Her expressions af gratitude were not insin-
cere, but her firm resolve not to join her lot with
his was so much more sincere and decided, that
Maltro thought nothing of them, and was only
angry. He became very angry indeed, and
made no attempt to hide it. He no longer pre-
tended to disguise his sense of his own superi-
ority, and told her in brutal phrases how lucky
she ought to think herself that such a man as
himself should be willing to accept her, as a



166 FAUSTULA

f reedman too, for his free wife. To hurt her
more he spoke of her history, and was speaking
of it when she left him.
His spiteful annoyance was by no means
cooled when he received Didia's message, and
as he went over to Ohbanum he was thinking
much more of Clodia's perverse foUy than of
Didia. He still wanted Clodia, and was still
determined to get her. For outraged vanity
flattery is a welcome balsam, and Maltro was
sure of it at Didia's hands. She always did
flatter him, since he never took the trouble to
flatter her. His beauty, his genius, his su-
perior bearing and tone, she never failed to find
something to say of them aU.
Maltro knew she was a fool, but in this he
did not think her foohsh, for her sentiments
coincided with his own.
