Andivius Hedulio: Adventures of a Roman Nobleman in the Days of the Empire

by Edward Lucas White

  CHAPTER IV

  HOROSCOPES AND MARVELS

  Tanno looked about again, less wildly, but still like a man in a daze.

  "But," he cried, "if you do such wonders, how do you do them, Caius?"

  "I don't know now," I said, "any more than I knew the first time I gentleda fierce strange dog. It came natural then, it always has come natural."

  "Naturally," said Lisius Naepor, "since it is part of your nature frombefore birth. Do you mean to tell us, Opsitius, that Hedulio has nevershown you his horoscope?"

  "Never!" said Tanno, "and he never spoke of it to me. I'm Spanish, youknow, by ancestry, and Spaniards are not Syrians or Egyptians. Horoscopesdon't figure largely in Spanish life. I never bothered about horoscopes, Isuppose. So I never mentioned horoscopes to Hedulio nor he to me."

  "Nor he to you of course," said Neponius Pomplio, "he is too modest."

  "In fact," said Naepor. "I should never have known of Hedulio's horoscopeif his uncle had not shown me a copy. Caius has never mentioned it, unlessone of us talked of it first."

  "What's the point of the horoscope?" Tanno queried.

  "Why you see," Naepor explained. "Hedulio was born in the third watch ofthe night on the Ides of September.

  "Now it is well known that persons are likely to be competent trainers ofanimals if they are born under the influence of the Whale or of theCentaur or the Lion or the Scorpion or when the Lesser Bear rises at dawnor in those watches of the night when the Great Bear, after swinging lowin the northern sky, is again beginning to swing upwards, or at thosehours of the day when, as it can be established by calculations, the GreatBear, though invisible in the glow of the sunlight, is in that part of itscircle round the northern pole.

  "It is disputed which of these constellations has the most powerfulinfluence, but it is generally reckoned that the Whale is mostinfluential, next the Centaur, next the Lion, and the Scorpion least ofall, while the dawn rising of the Lesser Bear and the beginning of theupward motion of the Great Bear are held to have merely auxiliaryinfluence when the other signs are favorable. If two or more of these areat one and the same time powerful in the sky at the moment of any one'sbirth, he will be an unusually capable animal-tamer, the more puissantaccording as more of the potent stars shine upon his birth.

  "It is manifest that, at no day and hour, will all of these signs conspireat their greatest potency. For clearly, for instance, the Lion and theScorpion, being both in the Zodiac, and being separated in the Zodiac bythe interposition of two entire constellations, can never be in theascendant at one and the same time, nor can one be near the ascendant whenthe other is in that position. Yet there are times when a majority of themall exert their most potent or nearly their most potent influence, thereare some moments when their possible combination of influences is nearlyat its maximum potency.

  "Now the day, hour, and moment of Hedulio's birth is, as astrologersagree, precisely that instant of the entire year when the stars combinetheir magic powers with their most puissant force to produce theirgreatest possible effect on the nature of a child born at that instant, inorder that he may have irresistible sway over the wills of all fierce,wild and ferocious animals.

  "Such, from his birth and by the divine might of his birth-stars, is ourHedulio."

  "After all that," said Tanno, "I should believe anything. I believe thetale of the she-bear. Who has another to tell?"

  "Before anyone begins another anecdote," said Neponius Pomplio, "I want tostate my opinion that Hedulio's habitual and instantaneous subjugation ofvicious dogs which have never before set eyes on him and his miraculouspowers of similarly pacifying such wild animals as bears and wolves, whileinexpressibly marvellous, is no more wonderful, if, in fact, as wondrousas his power to attract to him, even from a great distance, creaturesnaturally solitary, or timorous."

  "It is strange," said Juventius Muso, "that I should have begun by tellingthe story of the wolf at the spring, an occurrence of which I was the onlywitness, instead of mentioning first Hedulio's power over deer, somethingknown to all of us, and many miracles which everyone of us has seen. Isuppose we each thought of the most spectacular example of Hedulio'spowers known to us, whereas he had so generally handled and gentled deerthat we instinctively regarded that as commonplace."

  "I think you are right," said Lisius Naepor, "for Hedulio's ability toapproach a doe with fawns and to handle the young in sight of the motherwithout her showing any sign of alarm or concern, is, to my mind, quite asmarvellous as his dealings with the she-bear. It seems to me as miraculousto overcome the timidity of the doe as the ferocity of the bear. And wehave all seen him play with fawns, fawns so young that they had barelybegun to follow their dam. We have all seen a herd of deer stand placidlyand let him approach them, move about among them, handle them. We have allseen him handle and gentle stags, even old stags in the rutting season.There is no gainsaying our Hedulio's power over animals, it is a matter oftoo general and too common knowledge."

  "I have seen a mole," said Fisevius Rusco, "come out of its burrow at duskand eat earth worms out of Hedulio's hand."

  "I," said Naepor, "have watched him catch a butterfly and, holding ituncrushed, walk into a wood, and have seen a woodthrush flutter down tohim, take the butterfly from his fingers, speed away with it to feed itsyoung and presently return to his empty hand, as if expecting anotherinsect, perch on his hand, peck at it and remain some time; and there isno song-bird more fearful of mankind, more aloof, more retiring, moresecret than a wood-thrush."

  Several of the others told of my similarly attracting seed-eating birdswith handfuls of millet, wheat or other grains or seeds; of squirrels,anywhere in the forests, coming down trees to me and taking nuts from myfingers.

  Bultius Seclator said:

  "I have seen Hedulio seat himself on a rock in the sunshine and seen agolden eagle, circling in the sky, circle lower and lower till he perchedon Hedulio's wrist and not only perched there, but sat there some time,preening his feathers as if alone on the dead topmost limb of a tall tree,eye Hedulio's face without pecking at him and finally take wing and leaveHedulio's arm not only untorn by his talons, but unscratched, without evena mark of the claw-points."

  Said Mallius Vulso:

  "Hedulio has a way of catching flies with a quick sweep of his hand. Ihave seen him catch a fly and hold him, buzzing between his fingers andthumb and have seen a lizard run up to him and dart at the fly."

  "And I," said Lisius Naepor, "have seen fish in a tank rise to his handand let him take them out of the water, handle them and slip them backinto the water again, all without a struggle."

  "More wonderful than that," spoke up Juventius Muso, "I have seen lampreysfeed from his hand without biting it, and I have even seen him pick uplampreys out of the water without their attempting to bite him. I'll wagerno other man ever did the like."

  "True," ruminated Naepor, "Hedulio can pick up and handle a puff-adder andit will never strike at him and he can similarly handle any kind ofsnake."

  "Well," Tanno summed up, after they had talked the subject out, "youcountrymen beat me. Here I've been cronying with Caius for years and yearsand never suspected any such wizardry in him."

  "May I speak?" asked Agathemer from his stool, where he had sat silent,sipping his wine very moderately at infrequent intervals.

  "Certainly, man," said Tanno, "speak up if you have anything to tell asgood as the bull story."

  "Although I know my master's modesty." Agathemer said, "I cannot conceivehow you can have associated with him so long without knowing of his powerover animals. Have you never seen him, for instance, with Nemestronia'sleopard?"

  "Never that I recall," said Tanno, "and if I had I should have thoughtnothing of it. Nemestronia's leopard has been tame since it learned tosuck milk from Nemestronia's fingers, before its eyes were half open. Italways has been tame and is tame with everybody, not only with allNemestronia's household, not only with frequenters of her reception rooms,but also with casual visitors, total s
trangers to it. Nobody would thinkit anything wonderful for Hedulio to handle Nemestronia's leopard."

  "I do not mean merely handling," said Agathemer respectfully. "I meansomething quite amazing in itself. And that leads me to remark that noneof you gentlemen has mentioned or referred to what I regard as one of mymaster's most amazing feats and one which he has repeated countless timesin the presence of uncountable witnesses: I mean taking a bone away from avicious dog which has never seen him before. I think that amounts to aportent, or would if it had not happened so often."

  "Incredible!" cried Tanno.

  Then the whole room broke into a hubbub of confirmations andcorroborations of Agathemer's statement.

  "I give in," Tanno declared, "now for the leopard."

  "I am told," said Agathemer, "that all such animals, lions, tigers,leopards, panthers and lynxes, when they set out on their nocturnalprowlings, intent on catching prey, have the strange habit of givingnotice to all creatures within hearing that they are about to beginhunting, by a series of roars, snarls, squalls, screams, screeches orwhatever they may be properly called for each variety of animal.

  "Now one of the tricks of Nemestronia's leopard, which she is fond ofexhibiting to her guests, is its method of approaching any live creatureexposed to its mercy for its food. If a kid, hare, lamb, porker or whatnot is turned into one of Nemestronia's walled gardens and the leopard letin, she will, at first sight of the game, crouch belly-flat on the groundand give out a really appalling series of screams or whatever they shouldbe called, entirely unlike any other noise she ever makes. Her hunting-squall, as Nemestronia calls it, rises and falls like a tune on an organ,and besides changing from shriller to less shrill alters in volume fromlouder to less loud and louder again. It is an experience to hear it, forit is like no sound anyone in Rome ever heard and is unforgettable."

  "There you are wrong," Tanno cut in, "it is the normal hunting cry of aleopard. But not many leopards in captivity ever give it. She is the onlyleopard I ever heard give it in captivity, but I have heard it in thedeserts south of Gaetulia and Africa, when I was there with my cohort,while I was still in the army. And let me tell you right here, what I haveoften told Nemestronia, only the dear self-willed old lady will not listento me at all, there will be trouble yet with that leopard. She has been aparlor and bedroom pet from birth and she is tame, not only to allNemestronia's household but to all visitors. But the mere fact that she isold enough to give her hunting-squall for small game is warning enough, ifNemestronia would only realize it, that she is getting fiercer as she getsolder. It's only a question of time, no matter how liberally she is fed,that she will turn on her human associates. Possibly she'll give themwarning with her hunting-squall, and precious little help it will betowards escaping her, but most likely she'll just turn on someone, withoutwarning, and there'll be a corpse and a pool of blood on the floor orpavement. You mark my words: that is coming as sure as fate, ifNemestronia keeps that leopard about her mansion."

  "That may all be true," Hirnio cut in, "but Opsitius, do let Agathemer sayhis say, whatever it may be."

  "You are right and I was wrong," Tanno admitted.

  "Proceed, Agathemer."

  "Let me describe her behavior fully, for the sake of others," Agathemerresumed. "When she sights a victim she flattens herself out on the groundand gives her long, quavering squall. If the victim remains stationary shecrawls toward it very slowly, almost imperceptibly, moving one paw only ata time. If it runs about she ceases her advance and pivots around until itis again stationary and she facing it. She keeps that up until she iswithin springing distance. But if she sees it near a gate or a door andapparently trying to escape through that, she springs and bounds on it.Otherwise, if the victim keeps quiet and still, she spends a long time inher approach, seeming to enjoy every breath she draws and to be gloatingover her helpless prey."

  "Just so, gentlemen," Tanno put in, "Agathemer is exact. I have seen allthat over and over."

  "It is the more astonishing to me," Agathemer went on, "that you havenever seen Hedulio divert her attention and entice her away from hervictim, even when she is within leaping distance and ready for her finalspring. That, to me, is the only thing I ever saw Hedulio do surpassinghis repeated success in taking a bone from a cross dog without resistancefrom the dog."

  "Never saw him do it," Tanno declared. "Never heard of it fromNemestronia, and she'll talk 'leopard' by the hour, if you let her. Neversuspected any such sorcery from Hedulio. How does he do it? Expound hismethods."

  "Very simple," said Agathemer. "He calls to her or he walks in front ofher. At once she turns her attention to him, appears to forget her preyaltogether, rubs against him, purrs, lets him chafe her ears, head andneck, seems to beg for more chafing, rolls on the ground by him andinvites him to play with her. Sometimes she seems to insist on his playingwith her and to threaten to lose her temper unless he does play with her."

  "What do you mean by playing with her?" Tanno queried.

  "Have you ever seen any of these little Egyptian cats which some folkshave nowadays for pets?" Agathemer asked in his turn. "Creatures about aslong as your forearm and rather gentle?"

  "Certainly," said Tanno. "I've seen a number of them at ultra-fashionablemansions of the fast set, who must have the latest novelty."

  "Ever see any of their kittens?" Agathemer asked.

  "Two or three times I have," Tanno replied. "Amusing, fluffy littlecreatures, not much bigger than a man's hand."

  "Ever see one play with a ball?" Agathemer asked.

  Tanno laughed.

  "Run after a ball, you mean," he said, "slap it first with one paw andthen with the other, bound after it and all that?"

  "No," said Agathemer, "I do not mean that way; I mean the way a kittenwill pretend that a ball is another kitten, will lie on the floor with theball between its paws, will kick it with its hind feet and paw at it withits forefeet and yet not really claw it."

  "I've seen that, too," said Tanno.

  "Well," said Agathemer, "Hedulio acts as the ball or the other kitten forthat big leopard. He lies down on the pavement by her and they tussle liketwo puppies, only it is cat-play not dog-play. Hedulio kicks and slaps theleopard and she kicks and slaps him, and they are all mixed up like a pairof wrestlers, and she growls and mouths his hands and arms and shoulders,yet she never bites or claws him, does all that clawing of him with herclaws sheathed; never hurts him, and, when she has had enough play, letshim lead her off to her cage."

  "Miraculous!" cried Tanno, "but beastly undignified. Fancy a Roman, ofequestrian rank, moving in Rome's best society circles, a friend of theEmperor, sprawling on a pavement playing with a stinking leopard, lettingher tousle him and rumple his clothes, and letting her slobber her foulsaliva all over his arms and shoulders! I'm ashamed of you, Hedulio!"

  "Nothing to be ashamed of!" I said. "I thought it fun, every time I havedone it, and I did it only for Nemestronia and a few of her intimates,never before any large gathering."

  "I should hope not!" Tanno cried, "and I trust you will never try itagain. It's disgraceful! And it's too risky. If you keep it up some fineday she'll slash the face off you or bite your whole head off at onesnap."

  I was surprised and abashed at Tanno's reception of the leopard story andAgathemer seemed similarly affected and more so than I. He tried to starta diversion.

  "Most marvellous of all Hedulio's exploits," he said, "I account hisencounter with the piebald horse."

  "Tell us about it," said Tanno. "Horse-training is, at least, and always,an activity fit for a gentleman and wholly decent and respectable."

  "It happened last year," said Agathemer, "in the autumn, before Andiviusdied; in fact, before we had any reason to dread that the end of his lifewas near. Entedius saw it, perhaps he would be a more suitable narratorthan I."

  "Go on," said Hirnio, "I'd rather listen to you than talk myself."

  Agathemer resumed.

  "We were at Reate Fair. You know how such festivals are
always attended byhorse-dealers and all sorts of such cheats and mountebanks. There was aplausible and ingratiating horse-dealer with some good horses. Entediusbought one and has it yet."

  "And no complaints to make," said Hirnio, "the brute was as representedand has given satisfaction in every way."

  "Some others in our party bought horses of him also." Agathemer continued."Later, when the sports were on, he brought out a tall, long-barrelledpiebald horse, rather a well-shaped beast, and one which would have beenhandsome had he been cream or bay. He showed off his paces and thenoffered him as a free gift to anyone who could stick on him without afall. Several farm-lads tried and he threw them by simple buckings andrearings. Some more experienced horse-wranglers tried, but he threw oneafter the other.

  "Then there came forward Blaesus Agellus, the best horse-master aboutReate. He had watched till he thought he knew all the young stallion'stricks. No kicking, rearing or bucking could unseat him and the beasttried several unusual and bizarre contortions. Blaesus stuck on. Then thehorse-dealer seemed to give a signal, as the horse cantered tamely roundthe ring.

  "Instantly the horse, without any motion which gave warning of what he wasabout to do, threw himself sideways flat on the ground.

  "Blaesus was stunned and his right leg badly bruised, though not broken.

  "The owner gloried in his treasure and boasted of his control over thehorse, even at a distance.

  "Then Hedulio came forward. The crowd was visibly amazed to see a youngnobleman put himself on a level with the commonality. But they all knewHedulio's affable ways and there were no hoots or jeers.

  "Hedulio examined the horse carefully, fetlocks, hoofs, mouth and all.Then he gentled and patted it. When he vaulted into the saddle, the brutedid a little rearing, kicking and bucking, but soon quieted.

  "Hedulio trotted him round the ring, calling to the owner:

  "I dare you to try all your signals.'

  "The owner seemed to try, at first far back in the crowd, so confident washe of his control of the horse, then nearer, then standing in the frontrow of spectators.

  "The horse remained quiet.

  "So Hedulio rode him home and all at the villa acclaimed the horse a greatprize.

  "The marvel was that he was only a two-year-old, as all experts agreed. Ihave seen many trick horses, but seldom a good trick horse under eightyears old and never a well-trained trick horse under four years old. Thiswas barely two."

  "Is he still in your stables?" Tanno asked.

  "Let Agathemer finish his tale," I replied.

  "Two mornings afterward," Agathemer summed up, "we found the stable wasbroken into and the young stallion gone. No other horse had been stolen."

  "Just what might have been expected," said Tanno, "and now, as king of therevels, I pronounce this symposium at an end. I mean to be up by dawn andto get Hedulio up soon after I am awake. I mean to start back for Romewith him as soon after dawn as I can arrange. You other gentlemen cansleep as late as you like, of course."

  "I'm going with you," Hirnio cut in. "I came prepared, with my servant andled-mule loaded with my outfit. I'm to be up as soon as you two."

  "Let's all turn in," Tanno proposed.

  Mallius Vulso and Neponius Pomplio, who lived nearest me, declared theirintention of riding home in the moon-light. The others discussed whetherthey should also go home or sleep in the rooms ready for them. I urgedthem to stay, but finally, they all decided to ride home.

  Agathemer went to give orders for their horses to be brought round.

  "By the way, Caius," Tanno asked, "how are you going to travel?"

  "On horseback," I replied.

  "Why not in your carriage?" he queried. "I was hoping to ride with you tothe Via Salaria, at least, unless your roads jolt a carriage as badly asbearers on them jolt a litter. What's wrong with the superperfecttravelling carriage of your late Uncle?"

  "I have lent it," I explained, "to Marcus Martius, to travel to Rome inwith his bride. I wrote you of his wedding. He has just married my uncle'sfreedwoman Marcia. I wrote you about it."

  "Pooh!" cried Tanno, "how should I remember the marriage of a freedwoman Inever saw with a bumpkin I never heard of?"

  "No bumpkin," cut in Lisius Naepor. "Not any more of a bumpkin than I orany of the rest of us here. You are too high and mighty, Opsitius. It istrue that in our countryside the only senators are Aemilius, Vedius andSatronius, and that in our immediate vicinity Hirnio and Hedulio are theonly proprietors of equestrian rank but we commoners here are no bumpkinsor clodhoppers."

  "I apologize," Tanno spoke conciliatingly. "You are right to call me down.We Romans of Rome really know the worth of farmers and provincials and thelike. But we are so used, among ourselves, to thinking of Rome as thewhole world, that our speech belies our esteem for our equals. I shouldnot have spoken so. Who is Marcus Martius, Caius, and who is Marcia?"

  "Marcus Martius," I said, "is a local landowner like the rest of us. Hewould have been here to-night but for his recent marriage and approachingjourney to Rome. I have always asked him to my dinners."

  "Then how, in the name of Ops Consiva," cried Tanno, "did he come to marryyour uncle's freedwoman?"

  "This time I agree with you, Opsitius," said Naepor. "Your tone of scornis wholly justified. Marrying freedwomen is getting far too common. Ifthings go on this way there will be no Roman nobility nor gentry nor evenany Roman commonality; just a wish-wash of counterfeit Romans, nine-tenthsforeign in ancestry, with just enough of a dash of Roman blood to bequeaththem our weaknesses and vices."

  "On the other hand," said Juventius Muso, "while agreeing with Naepor asto the propriety of the tone, I object to the question. Instead of askinghow Martius came to marry Marcia, had you been acquainted with the recentpast history of this neighborhood, Opsitius, you would have asked how mostof the rest of us managed to escape marrying her."

  "A freedwoman!" cried Tanno.

  "A most unusual freedwoman," Hirnio asserted, "as she was almost a portentas a slave-girl. Haven't you ever heard of her, Opsitius?"

  "We Romans," Tanno bantered, "are lamentably ignorant on the life-histories of brood-sows, slave-girls, prize-heifers and such-likenotabilities of Sabinum."

  "She is no Sabine," Hirnio retorted, "but, as far as the locality of herbirth and upbringing goes, is as Roman as you are. Did you never hear ofUmmidius Quadratus?"

  "Hush!" Tanno breathed. "I have heard of the man you have named, heard ofhim on the deaf side of my head, as did all Rome. But, in the name ofMinerva, do not utter his name. It is best forgotten. Even so long afterhis execution and so far from Rome, the mention of the name of anyoneimplicated as he was might have most unfortunate results."

  "Not here and among us," Hirnio declared. "The point is that Quadratus hada eunuch less worthless than most eunuchs. He became a very clever surgeonand physician, and endeared himself to Quadratus by many cures among hiscountless slaves, and even among his kin. Quadratus made him his chiefphysician and trusted him utterly. Naturally he let him set up anestablishment of his own, allowing him to select a location. Hyacinthus,for that is the eunuch's name, instead of choosing for a home any one of adozen desirable neighborhoods well within his means with the liberalallowance Quadratus gave him, settled in a peculiarly vile slum, because,as he said, his associates mostly lived there; meaning by his associatesthe votaries of some sort of Syrian cult, chiefly peddlers and such,living like ants or maggots, all packed together in the rookeries of thatquarter.

  "Hyacinthus was not only a member of their sect, but their hierophant, orwhatever they call it, and presided at the ceremonies of their religion attheir little temple somewhere in the same part of the city.

  "He divided his energies between his calling of surgeon, at which heprospered amazingly, and his avocation of hierophant.

  "As head of their cult it fell to him to care for the orphans of theirpoorer families and for foundlings, for such Asiatics never expose infantsor fail to succor exposed infants.

  "Marcia
was a foundling and brought up by Hyacinthus, therefore, legally aslave of Quadratus.

  "Quadratus saw her and took a fancy to her. He had her taught not onlydancing, music and such accomplishments, but had her educated almost as ifshe had been his niece or daughter.

  "When she was yet but a half-grown girl, she had acquired such a hold onhim that he used to bewail it. What was it he said, Hedulio?"

  "I have heard him say to my uncle," I said, "that Marcia was as imperiousas if she were Empress and that living with her was as bad as beingmarried. Quadratus was born to be a bachelor and never thought ofmatrimony. But though he had solaced himself with a long series ofbeauties in all previous cases his word had been law and not one of hisconcubines had had any will of her own. Marcia's word was law to him, evenher tone or look. She had wheedled him into lavishing on her flowers,perfumery, jewels, an incredibly varied and costly wardrobe, maids,masseuses, bathgirls, a mob of waiters, cooks, doorkeepers, litter-bearersand what not and the most costly equipages.

  "He groaned, but was too infatuated to deny her anything.

  "My uncle sympathized with him and, with the idea of disabusing him of hisfolly, somehow, while visiting him, saw Marcia.

  "Uncle at once fell madly in love with her.

  "He offered to buy her.

  "That was just before Quadratus became involved in the intrigues radiatingfrom Lucilla's conspiracy, was implicated in the conspiracy itself and sodisgraced and executed.

  "Marcia seems to have had some prevision or inkling of what was coming.Anyhow she could not have acted more for her own interest if she had hadaccurate information of what was impending. She cajoled Uncle into buyingher and coaxed Quadratus into selling her.

  "'Take her,' Quadratus told him, 'at your own price. If you don't or ifsomebody else don't free me from this vampire, I'll be fool enough tomanumit her and marry her as soon as she is free!'

  "Uncle brought her up here.

  "Did she wail at leaving Rome and mourn over seclusion in our hills? Notshe.

  "She made as big a fool of Uncle as she had of Quadratus.

  "He, with his ill health and his frequent illnesses, got as muchsatisfaction out of Marcia as a blind man would get from a painting. Buthe indulged her far beyond his means. He gave her the little west villafor her home, and a small horde of servants. She wheedled him into freeingher and then, from the day she was freed, set herself to marry and marrywell. She had every bachelor and widower hereabouts visiting her, danglingabout her, competing for her smiles, showering gifts on her, solicitingher favor!

  "When they found, one by one, that the only road to her favors was bymatrimony, they sheered off in terror, one by one.

  "She nearly married Vedius Caspo, came almost as near with SatroniusSabinus.

  "Then, when she saw no hope left of a senator, she almost landed Hirnio,tried to marry Uncle, and tried to marry me."

  "And just missed all three," said Hirnio, fervently. "I am still equallycongratulating myself on my escape and wondering over it. I was sureAndivius would marry her, sure of it until his last illness made itimpossible. And I feared for our Hedulio here.

  "The only man hereabouts whom she did not try to marry was DucconiusFurfur. She had made eyes at his father, and Ducconius was precious afraidshe would be his stepmother. At first he railed at her. Then, just beforehis father's death, it was manifest to everybody that he was yielding toher fascinations, himself. Hardly was old Ducconius buried when youngFurfur lost his head completely and fell madly in love with Marcia. Shecould have married him easily; in fact, he offered marriage, not only toher in private, but before witnesses. She, for some reason, would not hearof marrying him. In fact, Furfur, it seems, was the only bachelorhereabouts whom she was unwilling to marry. She flouted him, derided him,and finally forbade him her house and ordered him never to dare toapproach her. He kept away, sulky and morose and low-spirited.

  "After that episode she had a go at Muso, the only other bachelor among usseven.

  "Finally she fastened on Marcus Martius, who is not quite as rich as Muso,but yet comfortably well off. She married him day before yesterday."

  "Thanks be to Hercules," Tanno cried, "that I have never set eyes on thejade. I'm for matrimony only with an heiress of my own class and only withsuch an heiress as I personally fancy. No matrimony for me otherwise."

  With this the party broke up. We all went out on the terrace. My sixneighbors mounted and cantered off on their various roads home; Tanno,Hirnio and I went in and to bed.