The meal was ended; Cocceius Nerva had proposed the health of Cornelia as the heroine of the day. After offering a libation, according to the ancient custom, he invoked the favor and mercy of the Immortals on the young girl; then he rose and left the triclinium. The whole company followed him, to listen to the sweet tones of soft music in the fresher air of the peristyle, and to walk up and down on the inlaid marble floor, chatting in low tones. Bronze lamps shed their light from between the Corinthian pillars, and the stars shone down from the cloudless skies; in the court itself a confidential twilight prevailed. “Now, my sweet Claudia, tell me, how do you like Trajan?”[237] whispered Lucilia in her sister’s ear as she stood meditatively by the fountain. “I have only seen him to-day for the third time--how can I judge?” “To me he is quite too delightful. What a pity that he is already married.--To be sure, even then he would be too old....” “Do you think so?” said Claudia absently. “Why, you seem to have forgotten that he was consul a long time ago.” “Was he?” “Yes, of course, with Glabrio. How often your father has spoken of him.” “I do not happen to remember it.” “To be sure, we were still in the nursery, and stories of Cupid and Psyche[238] interested us more than the virtues of a statesman.” Claudia sighed: “Happy childhood!” she said sadly. “Nerva even--old Nerva--thinks great things of him,” Lucilia went on, without observing this diversion. “He calls him his son, and is always ready to listen to his counsels--and in fact it is well worth while to listen to what Trajan has to say. You cannot think how cleverly, how wisely and judiciously he can talk. And at the same time he is so honest, so simple, so unpretentious! No one would imagine from his appearance, that he once was the commander-in-chief of all the forces in Germany, with unlimited authority, and won a glorious victory.” “Where in the world did you acquire all this information as to his merits?--Whenever I looked across at you, you were chatting with Caius Afranius.” “Cneius, not Caius.” “I thought it was Caius. Considering it was your first meeting, your conversation with this Afranius was somewhat eager.” “Oh! I had met him before--a week or more ago; do you not remember? The day you had a headache. He is intimate with Cornelius. He has been in Rome since the beginning of March, and is already beginning to play an important part in the Forum.”[239] “Is he a jurist?” asked Claudia. “A defender of the oppressed and accuser of the criminal!” answered Lucilia warmly. “He has even gained a cause, quite lately, against Clodianus, Caesar’s adjutant. His eloquence and powerful argument won him the victory, in spite of all his adversary’s art, and the impression he made was so tremendous, that for the moment every one forgot how dangerous it is to have Clodianus for an enemy. The whole Basilica[240] shook with the applause.” “Did he himself tell you this?”