“I cannot,” said Vinicius.
“Ye have asked me long about various things, noble lords, and I have answered the questions; permit me now to give one. Hast thou not seen, honored tribune, some statuette, some offering, some token, some amulet on Pomponia or thy divine Lygia? Hast thou not seen them making signs to each other, intelligible to them alone?”
“Signs? Wait! Yes; I saw once that Lygia made a fish on the sand.”
“A fish? A-a! O-o-o! Did she do that once, or a number of times?”
“Only once.”
“And art thou certain, lord, that she outlined a fish? O-o?”
“Yes,” answered Vinicius, with roused curiosity. “Dost thou divine what that means?”
“Do I divine!” exclaimed Chilo. And bowing in sign of farewell, he added: “May Fortune scatter on you both equally all gifts, worthy lords!”
“Give command to bring thee a mantle,” said Petronius to him at parting.
“Ulysses gives thee thanks for Thersites,” said the Greek; and bowing a second time, he walked out.