Page:The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter (1922), vol. 2.djvu/223

 them when he came here! And when I got a look at them my eyes nearly burst from their sockets through desire. Men never get—I hope we are alone—their tools so stiff; and not only that, but their smoothness was as sweet as sleep and their little straps were as soft as wool. If you went looking for one you would never find another ladies’ cobbler cleverer than he!


 * Why didn’t you buy the other one, too?


 * What didn’t I do, Metro dear? And what didn’t I do to persuade him? I kissed him, I patted his bald head, I poured out some sweet wine for him to drink, I fondled him, the only thing I didn’t do was to give him my body.


 * But you should have given him that too, if he asked it.


 * Yes, and I would have, but Bitas’ slave girl commenced grinding in the court, just at the wrong moment; she has reduced our hand mill nearly to powder by grinding day and night for fear she might have four obols to pay for having her own sharpened.


 * But how did he happen to come to your house, Koritto dear? You’ll tell me the truth won’t you, now?

Rh
 * Artemis the daughter of Kandas directed him to me by pointing out the roof of the tanner’s house as a landmark.