He remembered, besides, that Terpnos and Diodorus had a direct order to close Caesar's mouth whenever he raised his voice too much and exposed it to danger.
"O Caesar!" continued he, with the same seriousness and sorrow, "we have suffered an immeasurable loss; let even this treasure of consolation remain to us!" Nero's face quivered, and after a while tears came from his eyes.

All at once he rested his hands on Petronius's shoulders, and, dropping his head on his breast, began to repeat, amid sobs, "Thou alone of all thought of this,--thou alone, O Petronius! thou alone!" Tigellinus grew yellow from envy; but Petronius continued,-- "Go to Antium! there she came to the world, there joy flowed in on thee, there solace will come to thee.

Let the sea air freshen thy divine throat; let thy breast breathe the salt dampness.

We, thy devoted ones, will follow thee everywhere; and when we assuage thy pain with friendship, thou wilt comfort us with song.
"True!" answered Nero, sadly, "I will write a hymn in her honor, and compose music for it." "And then thou wilt find the warm sun in Baiae." "And afterward--forgetfulness in Greece." "In the birthplace of poetry and song." And his stony, gloomy state of mind passed away gradually, as clouds pass that are covering the sun; and then a conversation began which, though full of sadness, yet was full of plans for the future,--touching a journey, artistic exhibitions, and even the receptions required at the promised coming of Tiridates, King of Armenia.

Tigellinus tried, it is true, to bring forward again the enchantment; but Petronius, sure now of victory, took up the challenge directly.
"Tigellinus," said he, "dost thou think that enchantments can injure the gods ?" "Caesar himself has mentioned them," answered the courtier.
"Pain was speaking, not Caesar; but thou--what is thy opinion of the matter ?" "The gods are too mighty to be subject to charms." "Then wouldst thou deny divinity to Caesar and his family ?" "Peractum est!" muttered Eprius Marcellus, standing near, repeating that shout which the people gave always when a gladiator in the arena received such a blow that he needed no other.
Tigellinus gnawed his own anger.