You laid men out by twos and threes.

But jammed as you were in a press of enemies you were hit often and hard, so often and so hard that, after you were downed by a blow on the head, you never came to until I had you where you are." "Yes I did," I protested, "I came to on the hilltop this side of Antemnae." "Not enough to tell any of us about it," he soothed me.

"Anyhow, you are mending now and will soon be yourself." I was indifferent.

My mind was not yet half awake.
"Did I fight as well as you say ?" I asked, "or are you flattering me ?" "No flattery, my boy," he said.

"You are a portent." Then he told me of the result of the fight with the Satronians, of their complete discomfiture and rout, of how he had brought me to Rome, seen me properly attended and looked after my tenants.
"They are having the best time," he said, "they ever had in all their lives." And he told me where he had them lodged and which sights of Rome they had seen from day to day.
"Just as soon as I had seen to you and them," he said, "I called on dear old Nemestronia and told her of your condition.