Pagina:Ad Alpes.djvu/162

CAPUT XXV

Posterō diē paulō post merīdiem, Sextus, quī lātius per fundum vagātus erat, ad tēcta celeriter sē recēpit, ut mātrem certiōrem faceret sē Onēsimum appropinquāre vīdisse.

Quō cognitō, omnēs cupidē forās ēgressī Onēsimum iam ex equō dēscendentem offendērunt.^[1] Quī statim ad Drūsillam prōgressus: “Salvē, domina,” inquit. “Ā Cornēliō litterās hodiē scrīptās adferō.”

“Nāviter^[2] fēcistī,” inquit Drūsilla, “quī tantō aestū iter longum tam celeriter cōnfēcerīs. Litterās trāde, ac tē in culīnam cōnfer, ubi quod edās^[3] inveniēs.”

Litterīs trāditīs, Onēsimus statim tēctum intrāvit; ac Drūsilla, cum omnēs intentī exspectārent, epistulam solvit, cuius exemplum^[4] īnfrā scrīptum est:

“Cornēlius Drūsillae Suae S. P. D.^[5]

“Sī valētis omnēs, ego valeō. Litterās dabam,^[6] quod hodiē māne mandāta ab imperātōre ad mē dēlāta erant, ut intrā quattuor diēs ad Galliam versus proficīscī parātus essem.

“Adhūc nesciō cūr in eās regiōnēs mittar. Cum autem līberī nostrī numquam illa loca vīserint, fortasse vōs mēcum Cōmum usque iter facere volētis, ubi est Gnaeī frātris vīlla.

“Tum, sī mihi ipsī longius prōgrediendum erit,

offendērunt, found.

nāviter, adv., energetically, well.

quod edās: i.e., something to eat.

exemplum, copy.

S(alūtem) P(lūrimam) D(at): i.e., gives heartiest greeting.

dabam, etc.: tenses chosen to suit the time of receipt of letter.