Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: "Petronius, I fancy, did not take Lygia from us for Caesar; he would fear Poppaea's vengeance. Consequently, he took her either for himself or for Viuitius. I shall investigate the case to-day." Shortly afterwards he was being carried in a litter in the direction of the Palatine Palace, while Pomponia, left alone, went to comfort little Aulus, who was still crying for his sister and threatening Caesar. CHAPTER V. As Auhis had expected, he was denied admittance to Nero's presence, He was told that Caesar was engaged in singing with Terpnos, the lute player, and that he generally received r only such persons as were summoned by him, which meant that Aulus must not hereafter even try to obtain an interview with Caesar. But Seneca, even though suffering from fever, received the old commander with due respect. When he had heard his tale a mournful smile came to his lips as he said: "One service, noble Plautius, I can render thec: I promise not to reveal to Caesar my pity for thec, nor my readiness to assist thee. If Caesar had the least suspicion of this, he would never return Lygia to thee, even were it only to thwart my wish." Seneca advised him not to apply to Tigellinus, nor to Vinitius, nor to Vitelius. They were not above bribes, they might be glad to do an injury to Petronius, whose influence they were trying to undermine. I iut more probably they would tell Caesar how much Lygia was prized by Plautius and his wife. Nero would become all the more unwilling to return her. Then the venerable sage, assuming a sarcastic tone, continued: "Thou hast held thy tongue, Plautius, held it so many years, and Caesar likes not those who arc silent. And how couldst thou withstand the fascinations of his good looks, his virtue, his pinging- and recitations, his chariot d...