“Mistress,” said one of the men, “it is all the same, whether we take the prisoner to the city-prefect or to his owner’s house. If you wish it....” Lycoris signed to the slave, who had called the men to speak to her, and the servant took out of his robe two gold pieces, which he gave to them, while Lycoris wrote on her tablets: "Lycoris to the illustrious Stephanus, greeting: “With these lines you will receive your slave, Eurymachus, whom you have so long sought in vain. Keep him in safety, but do him no hurt, till you have taken counsel with me. Why, I will tell you when we meet. I would go to you at once if it were not so late, but I am afraid of missing the beginning of the games. I am writing in my litter--in the Cyprian Way, where your slave was taken. Expect me to dinner. Farewell!” She gave the tablets to the man, and bid him take the greatest care of them. Once more she glanced at the pale and sadly-handsome face of the prisoner, and a strange feeling stole into her heart, a stirring of pity and of confusion. Most assuredly--so she thought--if, that evening, she had seen the victim’s face so close, she would have spoken a good word for him! Those grave, drooping lids veiled a wonderful glow in the eyes! and the mouth, with its expression of silent suffering and self-suppression, was a curious contradiction to that fiery glance! It was altogether a fascinating riddle for the Massilian’s mobile fancy. It was only a pity, that the problem should offer itself under so unattractive a guise! A young officer, a Roman knight, a senator’s son, with such a mysterious countenance, would have captivated her.--It was disappointing, by Cypris! positively vexatious! There was something bewitching in the man, as he raised his eyes to her face--she could well understand, that it must have had a great effect on a nature so impressionable as Quintus'. The more she thought about it the more determined she became; she must find out how it all had come about. The man, Eurymachus, to be sure, looked by no means incapable of refusing point-blank to give her any information. But did not his fate depend upon her? His death was inevitable, and she alone could save him; so if she said: "Speak, tell me all, or I leave you to your fate, which will be certain death."--Absurd! of course he would speak. And it must be a wonderful secret indeed, that could induce a youth like Quintus....