The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-07

panicus), been taught to believe and to provs
this, any respectable person is to be admitted
to explore the house tomorrow" 49,
And where will Agatha bef a
Where, indeed :" echoed Charicle "whert
my remedies won't avail her, I fear. The Tibel
hides much"
"Who formed the council Z" asked Velleius
his face asby pale. "Was sejanus theref"
Perhaps he was" answered Charicles "and
perhaps he was not; but I'll tell you who was
for certain there the base born slave Lygdus
who would cut mans throat for nummu.
for denarius."
Have you told all this to Dionysius p
asked the Pretorian tribune.
mo, and would not be so cruel as to tell
him. He has already, through Germanicus
appealed to Augustus; but you know the en-
peror: and now age every day augments his
habits of delaying at first, temporizing after
ward, and forgetting in the end. No hope nc
hope, no hope" cried the Athenian.
But hope there Is IN retorted PatercuIus
whose peculiar gifts made him a pilot in ex.
tremity. "Dionysius has appealed to Angus.
tus; and not knowing all yow know, naturally
trusts that some notice may be taken of his
appeal. At least, mark you, it would not sur
prise him if there WERE"
81 miss your meaning" said the Greek.
ono matter" returned Paterculus "you'Il
understand it tomorrow. once wrote a
comedy which failed upon the stage; but !
will turn this tragedy into as amusing COM
edy as ever was acted in real life."
"You will!'
Ac a1x- 7
know that Dionysius has made communication
through Germanicus CesaS to Augustus"
81 should think he must in fact, happen
to know he does"
"Then forgive me for asking you to leave
me now, and bear good heart"
When Charicles had gone, Paterculus sum-
moned trusty slave called Ergasilus, who
could write, but whom he never before had
employed as his secretary, and, ordering him
to sit at a table where all the necessary mate
rails were laid out, dictated the following
letter, to be indited upon q peculiar and unu-
sual species of paper, which he selected:
"Biank to Blank greeting:
You know the enclosed signet. Let it be
your warrant to bring with you, the moment
you receives this, all necessary fsrce of that
special force which is under your authority,
and to go Immediately to Blank, and there
taking into your charge Blank, deliver the
same, together with the enclosed signet, to
Blank.
Farewell"
This being written by Ergasilus, Paterculus
ordered him to be ready within two hours to
take long journey on horseback, and bear
this letter to Naples. He designated the par
ion1a hose h okaI,1 % H.
ridden by the slave. The man retired to obey
these commands; upon which Paterculus wrote
another note on the same peculiar species of
paper, to friend of his, quoestor named
Hegio, at Naples, and enclosed an order for a
sum of money upon money. dealer at Naples
in favor of Hegio. In this letter Paterculus
requested Hegio to detain the slave Ergasilus
till vessel should be sailing for some port in
Africa and then to dispatch the slave thither,
to buy horse for Velleius Paterculus, appro-
priating the money enclosed for the expense
of that transaction, including something for
Hegio's own trouble He folded in this letter
his own siguet-ring. He next filled up the
five blanks in the letter written by Ergasilus,
after the following manner; taking care to
make the handwriting as similar to that of
Ergaslus possible. Of the reader will
glance again at that document, and insert, as
we give them, the missing words, he will see
into what kind of instrument the letter was
converted.)
Blank number one had in it "Augustus
Caesar"
"BIank number two, "sejanus, prefect"
Blank number three, "the Calpurnian
house."
Blank number four, " the damsel Agatha"
And blank number five, " Paulus, tribune of
soldiers
When both letters were folded and ready,
Paterculus again summoned the slave Ergasi-
lus, and giving him-not the letter which he
had copied, and which Paterculus had safely
deposited in a pocket of his own tunic-but
the other, told him to sit down and complete
bis previous task by adding the superscription,
namely, "V. Paterculus to Hegiosthe Qums-
tor" etc.
Ergasilus having done this, and being eau
toned to be careful with the document, as he
might feel that it contained his masters sig
net-ring Gin saying which Paterculus held out