Perhaps five hundred persons--nearly all slaves--had been employed on the huge estate, and they were all at hand.

As Drusus came up the avenue, a general shout of welcome greeted him.
"_Ave! Ave! Domine!_" and there were some shouts as Cornelia was seen of, "_Ave! Domina!_" "_Domina_[22] here very soon," said Drusus, smiling to the young lady; and disengaging himself from her, he advanced to greet personally a tall, ponderous figure, with white, flowing hair, a huge white beard, and a left arm that had been severed at the wrist, who came forward with a swinging military stride that seemed to belie his evident years.
[22] _Domina_, mistress.
"All hail, dearest Mamercus!" exclaimed the young man, running up to the burly object.

"Here is the little boy you used to scold, fondle, and tell stories to, back safe and sound to hear the old tales and to listen to some more admonitions." The veteran made a hurried motion with his remaining hand, as if to brush something away from his eyes, and his deep voice seemed a trifle husky when he replied, speaking slowly:-- "_Mehercle!_[23] All the Gods be praised! The noble Sextus living again in the form of his son! Ah! This makes my old heart glad;" and he held out his hand to Drusus.

But the young man dashed it away, and flinging his arms around Mamercus's neck, kissed him on both cheeks.
Then when this warm greeting was over, Drusus had to salute Titus Mamercus, a solid, stocky, honest-faced country lad of eighteen, the son of the veteran; and after Titus--since the Mamerci and Drusi were remotely related and the _jus oscului_[24]--less legally, the "right of kissing"-- existed between them, he felt called upon to press the cheek of AEmilia, Mamercus's pretty daughter, of about her brother's age.

Cornelia seemed a little discomposed at this, and perhaps so gave her lover a trifling delight.