Hastening onward to the street appointed—which was for the most part inhabited by booksellers, copyists, and embellishers of illuminated manuscripts, beside a few tailors—he was hailed, just as he reached the river gate, by a well-known voice, from a cross street; and turning round he felt his hand warmly grasped, by an old friend, Aristius Fuscus, one of the noble youths, with whom he had striven, in the Campus Martius, on that eventful day, when he first visited the house of Catiline. "Hail! Paullus," exclaimed the new comer, "I have not seen you in many days. Where have you been, since you beat us all in the quinquertium?" "Absent from town, on business of the state, part of the time, my Fuscus," answered Arvina, shaking his friend’s hand gayly. "I was sent to Præneste, with my troop of horse, before the calends of November; and returned not until the Ides." "And since that, I fancy"—replied the other laughing, "You have been sunning yourself in the bright smiles of the fair Julia. I thought you were to have led her home, as your bride, ere this time." "You are wrong for once, good friend," said Paullus, with a well-pleased smile. "Julia is absent from the city also. She and Hortensia are on a visit to their farm, at the foot of Mount Algidus. I have not seen them, since my return from Præneste." "Your slaves, I trow, know every mile-stone by this time, on the via Labicana! Do you write to her daily?" "Not so, indeed, Aristius;" he replied. "We are too long betrothed, and too confident, each in the good faith of the other, to think it needful to kill my poor slaves in bearing amatory billets." "You are wise, Paullus, as you are true, and will, I hope, be happy lovers!" "The Gods grant it!" replied Paullus. "Do they return shortly? It is long since I have visited Hortensia. She would do justly to refuse me admittance when next I go to salute her." "Not until after the next market day. But here I must leave you; I am going to Natta’s shop, in the Argiletum." "To purchase books? Ha! or to the tailor’s? the last, I presume, gay bridegroom—there are, you know, two Nattas." "Natta, the bookseller, is my man. But I go thither, not as a buyer, but to meet a friend, Fabius Sanga." "A very wise and virtuous Roman," replied the other, stopping at the corner of the street Argiletum, "but tarry a moment; when shall we meet again? I am going down to the hippodrome, can you not join me there, when you have finished your business with Sanga?" "I can; gladly." answered Arvina. As they stopped, previous to separating, a young man, who had been walking for some distance close at their heels, passed them, nodding as he did so, to Arvina, who returned his salutation, very distantly.