The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-24

the diet, and your son will be able to travel in
fortnight.
After light repast he took his leave, and
started upon bis return journey to Rome the
same night. But Dionysius remained.
CHAPTER XII.
"What does thy wisdom think of this impe-
rial grant, my necessitious husband Z" asked
the Lady Plancina of Cneius Piso, as they sat
together near a large brazier of burning logs,
in the most secret room of the Calpurnian
House, which, as the reader may remember,
surrounded by the willows and beech
trees of the Viminical Hill.
"May the internal gods destroy the old
dotard ~ cried Piso, his sinister face quite
in formed with a sort of livid light. While he
uttered the imprecation, be gently rubbed his
left hand over the back of his right.
" That is saying, not doing, is it not 7" pur-
ued his partner "And the sweet youth who,
| when he felled the slave Lygdus, to the dust,
left that mark upon your hand at the fringe
and flag end of his blow-what say you of
himf Won't he greatly enjoy our property
He'd have marked your face, too, only for the
| thickness CT your mask, the other night I"
"But still you to have the property of
Vedlus Polio, after this Paulus," observed
| Piso.
We may remark that Plancna wore an out
door dress, as if about to take an airing. "a
compliment" said she, to my youthfulness, I
suppose. Now, had imagined that 1 was old
enough to be this lads mother. Bat, no doubt,
since you say so, shall succeed him in the
property. For, in the first place, shall natu-
rally live much longer than he will ; and, in
the second place, through politeness and out
of consideration for my expectant state this
new made military tribune and land owner
will, of course, abstain from marrying; for
you must remember it is only in case he should
die before me, and SO die without an heir, that
1 am to have the reverslon. When think of
it in this point of view, 1 feel sure that the
young patrician will even see the prepriety of
very soon committing suicide on purpose to let
me enjoy the estate. Shall we write him
little note limiting that such is the only course
left for him to pursue in common decencyp
"Your note" said Piso, looking up with a
CHASTITY expression, which suddenly came into
his face, " will not induce him to die"
"Could you induce him to die 7" said the
woman for bear in mind that it is not yes
terday we began to expect the property now
estranged from me and from mine"
"Those who have been known to expect it, "
replied Piso, land, being known so to do, have
been allowed SO to do, have acquired moral
| right to it. Ever since old Polio began to
: have such a paunch, 1 have thought of the
t wealth he could leave; have watched the
growth of his obesity with unremitting atten
l ton But he was fattening for another"
could you induce that other to die 7" re
, peated Plaucina, before somebody else in
. duces him to marry 7" --.s---
= Piso said nothing.
! "Have you heard me ~ asked this woman.
a Pso, with tears in his eyes, again exclaimed
, "He was fattening for anotber!"
E "You insutferable drivellerW cried Plancina
n leaving him abruptly, and then quitting thu
n house alone on foot.
q The enormous extent to which husband
i poisoning had been carried in Rome, not YER
q long before the date at which we have arrived
). is we'll known, and there was such deadl,
). and ferocious ring in Plancnas voice, as sh
e pronounced the last words, that Cneius Pts
, was reused from his tender musings upon oil,
Polios disappointing death and useless cor
pulence, to glance at his wife as she left tn
room. Her face, which was mobile in feature
> but always like the whitest paper in color
= presented to his familiar eye 80 questionabl
- an expression that he mentally asked himsel
- whether she could gain anything by his ow
-. demise. A tress of black hair had accidental
a escaped from the pile on the top of her head
to which it ought to have remained bound
-, and. hanging down her cheek in front of tt
'N ear, made her complexion seem still more pa
lid. Her thin, black, sharply pencilled ey
=, brows were as faulty drawn as bowstrr
- when the archer is dwelling his arrow 4; ar
~, under them her eyes, which, when calm, we
Va of very dark tint, flung FROM their cave
- kind of yellow or tawny fire.
When she had left the room, Piso ros
"a stretched himself, yawned, and muttered wit
80 q smile, No, 1 am necessary to all b
-, schemes. But old Pollio's estate must come
t,a her. l wonder did Augustus guess that b
-. grant to yonder youth was so framed as to
~ deathiwarrant ~
on CHAPTER XIII.
Ire Late in the night of that day, shortly befo
zoe the setting of tho moon, lady, closely vele
I.