Part 39 (1/2)
She looked well in it and wore the six braids and the headband more naturally than most brides, having been habituated to them for thirty years, since all Vestals always wore the bridal coiffure.
At the doorway of Almo's house, the bearer of the white-thorn torch halted and faced about inside the door, his two little brothers let go her hands, Almo himself caught her up clear of the pavement and swung her clear of the door-sill. As he held her in the air, nestling to him, she repeated the formula:
”Where you are Caius, I am Caia.”
When he set her down inside the house she was at last a married woman.
She turned and watched the scramble for the white-thorn torch which its bearer first put out and then threw among the crowd after the slaves had also put out their torches.
So watching, Almo's arm about her, she became aware of a strange something in the look of the crowd and of the street.
”What makes it so light?” she asked Almo. ”Why are the tops of their heads all bright that way?”
Lutorius, who was near them, explained:
”There is a big fire somewhere the other side of the Capitol. I noticed it at the top of the street. The Capitol stood out black, the outline of both temples plain as in the daylight, against the red smoke behind it.”
”Send some of the slaves,” said Brinnaria, ”to find out where the fire is, and let us lie down to dinner. I'm as hungry as a wolf.” And like a true Roman she began with a trifle of three hard-boiled eggs, merely to take the edge off her appet.i.te.
There were six tables set in Almo's dining-room and an ample crescent-shaped sofa to each. The sixty guests made the big room buzz with talk and echo with laughter.
Nemestronia called across to Brinnaria:
”Now you have what you've always wanted. You're a married woman at last.”
”And I'll soon have what I've wanted almost as much,” Brinnaria replied.
”What's that?” several voices called.
”Two desires,” Brinnaria explained, ”haunted me all the while I was a Vestal. One was the longing for a horseback ride. I used to revel in galloping bareback. I haven't been astraddle of a horse for thirty years. It won't be many days now before I shall enjoy a good canter on a good horse.
”Then, by to-morrow night, I trust, I shall have had a fine long swim with my husband and six hundred other couples in the big basin of one of the City Baths.
”Words could not tell you how I have longed to go swimming in the public baths with the rest of my kind, as a lady should.”
The messengers returned with the news that the fire had started near the round end of the Flaminian Circus, close to the Temple of Bellona.
Before a strong wind it had spread both ways, had caught everything in the north slope of the Capitol between it and Trajan's Forum: the silver-smiths' shops were all ablaze; to the south it had crept between the slope of the Capitol and the theatre of Marcellus and was sweeping over the booths of the Vegetable Market.
”It is the biggest fire in our time,” said Lutorius.
”Where will it stop?” queried Numisia.
Both sent their lictors to make further report.
Before the dinner was half over they returned, with messengers from the Atrium. The conflagration was roaring up the Vicus Jugarius and Gargilia was alarmed.
Lutorius and Numisia hastily excused themselves, called for their shoes and went off; he in his litter and she in her carriage.
As Brinnaria was about to cut the wedding cake her former lictor, Barbo, thrust himself into the dining-hall, frantic with concern, and narrated how the fire was beyond any hope of control and was already devouring the Basilica Argentaria and Basilica Julia.
”Lutorius has had the sacred fire carried out of the Temple in a copper pan by Gargilia and Manlia,” he said, ”and Terentia and Numisia, with little Campia, were helping Causidiena along the Holy Street. Causidiena had an earthenware casket in her arms. I saw them turn the corner to their right into Pearl-Dealers Lane. They are safe in the Palace by now.”