ho? Perhaps Christ Himself would assist
him with His divine power; maybe that inspiration was His? "Oh, would
that it were!" exclaimed Vinicius, in spirit. He would take vengeance on
Nero for the danger of Lygia and his own fear; he would begin the
reign of truth and justice, he would extend Christ's religion from the
Euphrates to the misty shores of Britain; he would array Lygia in the
purple, and make her mistress of the world.

But these thoughts which had burst forth in his head like a bunch of
sparks from a blazing house, died away like sparks. First of all was the
need to save Lygia. He looked now on the catastrophe from near by; hence
fear seized him again, and before that sea of flame and smoke, before
the touch of dreadful reality, that confidence with which he believed
that Peter would rescue Lygia died in his heart altogether. Despair
seized him a second time when he had come out on the Via Portuensis,
which led directly to the Trans-Tiber. He did not recover till he came
to the gate, where people repeated what fugitives had said before, that
the greater part of that division of the city was not seized by the
flames yet, but that fire had crossed the river in a number of places.

Still the Trans-Tiber was full of smoke, and crowds of fugitives made it
more difficult to reach the interior of the place, since people, having
more time there, had saved greater quantities of goods. The main street
itself was in many parts filled completely, and around the Naumachia
Augusta great heaps were piled up. Narrow alleys, in which smoke had
collected more densely, were simply impassable. The inhabitants were
fleeing in thousands. On the way Vinicius saw wonderful sights. More
than once two rivers of people, flowing in opposite directions, met in a
narrow passage, stopped each other, men fought hand to hand, struck and
trampled one another. Families lost one another in the uproar; mothers
called on their children despairingly. The young tribune's hair stood
on end at thought of what must happen nearer the fire. Amid shouts and
howls it was difficult to inquire about anything or understand what was
said. At times new columns of smoke from beyond the river rolled toward
them, smoke black and so heavy that it moved near the ground, hiding
houses, people, and every object, just as night does. But the wind
caused by the conflagration blew it away again, and then Vinicius pushed
forward farther toward the alley in which stood th