notice either the old father or the brother streaming with blood; he
limped towards Calvus, and said, deeply bending:

"My master, Mucius the Judge, sends you this writing. Zeno and thou,
you are accused before him, by Johannes the priest, of having scourged
the Syrian woman, so that the unborn child died. He says he can this
time only with difficulty acquit you."

The writing was long; while Calvus read it with a knitted brow, the
lame man glided silently to his brother and pressed a file into his
hand; it was wrapped in a strip of papyrus. Keix read: "After the
mid-day meal." With his chained hand he lifted the small strip to his
mouth and swallowed it.

The lame man stood again behind Calvus. "What answer, sir?"

Highly displeased, Calvus gave him back the indictment. "May Orkus
swallow up this priest! He knows everything that does not concern him.
I must myself speak with thy master. Go on! Thou limpest horribly,
Kottys," laughed he. "But the expedient has been successful. We sold
thee to the Judge as incorrigible. But since thy new master has cut thy
sinews for thee, thou hast not again attempted to escape, and art
become tame, quite tame." They then both left the court.

In an hour Zeno returned from the bath. As he crossed the courtyard,
all the slaves, chained and unchained, were sitting at their scanty
meal, consisting of small pieces of coarse barley-bread, onions, and
bad wine, sour as vinegar. He went into his writing-room to his
accounts.

There, as was well known, no one dared disturb him.

This room--alone in the house--had instead of curtains a strong wooden
door, which could be locked.

The low window looked on a narrow lane, not on the principal street.

He soon noticed an unusual noise, as of the screaming and running of
many men in the distance. The door then opened gently. Astonished,
displeased at the intrusion, Zeno turned.

He was still more astonished to see old Thrax standing upon the
threshold, who shut the door carefully, turned the key, and laid his
finger on his lips, warning silence, for his master had angrily given a
cry of displeasure.

"Flee, master! Quick! Through the window! Thou art a dead man if they
seize thee."

"Who? Are the barbarians in the town?"

"Thy slaves; they are in revolt; all, in the whole town. They will be
here immediately."

Horror seized the Byzantian. He was well aware what vengeance he had
heaped up against himself. From the courtyard the