“We will follow her to the house and take her now, if thou wilt undertake that task, Croton?”
“I will,” replied Croton, “and I will give myself to thee as a slave if I do not break the back of that bison who is guarding her.”
But Chilo fell to dissuading and entreating them by all the gods not to do so. Croton was taken only for defence against attack in case they were recognized, not to carry off the girl. To take her when there were only two of them was to expose themselves to death, and, what was worse, they might let her out of their hands, and then she would hide in another place or leave Rome. And what could they do? Why not act with certainty? Why expose themselves to destruction and the whole undertaking to failure?
Though Vinicius restrained himself with the greatest effort fro
