ease　of　his　fashionable　stagger。
  〃Good　Heaven！〃　said　Ligarius；　〃Caius　Caesar　is　as　unlikely　to　be　in　a　plot　as　I　am。〃
  〃Not　at　all。〃
  〃He　does　nothing　but　game；　feast；　intrigue；　read　Greek；　and　write　verses。〃
  〃You　know　nothing　of　Caesar。　　Though　he　rarely　addresses　the　Senate；　he　is　considered　as　the　finest　speaker　there；　after　the　Consul。　　His　influence　with　the　multitude　is　immense。　　He　will　serve　his　rivals　in　public　life　as　he　served　me　last　night　at　Catiline's。　　We　were　playing　at　the　twelve　lines。　　（Duodecim　scripta；　a　game　of　mixed　chance　and　skill；　which　seems　to　have　been　very　fashionable　in　the　higher　circles　of　Rome。　　The　famous　lawyer　Mucius　was　renowned　for　his　skill　in　it。（〃Cic。　Orat。〃　i。　50。）Immense　stakes。　　He　laughed　all　the　time；　chatted　with　Valeria　over　his　shoulder；　kissed　her　hand　between　every　two　moves；　and　scarcely　looked　at　the　board。　　I　thought　that　I　had　him。　　All　at　once　I　found　my　counters　driven　into　the　corner。　Not　a　piece　to　move；　by　Hercules。　　It　cost　me　two　millions　of　sesterces。　　All　the　Gods　and　Goddesses　confound　him　for　it！〃
  〃As　to　Valeria；〃　said　Ligarius；　〃I　forgot　to　ask　whether　you　have　heard　the　news。〃
  〃Not　a　word。　　What？〃
  〃I　was　told　at　the　baths　to…day　that　Caesar　escorted　the　lady　home。　　Unfortunately　old　Quintus　Lutatius　had　come　back　from　his　villa　in　Campania；　in　a　whim　of　jealousy。　　He　was　not　expected　for　three　days。　　There　was　a　fine　tumult。　　The　old　fool　called　for　his　sword　and　his　slaves；　cursed　his　wife；　and　swore　that　he　would　cut　Caesar's　throat。〃
  〃And　Caesar？〃
  〃He　laughed；　quoted　Anacreon；　trussed　his　gown　round　his　left　arm；　closed　with　Quintus；　flung　him　down；　twisted　his　sword　out　of　his　hand；　burst　through　the　attendants；　ran　a　freed…man　through　the　shoulder；　and　was　in　the　street　in　an　instant。〃
  〃Well　done！　　Here　he　comes。　　Good…day；　Caius。〃
  Caesar　lifted　his　head　at　the　salutation。　　His　air　of　deep　abstraction　vanished；　and　he　extended　a　hand　to　each　of　the　friends。
  〃How　are　you　after　your　last　night's　exploit？〃
  〃As　well　as　possible；〃　said　Caesar；　laughing。
  〃In　truth　we　should　rather　ask　how　Quintus　Lutatius　is。〃
  〃He；　I　understand；　is　as　well　as　can　be　expected　of　a　man　with　a　faithless　spouse　and　a　broken　head。　　His　freed…man　is　most　seriously　hurt。　　Poor　fellow！　he　shall　have　half　of　whatever　I　win　to…night。　　Flaminius；　you　shall　have　your　revenge　at　Catiline's。〃
  〃You　are　very　kind。　　I　do　not　intend　to　be　at　Catiline's　till　I　wish　to　part　with　my　town…house。　　My　villa　is　gone　already。〃
  〃Not　at　Catiline's；　base　spirit！　　You　are　not　of　his　mind；　my　gallant　Ligarius。　　Dice；　Chian；　and　the　loveliest　Greek　singing　girl　that　was　ever　seen。　　Think　of　that；　Ligarius。　　By　Venus；　she　almost　made　me　adore　her；　by　telling　me　that　I　talked　Greek　with　the　most　Attic　accent　that　she　had　heard　in　Italy。〃
  〃I　doubt　she　will　not　say　the　same　of　me；〃　replied　Ligarius。　　〃I　am　just　as　able　to　decipher　an　obelisk　as　to　read　a　line　of　Homer。〃
  〃You　barbarous　Scythian；　who　had　the　care　of　your　education？〃
  〃An　old　fool；a　Greek　pedant；a　Stoic。　　He　told　me　that　pain　was　no　evil；　and　flogged　me　as　if　he　thought　so。　　At　last　one　day；　in　the　middle　of　a　lecture；　I　set　fire　to　his　enormous　filthy　beard；　singed　his　face；　and　sent　him　roaring　out　of　the　house。　　There　ended　my　studies。　　From　that　time　to　this　I　have　had　as　little　to　do　with　Greece　as　the　wine　that　your　poor　old　friend　Lutatius　calls　his　delicious　Samian。〃
  〃Well　done；　Ligarius。　　I　hate　a　Stoic。　　I　wish　Marcus　Cato　had　a　beard　that　you　might　singe　it　for　him。　　The　fool　talked　his　two　hours　in　the　Senate　yesterday；　without　changing　a　muscle　of　his　face。　　He　looked　as　savage　and　as　motionless　as　the　mask　in　which　Roscius　acted　Alecto。　　I　detest　everything　connected　with　him。〃
  〃Except　his　sister；　Servilia。〃
  〃True。　　She　is　a　lovely　woman。〃
  〃They　say　that　you　have　told　her　so；　Caius〃
  〃So　I　have。〃
  〃And　that　she　was　not　angry。〃
  〃What　woman　is？〃
  〃Ayebut　they　say〃
  〃No　matter　what　they　say。　　Common　fame　lies　like　a　Greek　rhetorician。　　You　might　know　so　much；　Ligarius；　without　reading　the　philosophers。　　But　come；　I　will　introduce　you　to　little　dark…　eyed　Zoe。〃
  〃I　tell　you　I　can　speak　no　Greek。〃
  〃More　shame　for　you。　　It　is　high　time　that　you　should　begin。　　You　will　never　have　such　a　charming　instructress。　　Of　what　was　your　father　thinking　when　he　sent　for　an　old　Stoic　with　a　long　beard　to　teach　you？　　There　is　no　language…mistress　like　a　handsome　woman。　　When　I　was　at　Athens；　I　learnt　more　Greek　from　a　pretty　flower…girl　in　the　Peiraeus　than　from　all　the　Portico　and　the　Academy。　　She　was　no　Stoic；　Heaven　knows。　　But　come　along　to　Zoe。　I　will　be　your　interpreter。　　Woo　her　in　honest　Latin；　and　I　will　turn　it　into　elegant　Greek　between　the　throws　of　dice。　　I　can　make　love　and　mind　my　game　at　once；　as　Flaminius　can　tell　you。
  〃Well；　then；　to　be　plain；　Caesar；　Flaminius　has　been　talking　to　me　about　plots；　and　suspicions；　and　politicians。　　I　never　plagued　myself　with　such　things　since　Sylla's　and　Marius's　days；　and　then　I　never　could　see　much　difference　between　the　parties。　　All　that　I　am　sure　of　is；　that　those　who　meddle　with　such　affairs　are　generally　stabbed　or　strangled。　　And；　though　I　like　Greek　wine　and　handsome　women；　I　do　not　wish　to　risk　my　neck　for　them。　　Now；　tell　me　as　a　friend；　Caiusis　there　no　danger？〃
  〃Danger！〃　repeated　Caesar；　with　a　short；　fierce；　disdainful　laugh：　〃what　danger　do　you　apprehend？〃
  〃That　you　should　best　know；〃　said　Flaminius；　〃you　are　far　more　intimate　with　Catiline　than　I。　　But　I　advise　you　to　be　cautious。　The　leading　men　entertain　strong　suspicions。〃
  Caesar　drew　up　his　figure　from　its　ordinary　state　of　graceful　relaxation　into　an　attitude　of　commanding　dignity；　and　replied　in　a　voice　of　which　the　deep　and　impassioned　melody　formed　a　strange　contrast　to　the　humorous　and　affected　tone　of　his　ordinary　conversation。　　〃Let　them　suspect。　　They　suspect　because　they　know　what　they　have　deserved。　　What　have　they　done　for　Rome？What　for　mankind？　　Ask　the　citizensask　the　provinces。　　Have　they　had　any　other　object　than　to　perpetuate　their　own　exclusive　power；　and　to　keep　us　under　the　yoke　of　an　oligarchical　tyranny；　which　unites　in　itself　the　worst　evils　of　every　other　system；　and　combines　more　than　Athenian　turbulence　with　more　than　Persian　despotism？〃
  〃Good　Gods！　Caesar。　　It　is　not　safe　for　you　to　speak；　or　for　us　to　listen　to；　such　things；　at　such　a　crisis。〃
  〃Judge　for　yourselves　what　you　will　hear。　　I　will　judge　for　myself　what　I　will　speak。　　I　was　not　twenty　years　old　when　I　defied　Lucius　Sylla；　surrounded　by　the　spears　of　legionaries　and　the　daggers　of　assassins。　　Do　you　suppose　that　I　stand　in　awe　of　his　paltry　successors；　who　have　inherited　a　power　which　they　never　could　have　acquired；　who　would　imitate　his　proscriptions；　though　they　have　never　equalled　his　conquests？〃
  〃Pompey　is　almost　as　little　to　be　trifled　with　as　Sylla。　　I　heard　a　consular　senator　say　that；　in　consequence　of　the　present　alarming　state　of　affairs；　he　would　probably　be　recalled　from　the　command　assigned　to　him　by　the　Manilian　law。〃
  〃Let　him　come；the　pupil　of　Sylla's　butcheries；the　gleaner　of　Lucullus's　trophies；the　thief…taker　of　the　Senate。〃
  〃For　Heaven's　sake；　Caius！if　you　knew　what　the　Consul　said〃
  〃Something　about　himself；　no　doubt。　　Pity　that　such　talents　should　be　coupled　with　such　cowardice　and　coxcombry。　　He　is　the　finest　speaker　living；infinitely　superior　to　what　Hortensius　was；　in　his　best　days；　a　charming　companion；　except　when　he　tells　over　for　the　twentieth　time　all　the　jokes　that　he　made　at　Verres's　trial。　　But　he　is　the　despicable　tool　of　a　despicable　party。〃
  〃Your　language；　Caius；　convinces　me　that　the　reports　which　have　been　circulated　are　not　without　foundation。　　I　will　venture　to　prophesy　that　within　a　few　months　the　republic　will　pass　through　a　whole　Odyssey　of　strange　adventures。〃
  〃I　believe　so；　an　Odyssey；　of　which　Pompey　will　be　the　Polyphemus；　and　Cicero　the　Siren。　　I　would　have　the　state　imitate　Ulysses：　show　no　mercy　to　the　former；　but　contrive；　if　it　can　be　done；　to　listen　to　the　enchanting　voice　of　the　other；　without　being　seduced　by　it　to　destruction。〃
  〃But　whom　can　your　party　produce　as　rivals　to　these　two　famous　leaders？〃
  〃Time　will　show。　　I　would　hope　that　there　may　arise　a　man；　whose　genius　to　conquer；　to　conciliate；　and　to　govern；　may　unite　in　one　cause　an　oppressed　and　divided　people；may　do　all　that　Sylla　should　have　done；　and　exhibit　the　magnificent　spectacle　of　a　great　nation　directed　by　a　great　mind。〃
  〃And　where　is　such　a　man　to　be　found？〃
  〃Perhaps　where　you　would　least　expect　to　find　him。　　Perhaps　he　may　be　one　whose　powers　have　hitherto　been　concealed　in　domestic　or　literary　retirement。　　Perhaps　he　may　be　one；　who；　while　waiting　for　some　adequate　excitement；　for　some　worthy　opportunity；　squanders　on　trifles　a　genius　before　which　may　yet　be　humbled　the　sword　of　Pompey　and　the　gown　of　Cicero。　　Perhaps　he　may　now　be　disputing　with　a　sophist；　perhaps　prattling　with　a　mistress；　perhaps〃　and；　as　he　spoke；　he　turned　away；　and　resumed　his　lounge；　〃strolling　in　the　Forum。〃
  。。。
  It　was　almost　midnight。　　The　party　had　separated。　　Catiline　and　Cethegus　were　still　conferring　in　the　supper…room；　w