If she is in the city, we shall find her, for that Lygian is easily recognized, even by his stature and his shoulders.

Thou art lucky that it was not Caesar who took her, and I can assure thee that he did not, for there are no secrets from me on the Palatine." But Vinicius burst forth in sorrow still more than in anger, and in a voice broken by emotion told Petronius what he had heard from Acte, and what new dangers were threatening Lygia,--dangers so dreadful that because of them there would be need to hide her from Poppaea most carefully, in case they discovered her.

Then he reproached Petronius bitterly for his counsel.

Had it not been for him, everything would have gone differently.

Lygia would have been at the house of Aulus, and he, Vinicius, might have seen her every day, and he would have been happier at that moment than Caesar.