VOLUME 3.--FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ENCOLPIUS AND HIS COMPANIONS 

CHAPTER THE SEVENTY-NINTH. 

There was no torch to light the way for us, as we wandered around, nor
did the silence of midnight give promise of our meeting any wayfarer with
a light; in addition to this, we were drunk and unfamiliar with the
district, which would confuse one, even in daylight, so for the best part
of a mortal hour we dragged our bleeding feet over all the flints and
pieces of broken tile, till we were extricated, at last, by Giton's
cleverness.  This prudent youngster had been afraid of going astray on
the day before, so he had taken care to mark all the pillars and columns
with chalk.  These marks stood out distinctly, even through the pitchy
night, and by their brilliant whiteness pointed out the way for us as we
wandered about.  Nevertheless, we had no less cause for being in a sweat
even when we came to our lodging, for the old woman herself had been
sitting and swilling so long with her guests that even if one had set her
afire, she would not have known it.  We would have spent the night on the
door-sill had not Trimalchio's courier come up in state, with ten wagons;