When Scipio had spoken thus, he suddenly saw Lucius Furius approaching, and saluting him, and embracing him most affectionately, he gave him a seat on his own couch.

And as soon as Publius Rutilius, the worthy reporter of the conference to us, had arrived, when we had saluted him, he placed him by the side of Tubero.

Then said Furius, What is it that you are about?
Has our entrance at all interrupted any conversation of yours?
By no means, said Scipio, for you yourself too are in the habit of investigating carefully the subject which Tubero was a little before proposing to examine; and our friend Rutilius, even under the walls of Numantia, was in the habit at times of conversing with me on questions of the same kind.

What, then, was the subject of your discussion?
said Philus.

We were talking, said Scipio, of the double suns that recently appeared, and I wish, Philus, to hear what you think of them.
XII.