hast thou done with her? Where is she?"

Suddenly an amazing thing happened. That slender and effeminate
Petronius seized the hand of the youthful athlete, which was grasping
his shoulder, then seized the other, and, holding them both in his one
hand with the grip of an iron vice, he said,--"I am incapable only in
the morning; in the evening I regain my former strength. Try to
escape. A weaver must have taught thee gymnastics, and a blacksmith thy
manners."

On his face not even anger was evident, but in his eyes there was a
certain pale reflection of energy and daring. After a while he let
the hands of Vinicius drop. Vinicius stood before him shamefaced and
enraged.

"Thou hast a steel hand," said he; "but if thou hast betrayed me, I
swear, by all the infernal gods, that I will thrust a knife into thy
body, though thou be in the chambers of Caesar."

"Let us talk calmly," said Petronius. "Steel is stronger, as thou seest,
than iron; hence, though out of one of thy arms two as large as mine
might be made, I have no need to fear thee. On the contrary, I grieve
over thy rudeness, and if the ingratitude of men could astonish me yet,
I should be astonished at thy ingratitude."

"Where is Lygia?"

"In a brothel,--that is, in the house of Caesar."

"Petronius!"

"Calm thyself, and be seated. I asked Caesar for two things, which he
promised me,--first, to take Lygia from the house of Aulus, and second
to give her to thee. Hast thou not a knife there under the folds of thy
toga? Perhaps thou wilt stab me! But I advise thee to wait a couple of
days, for thou wouldst be taken to prison, and meanwhile Lygia would be
wearied in thy house."

Silence followed. Vinicius looked for some time with astonished eyes on
Petronius; then