The New Catacomb

           "Lookhere,Burger,"saidKennedy,"Idowishthatyouwouldconfideinme."

           ThetwofamousstudentsofRomanremainssattogetherinKennedy’scomfortableroomoverlookingtheCorso.Thenightwascold,andtheyhadbothpulleduptheirchairstotheunsatisfactoryItalianstovewhichthrewoutazoneofstuffinessratherthanofwarmth.OutsideunderthebrightwinterstarslaythemodernRome,thelong,doublechainoftheelectriclamps,thebrilliantlylightedcafes,therushingcarriages,andthedensethronguponthefootpaths.Butinside,inthesumptuouschamberoftherichyoungEnglisharchaeologist,therewasonlyoldRometobeseen.Crackedandtimewornfriezeshunguponthewalls,greyoldbustsofsenatorsandsoldierswiththeirfightingheadsandtheirhard,cruelfacespeeredoutfromthecorners.Onthecentretable,amidstalitterofinscriptions,fragments,andornaments,therestoodthefamousreconstructionbyKennedyoftheBathsofCaracalla,whichexcitedsuchinterestandadmirationwhenitwasexhibitedinBerlin.Amphoraehungfromtheceiling,andalitterofcuriositiesstrewedtherichredTurkeycarpet.Andofthemalltherewasnotonewhichwasnotofthemostunimpeachableauthenticity,andoftheutmostrarityandvalue;forKennedy,thoughlittlemorethanthirty,hadaEuropeanreputationinthisparticularbranchofresearch,andwas,moreover,providedwiththatlongpursewhicheitherprovestobeafatalhandicaptothestudent’senergies,or,ifhismindisstilltruetoitspurpose,giveshimanenormousadvantageintheraceforfame.