Quo Vadis | Page 7

Eunice, loving him in secret, looked him in the eyes
with submission and rapture. But he did not even notice this; and,
smiling at Vinicius, he quoted in answer an expression of Seneca about
woman,-- Animal impudens, etc. And then, placing an arm on the
shoulders of his nephew, he conducted him to the triclinium.
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 prevent, for he took frequent part

in such frolics himself. Petronius suspected that they took place; 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 stool 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 stool, 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.
Chapter II
After a refreshment, which was called the morning meal and to which
the two friends sat down at an hour when common mortals were abeady
long past their midday prandium, Petronius proposed a light doze.
According to him, it was too early for visits yet. "There are, it is true,"
said he, "people who begin to visit their acquaintances 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
one when the sun passes to the side of Jove's temple on the Capitol and
begins to look slantwise on the Forum. In autumn 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 filters in through the
purple half-drawn velarium."
Vinicius recognized the justice of these words; and the two men began
to 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
he came out, and, having given command to bring verbena, he inhaled
the perfume and rubbed his hands and temples with it.

"Thou wilt not believe," said he, "how it enlivens and freshens 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 "insula" lay on the southern slope of the
Palatine, near the so-called Carinæ; their nearest way, therefore, was
below the Forum; but since Petronius wished to step in on the way 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 tabernæ of every kind.
Gigantic Africans bore the litter and moved on, preceded by slaves
called pedisequii. Petronius, after some time, raised to his nostrils in
silence his palm odorous with verbena, and seemed to be meditating on
something.
"It occurs to me," said he after a while, "that if thy forest goddess is not
a slave she might leave the house of Plautius, and transfer herself to
thine. Thou wouldst surround her with love and cover her with wealth,
as I do my adored Chrysothemis, of whom, speaking between us, I
have quite as nearly enough as she has of me."
Marcus shook his head.
"No?" inquired Petronius. "In the worst event, the case would be left
with Cæsar, and thou mayst be certain that, thanks even to my
influence, our Bronzebeard would be on thy side."
"Thou knowest not Lygia," replied Vinicius.
"Then permit me to ask if thou know her otherwise than by sight? Hast
spoken with her? hast confessed thy love to