She occupied a small dwelling apart from the main
structure of the villa, but connected with it by a portico: this was
called the House of Proba, it having been constructed a hundred
years ago for the lady Faltonia Proba, who wrote verses, and perhaps
on that account desired a special privacy. Though much neglected,
the building had beauty of form, and was full of fine work in
mosaic. Here, in a little peristyle, where shrubs and creepers had
come to wild growth, the sore-hearted lady sat brooding or paced
backwards and forwards, her eyes ever on the ground. When yet a
maiden she had several times spent summer at Surrentum; her memory
revived that early day which seemed so long ago; she lived again
with her brothers and sisters, all dead, with her mother whom griefs
had aged so soon. Then came a loveless marriage, which soon involved
her in the public troubles of the time; for her husband, whose
estates lay in Tuscany, was robbed of all by Theodahad, and having
vainly sought redress from the young King Athalaric, decided to
leave Italy for Byzantium, to which end Aurelia sold a property in
Campania, her dower.
Pages:
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68