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Vēnībunt[1] servī, supellex, fundī, aedēs; omnia vēnībunt praesentī pecūniā.[2] Vēnībit uxor quoque, sī quis ēmptor vēnerit.’ “

“Hominem īnfēlīcem!” inquit Anna. “Verī simile[3] est eī esse uxōrem procācem. Sī ita rēs sē habet, crēdō eum omnia vēndere velle, ut aliquō[4] exsulātum[5] abeat.”

Iam autem tempus cēnae erat. Itaque omnēs libenter ad tēcta sē recēpērunt, cum interim Pūblius saepius sēcum:[6] “Ab ōvō usque ad māla.”[7]

“Quid tēcum totiēns loqueris, Pūblī?” inquit Sextus.

“Dīcō mē tam male ēsurīre,” inquit Pūblius, “ut etiam serpentium ōva edere possim.”

“Vah!” inquit Cornēlia. “Cūr puerī tam foeda semper comminīscuntur?[8] Tālia nōn diūtius audiam.” Quae cum dīxisset, celeriter intrō praecucurrit.[9]

Interim pater, Brundisiō reversus, sēcum addūxerat quendam L. Torquātum, familiārem veterem, quī forte in oppidō sē obtulerat; cui, etsī in Siciliam properābat, Cornēlius facile persuāserat ut ūnam noctem morārī vellet, quō melius amīcitia[10] prīstina renovārētūr.

  1. Vēnibunt: see vēneō.
  2. praesentī pecūniā, for cash.
  3. Vērī simile est, impers. phrase, it is probable.
  4. aliquō: cf. quō, , and eōdem.
  5. exsulātum: supine.
  6. saepius sēcum: supply a verb of saving; saepius, again and again, very often (absolute use of the comparative, to indicate a high degree).
  7. Ab ōvō, etc.: i.e., from the first course to the last, Note the ā of māla.
  8. comminīscor, -minīscī, -mentus sum, tr., think up, imagine.
  9. praecurrō -currere, -cucurtī, -cursus, tr. and intr., run ahead.
  10. amīcitia, -ae, f., friendship.