absurdly large share of his property.

They were also unanimous in declaring that they had been unable to bring
home to me the devising of the robbery of the _triclinium_, but they had
all felt certain from the first that I had arranged to have confederates
of mine steal the table silver. They were equally consistent in asserting
that they all believed that I had murdered Falco, after arranging for the
looting of the gem-collection as a blind.

Hour after hour I had to stand and watch wretch after wretch held to the
glowing coals, had to listen to the shrieks of the victims, could not but
realize that Ravillanus was bent on my conviction, that nothing would
swerve him from his purpose.

Dromo, alone of all the household, alone of my obsequious, indulged
personal servants, held out against the torture and though he writhed,
yelled, sobbed and even endured the pain until he fainted more than once,
refused to say anything against me.

After Dromo my turn came. When I was stripped Ravillanus rubbed his hands
and remarked:

"You have your character written on your back! How could Falco trust a
fellow so branded and scarred! Easy-going masters like Falco not only
bring on their own deaths, but sap the foundations of safety for all
slave-owners. Your back, in advance, advertises you guilty. Better own
up."

I pass over the details. But I must confess that I was far from heroic.
Perhaps it is true, and not an invention, that Marcus Scaevola voluntarily
thrust his hand into the altar-fire and stood mute and smiling, and
watched it burn and char. If any man ever did that he had more self-
control than I ever had. I could repress every indication of my agonies. I
fainted so many times that I lost count. The afternoon was drawing on
towards evening before Ravillanus began to lose patience.

Tanno and Galen had been from the first among those about the tribunal.
Now, in a pause, while I was being brought back to consciousness to be
again tortured, Galen succeeded in gaining the attention of Ravillanus
enough to induce him, though grudgingly, to permit the celebrated
advocate, Memmius Tuditanus, whom they had brought with them, to speak in
my behalf. I had regained consciousness before he began to speak and heard
most of what he said. He spoke well.

His chief point was that a gem-expert and art-amateur like me, knowing
that he was to inherit one of the finest and most carefully chosen
collections of gems and art objects in