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 Cirsar 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 he said, -- "Pardon me; I love her, and love is disturbing my
faculties." "Look at me, Marcus. The day before yesterday I spoke to Caesar as
follows: 'My sister's son, Vinicius, has so fallen in love with a lean little girl who is
being reared with the Auluses that his house is turned into a stealnbath from
sighs. Neither thou, O Caesar, nor I -- we who know, each of us, what true
beauty is -- would give a thousand's sterces for her; but that lad has ever been as
dull as a tripod, and now he has lost all the wit that was in him.'"
"Petronius!"
"If thou understand not that I said this to insure Lygia's safety, I am ready to
believe that I told the truth. I persuaded Bronzebeard that a man of his aesthetic
nature could not consider such a girl beautiful; and Nero, who so far has not
