I reflected that whereas news of my supposed assassination would fill
Vedia with grief and would probably, after her grief abated, leave her
feeling free to marry, yet, if a false report of my death was not spread
abroad, a genuine report of my actual death soon would be. It was a choice
between a lesser and a greater evil. I acquiesced.
I then ventured to ask him if he knew anything as to how far the brigands
had succeeded in spite of my intervention and how far they had failed
because of it. He told me that they had effected their escape with the
propraetor's coin-chests, the propraetor, and the procurator and had
carried off the widow's maid by mistake for the widow, on account of her
clever device of changing clothes with her mistress.
Also that Vedia had announced that she would pay a large ransom for her
maid.
I then felt safe to ask what had become of Vedia, her name being known
from her advertisement. He said she had procured horses and mules and had
returned to Rome, sending up agents from Nuceria to negotiate with the
bandits, rescue Lydia and pay her ransom.
The next day, at dawn, I set off with the beast-train, riding by the
procurator. He and I and the _Villicus_ had had a talk. After the
_Villicus_ left my name was Festus.
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