"An example to our other priesthoods, indeed!--Jupiter's temple wants reforming sadly," said Lepidus, who was a great reformer for all but himself. "They say that Arbaces the Egyptian has imparted some most solemn mysteries to the priests of Isis," observed Sallust; "he boasts his descent from the race of Ramases, and declares that in his family the secrets of remotest antiquity are treasured." "He certainly possesses the gift of the evil eye," said Clodius; "if I ever come upon that Medusa front without the previous charm, I am sure to lose a favorite horse, or throw the _canes_[6] nine times running." [Footnote 6: _Canes_, or _caniculæ_, the lowest throw at dice.] "The last would be indeed a miracle!" said Sallust, gravely. "How mean you, Sallust?" returned the gamester, with a flushed brow. "I mean what you would _leave_ me if I played often with you; and that is--nothing." Clodius answered only by a smile of disdain. "If Arbaces were not so rich," said Pansa, with a stately air, "I should stretch my authority a little, and inquire into the truth of the report which calls him an astrologer and a sorcerer. Agrippa, when ædile of Rome, banished all such terrible citizens. But a rich man--it is the duty of an ædile to protect the rich!" "What think you of this new sect, which I am told has even a few proselytes in Pompeii, these followers of the Hebrew God--Christus?" "Oh, mere speculative visionaries," said Clodius; "they have not a single gentleman among them; their proselytes are poor, insignificant, ignorant people!" "Who ought, however, to be crucified for their blasphemy," said Pansa, with vehemence; "they deny Venus and Jove! Nazarene is but another name for atheist. Let me catch them, that's all!" The second course was gone--the feasters fell back on their couches--there was a pause while they listened to the soft voices of the South, and the music of the Arcadian reed. Glaucus was the most rapt and the least inclined to break the silence, but Clodius began already to think that they wasted time. "_Bene vobis_ (your health,) my Glaucus," said he, quaffing a cup to each letter of the Greek's name, with the ease of the practised drinker. "Will you not be avenged on your ill-fortune of yesterday? See, the dice court us." "As you will!" said Glaucus. "The dice in August, and I an ædile," said Pansa, magisterially; "it is against all law." "Not in your presence, grave Pansa," returned Clodius, rattling the dice in a long box; "your presence restrains all license; it is not the thing, but the excess of the thing, that hurts." "What wisdom!" murmured the umbra. "Well, I will look another way," said the ædile. "Not yet, good Pansa; let us wait till we have supped," said Glaucus. Clodius reluctantly yielded, concealing his vexation with a yawn. "He gapes to devour the gold," whispered Lepidus to Sallust, in a quotation from the Aulularia of Plautus.