LEONARD (_choosing the lesser evil_). I think read—no, I mean, talk—no, read to me. EUSTASIA. It’s for you to say, darling. LEONARD (_his eyes closed_). Read to me, Eustasia. EUSTASIA (_opening her book_). We’ll go on from where we left off. We didn’t get very far—I marked the place.... Yes, here we are. “... the sandy deserts of Arabia and Africa.... 4.” And then there’s a little footnote at the bottom; that’s how I remember it. (_Reading the footnote_) “Tacit. Annal. l. ii., Dion Cassius l. lvi. p. 833, and the speech of Augustus himself.” That doesn’t seem to mean much. “It receives great light from the learned notes of his French translator, M. Spanheim.” Well, that’s a good thing. Spanheim—sounds more like a German, doesn’t it? Now are you sure you’re quite comfortable, dear? LEONARD (_his eyes closed_). Yes, thank you, Eustasia. EUSTASIA. Then I’ll begin. (_In her reading-aloud voice_) “Happily for the repose of mankind, the moderate system recommended by the wisdom of Augustus was adopted by the fears and vices of his immediate successors. Engaged in the pursuit of pleasure or the exercise of tyranny, the first Caesars seldom showed themselves to the armies or to the provinces; nor were they disposed to suffer that those triumphs which their indolence neglected should be usurped by the conduct and valour of their lieutenants.” (_Speeding up_) “The military fame of a subject was considered as an insolent invasion of the Imperial prerogative; and it became the duty as well as interest of every Roman General to guard the frontiers entrusted to his care”—(_recklessly_) “without aspiring for conquests which might have proved no less fatal to himself than to the vanquished barbarians.”... And then there’s another little footnote. Perhaps it would be better if I read all the little footnotes afterwards—what do you think, darling? Or shall we take them as they come? LEONARD (_without opening his eyes_). Yes, dear. EUSTASIA. Very well. This is footnote 5. “Germanicus, Suetonius Paulinus and Agricola”—(_she stumbles over the names_)—“were checked and recalled in the course of their victories. Corbulo was put to death.” Oh, what a shame! “Military merit, as it is admirably expressed by Tacitus, was, in the strictest sense of the word——” well, there are _two_ words, and they are both in Latin. I suppose Tacitus wrote in Latin. But it doesn’t really matter, because it’s only a little footnote. (_Anxiously_) Are you liking the book, darling? LEONARD. Very much, dear.