Metamorphoses 3.12: "Seriously, I still have to go to the dinner party?"

A Roman bathroom from the ruins of Pompeii; the best place, even then, to recover from a good cry.

Notes on this passage:

• Sadly, I don't have many. The passage's translation was spread out over four days, because my niece is visiting me, and I can't remember now what I was thinking before.
• Okay, I do notice, again, how very human and vulnerable Lucius seems. It makes his excesses and bad choices later more sympathetic.
• I told my niece not to let me go to sleep until I finished my homework for today. She held me to it. She's so much a better student than me, even at 11.

Latin	Vocabulary	Translation
Sic pudenter allocutus et pauliper hilaro vultu renidens, quantumque poteram letiorem me refingens comiter abeuntes magistratus apello.	allocutus hilaro renidens letiorem refingens comiter apello.	Thus having spoken properly and beaming with a happy face, and feigning cheerfulness as much as I was able, I bid farewell to the departing magistrtes.
et ecce quidam intro currens famulus: "Rogat te," ait, "tua parens Byrrhena, et convivii cui te sero desponderas iam adpropinquantis admonet."	famulus sero desponderas adpropinquantis admonet	And there I ran into a certain slave, and he said, "Your Aunt Byrrhena is asking for you, and you had promised yourself last night to come to the dinner party and she is warning you it is almost time."
ad haec ego formidans et procul perhorrescens etiam ipsam domum eius, "Quam vellem," inquam, "parens, iussis tuis obsequium commodare, si per fidem liceret id facere.	formidans perhorrescens obsequium commodare	To these words, full of fear and even horrified at the nearness of that house, I said, "Aunt, I wish fervently wish to be obedient to your orders, if it is permitted for it to happen in good faith.
hospes enim meus Milon, per hodierni diei praesentissimum numen adiurans, effecit, ut eius hodiernae cenae pignerarer, nec ipse discedit nec me digredi patitur. prohinc epulare vadimonium differamus."	adiurans pignerarer discedit digredi epulare vadimonium	For my host Milo brought it about, swearing an oath to the god most honored on this day, so that I was of his feast for today. He neither withdrew nor suffered me to leave. Therefore, we spread about gastronomic guarantee."
Haec adhuc me loquente, manu firmiter iniecta, Milon--iussis balnearibus adsequi--producit ad lavacrum proximum. at ego vitans oculos omnium et, quem ipse fabricaveram, risum obviorum declinans, lateri eius adambulabam obtectus.	iniecta vitans fabricaveram obviorum adambulabam obtectus	With me saying these words and with my hand being more firmly tugged at, Milo--with bath supplies ordered--led me to the nearest bathroom. But I, shunning my eyes from everything and, which I had instantly forged, shunning laughter of the easy sort, I walked next to him, covering his side.
nec qui laverim, qui terserim, qui domum rursum reverterim, prae rubore memini; sic omnium oculis, nutibus, ac denique manibus denotatus, inpos animi stupebam.	laverim terserim reverterim nutibus inpos stupebam	Not how I washed, how I scrubbed, how I turned back, did I remember in the face of shame; thus having been noted in front of everyone with eyes, nods, and hands, losing control of my spirit, I was astounded.