He raised his head then, and said: "I know more than thou thinkest. I
have not come empty-handed. I know that Aulus did not intercept the
maiden, for I have spoken with his slaves. I know that she is not on
the Palatine, for all are occupied with the infant Augusta; and perhaps
I may even divine why ye prefer to search for the maiden with my help
rather than that of the city guards and Cæsar's soldiers. I know that
her escape was effected by a servant,--a slave coming from the same
country as she. He could not find assistance among slaves, for slaves
all stand together, and would not act against thy slaves. Only a
co-religionist would help him."

"Dost hear, Vinicius?" broke in Petronius. "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