Page:The Children's Plutarch, Romans.djvu/34

 of sprats; and if I ate some of it, I should be shielded from the harm of lightning and thunder, and be able to tell the future.”

“Very good, Numa; and have the Pontiffs mended the bridge over the river Tiber?”

“Yes; they have set men to work, and had new beams of wood fixed in the bridge to make it strong against the rush of the water. And the Romans are not now afraid to cross the bridge.”

“Do the people obey the Pontiffs?”

“Yes; the other day the Pontiffs said the Romans were to hold a holiday, and do no work at all; and every workman in the city stopped his hammer, saw, and other tools. And when they said it was time to sow seed in the corn-fields the people did so.”

“That is right. And do the four Fire-Maidens attend to their duty?”

“They do. I have had them dressed in white, as you told me, and they keep the fire burning on the altar day and night, so that the Roman folk may always feel safe. And whenever the Fire-Maidens pass through the streets of the city, the officers carry the bundles of rods in front of them. And last week one of them was being carried in her chair through the city, and there passed by a man who was to be put to death for evil-doing. We spared the man's life because he had met the Vestal maiden.”