第5章

Andthen，aboutthreeo\'clock，wereturnedtothehamper。Luncheonundersuchcircumstancesalwaysmeansdinner，andwearrangedourselvesforaverycomfortablemeal。TothosewhoknowthetombofCeciliaMetellanodescriptionofthesceneisnecessary，andtothosewhodonot，nodescriptionwillconveyafairideaofitsreality。Itisitselfalargelowtowerofgreatdiameter，butofbeautifulproportion，standingfaroutsidethecity，closeontothesideoftheoldRomanway。Ithasbeenembattledonthetopbysomelatter-daybaron，inorderthatitmightbeusedforprotectiontothecastle，whichhasbeenbuiltonandattachedtoit。IfI

rememberrightly，thiswasdonebyoneoftheFrangipani，andaverylovelyruinhehasmadeofit。Iknownocastellatedoldtumble-

downresidenceinItalymorepicturesquethanthisbaronialadjuncttotheoldRomantomb，orwhichbettertallieswiththeideasengenderedwithinourmindsbyMrs。RadcliffeandtheMysteriesofUdolpho。Itliesalongtheroad，protectedonthesideofthecitybytheproudsepulchreoftheRomanmatron，anduptothelongruinedwallsofthebackofthebuildingstretchesagrassyslope，atthebottomofwhicharetheremainsofanoldRomancircus。

Beyondthatisthelong，thin，gracefullineoftheClaudianaqueduct，withSoracteinthedistancetotheleft，andTivoli，Palestine，andFrascatilyingamongthehillswhichboundtheview。

ThatFrangipanibaronwasintherightofit，andIhopehegotthevalueofhismoneyoutoftheresidencewhichhebuiltforhimself。

Idoubt，however，thathedidbutlittlegoodtothosewholivedinhiscloseneighbourhood。

Wehadaverycomfortablelittlebanquetseatedonthebrokenlumpsofstonewhichlieaboutunderthewallsofthetomb。IwonderwhethertheshadeofCeciliaMetellawaslookingdownuponus。Wehaveheardmuchofherintheselatterdays，andyetweknownothingabouther，norcanconceivewhyshewashonouredwithabiggertombthananyotherRomanmatron。Therewerethosethenamongourpartywhobelievedthatshemightstillcomebackamongus，andwithdueassistancefromsomecognatesusceptiblespirit，explaintousthecauseofherwidowedhusband\'sliberality。Alas，alas！ifwemayjudgeoftheRomansbyourselves，thetruereasonforsuchsepulchralgrandeurwouldredoundlittletothecreditoftheladyCeciliaMetellaherself，ortothatofCrassus，herbereavedanddesolatelord。

Shedidnotcomeamongusontheoccasionofthisbanquet，possiblybecausewehadnotablestheretoturninpreparationforherpresence；but，hadshedoneso，shecouldnothavebeenmoreeloquentofthingsoftheotherworldthanwasMrs。Talboys。IhavesaidthatMrs。Talboys\'eyeneverglancedmorebrightlyafteraglassofchampagne，butIaminclinedtothinkthatonthisoccasionitmayhavedoneso。O\'BrienenactedGanymede，andwas，perhaps，moreliberalthanotherlatter-dayGanymedes，towhoseservicesMrs。

Talboyshadbeenaccustomed。Letitnot，however，besuspectedbyanyonethatsheexceededthelimitsofadiscreetjoyousness。Bynomeans！Thegenerouswinepenetrated，perhaps，tosomeinnercellsofherheart，andbroughtforththoughtsinsparklingwords，whichotherwisemighthaveremainedconcealed；buttherewasnothinginwhatshethoughtorspokecalculatedtogiveumbrageeithertoananchoriteortoavestal。Awordortwoshesaidorsungabouttheflowingbowl，andonceshecalledforFalernian；butbeyondthisherconversewaschieflyoftherightsofmanandtheweaknessofwomen；

oftheironagesthatwerepast，andofthegoldentimethatwastocome。

Shecalledatoastanddranktothehopesofthelatterhistoriansofthenineteenthcentury。ThenitwasthatshebadeO\'Brien"FillhighthebowlwithSamianwine。"TheIrishmantookheratherword，andsheraisedthebumper，andwaveditoverherheadbeforesheputittoherlips。Iamboundtodeclarethatshedidnotspilladrop。"Thetrue\'Falerniangrape，\'"shesaid，asshedepositedtheemptybeakeronthegrassbeneathherelbow。VilerchampagneIdonotthinkIeverswallowed；butitwasthetheoryofthewine，notitspalpablebodypresentthere，asitwere，intheflesh，whichinspiredher。Therewasreallysomethinggrandaboutheronthatoccasion，andherenthusiasmalmostamountedtoreality。

Mackinnonwasamused，andencouragedher，as，Imustconfess，didI

also。Mrs。Mackinnonmadeuselesslittlesignstoherhusband，reallyfearingthattheFalernianwoulddoitsgoodofficestoothoroughly。Mywife，gettingmeapartasIwalkedroundthecircledistributingviands，remarkedthat"thewomanwasafool，andwoulddisgraceherself。"ButIobservedthatafterthedisposalofthatbumpersheworshippedtherosygodintheoryonly，andthereforesawnooccasiontointerfere。"Come，Bacchus，"shesaid；"andcome，Silenus，ifthouwilt；Iknowthatyearehoveringroundthegravesofyourdepartedfavourites。Andye，too，nymphsofEgeria，"andshepointedtotheclassicgrovewhichwasallbutclosetousaswesatthere。"Inoldendaysyedidnotalwaysdespisetheabodesofmen。Butwhyshouldweinvokethepresenceofthegods，we，whocanbecomegodlikeourselves！Weourselvesarethedeitiesofthepresentage。Forusshallthetablesbespreadwithambrosia；forusshallthenectarflow。"

Uponthewholeitwasverygoodfooling，forawhile；andassoonasweweretiredofitwearosefromourseats，andbegantostrollabouttheplace。Itwasbeginningtobealittledusk，andsomewhatcool，buttheeveningairwaspleasant，andtheladies，puttingontheirshawls，didnotseeminclinedatoncetogetintothecarriages。Atanyrate，Mrs。Talboyswasnotsoinclined，forshestarteddownthehilltowardsthelonglowwalloftheoldRomancircusatthebottom；andO\'Brien，closeatherelbow，startedwithher。

"Ida，mydear，youhadbetterremainhere，"shesaidtoherdaughter；"youwillbetiredifyoucomeasfaraswearegoing。"

"Oh，no，mamma，Ishallnot，"saidIda。"YougettiredmuchquickerthanIdo。"

"Oh，yes，youwill；besidesIdonotwishyoutocome。"TherewasanendofitforIda，andMrs。TalboysandO\'Brienwalkedofftogether，whilewealllookedintoeachother\'sfaces。

"Itwouldbeacharitytogowiththem，"saidMackinnon。

"Doyoubecharitable，then，"saidhiswife。

"Itshouldbealady，"saidhe。

"Itisapitythatthemotherofthespotlesscherubimisnotherefortheoccasion，"saidshe。"Ihardlythinkthatanyonelessgiftedwillundertakesuchaselfsacrifice。"Anyattemptofthekindwould，however，nowhavebeentoolate，fortheywerealreadyatthebottomofthehill。O\'Brienhadcertainlydrunkfreelyoftheperniciouscontentsofthoselong-neckedbottles；andthoughnoonecouldfairlyaccusehimofbeingtipsy，neverthelessthatwhichmighthavemadeothersdrunkhadmadehimbold，andhedaredtodo

perhapsmorethanmightbecomeaman。IfunderanycircumstanceshecouldbefoolenoughtomakeanavowaloflovetoMrs。Talboys，hemightbeexpected，asweallthought，todoitnow。

Wewatchedthemastheymadeforagapinthewallwhichledthroughintothelargeenclosedspaceoftheoldcircus。Ithadbeenanarenaforchariotgames，andtheyhadgonedownwiththeavowedpurposeofsearchingwheremighthavebeenthemeta，andascertaininghowthedriverscouldhaveturnedwhenattheirfullspeed。Forawhilewehadheardtheirvoices，orratherhervoiceespecially。"Theheartofaman，O\'Brien，shouldsufficeforallemergencies，"wehadheardhersay。Shehadassumedastrangehabitofcallingmenbytheirsimplenames，asmenaddresseachother。