Part 22 (1/2)
”Naukrates has invited Philodemos with his mistress, Faustina, whom he has brought back from Italy. He has also invited Phrasilas and Timon, and your friend Seso of Cuidos.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: Aretias opened the door for her]
Seso entered at this precise moment.
”Chrysis!”
”My darling!”
The two women embraced, and enlarged with many an exclamation upon the happy chance which had brought them together.
”I was afraid of being late,” said Seso. ”That poor Archytas has kept me. . .”
”What, Archytas again?”
”It is always the same thing. Whenever I go out to dine, he imagines that my body is to be at everybody's disposal in turn. Then he insists on having his revenge beforehand, and that takes such a time! Ah! my dear, if he knew me better! I am far from wanting to deceive my lovers.
I have quite enough of them as it is.”
”And the baby that is coming? It does not show yet, however.”
”I hope not indeed. It is the third month. It is growing, the little wretch. But it does not bother me yet. In six weeks I shall begin to dance. I hope that will prove very unpleasant to it, and that it will disappear quickly.”
”You are right,” said Chrysis. ”Don't let your shape get disfigured. I saw Philemation yesterday, our former little friend, who lived three years at Boubaste with a grain merchant. Do you know the first thing she said to me? 'Ah! if you saw my b.r.e.a.s.t.s!' and she had tears in her eyes.
I told her she was still pretty, but she repeated: 'If you saw my b.r.e.a.s.t.s! ah! ah! if you saw my b.r.e.a.s.t.s!' weeping like a Byblis. Then I saw that she was almost anxious to show them, and I asked to see them.
My dear, two empty bags! And you know what beauties she had. They were so white that the points were invisible. Don't spoil yours, my Seso.
Leave them fresh and firm as they are. A courtesan's two b.r.e.a.s.t.s are worth more than her necklace.”
During this conversation, the two women were making their toilette.
Finally they entered the banqueting-room together, where Bacchis was standing waiting, with her waist encircled by breast-bands and her neck loaded with rows of gold necklaces reaching up to the chin.
”Ah, my pretty dears, what a good idea on the part of Naukrates to invite you both together this evening!”
”We congratulate ourselves on its being to your house that we are invited,” answered Chrysis without appearing to understand the innuendo.
And, in order to say something venomous immediately, she added:
”How is Doryclos?”
Doryclos was a young and extremely rich lover who had just deserted Bacchis to marry a Sicilian woman.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Ah, my pretty dears, what a good idea . . .”]
”I . . . I have turned him away,” said Bacchis, brazenly.
”Is it possible?”