of his orders and commands. But let her not fear. He, Vinicius, is
near her and will stay near her. He would rather lose his eyes than not
see her; he would rather lose his life than desert her. She is his
soul, and hence he will guard her as his soul. In his house he will
build to her, as to a divinity, an altar on which he will offer myrrh
and aloes, and in spring saffron and apple-blossoms; and since she has a
dread of Cæsar's house, he promises that she shall not stay in it.

And though he spoke evasively and at times invented, truth was to be
felt in his voice, because his feelings were real. Genuine pity
possessed him, too, and her words went to his soul so thoroughly that
when she began to thank him and assure him that Pomponia would love him
for his goodness, and that she herself would be grateful to him all her
life, he could not master his emotion, and it seemed to him that he
would never be able in life to resist her prayer. The heart began to
melt in him. Her beauty intoxicated his senses, and he desired her; but
at the same time he felt that she was very dear to him, and that in
truth he might do homage to her, as to a divinity; he felt also
irresistible need of speaking of her beauty and of his own homage. As
the noise at the feast increased, he drew nearer to her, whispered kind,
sweet words flowing from the depth of his soul, words as resonant as
music and intoxicating as wine.

And he intoxicated her. Amid those strange people he seemed to her ever
nearer, ever dearer, altogether true, and devoted with his whole soul.
He pacified her; he promised to rescue her from the house of Cæsar; he
promised not to desert her, and said that he would serve her. Besides,
he had spoken before at Aulus's only in general about love and the
happiness which it can give; but now he said directly that he loved her,
and that she was dear and most precious to him. Lygia heard such words