BOOK THE FOURTH
3. Chapter III
(continued)
'Accept, then, from me, in token of our new friendship, a present for your
bride. Nay, it is the custom of friends, you know, always to present to
bride and bridegroom some such little marks of their esteem and favoring
wishes.'
'Julia! I cannot refuse any token of friendship from one like you. I will
accept the gift as an omen from Fortune herself.'
'Then, after the feast, when the guests retire, you will descend with me to
my apartment, and receive it from my hands. Remember!' said Julia, as she
joined the wife of Pansa, and left Glaucus to seek Ione.
The widow Fulvia and the spouse of the aedile were engaged in high and grave
discussion.
'O Fulvia! I assure you that the last account from Rome declares that the
frizzling mode of dressing the hair is growing antiquated; they only now
wear it built up in a tower, like Julia's, or arranged as a helmet--the
Galerian fashion, like mine, you see: it has a fine effect, I think. I
assure you, Vespius (Vespius was the name of the Herculaneum hero) admires
it greatly.'
'And nobody wears the hair like yon Neapolitan, in the Greek way.'
'What, parted in front, with the knot behind? Oh, no; how ridiculous it is!
it reminds one of the statue of Diana! Yet this Ione is handsome, eh?'
'So the men say; but then she is rich: she is to marry the Athenian--I wish
her joy. He will not be long faithful, I suspect; those foreigners are very
faithless.'
'Oh, Julia!' said Fulvia, as the merchant's daughter joined them; 'have you
seen the tiger yet?'
'No!'
'Why, all the ladies have been to see him. He is so handsome!'
'I hope we shall find some criminal or other for him and the lion,' replied
Julia. 'Your husband (turning to Pansa's wife) is not so active as he
should be in this matter.'
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