CHAPTER THE TWENTIETH.

"Pray; madame," I groaned, "if you have anything worse in store, bring it

on quickly for we have not committed a crime so heinous as to merit death

by torture." The maid, whose name was Psyche, quickly spread a blanket

upon the floor (and) sought to secure an erection by fondling my member,

which was already a thousand times colder than death. Ascyltos, well

aware by now of the danger of dipping into the secrets of others, covered

his head with his mantle. (In the meantime,) the maid took two ribbons

from her bosom and bound our feet with one and our hands with the other.

(Finding myself trussed up in this fashion, I remarked, "You will not be

able to cure your mistress' ague in this manner!" "Granted," the maid

replied, "but I have other and surer remedies at hand," she brought me a

vessel full of satyrion, as she said this, and so cheerfully did she

gossip about its virtues that I drank down nearly all of the liquor, and

because Ascyltos had but a moment before rejected her advances, she

sprinkled the dregs upon his back, without his knowing it.) When this

repartee had drawn to a close, Ascyltos exclaimed, "Don't I deserve a

drink?" Given away by my laughter, the maid clapped her hands and cried,

"I put one by you, young man; did you drink so much all by yourself?"

"What's that you say?", Quartilla chimed in. "Did Encolpius drink all

the satyrion there was in the house?" And she laughed delightfully until

her sides shook. Finally not even Giton himself could resist a smile,

especially when the little girl caught him around the neck and showered

innumerable kisses upon him, and he not at all averse to it.

The Satyricon — Volume 01: Introduction · 第 45 / 52 题