Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz (most popular novels of all time .txt) 📕

He changed masks one after another, whirled like a spindle, waved his hands like a drunken sailor, till disgust seized me while looking at that great stomach and those slim legs. Paris taught him during two weeks; but imagine to thyself Ahenobarbus as Leda or as the divine swan. That was a swan!⁠—there is no use in denying it. But he wants to appear before the public in that pantomime⁠—first in Antium, and then in Rome.”

“People are offended already because he sang in public; but to think that a Roman Caesar will appear as a mime! No; even Rome will not endure that!”

“My dear friend, Rome will endure anything; the Senate will pass a vote of thanks to the ‘Father of his country.’ And the rabble will be elated because Caesar is its buffoon.”

“Say thyself, is it possible to be more debased?”

Petronius shrugged his shoulders. “Thou art living by thyself at home, and meditating, now about Lygia, now about Christians, so thou knowest not, perhaps, what happened two days since. Nero married, in public, Pythagoras, who appeared as a bride. That passed the measure of madness, it would seem, would it not? And what wilt thou say? the flamens, who were summoned, came and performed the ceremony with solemnity. I was present. I can endure much; still I thought, I confess, that the gods, if there be any, should give a sign. But Caesar does not believe in the gods, and he is right.”

“So he is in one person chief priest, a god, and an atheist,” said Vinicius.

“True,” said Petronius, beginning to laugh. “That had not entered my head; but the combination is such as the world has not seen.” Then, stopping a moment, he said: “One should add that this chief priest who does not believe in the gods, and this god who reviles the gods, fears them in his character of atheist.”

“The proof of this is what happened in the temple of Vesta.”

“What a society!”

“As the society is, so is Caesar. But this will not last long.”

Thus conversing, they entered the house of Vinicius, who called for supper joyously; then, turning to Petronius he said⁠—“No, my dear, society must be renewed.”

“We shall not renew it,” answered Petronius, “even for the reason that in Nero’s time man is like a butterfly⁠—he lives in the sunshine of favor, and at the first cold wind he perishes, even against his will. By the son of Maia! more than once have I given myself this question: By what miracle has such a man as Lucius Saturninus been able to reach the age of ninety-three, to survive Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius? But never mind. Wilt thou permit me to send thy litter for Eunice? My wish to sleep has gone, somehow, and I should like to be joyous. Give command to cithara players to come to the supper, and afterward we will talk of Antium. It is needful to think of it, especially for thee.”

Vinicius gave the order to send for Eunice, but declared that he had no thought of breaking his head over the stay in Antium.

“Let those break their heads who cannot live otherwise than in the rays of Caesar’s favor. The world does not end on the Palatine, especially for those who have something else in their hearts and souls.”

He said this so carelessly and with such animation and gladness that his whole manner struck Petronius; hence, looking for a time at him, he asked⁠—“What is taking place in thee? Thou art today as thou wert when wearing the golden bulla on thy neck.”

“I am happy,” answered Vinicius. “I have invited thee purposely to tell thee so.”

“What has happened?”

“Something which I would not give for the Roman Empire.”

Then he sat down, and, leaning on the arm of the chair, rested his head on his hand, and asked⁠—“Dost remember how we were at the house of Aulus Plautius, and there thou didst see for the first time the godlike maiden called by thee ‘the dawn and the spring’? Dost remember that Psyche, that incomparable, that one more beautiful than our maidens and our goddesses?”

Petronius looked at him with astonishment, as if he wished to make sure that his head was right.

“Of whom art thou speaking?” asked he at last. “Evidently I remember Lygia.”

“I am her betrothed.”

“What!”

But Vinicius sprang up and called his dispensator.

“Let the slaves stand before me to the last soul, quickly!”

“Art thou her betrothed?” repeated Petronius.

But before he recovered from his astonishment the immense atrium was swarming with people. Panting old men ran in, men in the vigor of life, women, boys, and girls. With each moment the atrium was filled more and more; in corridors, called fauces, voices were heard calling in various languages. Finally, all took their places in rows at the walls and among the columns. Vinicius, standing near the impluvium, turned to Demas, the freedman, and said⁠—

“Those who have served twenty years in my house are to appear tomorrow before the pretor, where they will receive freedom; those who have not served out the time will receive three pieces of gold and double rations for a week. Send an order to the village prisons to remit punishment, strike the fetters from people’s feet, and feed them sufficiently. Know that a happy day has come to me, and I wish rejoicing in the house.”

For a moment they stood in silence, as if not believing their ears; then all hands were raised at once, and all mouths cried⁠—“A-a! lord! a-a-a!”

Vinicius dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Though they desired to thank him and to fall at his feet, they went away hurriedly, filling the house with happiness from cellar to roof.

“Tomorrow,” said Vinicius, “I will command them to meet again in the garden, and to make such signs on the ground as they choose. Lygia will free those who draw a fish.”

Petronius, who never wondered long at anything, had grown indifferent, and asked⁠—“A fish, is it? Ah, ha! According to Chilo, that is the