X. While Pompeia[467] was now celebrating this festival, Clodius, who
was not yet bearded, and for this reason thought that he should not be
discovered, assumed the dress and equipment of a female lute-player
and went to the house looking just like a young woman. Finding the
door open, he was safely let in by a female slave who was in the
secret, and who forthwith ran off to tell Pompeia. As there was some
delay and Clodius was too impatient to wait where the woman had left
him, but was rambling about the house, which was large, and trying to
avoid the lights, Aurelia's waiting-woman, as was natural for one
woman with another, challenged him to a little mirthful sport, and as
he declined the invitations, she pulled him forward and asked who he
was and where he came from. Clodius replied that he was waiting for
Abra the maid of Pompeia, for that was the woman's name, but his voice
betrayed him, and the waiting-woman ran with a loud cry to the lights
and the rest of the company, calling out that she had discovered a
man. All the women were in the greatest alarm, and Aurelia stopped the
celebration of the rites and covered up the sacred things: she also
ordered the doors to be closed and went about the house with the
lights to look for Clodius. He was discovered lurking in the chamber
of the girl who had let him in, and on being recognised by the women
was turned out of doors.
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