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The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s 6 des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est i\\m6 6 oartir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche L droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessai'-e. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. errata to I pelure. on 6 n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 6 6 (( QUO VADIS." A Sequel ti) Lotil.iiii/ lliicliunril. Equality r.y i:i)\V.\kl) I'.Kl.LAMV Author uf Liioking Backward, Dr. Hcjd- ciihoU's Process, etc. I.'Mi>. I'All'.K, 731;.; Cl.Ol H, 5 I..-3 " 'I 111.' li'iwl: :,li.\il(l l;:i\^; an enon.ious .sal': i.i C'.iii.i'l.i,' - /'//,■ Caii.uiitin Mitrn^uii'. 1 li'-- slrjiy f ,1111 is pftserved ;in.l tli-: uUltlvi i-, n<:\or allo'.vcil t j ll.i^. ■'-■/'//-.• iycstni'iistt:r. " It is a I'-iiiarkalilc hook." — Toronto Mai! ai:u l-.iupii L\ riu; 1pi>>1v is even \\\ iiu (KJinhtful rcadiiiL; lliaii ' Loukin.; r.ackuaiil." — JAw^/tvi/ Hcis (if argiiiiiL-tit, .liiii ilcsurves h> he uarcdiily reail." — Ciiuudiiiii Chun/iinan, "'Iviuality' is a sc(|iiel to his foniiL-r \)ii of t/w ;/iiir .... . Ci.oTii, $1.50. I'ai'i;i;, 75c. '• His ;,'reatest work; 'The Christian' is really a great n )vel." — /'ivv/;/,; M >iito Gli'I'e, " From start to finish 'The Christian ' is of ah- suhin;.; interest; it is iindouhtedly his ,i;reatest Work." — ri>)\>iUo ]l'(>rJd. TORONIO: (;1,{)R<;K \. MORWC (JUG A^VIJIS' ^ ilaxxamt at tljt fimiJ nf ^cvo. BY IIEXRYK 8IEXKIEWICZ, al-th;.ii of "with fike and swokd," "thk deuge," "I'AX MICHAEL," "CHri.DHE.V OK THK SOU,," ETC. Tn.is'sLATF.D rnoM Tji].] poTjsn r.y JKKK.MIAII CUiirixV. TORONTO: GEORGE N. MOUANG <».'^ YoN(;e Street 1897 -r> V ^ r r I I 2 1 !» n 3 2 Kntered according to Act of Pailiament of Canada, in the year one thousand fi;;lit liinidred anil niiiety-MVuii, Ijy I.ITTI.K, Hkhwn and Co.Ml'ANV, in tlic Ulfu-e u{ ilie Minister of Ayiicultuie. printed by Thk Carswri.l Company, Limited 'I'OUONTt). '£0 AUGUSTE COMTE. ©f .5an jFranrisfo, €.i!., AIV DKAK riUi;X|> AND CLASS.M ATI; I IlKc; TO Dl.UICATK THIS VOi.lME. JKiitMlAH CLKTIN. siiul a nr suit; have a IV !'( »se ()nl\ to Jl ht'i- Ii in«^ Roi issii ort the ciat intt aiK tlui Ilo IXTRODUCTOrvY. In tlic ti'iloLcy " Willi Fire and Swrn-d." •' 'I'lir Dcliin'i'," and " Pan Mii had," Sicidsicwicz lias L;i\i'ii jiicturcs cii' a i;ivat and di'i-isivc cporli in niodciii liislory. 'i'lic n-- sults of the stiiiL'i''K' lu'L-nn under liO'-dan Ilniclnitski liavu brcii felt lor nioix* llian two c('nliiii»'s, and llicy are ^rowini;" daily in inij)oitaiice. '11: Russia wliich rose out of lliat stru<4"<;le lias lieconie a power not only of JMiro[)ean hut of world-wide sionilieance, and, to all human seeniiuLr, she is yet in an early sta<»e of her career. In '' (()uo A'adis" the author ^'ives us pictures of open- \w^ scenes in the conflict of moral ideas with the Roman I*^m[)ire, — a conflict from which Christianity issued as the leadinMri«Ml feasts, time hi.' woke M| inj^ liis kiioadiii the cou; strenle that Otho him- self eould not compare witii him, and was really that which lie had been calle himself neknowied^ed their excellence over those of the Km|»eror. thouu'h the imperial baths were more ext<^nsive and tlnished with incomparably on-iter luxury. After that feast, at which lie was bored bv the iestinir of Vntinius with Nero. Lucan, and Seneca, he took part in a omen, assure tl ee that it is all paler than reality. Meanwhile every man is searching in the book, — for himself with alarm, for his ac- quaintances with delight. At the bookshop of Avirnus a hundred copyists are writing at dictation, and 'Is success is assured." " Are thy affairs in it ? ** *'They are; but the author is mistaken, for T am at once worse and less flat than he represents me. Seest thou we have lost loner since the feeling of what is worthy or un- worthy, — and to me even it seems that in real truth there is no difference between them, though Seneca, Musonius, and Trasca pretend that tliey see it. To me it is all one ! By Hercules, I say what 1 think ! I have preserved loftiness, however, because I know what is deformed and what is beautiful ; but this our poet, Bronzebeard, for example, or a wagoner, or a ballad singer, or a buffoon, does not under- stand." "I am sorry, however, for Fa])rlcius ! He is a good companion." " Self-love destroyed the man, Every one suspected him, no one knew certainly ; but he could not contain himself, and told the secret on all sides in confidence. Hast heard the history of Rufinus ? " *^No." 6 QUO VADIS. *'Tlien come to tlic frigidariuin to cool ; there I will tell thee." They j)!isse(l into the fri^idnriiiin, in the middle of which was phiyinu; .1 fountain of briiiht rose-color, emittinjjj the odor of violi'ts. Tiiere they sat in niches which were cov- ered with velvet, and beuan to cool themselves. Silence reigned for a time. Viniciiis looked awhile thoughtfully at a ])ronze faun which, l)ending over the arm of a nymph, was seeking her lips eagerly with his lips. "He is right," said the young man. " Tiiat is what is best in life." "More or less! l^ut besides this thou lovest war, which I do not love, for under tents one's finger-nails break and cease to be rosy. For tiiat matter, every man has his pref- erences. Bronze))eard loves song, especially his own ; and old Scaiirus his Corinthian vase, ^v'mcIi stands near his bed at night, and which he kisses when he cannot sleep. He has kissed the edge off already. Tell me, dost thou not write verses ? " " No; 1 have never composed a single hexam.eter." " And dost thou not play on the lute and sing? " "No." " And dost thou drive a chariot? " " I tried once in Antioch, but unsuccessfully." "Then I am at rest concerning thee. And to what party in the hippodrome dost thou belong?" "To the Greens." " Now T am perfectly' at rest, especially sinoe thou hast a large property indeed, though thou art not so rich as Pallas or Seneca. For seest thou, with us at ])resent it is well to write verses, to sing to a lute, to declaim, and to compete in the Circus; but better, and especially safer, not to write verses, not to play, not to sing, and not to compete in tiie Circus. liest of all, is it to know how to admire when l)ronzebeard admires. Thou art a comely voung man; hence Poppa'a may fall in love with thee. This is thy only peril. But no, she is too ex[)erienced ; she cares for some- thing else. She has had enough of love with her two hus- bands; with tiie third she has otiier views. Dost thou know that that stupid (Jtho loves her yet to distraction? He walks on the cliffs of Spain, and sighs; he has so lost his former habits, and so cetised to care for his person, that three hours each day sullice him to dresi his hair. Who could have expected this of Otho?" \ (( QUO VADIS. I will toll of which ittinjij the woiv cov- Sileiiee htfiilly at niph, was s what is ar, which n'calv and 5 his pref- )wn ; and ir liis l)ed !eep. lie thou not iiat party thou hast o rich as L'sent it is n, and to safer, not > compete jo admire iniiJ!; man ; ; tliy only for some- two lius- hon know He walks is former ree hours )uld have *' I nnderstand him," answered Vinicius; *'but in hid place I slwMild have done otherwise." '* What, namely?" " I should have enrolled faithful le«!;ions of mountaineers of that countrv. Thev are jz^ood soldiers, — those Iberians." " Vinicius ! Vinicius! 1 almost wish to ti'll thee that thou wouldst not have heen capalde of that. And ktiowest wiiy? Such things are done, Itut tliey are not mentioned even con- ditionally. As to me, in his place, I should have laun;hed at Poppa'a, lautihed at Bronzebeard, and formed for myself le:, held in their iiands, which were ben(lin. Ulster n^piired, then, of the Lygians a i)romise not to cross the boundary; to this they not only aixreed, but uave hostages, am(Mi<; whom were the wife and (buitihter , or :i vliioli I brint! hast thou heard that in I'ppcrlOgypt tin- phienix has just been hatched out, as 'tis said, — an event which ha[)pens not oftener than once in live centuries." '' Petronius ! Petronius! Let us tr»lk of the pluenix some other time." "What shall I tell thee, my ]\rarcus? I know Aulus Plautius, wiio, thouuii he blames mv mode of life, has for me a certain weakness, and even respects me, perhaps, more than others, for he knows that I have never been an informer like -Domitius Afer, Tigellinus, and a whole ral)ble of Ahenol)arbus's intimates.' Without pretending to be a stoic, I have been offended more than cMice at aets of Nero, which Seneca and Bun'us looked at through 'their lingers. If it is thy thought that I miuht do something for thee with Aulus, I am at thy command." " I judge that thou hast the power. Thou hast influence over him; and, ])esides, thy mind i)ossesses inexhaustible resources. If thou wert to survey the position and speak with Plautius." "Thou hast too great an idea of my influence and wit; but if that is the only question, 1 will talk with Plautius as soon as they return to the city." " Thev returned two davs since." " In that case let us go to the triclinium, where o meal is now ready, and when we have refreshed ourselves, let us give command to bear us to Plautius." CI? "Thou hast ever l)een kind to me," answered Vinicius, with vivacity ; "but now I shall give command to rear thy statue amoni]; mv lares, — iust such a beautv as this one, — and I will place offerings before it." When he had said this, he turned toward the statues which ornamented all one wall of the perfumed chamber, and pointed to the statue representing Pt'tronius as Hermes with a staff in his hand; then he added, — "By the light of Ilelios ! if the 'godlike' Alexander resembled thee, I do not wonder at Helen." And in that exclamation there was as much sincerity as ' Nero's name was orifjjinally L. Domitius Ahenoharbus. 12 QUO VADIS. flattery ; for Petronius, tlioiiirli older and less athletic, was more beautiful than even Viiiiciiis. The women of Home admired not only his pliant mind and his taste, which gained for him tlu; title Arhitrr rlrfjontifp^ but also his body. This admiration was evident even on the faces of those maidens from Cos who were arranj^inj^ now the folds of his toga; and one of whom, whose name was Eunice, loving him in secret, looked him in the eyes with submission and rapture, liut he 'Md not even notice this; and, smiling at Vinicius, he began to quote in answer an expression of Seneca about women, — Animal imjfudens^ etc. And then, placing a hand on Vinicius's shoulder, he conducted him to the tri clinium. In the unctorium the two Grecian maidens, the Phrygians, and the two Ethiopians began to put away the vessels with perfumes. But at that moment, and beyond the curtain of the frigidarium, appeared the heads of the balneatores, and a low " Psst! " was heard. At that call one of the Grecians, the Phrygians, and the Ethiopians sprang up quickly, and vanished in a twinkle behind the curtain. In the baths began a moment of license which the inspector did not pre- vent, for he took i)art in such frolics himself frequently. Petronius suspected them; but, as a prudent man, and one who did not like to punish, he looked at them through his fingers. In the unctorium only Eunice remained. She listened for a short time to the voices and laughter which retreated in the direction of the laconicum. At last she took the table inlaid with amber and ivory, on which Petronius had been sitting a short time before, and put it carefully at his statue. The unctorium was full of sunlight and the hues which came from the many-colored marbles with which the wall was faced. Eunice stood on the table, and, finding herself at the level of the statue, cast her arms suddenly around its neck ; then, throwing back her golden hair, and pressing her rosy body to the white marble, she pressed her lips with ecstasy to the cold lips of Petronius. f QUO VADIS. 18 a 1 1 CHAPTER II. After a refreshment which was called a mornin<]f meal and to which the two friends sat down at an Ikmit when common mortals were already long past tiicir midday prandium, Petronius proposed a light doze. According to him, it was too early for visits yet. "There arc, it is true," said he, "people who begin to visit their accpiaintances about sunrise, thinking that custom an old Roman one, but I look on this as barbarous. The afternoon hours are most proper, — not earlier, however, than that hour when the sun passes to the side of Jove's temple on the Capitol and begins to look slantwise on the Forum. In autunni it is still hot, and people are glad to sleep after eating. At the same time it is pleasant to hear the noise of the fountain in the atrium, and after the obligatory thousand steps to doze in the red light which is filtered in through the purple half- drawn velarium." Vinicius recognized the justice of these words ; and the two men began the walk, speaking in a careless manner of what was to be heard on the Palatine and in the city, and philosophizing a little upon life. Petronius withdrew then to the cubiculum, but did not sleep long. In half an hour lie came out, and, having given command to bring verbena, he inhaled and rubbed his hands and temples with it. "Thou wilt not believe," said he, "how it enlivens and clears one. Now I am ready." The litter was waiting long since ; hence they took their places, and Petronius gave command to bear them to the Vicus Patricius, to the house of Aulus. Petronius's " in- sula" lay on the southern slope of the Palatine, near the so-called Carinae; their nearest way therefore was below the Forum; but since Petronius wished also to step in to see the jeweller Idomeneus, he gave the direction to carry them along the Vicus Apollinis and the Forum in the direction of the Vicus Sceleratus, on the corner of which were many tabernae of every kind. Grigantic Africans bore the litter and moved on, preceded by slaves called pedisequii. Petronius after some time 14 QL'O VADIS. niisiMl to liis nostrils' in silence IiIs palm odorous with verlxMia, niid seoiiKMl to ))e iiUMlit.'iLiiii; on sonu'tiiiiiLj. a Jt occurs to iiic," said lie after a wliilc, '^tliat if tliv forest goddess is not a slave she mi^Iit leave the house of the Plautiuses, and transfer hersi-lf to tliine, 'J'jiou wouidst surround her witli love ai»d cover iier witii wealth as I do my adored Chrysotheinis, of whom, speakinj; hetweeu us, I have quite as nearly enough as she has of me." Marcus shook' his head. " No? " incjuired Petronnis. " In the worst event the case would l)e left with Ca'sar, and thou mayst he ceitain that, thanks even to my inlluence, our lironzeheard would be on thy side." "Thou knowost not Lviria," replied Vinicius. "Then permit me to ask if thou know lu-r otherwise tiian by siijht? Hast spoken with her? hast confessed thy love to her?" "I saw her first at the foinitain ; since then I have met her twice. Hemember that during' mv stay in the house of Aulus I dwelt in a separate villa, intended for guests, and, liaving a disjointed arm, I c iM not sit at the connny him in Britain, and then of the; fall of small states in Italy, which I.icinius Stolo strove to i)reyent. In general I do not know whether Aulus will be able to speak of aught else, and do not think that we shall be able to es- cape this unless it l)e thy wish to hear about the effeminacy of these days. They have pheasants in their preserves, but they do not eat them, setting out from th(! principle that every ])heasant eaten ])rings nearer the eml of Kojuan power. I met her a second time at the garden cistern, with a freshly plucked reed in her hand, the top of which she dipped in the water aiid sprinkled the irises growing around. Look at my knees. By the shield of Hercules, 1 tell thee that tliey did not trenibie when clouds of Tarthians advanced on our manii)les with howls, but they treml)led before the cistern. And, confused as a youth who still wears a bulla on his neck, 1 merely begged pity with my eyes, not being able to ntter a Avord for a long time." Petronius looked at him, as if with a certain envy. " Happy man," said he, "though the world and life were the worst, one thing in them will remain eternally good, — youth I " QUO VADIS. 15 Ills with it if thy iioiisc of I wouidst as I do .'L'U us, I : the case tain that, \d be on \vise than tiiy love liave met liouse of .'sts, and, urn ta])le. (lopartnro I word to victories of sintill ^•ent. In to speak »Ic to es- I'feminaey ■rves, but iple tiiat 111 power. a freslily Llipped in d. Look tiiee that sauced on efore the "s a bulla not being " Happy tiie worst, uth I " After a while he inquired: ** And hast thou not spoken to her?" " When I had recovered somewhat, I told her that I was n'turniiiLr from Asia, that I liad disiointed my iii'ui lU'ar the city, and had siifb-red severely, but at that moment when about to leave that hospitable house I saw that sufferinLT in it was more to be wished for than delight in another j)lace, that sickness there was better than health in another place. Confused too on her part, she listened to my words with bent head, and was drawiiiLT sonu'thin^ with the reed on the saffron-colored san(l. Afterward she raised her eyes, then looked down at tlu' juarks drawn already; once more she looked at nu', as if to ask ab()iit sometIiin|j:, and then lied on a sudden like a hamadryad before a dull faun." " She must have beautiful eyes." "As tiie sea — and 1 was drowned in them, as in the sea. Helieve me that the archii»elajio is less blue. Aft<'r a while a little son of I'lautius ran up and asked about something, liut J did not understand what he wanted." "() Athene!" exclaimed Petronius, "remove from the eyes of this youth the bandage with which Kros has bound them; if not, he will break his head against the columns of Venus's tem{)le." "O thou spring bud on the tree of life," said he, turning to Vinicius, "thou first green shoot of the vine! Instead of taking thee to the riautiuses, I ought to give command to l)ear thee to the house of (ielocius, where there is a school for youths unac(iuainted with life." " Wiiat dost thou wish in particular? " " But what did she write on the sand? "Was it not the name of Amor, or a heart pierced with his dart, or some- thing of such sort, that one might know from it that the satyrs had whispered to the ear of that nymph various secrets of life? How couldst thou help looking on those marks?" " It is longer since I have put on the toga than seems to thee," said Vinicius, "and before little Auius ran up, I looked carefully at those marks, for I know that fre(|uently maidens in Greece and in Rome draw on the sand a con- fession which their lips will not utter. Hut guess what s)ie drew ? " " If it is other than I supposed, I shall not guess." "A fish." "What dost thou say?" 16 QUO VADIS. " I say, a fish. AVhat did tliat moan, — that cold hlood is flowin<2: ill her veins? So far I do not know; but thou, who hast called me a sprinii; bud on tlie tree of life, wilt be able to understand the sigi^ certainly." " Carissirne ! ask such a thinir of Pliny. lie knows fish. If old Apicius were alive, he could tell thee somethinrth the ♦i'olden nto the temples ong the 1 under ,ere sit- around e back- ground many-colored swarms of ])utterilies or beetles. From above, down immense steps, from the sides of the temple dedicated to Jupiter Optimus INIaximus, came new waves; at the rostra people listened to chance ora- tors ; here and there were heard the shouts of hav.kers sellinii: fruit, wine or water mixed with ti^-juice; cheats offered marveUous medicines ; soothsayers guessed for hidden treasures; inter{)reters of dreams showed their art. Here and there, in the tumult of conversations and cries, were minuh'd soinids of the Kuyptian sistra, of the sambuko, or of (irecian Hutes. Here and there the sick, the pious, or the afllicted were bearinued population rej)eated aloud their luimes, with the addition of some term of ridicule or i)raise. Amonji; the unordered reetini2;s, he an- nounced with all the expressiveness and freedom at his com- mand that he iiad come to thank him for the care wliich his sister's son had found in that house, and that irratitude alone was the cause of the visit, to which, moreover, he was emboldened by his old accpiaintance witii Aulus. Aulus assured him that he was a welcome iiuest ; and as to <^ratitude, he declared that he had that feelinjx himself, thouirli surely Petronius did not divine the cause of it. In fact, Petronius did not divine it. In vain did he raise his nut-like eyes, endeavorinji; to rememlier the least service rendered to Aulus or to anv one. He recalled none, unless it mi r, 1 think. " Willingly," answered Plautius, rising ; " that is mv little Aldus and Lygia, playing ball. But as to Petronius, that our whole life is spent in it " Life deserves laughter, hence people laugh at it," an- swered Petronius ; " but laughter here has another sound." " Petronius does not laugh for days," said Vinicius ; " but he laughs entire nights." Thus conversing, they passed through the length of the house and reached the garden, where Lygia and little Aulus were playing with balls, which slaves, appointed to that game exclusively and called spheristae, picked up and placed in their hands. Petronius cast a quick passing glance at Lygia ; little Aulus, seeing Vinicius, ran to greet him ; but the otiier, passing on, bent his head before the beautiful maiden, wlio stood with a ball in her hand, her hai." blown apart a little. She was somewhat out of breath, and flushed. In the garden triclinium, shaded by ivy, grapes, and wood- bine, sat Pomponia Griecina ; hence they went to salute her. She was known to Petronius, though he did not visit Plau- tius, for he had seen her at the house of Antistia, the daughter of Rubelius Plautus, and besides at the house of Seneca and Polion. He could not resist a certain admira- tion with which he was filled by her face, pensive but mild, by the dignity of her bearing, by her movements, by her words. Pomponia disturbed his understanding of women to such a degree that that man, corrupted to the marrow of his bones, and self-confident as no one in Rome, not only felt for her a kind of esteem, but even lost his previous self- confidence. And now, thanking her for her care of Vinicius, he t'arust in, as it were involuntarily, " domina," which never occurred to him when speaking, for example, to Cal- via Crispinilla, Scribonia, Valeria, Solina, and other women of high society. After he had greeted her and returned thanks, he began to complain that he saw her so rarely, that it was not possible to meet her either in the Circus or the Amphitheatre ; to which she answered calmly, laying her hand on the hand of her husband, — *' We are growing old, and love our domestic quiet more and more, both of us." Petronius wished to oppose ; but Aulus Plautius added in his hissing voice, — *'And we feel stranger and stranger among people who give Greek names to our Roman divinities." "The gods have become for some time mere figures of ^ QUO VADIS. rhetoric," n plied Petronius, carelessly. *' But since Greek rhetoricians taught us, it is easier for me even to say Hera than Juno." He turned his eyes then to Pornponia, as if t», signify! that in presence of her no other divinity could come to his mind ; and tiien he began to contradict what she had said touching old age. "People age quickly, it is true ; but there are some wIig live another life entirely, and besides there are faces which Saturn seems to forget." Petronius said this with a certain sincerity even, for Pom ponia (THCcina, though descending from the midday of life, had preserved an unconnnon freshness of comi)lexion ; and since she had a small head and a delicate face, she produced at times, in spite of her dark robes, in spite of her solem- nity and sadness, the impression of a woman quite young. Meanwhile little Aulus, who had become uncommonly friendly with Vinicius during his former stay in the house, approached the young man and entreated him to play ball. Lygia herself entered the triclinium after the little bo}'. Under the climbing ivy, with the light quivering on her face, she seemed to Petronius more beautiful tlian at the first glance, and really like some nymph. As he had not spoken to her thus far, he rose, inclined his head, and, instead of the usual expressions of greeting, quoted the words with which Ulysses greeted Nausikaa, — "I su])])licate thee, O queen, whether thou art some goddess or a mortal ! If thou art one of the (Uius^hters of men who dwell on earth, thrice blessed are thy father and thy lady mother, and thrice blessed thy brethren." ■ The exquisite politeness of this man of the world pleased even Pomponia. As to Lygia, she listened, confused and flushed, without boldness to raise her eyes. But a wayward smile began to quiver at the corners of her lips, and on her face a struggle M'as evident between the timidity of a maiden and the wish to answer; but clearly the wish was victorious, for, looking quickly at Petronius, she answered him all at once with the words of that same Nausikaa, quoting them at one breath, and a little like a lesson learned, — "Stranger, thou seeniest no evil man nor foolish." Then she turned and ran out as a frightened bird runs. This time the turn for astonishment came to Petronius, for lip. pre e Greek ay Hera siiinifj le to his had said )me who es which or Pom I of life, on ; and produced r solem- ,'oun<»;. )mmonly e house, >lay ])all. :tle ])oy. her face, [the lirst spoken tead of ds with ess or a on earth, :e blessed pleased ed and ay ward on her maiden torious, [1 all at them at QUO VADIS. 25 IS. bromus. for he had not expected to hear verses of Homer from the lips of a maiden of whose ])arharian extraction he had iieard previously from Vinieius. Hence he looked with an incpiir* ing glance on Pomponia; but she could not give him an answer, for she was looking at that moment, with a smile, at the pride reflected on the face of lier husband. He was not able to conceal that pride. First, he had become attached to Lvgia as to his own daughter ; and sec- ond, in spite of his old Roman prejudices, which commanded him to thunder against Greek and tLe spread of the lan- guage, he considered it as the sunnnit of social polish. He himself had never been able to learn it well ; over this he suffered in secret. He was glad therefore that an answer was given in the language and the poetry of Homer to this exquisite man both of fashion and letters, who was ready to consider Plautius's house as barbarian. '*We have a pedagogue, a Greek," said he, turning to Petronius, "who teaches our boy, and the maiden overhears the lessons. She is a wagtail yet, but a dear one, to which we have both grown attached." Petronius looked through the branches of woodbine into the garden, and at the three persons who were playing there. Vinieius had thrown aside his toga, and, wearing only his tunic, was striking the ball which Lygia, standing oppo- site, with raised arms was trying to catch. The maiden did not make a great impression on Petronius at the first glance ; she seemed to him too slender. But from the mo- ment when he looked at her more nearly in the triclinium he thought to himself that Aurora might look like her; and as a judge he understood that there was in her something uncommon. He considered everything and estimated every- thing ; hence her face, rosy and clear, and her fresh lips, as if set for a kiss, and the blue ej'es like the azure of the sea, and the alabaster whiteness of her forehead, and the wealth of her dark hair, with the reflection of amber or Corinthian bronze gleaming in its folds, and her slight neck and the divine slope of her shoulders, and the whole posture, flexible, slender, young with the youth of Ma^ and of freshly opened flowers. The artist was roused in him, and the worshipper of beauty, who felt that beneath a statue of that maiden one might write, " 8pring." All at once he remembered Chrysothemis, and pure laughter seized him. Chrysothemis seemed to him, with her golden powder on her hair and her darkened brows, to be fabulously faded, — something in the 26 QUO VABIS. vl" nature of a yellowed rose-tree shedding its leaves. But still Rome euvied him that Chrysothemis. Then lie recalled Poppaja ; and that most famous Toppa-a also seemed to him soulless, a waxen mask. In tliat maiden with Tana- grian outlines there was not only spring, but a radiant soul, which shone through her rosy body as a flame through a lamp. **Vinicius is right," thought he, *'and my Chrysothemis is old, old ! — as Troy ! " Then he turned to Pomponia Graicina, and, pointing to the garden, said, ^ ** I understand now, domina, why thou and thy husband prefer tliis house to the Circus and to feasts on the Palatine." " Yes," answered she, turning her e^'es in the direction of little Aulus and Lygia. But the old general began to relate the liistory of the maiden, and what he had heard years before from Atelius Hister about the Lygian people who lived in the gloom of the north. The three outside had finished playing ball, and for some time had been walking along the sand of the garden, appear- ing against the ^.ark background of myrtles and cypresses like three white statues. Lygia held little Aulus by the hand. After they had walked awhile they sat on a bench near the fish-pond, which occupied the middle of the garden. After a while Aulus sprang up to frighten the fish in the tran?' parent water, but Vinicius continued the conversation begun during the walk. "Yes," said he, in a low quivering voice, scarcely audi- ble; "barely had I cast aside the pretexta, when I was sent to the legions in Asia. I had not become acquainted with the city, nor with life, nor with love. I knew a small bit of Anacreon by heart, and Horace; but I could not quote verses like Petronius, when reason is silent from admiration and cannot find its own words. While a youth I went to school to Musonius, who told me that happiness consists in wishing wl?at the gods wish, and therefore depends on our will. I think, however, that it is different, — something greater and more precious, which does not depend on the will, for only love can « ive it. The gods themselves seek that happi- ness ; hence I too, O Lygia, who have not known love thus far, follow their steps. I also seek her who would give me happiness — '' ing 1 es. But e recalled ed to him th Tan ca- ll radiant e through ysothemis )inting to r husband ;s on the rection of ry of the in Atelius gloom of for some n, appear- esses like he hand. near the After a anpparent un during ely audi- en I "vvas inted with small bit not quote dmiration I went to onsists in n our will. g greater will, for lat happi- love thus give me QUO VADIS. 27 He was silent — and for a time there was nothing to be heard save the light plash of the water into whieli little Auliis was tiirowing pel>bles to fiighten the tish ; but after a while Vinicius began again to si)eak with a voice still softer and lower, — *' But thou knowest of Vespasian's son Titus? They say that he had scarcely ce:i.sed to be a youth when he so loved Berenice that grief almost drew the life out of him. So could I too love, O Lygia ! Hiclies, glory, power are mere smoke, vanity! The rich man will luid a richer than him- self; the greater glory of another will eclipse a man who is famous ; a strong man will be concpiered by a stronger — But can Cjusar himself, can any god even, experience greater delight or be happier than a simple mortal at the moment when at his breast there is breathing another dear breast, or when he kisses beloved lips? Hence love makes us equal to the gods, O Lygia." And she listened with alarm, with astonishment, and at the same time as if she were listening to the sound of a Grecian tlute or a cithara. It seemed to her at moments that Vinicius was singing a kind of wonderful song, which way instilling itself into her ears, moving the blood in he , and penetrating her heart with a faintness, a fear, and a kind of uncomprehended delight. It seemed to her also that he was telling something which was in her before, but of which she could not give account to herself. She felt that he was rousing in her something which had been sleep- ing hitherto, and that in that moment a hazy dream was changing into a form more and more definite, more pleasing, more beautiful. Meanwhile the sun had passed the Tiber long since, and had sunk low over the Janiculuin. On the unmoved cypresses ruddy light was falling, and the whole atmosphere was filled with it. Lygia raised on Vinicius her blue eyes as if roused from sleep ; and he, bending over her with a prayer quivering in his eyes, seemed on a sudden, in the reflections of evening, more beautiful than all men, thnn all Greek and Roman gods whose statues she had seen on the facades of temples. And with his fingers he clasped her arm lightly just above the wrist and asked, — '* Dost thou not divine w^hat I say to thee, Lygia?" *' No," whispered she in answer, in a voice so low that Vinicius barely heard it. But he did not believe her, and, drawing her hand toward 28 QUO VADIS. him more viy the marvelhms maiden, wan l)eating lil\e a iiammer, and would iiave ad- dressed ]>urnin<5 words to her directly, were it not that on a path set in a frame of myrtles appeared old Aulus, wlio said, while approachini; them, — *'The sun is settin