The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-02-22
ORRING STAR CATHOLIC MESSENGER

| friend, into the athletic sports of the mind
which are precisely those Greece most cult
Yates. You are of a great family now fallen
down. The muscles of the arm, the strength
of the body, blow from cestus, never yet
raised that kind of burden off the ground
You fence astonishingly well--I noted your
parry just now but the fence of the mind is
every thing, believe me. By the way, I see the
| excellent Piso, whom you hammered down
after the parry, as one puts stop to pretty
sentence, is being carried into this same post
| house,"
"By your leave, illustrious sir" interposed
the innkeeper, rather nervously, cit is scarcely
the custom, is it, to drop guests at Crispus's
door, without first asking Crispus has he room
for them 7 The expected visit of the divine
Augustus to the neighboring palace of the
most excellent and valiant knight Mamurra,
in Formie, has choked and strangled this poor
house. There is no place where the multitude
of guests can lodge in the town. SO they come
hither, as to spot at a convenient distance
Troops of players, troops of gladiators,
troops of fortune-telers, troops of geese,
pigs, beeves, attagens, alive and dead
night and day, for the last week, with mighty
persouages from a distance, mako the road
noisy, assure you, even after my house is full
believe they would wish me to put up the
very oxen intended for sacrifice"
Have you no chambers whatever vacant :"
asked Velleius.
Il did not say that, most excellent sir: va
cant is one thing, disengaged is another. 1 have
received an express letter from Brundusium
to say that a certain queen out of the East,
wit har md harf roi g.
their homage to the emperor: and here we
have already the servants of that Jew king,
as they say, one King Alexander, who wants
his cause to be heard and his title settled by
Augustus himself and am obliged to listen
to loud outcrios that he, too, must have apart
ments."
At this moment the travelling carriage carry
ing poor Agatha aud her mother had been
drawn nearly opposite to the porch, but lit
tie i'll rear of the tribune, not to intercept
his conversation with the inkeeper. Potercu-
lus threw a quick glance at the beautiful pal
lid face of the girl, and the anxious and
look of her mother.
g. By what you tell me, worthy Crispus," he
replied, "you so far from having your
justly celebrated house full, that you are
keeping two sets of apartments still vacant, |
in expectation, first, of some queen from the |
east, with her son and train, and secondly, of
this Jewish king, one Alexander Worthy
Libertnus, the fair damsel whom you see so
pale, is very sick, and has Just swooned away
from sheer fatigue Will you turn such a
daughter in such health, with her noble moth
er, from your door queen can take care of
herself, it seems to me. But what will become
Of these excellent Roman ladies (your coup
trywomen) if you now bid them begone from
your thresholds You have assured me that
they can obtain no shelter at all in Formi;p
Look at the child! She seems likely to faint
again. Are you to let this daughter of Ro-
man knight die in the fields in order that you |
may have room for barbarian queen : You |
have daughter of your own, am told"
=" Die !" grosned the innkeeper call this did |
not come into my mind, most illustrous tribune
and questor Come, little lady, let me help
you down. This lady and her daughter, sir,
'hall have the queens own apartments-may |
MI the gods destroy me otherwise. Here
Jrispina."
Velleius Paterculus smiled, aud having |
some order to q centurion, who
emained behind in watch for Sejanus, the |
ribune waved his hand, crying out rale to
vhom it might concern, and rode forward with |
he prrtorians at a much smarter pace than |
hey had come.
CHAPTER VII.
Meanwhile the innkeeper's wife, Crispna,
aad appeared, and had led Aglais and her
laughter through the group in the porch into
The house, and passing by little room, behind
The curtain of which they heard the sound of
lutes, as the carvers carved, and many voices
oud and low, denoting tho public room of the
mn, they soon arrived at an open space or
small court, in the middle of which was ois-
tern, and in the middle of the cistern q splash
ing fountain. The cistern was rallied by
'ircular wooden balustrade, against which
some creeping plants grew. This cistern was
supplied from the sky for the whole space OF
court in which it lay was open or unroofed.
Between the circular wooden balustrade and
he walls of the house was, on every side, |
arge quadrangular walk, lightly gravelled,
and flashing back under the lantern which |
Crispina carried, an almost metallic CLINT and |
sparkle. OF course this walk presented it's
form on the outer edge, next the |