ome!

And no god on heaven or earth--
Not the Paphian Queen of Mirth,
Not the vivid Lord of Light,
Nor the triple Maid of Night,
Nor the Thunderer's self shall be
Blest and honour'd more than thee!
Come! oh, come!

'The spectre is certainly coming,' said Sosia. 'I feel him running
along my hair!'

'Place thy bowl of water on the ground. Now, then, give me thy napkin,
and let me fold up thy face and eyes.'

'Ay! that's always the custom with these charms. Not so tight, though:
gently--gently!'

'There--thou canst not see?'

'See, by Jupiter! No! nothing but darkness.'

'Address, then, to the spectre whatever question thou wouldst ask him,
in a low-whispered voice, three times. If thy question is answered in
the affirmative, thou wilt hear the water ferment and bubble before the
demon breathes upon it; if in the negative, the water will be quite
silent.'

'But you will not play any trick with the water, eh?'

'Let me place the bowl under thy feet--so. Now thou wilt perceive that
I cannot touch it without thy knowledge.'

'Very fair. Now, then, O Bacchus! befriend me. Thou knowest that I
have always loved thee better than all the other gods, and I will
dedicate to thee that silver cup I stole last year from the burly
carptor (butler), if thou wilt but befriend me with this water-loving
demon. And thou, O Spirit! listen and hear me. Shall I be enabled to
purchase my freedom next year? Thou knowest; for, as thou livest in the
air, the birds have doubtless acquainted thee with every secret of this
house,--thou knowest that I have filched and pilfered all that I
honestly--that is, safely--could lay finger upon for the last three
years, and I yet want two thousand sesterces of the full sum. Shall I
be able, O good Spirit! to make up the deficiency in the course of this
year? Speak--Ha! does the water bubble? No; all is as still as a
tomb.--Well, then, if not this year, in two years?--Ah! I hear
something; the demon is scratching at the door; he'll be here
presently.--In two years, my good fellow: come now, two; that's a very
reasonable time. What! dumb still! Two years and a half--three--four?
ill fortune to you, friend demon! You are not a lady, that's clear, or
you would not keep silence so long. Five--six--sixty years? and may
Pluto seize you! I'll ask no more.' And Sosia, in a rage, kicked down
the water over his legs. He then, after