Maybe he took thee from Aulus and Pomponia only through anger at them.
Petronius wrote me to have care of thee; and since Pomponia too wrote,
as thou knowest, maybe they had an understanding. Maybe he did that at
her request. If this be true, if he at the request of Pomponia will
occupy himself with thee, nothing threatens thee; and who knows if Nero
may not send thee back to Aulus at his persuasion? I know not whether
Nero loves him over much, but I know that rarely has he the courage to
be of an opinion opposite to his."

"Ah, Acte!" answered Lygia; "Petronius was with us before they took me,
and my mother was convinced that Nero demanded my surrender at his
instigation."

"That would be bad," said Acte. But she stopped for a while, and then
said,--"Perhaps Petronius only said, in Nero's presence at some supper,
that he saw a hostage of the Lygians at Aulus's, and Nero, who is
jealous of his own power, demanded thee only because hostages belong to
Cæsar. But he does not like Aulus and Pomponia. No! it does not seem
to me that if Petronius wished to take thee from Aulus he would use such
a method. I do not know whether Petronius is better than others of
Cæsar's court, but he is different. Maybe too thou wilt find some one
else who would be willing to intercede for thee. Hast thou not seen at
Aulus's some one who is near Cæsar?"

"I have seen Vespasian and Titus."

"Cæsar does not like them."

"And Seneca."