He sighed. "Sempronia married me for my books. I know, it sounds absurd-a woman who reads!-but there it is: she didn't as-sent to the marriage until she saw this room, and that made up her mind. She's read every volume here-more than I have! She even writes a bit herself-poetry and such. Her verses are too… passionate… for my taste."

He cleared his throat again. "Sempronia, you see, is not like other women. Sometimes I think the gods gave her the soul of a man. She reads like a man. She converses like a man. She has her own motley circle of friends-poets, playwrights, dubious women. When Sempronia has them over, the witticisms roll off her tongue. She even appears to think. She has opinions, anyway. Opinions on everything-art, racing, architecture, even politics! And she has no shame. In the company of her little circle, she plays the lute-better than our best-trained slave, I have to admit. And she dances for them." He grimaced. "I told her such behavior was indecent, com-pletely unsuitable for a consul's wife. She says that when she dances, the gods and goddesses speak through her body, and her friends un-derstand what they see, even if I don't. We've had so many rows, I've almost given up rowing about it."

He sighed. "I'll give her this: she's not a bad mother. Sempronia has done a good job raising little Decimus. And despite her youth, her performance of official duties as consul's wife has been impeccable. Nor has she shamed me publicly. She's kept her… eccentricities… confined to this house. But… "

He seemed to run dry. His chin dropped to his chest.

"One of her duties," I prompted him, "is to oversee society news in the Daily Acts, is it not?"

He nodded. He squinted for a moment at Sempronia's portrait, then turned his back to it. "Lucius explained to you the cause for my concern?"

"Only in the most discreet fashion."

"Then I shall be explicit. Understand, Finder, the subject is… acutely embarrassing. Lucius tells me you can keep your mouth shut. If I'm wrong, if my suspicions are unfounded, I can't have news of my foolishness spread all over the Forum. And if I'm right-if what I suspect is true-I can afford the scandal even less."