Andthen，aboutthreeo\'clock，wereturnedtothehamper。Luncheonundersuchcircumstancesalwaysmeansdinner，andwearrangedourselvesforaverycomfortablemeal。TothosewhoknowthetombofCeciliaMetellanodescriptionofthesceneisnecessary，andtothosewhodonot，nodescriptionwillconveyafairideaofitsreality。Itisitselfalargelowtowerofgreatdiameter，butofbeautifulproportion，standingfaroutsidethecity，closeontothesideoftheoldRomanway。Ithasbeenembattledonthetopbysomelatter-daybaron，inorderthatitmightbeusedforprotectiontothecastle，whichhasbeenbuiltonandattachedtoit。IfI
rememberrightly，thiswasdonebyoneoftheFrangipani，andaverylovelyruinhehasmadeofit。Iknownocastellatedoldtumble-
downresidenceinItalymorepicturesquethanthisbaronialadjuncttotheoldRomantomb，orwhichbettertallieswiththeideasengenderedwithinourmindsbyMrs。RadcliffeandtheMysteriesofUdolpho。Itliesalongtheroad，protectedonthesideofthecitybytheproudsepulchreoftheRomanmatron，anduptothelongruinedwallsofthebackofthebuildingstretchesagrassyslope，atthebottomofwhicharetheremainsofanoldRomancircus。
Beyondthatisthelong，thin，gracefullineoftheClaudianaqueduct，withSoracteinthedistancetotheleft，andTivoli，Palestine，andFrascatilyingamongthehillswhichboundtheview。
ThatFrangipanibaronwasintherightofit，andIhopehegotthevalueofhismoneyoutoftheresidencewhichhebuiltforhimself。
Idoubt，however，thathedidbutlittlegoodtothosewholivedinhiscloseneighbourhood。
Wehadaverycomfortablelittlebanquetseatedonthebrokenlumpsofstonewhichlieaboutunderthewallsofthetomb。IwonderwhethertheshadeofCeciliaMetellawaslookingdownuponus。Wehaveheardmuchofherintheselatterdays，andyetweknownothingabouther，norcanconceivewhyshewashonouredwithabiggertombthananyotherRomanmatron。Therewerethosethenamongourpartywhobelievedthatshemightstillcomebackamongus，andwithdueassistancefromsomecognatesusceptiblespirit，explaintousthecauseofherwidowedhusband\'sliberality。Alas，alas！ifwemayjudgeoftheRomansbyourselves，thetruereasonforsuchsepulchralgrandeurwouldredoundlittletothecreditoftheladyCeciliaMetellaherself，ortothatofCrassus，herbereavedanddesolatelord。
Shedidnotcomeamongusontheoccasionofthisbanquet，possiblybecausewehadnotablestheretoturninpreparationforherpresence；but，hadshedoneso，shecouldnothavebeenmoreeloquentofthingsoftheotherworldthanwasMrs。Talboys。IhavesaidthatMrs。Talboys\'eyeneverglancedmorebrightlyafteraglassofchampagne，butIaminclinedtothinkthatonthisoccasionitmayhavedoneso。O\'BrienenactedGanymede，andwas，perhaps，moreliberalthanotherlatter-dayGanymedes，towhoseservicesMrs。
Talboyshadbeenaccustomed。Letitnot，however，besuspectedbyanyonethatsheexceededthelimitsofadiscreetjoyousness。Bynomeans！Thegenerouswinepenetrated，perhaps，tosomeinnercellsofherheart，andbroughtforththoughtsinsparklingwords，whichotherwisemighthaveremainedconcealed；buttherewasnothinginwhatshethoughtorspokecalculatedtogiveumbrageeithertoananchoriteortoavestal。Awordortwoshesaidorsungabouttheflowingbowl，andonceshecalledforFalernian；butbeyondthisherconversewaschieflyoftherightsofmanandtheweaknessofwomen；
oftheironagesthatwerepast，andofthegoldentimethatwastocome。
Shecalledatoastanddranktothehopesofthelatterhistoriansofthenineteenthcentury。ThenitwasthatshebadeO\'Brien\"FillhighthebowlwithSamianwine。\"TheIrishmantookheratherword，andsheraisedthebumper，andwaveditoverherheadbeforesheputittoherlips。Iamboundtodeclarethatshedidnotspilladrop。\"Thetrue\'Falerniangrape，\'\"shesaid，asshedepositedtheemptybeakeronthegrassbeneathherelbow。VilerchampagneIdonotthinkIeverswallowed；butitwasthetheoryofthewine，notitspalpablebodypresentthere，asitwere，intheflesh，whichinspiredher。Therewasreallysomethinggrandaboutheronthatoccasion，andherenthusiasmalmostamountedtoreality。
Mackinnonwasamused，andencouragedher，as，Imustconfess，didI
also。Mrs。Mackinnonmadeuselesslittlesignstoherhusband，reallyfearingthattheFalernianwoulddoitsgoodofficestoothoroughly。Mywife，gettingmeapartasIwalkedroundthecircledistributingviands，remarkedthat\"thewomanwasafool，andwoulddisgraceherself。\"ButIobservedthatafterthedisposalofthatbumpersheworshippedtherosygodintheoryonly，andthereforesawnooccasiontointerfere。\"Come，Bacchus，\"shesaid；\"andcome，Silenus，ifthouwilt；Iknowthatyearehoveringroundthegravesofyourdepartedfavourites。Andye，too，nymphsofEgeria，\"andshepointedtotheclassicgrovewhichwasallbutclosetousaswesatthere。\"Inoldendaysyedidnotalwaysdespisetheabodesofmen。Butwhyshouldweinvokethepresenceofthegods，we，whocanbecomegodlikeourselves！Weourselvesarethedeitiesofthepresentage。Forusshallthetablesbespreadwithambrosia；forusshallthenectarflow。\"
Uponthewholeitwasverygoodfooling，forawhile；andassoonasweweretiredofitwearosefromourseats，andbegantostrollabouttheplace。Itwasbeginningtobealittledusk，andsomewhatcool，buttheeveningairwaspleasant，andtheladies，puttingontheirshawls，didnotseeminclinedatoncetogetintothecarriages。Atanyrate，Mrs。Talboyswasnotsoinclined，forshestarteddownthehilltowardsthelonglowwalloftheoldRomancircusatthebottom；andO\'Brien，closeatherelbow，startedwithher。
\"Ida，mydear，youhadbetterremainhere，\"shesaidtoherdaughter；\"youwillbetiredifyoucomeasfaraswearegoing。\"
\"Oh，no，mamma，Ishallnot，\"saidIda。\"YougettiredmuchquickerthanIdo。\"
\"Oh，yes，youwill；besidesIdonotwishyoutocome。\"TherewasanendofitforIda，andMrs。TalboysandO\'Brienwalkedofftogether，whilewealllookedintoeachother\'sfaces。
\"Itwouldbeacharitytogowiththem，\"saidMackinnon。
\"Doyoubecharitable，then，\"saidhiswife。
\"Itshouldbealady，\"saidhe。
\"Itisapitythatthemotherofthespotlesscherubimisnotherefortheoccasion，\"saidshe。\"Ihardlythinkthatanyonelessgiftedwillundertakesuchaselfsacrifice。\"Anyattemptofthekindwould，however，nowhavebeentoolate，fortheywerealreadyatthebottomofthehill。O\'Brienhadcertainlydrunkfreelyoftheperniciouscontentsofthoselong-neckedbottles；andthoughnoonecouldfairlyaccusehimofbeingtipsy，neverthelessthatwhichmighthavemadeothersdrunkhadmadehimbold，andhedaredtodo
perhapsmorethanmightbecomeaman。IfunderanycircumstanceshecouldbefoolenoughtomakeanavowaloflovetoMrs。Talboys，hemightbeexpected，asweallthought，todoitnow。
Wewatchedthemastheymadeforagapinthewallwhichledthroughintothelargeenclosedspaceoftheoldcircus。Ithadbeenanarenaforchariotgames，andtheyhadgonedownwiththeavowedpurposeofsearchingwheremighthavebeenthemeta，andascertaininghowthedriverscouldhaveturnedwhenattheirfullspeed。Forawhilewehadheardtheirvoices，orratherhervoiceespecially。\"Theheartofaman，O\'Brien，shouldsufficeforallemergencies，\"wehadheardhersay。Shehadassumedastrangehabitofcallingmenbytheirsimplenames，asmenaddresseachother。