gate of the cavern, and then wait here till the darkness of evening make it safe for him to seek us out again. But, first of all, he must assist me in lifting up this stone."

I was a little surprised with this last proposition; but seeing that the old man was in earnest, I, nevertheless, complied with his request. The stone yielded to our efforts, and I saw, when it was removed, a sword, a spear, and a brazen buckler, lying together upon the surface of the recently stirred earth. I took the sword in my hand, and offered it to Aurelius; but he bid me lay that down, for of such weapons he had no need. He then stooped himself, and lifted a small lamp of iron, which, with a cruise of oil, lay beside the weapons of the buried soldier. The lamp, which we had brought with us, could not have lasted much longer, so I was extremely relieved when I observed this new supply.

When I replaced the stone, however, I took care not to hide, for the present, the sword and the spear of Thraso. I laid them

both at the feet of Athanasia; and then leaving her by the funeral-stone, Aurelius and I retraced our steps to the mouth of the catacomb.

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Already," said he, as we came forth to the open air-" already the sky is red eastward-walk cautiously through the gardens, and regain with all speed the house of your kinsman. I need not preach diligence to you; for you well know, that, without your diligence, what has been done has all been done in vain. Go, my son; may all blessings attend your steps. Come back at the rising of the moon, and cast a stone into the fountain, and I shall be within hearing. Go, and fear not."

CHAPTER IX..

I PASSED without disturbance through the wide gardens of the Esquiline, and the streets of the city, in which no one was as yet moving, except a few rustics here and there, driving mules and asses laden with herbs to the market-place. When I reached the house of my kinsman, however, it was evident that sleep did not prevail within its gates; for lights were visible in the vestibule, the gates of which, as could be by no means usual at such an hour, stood half open to the way. I entered, and found Dromo, and several more of the domestic slaves, sitting in conversation with the porter; while, apart from them, appeared Boto

walking up and down, and visibly occupied with something quite different from what formed the subject of their discourses.

He could not conceal the extravagance of his satisfaction on seeing me enter among them in safety; so that I had no doubt his brother had informed him, in so far at least, of the strange scenes that had passed after our leaving him in the Mammertine at the beginning of the evening. Nor was Dromo, the Cretan, much behind him in many marks of satisfaction. The two affectionate slaves received me, in short, with the warmest demonstrations of joy, and conducted me together to the chamber of Licinius, in which I found a company assembled, the whole of whom, it was sufficiently manifest, had been waiting all the night in expectation of seeing or hearing from me. The orator himself was there-and young Sextus, pale with watching-and Sabinus, still habited in his full military attire, with a goblet of wine before him on the table-and, last of

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all, Lucius Sempronius, who was reclining in the corner of the room, at some little distance from the rest. It was he that eagerly and aloud began to question me the moment I came in; and I knew from the style in which he spoke, that all my friends, who were present, had already been made aware of the singular manner in which Athanasia and the old priest had been withdrawn from the council-chamber of the Palatine. A few words informed them of what had followed after we quitted the Temple of Apollo, and of the obscure retreat in which I had just parted from the fugitives.

"I thank the Gods," said Sempronius,"so far at least it goes well-but if this strictness, of which the Centurion speaks, shall be adhered to, there still must be no small difficulty about conveying the girl beyond the city."

"In truth," quoth Sabinus, after a little pause, "I am afraid this is scarcely a mat