"And what man," retorted the praetor, "would ever be so bold as to court Balbilla, could he hear how cruelly she judges an innocent admirer of beauty?"
"A husband ought not to admire beauty—only the one beauty who is his wife."
"Ah Vestal maiden," laughed Verus. "I am meanwhile punishing you by withholding from you a great secret which interests us all. No, no, I am not going to tell—but I beg you my lady wife to take her to task, and teach her to exercise some indulgence so that her future husband may not have too hard a time of it."
"No woman can learn to be indulgent," replied Lucilla. "Still we practise indulgence when we have no alternative, and the criminal requires us to make allowance for him in this thing or the other."
Verus made his wife a bow and pressed his lips on her arm, then he asked.
"And where is dame Julia?"
"She is saving the sheep from the wolf," replied Balbilla.
"Which means—?"
"That as soon as you were announced she carried off little Roxana to a place of safety."
"No, no," interrupted Lucilla. "The tailor was waiting in an inner room to arrange the charming child's costume. Only look at the lovely nosegay she brought to Julia. And do you deny my right to share your secret?"
"How could I?" replied Verus.