Tiberius hastily rose and went to meet her. The swelling veins on his forehead and the red color of his face showed his anger, yet he dared not use violent words before such a gathering. Watching the quiet dignity of the aged mother and the smothered anger of the enraged son, the guests remained spellbound. Controlling his anger, Tiberius requested her to meet him on the morrow. The wronged mother, however, braved his displeasure and demanded an immediate audience. They retired into an adjoining room. Livia was the first to speak.
“In the Senate to-day thou didst insult me, O Tiberius!” she slowly said, in an injured tone.
“’Twas not meant as an insult, O mother,” he snarled.
“Then see that thy words are expunged from the records of the Senate,” she majestically commanded. “Know, O son, that before a body of august men an insult to a Roman matron, ay, to thy mother, rebounds with redoubled force upon thee. An official position for a friend was my small request. But thou, childish and bitter as thou art, didst say unto the Senate that the position had been extorted from thee by me.”
“Ay, ’tis true. I like not thy friend,” whined the emperor.
“Say, rather, thou likest not honesty!” firmly declared the aged mother.
“Say rather, O mother, that I have courage to refuse to be responsible for thy friends,” he jeered.
“Nay. The brothels and wine-shops are the schools from which men are chosen to office in these degenerate days,” said Livia, in a tone of disgust.
“The brothels and wine-shops have truly educated great men,” he snarled. “But why didst thou choose this hour to pour out thy complaints?”
“I wish that thou shouldst withdraw thy words of to-day at the meeting of the Senate on the morrow,” she commanded. “I go not to the house of Drusus this night.”