He who related this
to Felix declared that his mistress had only visited the church of
her patron saint on the Via Ardeatina, but who the woman might be
that she had brought back with her, he did not pretend to know. This
story so excited Basil that he would have hastened forthwith across
the Tiber, had not Felix persuaded him that at this late hour
nothing could be done. After a sleepless night he set out at
sunrise, accompanied by Felix alone. Whether he would be admitted at
Petronilla's door was quite uncertain; in any case, it would serve
no purpose to go thither with a band of attendants, for the Anician
house was sure to be strongly guarded. All he could do was to
present himself in the hope of seeing Petronilla, and take his
chance of learning something from her when they stood face to face.
On horseback he went down by the Clivus Scauri, followed the road
between the Circus Maximus and the Aventine, crossed the river by
the Aemilian bridge (the nearer bridge of Probus was falling into
ruins), and then turned to the left. This part of the transtiberine
district was inhabited by poor folk.
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