The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-04-26
PART III.
CHAPTER I.


began to kindle into sunrise, Paulus had com
pleted with swinging strides the distance
between Ciispuss inn aud the camp outside Of
Formiie and he stood before the Prntorium OF
Germanicus Cesar exactly as the commander
| in-chief lifted it's curtain door, and stepped
forth.
''To come with us, or not 7" asked Germani,
Gus, smiling.
"To 20 with you, general" answered Paulus
81 but my mother and sister grudge me this one
day, and as Tiberius Caesar has made me pre-
sent of the horse which I broke the other
evening, and an army travels far more
slowly than q well-mounted individual, will
you permit me to follow you tomorrow ? Be
fore your vanguard reaches Faventia (Faenza
now, nay, before you are out of Latium, l
hope to report myself"
| Gcrmanicus muscd
"Nay," said he, after n moment or two, "wait
you at that Hundrcdth Milestone Post-house
till you receive further orders. You shall have
them this night"
The commander in chief then slightly raised
his right hand, over which Paulus, taking it,
| bowed low.
That evening, in the bower of the verandn
overlooking the garden of Crispuss inn, ouI
| hero was seated, not smoking SO many
| generations of modern heroes have smoked
and not whiting as American heroes when al
| leisure think it necessary to white, but &C.
date and at ease, listening to the occasional
wise and keen observations of the Lady Aglais
and the less spacinS conversation, the volatile
empty prattle' of his sister Agatha. While
they were thus occupied, well stel
came up the staircase from the garden.
Donysius! ~ cried Paulus.
| The visitor brought them news for which
| they had not hoped. Augustus, who had first
resolved not to listen to the suit of Paulus had
suddenly appointed day for its hearing
and, moreover, it was agreed, by sort OF
comfy and Indulgence, that Dionysius, al
though not Roman lawyer, should be allowed
to plead tho case of his friend. Finally, tn,
emperor himself, who, since the death o
Mncenas, many years before tho date of GU
tale, had desisted from this practice, was t.
preside in court for the day (to use moderl
parlance) as judge in equity.
The wanderers were exchanging remarks o
congratulation upon these important and IN
expected tidings, when Crispus himself ran VI
the stairs, holding ont large letter fastened
with the usual silken tie, and addressed t.
and yet little careless and easy, the hand
writing of man who, while accustomed t.
write more than the Romans of high station
Except, indeed, the Professed men of letters
usually did, could unite the despatch of muc
business with certain fnstdious ueatncs
even in triles.
Paulus went to the dining-table, and opcnin
. the paper, ont of which tumbled a gold ring
read as follows by the light Of the scalor
shaped lamp at the top of tho taperng pol
which nanked one of the corners of tho board
" Gcrmanicus Cesar to Paulus Lepdus IEmi
Illus, the centurion, greeting"
" lilo makes mo a centHriou already" sal
Paulus.
The letter continued: "Do not follow til
army directly. Go to Rome. Seek the hous
of Eleazar the Hebrew, near the lower end c
tho Suburra. Show him the enclosed rint
which he we'll knows Us my signet, and deman
of him the already stipulated sum of twelv
millions of sestcrtii (twelve thousand 8eStercia'
which is the pay of forty thousand of my com
mon DICTIONARIES for ono month. l mean t
issue fortnight's pay as a bounty, extendin
it to all (centurians and horse as we'll q
logionaries). 1t would be far more convenier
if you could bring this money to me in bron2
or copper coin, the as but this will be utterl
impossible you could not find horses to carr
the load nor a sufficient guard to convoy i
:, You must therefore make Eleazar pay you
much as possible in gold: for instance, in til
gold Sc'ap"l"m, each coin equal to five slve
dcndrH. After receiving and reckoning til
treasure, give him a written voucher signe
with your name, and sealed with my sigue
Pack the gold in strong iron chests or boxes
collect as n guard all the men you can of Il
fourth ccni"yiu, to which you are appointe,
and hasten, night and day, 10 join me at Foru
-iUi,nj (now Ferrara), on tho Adratic SCI
I Farewell"
raulus determined to start at day break upo
this important and confidential mission, ant
in order not to multiply leave-takings, he sal
adieu to his family and to Dionysius tha
night.
CHAPTER II.
1t was about sunset in Rome when four Del