"I saw them, O son of Venus; I saw the maiden, the good Lygian, holy Linus, and the Apostle Peter."
"Before the fire?"
"Before the fire, O Mithra!"
But a doubt rose in the soul of Vinicius whether Chilo was not lying; hence, reining his mule in, he looked threateningly at the old Greek and inquired,—
"What wert thou doing there?"
Chilo was confused. True, it seemed to him, as to many, that with the destruction of Rome would come the end also of Roman dominion. But he was face to face with Vinicius; he remembered that the young soldier had prohibited him, under a terrible threat, from watching the Christians, and especially Linus and Lygia.