ection of oaths, intended
solely for ladies' use! I intend to set the fashion of swearing by
them myself!'

'But answer my question, I beseech you! Will you never learn to talk
on one subject at a time?'

'Your question--ah, your question! It was about the Goths?'

'No, no! It was about that man who is incessantly writing, and will
look at nobody. He is almost as provoking as Camilla herself!'

'Don't frown so! That man, as you call him, is the senator Vetranio.'

The lady started. It was evident that Vetranio had a reputation.

'Yes!' continued the lively Camilla, 'that is the accomplished
Vetranio; but he will be no favourite of yours, for he sometimes
swears--swears by the ancient gods, too, which is forbidden!'

'He is handsome.'

'Handsome! he is beautiful! Not a woman in Italy but is languishing
for him!'

'I have heard that he is clever.'

'Who has not? He is the author of some of the most celebrated sauces
of the age. Cooks of all nations worship him as an oracle. Then he
writes poetry, and composes music, and paints pictures! And as for
philosophy--he talks it better than my uncle the bishop!'

'Is he rich?'

'Ah! my uncle the bishop!--I must tell you how I helped Vetranio to
make a satire on him! When I was staying with him at Rome, I used often
to see a woman in a veil taken across the garden to his study; so, to
perplex him, I asked him who she was. And he frowned and stammered,
and said at first that I was disrespectful; but he told me afterwards
that she was an Arian whom he was labouring to convert. So I thought I
should like to see how this conversion went on, and I hid myself behind
a bookcase. But it is a profound secret; I tell it you in confidence.'

'I don't care to know it. Tell me about Vetranio.'

'How ill-natured you are! Oh! I shall never forget how we laughed when
I told Vetranio what I had seen. He took up his writing materials, and
made the satire immediately. The next day all Rome heard of it. My
uncle was speechless with rage! I believe he suspected me; but he gave
up converting the Arian lady, and--'

'I ask you again--Is Vetranio rich?'

'Half Sicily is his. He has immense estates in Africa, olive-grounds
in Syria, and corn-fields in Gaul. I was present at an entertainment
he gave at his villa in Sicily. He fitted up one of his vessels from
the descriptions of the furnishing of Cleopatra's galley, and made his
slaves swim after us as attendan