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。