The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-10
MORNING. MESSENGER sUsDAY MAY TO- 1874

He said." replied the mother, that my
| daugh liter sho wed as much spirit as If she was
in Spain, and he hoped she might display no
abatement of it when Tiberius Caesar should
| learn that she as yet in Italy"
And who," roared the aged triumvir, " is
Tiberius Caesar have bee IL the-the equal
Of his MASTER"
His head dropped, and he added in mutter,
" l have no lesions now! Alas, we all helped
TO Substitute caprice for justice when we low
crel tue Roman Senate iuto court"
Aglais was ia terror.
YUur bounty said she, " together with
the means my self retain, place Us hey ond the
fear Of want. 1 have determine d to seek con
cealmcut in little villa cottage near Rome;
ard, assuming new name, there to await
Paulus's return, aud the result Of Dionysius's
efforts in our behalf. The sooner we depart,
the safer"
Let US neither rum said Lepidus, " into
snares, ror fly, without need, from tranquility.
Ii Tiberius has learnt that you are here, your
attempt to leave me and your seizure would
be simultaneous events; if he has not learnt
it, your departure is not yet necessary. But
will give all requisite orders, nevertheless, and
Be of good heart. The power of flying shall
be yours, from this very afternoon. There
enough! What a fallen man is Lepidus {!
Once, world shook at my name and now
my own gallant brother Paulus's widow and
daughter imagine they are not safe under my
roof"
Rising from the table, he threw himself on
couch, near which some jewels were dis
played on stand. He took up little casket,
and said:
"Niece Agatha, 1 may never see your pretty
face again after you once leave the Castle of
Circello wear this for my sake"
Aud opening tue casket, he drew from it
twisted chain of gold, to which hung a jasper
locket encrusted with other precious stones,
and enclosing miniature of Il woman.
"Thauks," replied the girl. "If you will
yourself place it round my neck, uncle, it will
make the beautiful jewel more dear to me-"
There, my little LADY," cried the old man,
with her request what orna-
ment, to be sure, you are to the trinket y
"The trinket to me, you mean," said Agatha.
What is inside this locket 7"
You open it .hus," replied Ledidus, press
ing little ivory knob, releasing blade of
steel, and disclosing four golden signet- rings,
such Romans of distinction used to wear on
The third finger of the left hand.
The story of these rings" continued the
trumyir, placing them in a on the table,
= is equally brief and curious. This on the
eft, representing Aphrodite armed, was julius
Casar's; 1 mean, tits precisely like his favorite
'ignet ring, with which he issued commands
hat were obeyed from the Tigris to Britain.
The other three, going still from left to right,
.re all exact copies of the three successive
,ignet-rings used by our actual master, Angus
us the last, which is good likeness of him
self as he thirty years ago, being his pres
mt seal of orders.
The one next to it presents a portrait of
Alexander the Great. That was Augustus's
,rovious-his second affectation, The first
,rus tie SphyuX; see the inscrutable head
ihis, lis first fancy, instinct. No
aGectatiou there, can tell you. At the time
of Oar quarrel aud reconciliation, just after
he war with SeXtus Pompey in Sicily, Angus
t"s gave me, as mere token of private re-
EIrI, the duplicate of his own seal-ring. OF
course have never used 1T for public purposes.
10 do 80 would cost any man his head. The
other two were sent to me by the artist,
of what he had manufactured for
Augustus, because it wa, 1 who had advised
his employment by the Princeps. The man
was called Minas he was a Rhodan he was
always grateful to me for my recommendation"
When Lepidus had finished this concise
littlc history, he replaced the rings in the
lOcket and Agatha round whose neck the
chain hung, promised, with many affectionate
thanks, to keep the gilt for l.,r uuclc's sake.
And so that night passed 4 "a, ill it was time
10 separate and retire to rest.
Several days went by; and young Marcus
rcG ppcarlI not ut the ca-'le.
TO be continued,