anish afterward! But accustomed now to a quick
perception of that which took place in him, he noticed that at that
moment he was thinking of Lygia, and of her only.

"Eunice," said Petronius, "give command, thou divine one, to prepare
garlands for our heads and a meal."

When she had gone out he turned to Vinicius.

"I offered to make her free, but knowest thou what she answered?--'I
would rather be thy slave than Caesar's wife!' And she would not consent.
I freed her then without her knowledge. The pretor favored me by not
requiring her presence. But she does not know that she is free, as also
she does not know that this house and all my jewels, excepting the gems,
will belong to her in case of my death." He rose and walked through the
room, and said: "Love changes some more, others less, but it has changed
even me. Once I loved the odor of verbenas; but as Eunice prefers
violets, I like them now beyond all other flowers, and since spring came
we breathe only violets."

Here he stopped before Vinicius and inquired,--"But as to thee, dost
thou keep always to nard?"

"Give me peace!" answered the young man.

"I wished thee to see Eunice, and I mentioned her to thee, because thou,
perhaps, art seeking also at a distance that which is near. Maybe for
thee too is beating, somewhere in the chambers of thy slaves, a true and
simple heart. Apply such a balsam to thy wounds. Thou sayest that
Lygia loves thee? Perhaps she does. But what kind of love is that
which abdicates? Is not the meaning this,--that there is another force
stronger than her love? No, my dear, Lygia is not Eunice."

"All is one torment merely," answered Vinicius. "I saw thee kissing
Eunice's shoulders, and I thought then that if Lygia would lay hers bare
to me I should not care if the ground opened under us next moment. But
at the very thought of such an act a certain dread seized me, as if I
had attacked some vestal or wished to defile a divinity. Lygia is not
Eunice, but I understand the difference not in thy way. Love has changed
thy nostrils, and thou preferrest violets to verbenas; but it has
changed my soul: hence, in spite of my misery and desire, I prefer Lygia
to be what she is rather than to be like others."

"In that case no injustice is done thee. But I do not understand the
position."

"True, true!" answered Vinicius, feverishly. "We understand each other
no longer."

Another moment of silence followed.

"May Hades swallow thy Chris