came up to his
bedside, "what do you think of things?"

"I do not know what to think," Charlie said feebly. "I do not know
where I am, or why I am here. I remember that there was a fray in
the street, and I suppose I was hurt. But why was I brought here,
instead of being taken to my lodgings?"

"Because you would be no use to me in your lodging, and you may be
a great deal of use to me here," Ben Soloman said. "You know you
endeavoured to entrap me into a plot against the king's life."

Charlie shook his head, and looked wonderingly at the speaker.

"No, no," he said, "there was no plot against the king's life. I
only asked if you would use your influence among your friends to
turn popular feeling against Augustus."

"Nothing of the kind," the Jew said harshly. "You wanted him
removed by poison or the knife. There is no mistake about that, and
that is what I am going to swear, and what, if you want to save
your life, you will have to swear too; and you will have to give
the names of all concerned in the plot, and to swear that they were
all agreed to bring about the death of the king. Now you understand
why you were brought here. You are miles away from another house,
and you may shout and scream as loud as you like. You are in my
power."

"I would die rather than make a false accusation."

"Listen to me," the Jew said sternly. "You are weak now, too weak
to suffer much. This day week I will return, and then you had best
change your mind, and sign a document I shall bring with me, with
the full particulars of the plot to murder the king, and the names
of those concerned in it. This you will sign. I shall take it to
the proper authorities, and obtain a promise that your life shall
be spared, on condition of your giving evidence against these
persons."

"I would never sign such a villainous document," Charlie said.

"You will sign it," Ben Soloman said calmly. "When you find
yourself roasting over a slow charcoal fire, you will be ready to
sign anything I wish you to."

So saying, he turned and left the room. He talked for some time to
the men outside, then Charlie heard him ride off.

"You villain," he said to himself. "When you come, at the end of a
week, you will not find me here; but, if I get a chance of having a
reckoning with you, it will be bad for you."

Charlie's progress was apparently slow. The next day he was able to
sit up and feed himself. Two days later he could totter across the
room, an