me to superintend the work of rescuing all that could be saved. At
Lochias. Verus helped me greatly and indeed with so much boldness and
judgment that I owe very much to him. Caesar himself kept his favorite
within the palace, for the poor fellow burned both his hands."

"Oh!" cried Balbilla with eager regret. "How did that happen?"

"When Hadrian and Antinous first came down from the tower they brought
with them as many of the instruments and manuscripts as they could carry.
When they were at the bottom Caesar observed that a tablet with important
calculations had been left lying up above and expressed his regret.
Meanwhile the fire had already caught the slightly-built turret and it
seemed impossible to get into it again. But the dreamy Bithynian can
wake out of his slumbers it would seem, and while Caesar was anxiously
watching the burning bundles of flax which the wind kept blowing across
to the harbor the rash boy rushed into the burning building, flung the
tablet down from the top of the tower and then hurried down the stairs.
His bold action would indeed have cost the poor fellow his life if the
slave Mastor; who meanwhile had hurried to the spot, had not dragged him
down the stone stair of the old tower on which the new one stood and
carried him into the open air. He was half suffocated at the top of them
and had dropped down senseless."

"But he is alive, the splendid boy, the image of the gods! and he is out
of danger?" cried Balbilla, with much anxiety.

"He is quite well; only his hands, as I said, are somewhat burnt, and his
hair is singed, but that will grow again."

"His soft, lovely curls!" cried Balbilla. "Let us go home, Claudia.