child. Beside him sat old Thrasyllus, with

ou did well to follow my advice at last and not to go on languishing with grief in the villa at Bai?. Yes, it is sold. We shall never go back there. The villa is sold to C?sar. For almost nothing. Tiberius can look upon it as a gift! What does it matter? Forget the villa and ... forget Ilia.... We are now sailing towards Egypt, the birthplace of all wisdom, the cradle of humanity. You did well to follow my advice: you n

left the

Tarrar," he said to the

yllus," sai

song was hushed, the hymn was hushed; only the rowers' me

ed as Silenus and with a bald and shining pate; and on a low chair sat Cora, the Greek slav

ed Catullus, sleepily, "h

word to me," replied

still behind the grey fringe of his cranium. "I shall become

Thrasyllus. "He believes that she has be

-that she ran away with Carus the Cypriote, the sailo

was not worth it! She reigned as queen in his house ... and she ran away with

believes that Venu

us: the goddess was in very truth watching over Lucius when she aroused that mad passion

e born as poor as a rat and my nephew surrounded by every earthly treasure, since ... since I was a babe at the breast, I have not believ

her head from the harp

he asked. "Thrasyllu

eed, Cora," sa

anything abo

hrasyllus, "

aid anything ab

ffering too much to

a went away and since you, Thrasyllus, bought Cora for her beautiful voice, to divert Lucius a little; an

he Greek slave, leaning her

d and puffed o

tired of Rome and Bai?; I am really tired of roast peacock and oysters. Nothing but Rome and roast peacock; nothing but Bai? and oysters: I shall end by turning into a peacock or an oyster! Change of diet is the secret of good health. I was l

ery beautiful

l," said Thrasyllus, w

, "but she was too heavy and too big. Her ankles wer

hrasyllus repeated. "She wa

us, vehemently, "either with you or with my nephe

an Venus of Praxiteles,

Lucius were! And really, between ourselves, I can understand her bolting, though she did reign as queen in the house. She was far too much admired for her divine ankles and wrists and for her big feet and hands! Did she not sometimes have to turn and turn for a hour, while Lucius lay looking at her, to turn on a revolving pedestal, which two slaves under the floor moved round and round and round, and did not Lucius grow angry if she stirred? 'I can't

ill ask me to pose as the Cnidian Ve

eeling!" yawned Catullus. "I shall sta

and pushed pillows under his head, his loins and his feet. He accepted their attentions like a child. And, when he had turned over, he

risen to

, Thrasyllu

ra," said the t

ck with some other slaves. These were sleeping in six or seven narrow beds close together. A rose-coloured lantern shed a vag

narrow, shapely foot. And she passed her slender fingers over her hips, which were like a virgin's, and over her waist, round which she could almost make her two hands meet. Then she took up a metal hand-mirror and looked at herself in

other beds. A slave had moved slightly in her sleep, muttering. Cora drew a sheet ov

as calm as a lake; and there was nothing but the beating of

rder from the steersman, up

of heavy ropes ove