The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-03-08
you have done. Have You not come to Italy to
claim rights which are indisputablei
U La that reason ~

q" Is that reason ~
at is a thousand reasons, and anothe
thousand, too. Alas do not deceive yourself
as your namesake and cousin did, about the
character of the world"
AT the door of the inn they separated, she
to attend to the multifarious business of her
household, and he to loiter purposelessly. After
little reflection, he went quite through the
house by the mpiariup,, and the central CORR
dor beyond it, and looked into the pu bile room
or arium. At one table n couple of centurons
| sat playing dice with the tssserG, and shouting
the names of half a dozen gods and goddesses,
! as their luck fuctuated. AT another table a
powerfully built, dark, middle-aged man. hav-
! ing long, ruddy beard streaked with gray,
| upon whom Asiatic Slaves waited, was taking
u travellers repast his slaves helping him to
costly wine, which he drank with grmace Of
! dissatisfaction bnt in formidable quantities.
Other groups were dotted round the large
apartment. In order not to draw needless no
| tice, for all eyes turned to him for % moment,
except those of the two dce-throwing and
| believing centurions, Paulus seated himself
behind an unoccupied table near the door.
| While idly watching the-sc around him.
| he thought he heard his name pronounced in
the passage outside. lie listened, but the noise
in the room made him uncertain, and the voice
outside already less audible, as of one who
had passed the door while speaking.
Presently he heard, in a much louder tone
the words, "Why, it is not our carriage after
all. Let return and wait where we can sit
| down." And the speaker again passed the
public room, coming back, apparently, from
the porch.
Paulus happened to be sitting close to the
door, which was open curtain as was COM
mon, hanging over the entrance. This time,
in spite of the noise in the deta, word or
two, and a name, though not his own, struck
| him. lie fanced some one said, No harm to
| her; but still, not the brother-the sister, my
trusty Claudius."
Where had Paulus heard those tones before ?
In itself, what he had overheard was sufi
| GENTLY harmless fragment of sentence.
Nevertheless, Paulus rose, left his table, lifted
| aside the door curtain, and went into the cor
ridor, where he saw Cneius Piso and Plancina
| with their backs to him, walking toward the
end OF the passage opposite the porch, but he
nearly stumbled against Young man going
the other way. This person, who was good
looking, in both senses of the word, wore the
sober colored tunic, the long hair, and the
slippers of q slave. He had in his right hand
q stylus; in his left, tablets of citron wood,
open and covered with blue wax, on which he
was reading, with his head bent, some note
which he had made there
" 1t is my fault, noble SIR said he 81 was
STOPPING over these and did not observe you
l beg you to pardon my awkwardncss." And h,
bowed with an air of humility.
" 1t is /, rather, who to blame" said
Paulus, scanning steadily the features of tn,
slave, who had made his apology with a looI
of alarm, and in exaggerated accents of dep
rccation.
Shortly after this incident, while Paulus
who had not returned to the atrium, was lean
/, ing dreamily over the balustrade of the inns
central court, and watching the fountain in
} the impluvium there, he was struck heavily or
| the shoulder from behind by an open hand
. Turning round slowly, he beheld man in the
very prime of life, who was entirely strang gel
to him.
" I was told should find you here, excellent
sir" said the stranger.
Paulas took in, at q glance, his dress and
general appearance. he had thick brown
beard, neatly trimmed, and open, daring, large
blue eyes, in which there was nothing what
ever sullen or morose; yet q sort of wildnesa
and ferceness, with q slight but constan
CLEAN of vigilance, if not subtlety. On th,
whole, his face was handsome it was conspi
ouously manful, and, perhaps, somewhat obdu
rate and pitiless.
His stature was good without being yer,
lofty. He had broad shoulders, rather long
sinewy arms, deep chest, aud, altogether, g
figure and person not lacking any token O
agility, but more indicative of huge strength
He wore sandals, the laces of which crossed
each other up his mighty legs, which were
otherwise bare, and white wooden dipher.
covered his shoulders, aud was belted rount
| his waist.
And who told You that you would find mt
here 7" asked Paulus; "for few minutes agt
, did not know l should find myself here.n
" There goes tho youth who told me,~ an
swercd the other pointing, and at the SAM
moment Paufus saw the slave, against whom
he had walked in the passage, cross on tipto
an angle of the courtyard, and vanish through
q door on the opposide side.
"ClaRdius.r continued tho at &C ..