but the girl gave her head a slight bump, and raised such a clamor that Quartilla, in a terrible fright, rushed headlong into the room, giving us the opportunity of making off. We did not tarry, but flew back to our inn where,) throwing ourselves upon the bed, we passed the remainder of the night without fear. (Sallying forth next day, we came upon two of our kidnappers, one of whom Ascyltos savagely attacked the moment he set eyes upon him, and, after having thrashed and seriously wounded him, he ran to my aid against the other. He defended himself so stoutly, however, that he wounded us both, slightly, and escaped unscathed.) The third day had now dawned, the date set for the free dinner (at Trimalchio’s,) but battered as we were, flight seemed more to our taste than quiet, so (we hastened to our inn and, as our wounds turned out to be trifling, we dressed them with vinegar and oil, and went to bed. The ruffian whom we had done for, was still lying upon the ground and we feared detection.) Affairs were at this pass, and we were framing melancholy excuses with which to evade the coming revel, when a slave of Agamemnon’s burst in upon our trembling conclave and said, “Don’t you know with whom your engagement is today? The exquisite Trimalchio, who keeps a clock and a liveried bugler in his dining-room, so that he can tell, instantly, how much of his life has run out!” Forgetting all our troubles at that, we dressed hurriedly and ordered Giton, who had very willingly performed his servile office, to follow us to the bath. ETEXT EDITOR’S BOOKMARKS: Boys play in the schools, the young men are laughed at Deferred pleasures are a long time coming Egyptians “commercialized” that incomparable art Errors committed in the name of religion Everything including the children, is devoted to ambition Laughed ourselves out of a most disgraceful quarrel No one will confess the errors he was taught in his school days Priests, animated by an hypocritical mania for prophecy See or hear nothing at all of the affairs of every-day life The teachers, who must gibber with lunatics They secure their ends, save by setting snares for the ears VOLUME 2.--THE DINNER OF TRIMALCHIO CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SEVENTH.