‘Because I did not choose to let out my secret and mention names—the time was not ripe then to bring the matter forward, and I was afraid it might be meddled with, and harm done instead of good. There was no such person as Balbus.’
‘What do you mean by the time being not ripe? Had you seen or heard of her since you first left her in Surrentum?’
‘Not once.’
‘It may be concluded from that you cared nothing whether she were alive or dead during all that time—is that so?’
‘Not so much as to take me to Surrentum to find out, I confess.’
‘Then why, after all that long silence, did you resolve to go to Surrentum! Say, what was your reason in stealing the child and hiding it away for fifteen years in order to restore it again?’
‘So please you, Caesar, the child was no more to me than any other, but she was of great importance to my patron, and he bargained and paid me seventy sestertia to secretly kill it. I was too soft-hearted to make away with it altogether, so I [pg 413]took it to Surrentum quietly and unknown to him, and there she has remained till now, as you see.’
‘And who is this patron?’
‘He stands there before you—Titus Afer.’
‘It’s a lie—a damnable lie!’ shouted the knight. ‘Dog! vagabond! whoever thou art, how darest thou say such a thing?’