Domitia

Corbulo entered the peristyle of the vi

th, and his muscles twit

ately to the gynaikonitis, or Lady's hall, where she had summoned to her a bevy o

with the kid, and Lamia at once went to

iled at his approach. They were old acquaintan

been engaged against the Parthians and Armenians for eight years, but the war had been intermittent,

e [pg 27]best society of the province. Corbulo, a quiet, thoughtful and modest man, shrunk from th

of much promise, and of singular integrity of mind and purity of

rom Lamius, a son of Poseidon, or Neptune, by one of those fictions so dear to the Roman noble houses, and which caused the fabrication

supposed to be dead in the year in which he had been elected pr?tor, and was placed on the funeral pyre, when consciousness returned, but too late for him

looked up as a model of all the old Roman virtues, as well as a man of commanding military genius. The simplicity of the ol

hand, and walked with her up and down the plea

d swam. His hand that held

e Domitia

his manner, into his eyes, an

ls you,

"By the Gods! I conjure thee to summon all thy fortitud

was a child when I left it, but I love our hou

of a basin, and nervously, not knowing what he did, drew his fin

a Roman, and have the blood of the Gods in your v

looked down, and saw them dart like shadows in the pool, and her own

the Earth-shakes, and tremblest as a girl! See-a tear fell

rst. Think what would be the sor

sh and the water surface rippled by his finge

fath

dripping finger and

had torn down boughs of cypress, and

l, rising, falling, ebbing, flowing-a sea of sound

ose moments that seems an etern

articulate wo

ar of thy race! Come back, thou shadow! Return, O fleeted soul!

uttered about the dead in the hopes of

gin of the pool, startling the fish again and sending them flyi

idity of a slave, did not

nt with a cry that cut through the wail of the mourners, she cast herself on the body of her father, that lay extended on the [

ent Lami

their arms and lowering them, uttering their cries of lamentation and invocations to the departed s

g to him, kissed him, chafed his hands, endeavored to

yond recall, and were it to return wou

s strewed about her, and even dipped in her father's blood. She was as though frantic with despair; he

ength touched

itia. You canno

nd put back the burnished rain of hair that

slew

on his ow

He was

she reeled and fell unconsci

his arms, and bore her forth into the garden to the fountain, wher

d? and why had he d

urther, hard by at Corinth, where he was engaged in superintending the cutting of a cana

ivided into three companies, whose duty it was to applaud the imperial mountebank, and rouse or lead enthusiasm, the Hummers by buzzi

nge was so small, that when striving to sink to a bass note, his voice became a gurgle, and when he attempted to

itan citizens who crowded the theatre to hear the imperial buffoon

ers, [pg 32]dancers, heaped up with theatrical

in male and then in female costume, and adapt his voice to the sex he personated, n

the wealthiest nobles of Rome, whom he had marked out for death, e

t statues and paintings, and he carried them off, from temple as from marketplace,

l men's mouths, through their achievements, or notable for virtue, his suspicion had for some

preferments, his purpose being to withdraw him

essage to commit suicide. A gracious condescension that, for the property of the man who was executed was forfeit and his

hands and locks of the girl, and bathed

to summon some of the female slaves. These were, however, in no condition to answer his call and be of use. Duilia had monopolized the attentions of almost all such as had not been commissioned to raise

Lucius returned to the garden, and saw Domi

ve passed over her hea

not to have left her face, nor relaxed the stony appearance it

was startled

ia!" s

eyes to him, an

not what, bring me into the presence of the monster. I know how my father has come by his death-as have so many others, the best and the

mit

ok to the stars and to sail by them. I look and I see one only

careful of thy words. If overheard, they mig

are

it matters

t thou ca

ll in th

reveng

e done? He, the coward, is carefully guarded. None are suffered to approach him who have not first been

nd good into the earth. The Gods! see you now! They set a star in heaven, they grave a duty in my heart, and the star is unattainab

g