But
perhaps, indeed, even this was a duty which he owed to his fame and
station; and her face brightened up with new hope as the suggestion
flashed upon her. It might be that at this feast there would be present
some poet of lofty epic powers, or historian of wondrous descriptive
talent, ranking as the brightest star of Roman literature; and either of
these, if properly conciliated, would doubtless celebrate her lord's
exploits so grandly that in future ages his campaign would shine with
far greater lustre than if simply committed to parchment in the dry
detail of unadorned fact, and so filed away in the national archives. It
was most fitting, therefore, that he should not permit his impatient
love for her to allow him to neglect the opportunity of cultivating, by
a wise and condescending courtesy, the world-renowned talents of these
men, and thereby redoubling the resplendence of his own bright fame.
Easily satisfying her mind with this pleasing reasoning, she retired for
the night into the innermost apartment--a retreat adorned with every
luxury which could gratify pride and administer to a cultivated taste.
The floor was covered with tesselated marbles of different shades and
arranged in ingenious and novel patterns. The ceiling was resplendent
with allegorical frescoes by the most celebrated masters of the day.
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