was over, the triumph of the Nightingale Sauce
had been achieved, and the daybreak was already glimmering in the
eastern sky, when the senator's favoured servant, the freedman Carrio,
drew back the shutter of the porter's lodge, where he had been dozing
since the conclusion of the feast, and looked out lazily into the
street. The dull, faint light of dawn was now strengthening slowly
over the lonely roadway and on the walls of the lofty houses. Of the
groups of idlers of the lowest class who had assembled during the
evening in the street to snuff the fragrant odours which steamed afar
from Vetranio's kitchens, not one remained; men, women, and children
had long since departed to seek shelter wherever they could find it,
and to fatten their lean bodies on what had been charitable bestowed on
them of the coarser relics of the banquet. The mysterious solitude and
tranquility of daybreak in a great city prevailed over all things.
Nothing impressed, however, by the peculiar and solemn attraction of
the scene at this moment, the freedman apostrophised the fresh morning
air, as it blew over him, in strong terms of disgust, and even ventured
in lowered tones to rail against his master's uncomfortable fancy for
being awakened after a feast at the approach of dawn. Far too well
aware, nevertheless, of the necessity of yielding the most implicit
obedience to the commands he had received to resign himself any longer
to the pleasant temptations of repose, Carrio, after yawning, rubbing
his eyes, and indulging for a few moments more in the luxury of
complaint, set forth in earnest to follow the corridors leading to the
interior of the palace, and to awaken Vetranio without further delay.

He had not advanced more than a few steps when a proclamation, written
in letters of gold on a blue-coloured board, and hung against the wall
at his side, attracted his attention. This public notice, which
delayed his progress at the very outset, and which was intended for the
special edification of all the inhabitants of Rome, was thus
expressed:--

'ON THIS DAY, AND FOR TEN DAYS FOLLOWING, THE AFFAIRS OF OUR PATRON
OBLIGE HIM TO BE ABSENT FROM ROME.'

Here the proclamation ended, without descending to particulars. It had
been put forth, in accordance with the easy fashion of the age, to
answer at once all applications at Vetranio's palace during the
senator's absence. Although the colouring of the board, the writing of
the letters, and t