No one else except Pratinas, he was certain, knew _why_ the lanista had made his attack; and there was no danger of being charged with complicity in the conspiracy.

And so he was able to bear the stroke of ill-fortune with some equanimity, and at last rejoice that his dreams would no longer be haunted by the shade of Drusus.

He was in no mood to meet Pratinas, and the smooth Greek evidently did not care to meet him.

He went around to visit Cornelia again--she was still quite indisposed.

So he spent that morning with Servius Flaccus playing draughts, a game at which his opponent was so excessively stupid that Ahenobarbus won at pleasure, and consequently found himself after lunch[119] in a moderately equable humour.