"Have I not said the same, word for word, to thee ?" "That is an honor for me," said Chilo.

"The maiden, lord," continued he, turning again to Vinicius, "worships beyond a doubt the same divinity as that most virtuous of Roman ladies, that genuine matron, Pomponia.
I have heard this, too, that Pomponia was tried in her own house for worshipping some kind of foreign god, but I could not learn from her slaves what god that is, or what his worshippers are called.

If I could learn that, I should go to them, become the most devoted among them, and gain their confidence.

But thou, lord, who hast passed, as I know too, a number of days in the house of the noble Aulus, canst thou not give me some information thereon ?" "I cannot," said Vinicius.
"Ye have asked me long about various things, noble lords, and I have answered the questions; permit me now to give one.

Hast thou not seen, honored tribune, some statuette, some offering, some token, some amulet on Pomponia or thy divine Lygia?
Hast thou not seen them making signs to each other, intelligible to them alone ?" "Signs?
Wait! Yes; I saw once that Lygia made a fish on the sand." "A fish?
A-a! O-o-o! Did she do that once, or a number of times ?" "Only once." "And art thou certain, lord, that she outlined a fish?
O-o ?" "Yes," answered Vinicius, with roused curiosity.