w, clean and
comfortable garments and served with abundant eatable food and good wine.

I had promptly read the letters.

Agathemer's Galen had anticipated, mostly. Besides briefly telling me of
his measures for detecting the murderers, and prophesying their success,
he assured me of his devotion and alertness to take advantage of any
chance to help me.

Tanno pledged me his utmost efforts to assist me, and emphasized his hope
that the influences which he and Vedia could enlist in my behalf and the
cash at their disposal would protect me from the worst horrors of trial as
a slave and would ultimately clear me and free me from danger.

Vedia wrote:

"The Leopard-Tamer's bride gives greeting to the Leopard-Tamer. Keep up
your courage! Do not be despondent, but have a hopeful heart. All that
gold, all that influence can do for you, shall be done. Cheer up! You will
live to see yourself a free man, unsmirched by any accusation, you and I
will be married and live many years of happiness afterwards: Farewell."

Investigations of murders are prompt in Rome and trials of accused slaves
quickly disposed of. Before the next morning was half way to noon, on the
fifth day before the Ides of July, I found myself, still shackled, but
well fed and well clad, in the Basilica Sempronia, before the magistrate
charged with deciding such cases. He turned out to be young Lollius
Corbulo, whom I had not set eyes on until he came to know me as Phorbas,
for he was an art amateur of high standing, considering his youth.

I never have discovered how much he was influenced by his natural
kindliness of disposition, how much by personal regard for me, how much by
Tanno, acting for himself and Vedia, whether he had been bribed or not.
He, when I questioned him in after years, passed it off with a smile
saying that anyone would accept a gift on condition of doing what he meant
to do uninfluenced, that no one needed a gift to make him do the right
thing. From Agathemer, Tanno and Vedia I have never been able to extract
any admissions as to their activities in my behalf. Anyhow Corbulo gave a
demonstration of the great latitude which is permitted both by law and
custom to such a magistrate in such a case. He ordered my shackles
removed, and, while they were being filed through, sent off three of his
apparitors in charge of Dromo to fetch some of my own garments from my
apartments in Falco's house.

He went about his investigation like a fair-mi