Curio’s eyes lit up with an angry fire.

“Lump of filth!  Who was he, to disoblige you!”

“You will understand,” said Fabia, still quietly; and then briefly she told of the conspiracy against the life of Drusus, so far as she had gathered it.

“Where did you learn all this,” queried Curio, “if I may venture to ask?”

“From Agias, the slave of Cornelia, niece of Lentulus.”

“But what is Drusus to her?” demanded the marvelling tribune.

“He is everything to her.  She has been trying to win her way into Ahenobarbus’s confidence, and learn all of the plot.”

A sudden light seemed to break over the face of the politician.  He actually smiled with relieved pleasure, and cried, “Papae! Wonderful!  I may be the farthest of all the world from Diogenes the Cynic; but a man cannot go through life, unless he has his eyes shut, and not know that there are different kinds of women.  I was sorry enough to have to feel that a girl like Cornelia was becoming one of Clodia’s coterie.  After all, the world isn’t so bad as we make it out to be, if it is Curio the profligate who says it.”

“But Drusus, my nephew?” exclaimed Fabia.  “He is in frightful danger.  You know Dumnorix will have a great band of gladiators, and there is no force in Praeneste that can be counted on to restrain him.”

“My dear lady,” said Curio, laughing, “I am praising the happy Genius that brought you here.  We Caesarians are taught by our leaders never to desert a friend in need; and Drusus has been a very good friend to us, especially by using all his influence, very successfully, for our cause among the Praenestians and the people of those parts.  When did you say that Dumnorix would pass through the town?”

“Early to-morrow, possibly,” replied the Vestal.

“Phui! Dismiss all care.  I’ll find out at once how many gladiators he took with him to Anagnia.  Some of his gang will be killed in the games there, and more will be wounded and weak or disabled.  I am tribune, and I imagine I ought not to be out of the city over night,[110] but before daybreak to-morrow I will take Antonius and Sallustius and Quintus Cassius; and perhaps I can get Balbus and our other associates to go.  We will arm a few slaves and freedmen; and it will be strange indeed if we cannot scatter to the four winds Dumnorix’s gladiators, before they have accomplished any mischief.”

  [110] This was the law, that the tribunes might always be ready to
  render help (auxilium) to the distressed.

“The gods reward you!” said Fabia, simply.  “I will go back to the Temple, and pray that my nephew be kept from harm; and you also, and your friends who will defend him.”

Curio stood in the atrium a long time after the Vestal had left.