s a
mirror with fresh oil. Leo's foot slipped, he staggered, tried to
recover himself, stumbled again, and fell with a cry of pain on the
stone slab, helmet and armour loudly rattling.

CHAPTER III.

Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help
him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank
again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other
to assist him.

"Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained. No, it is the
knee. I do not know. But I cannot stand--I must be carried."

"I will call the people of the house. The stone-mason is coming
already."

"I will strike him dead if he touches me. I will have no help from him.
On the other side of the road to the left I saw some of my people
spear-throwing on the drill-ground. Call them to me, they shall carry
me away."

And this was done.

While the money-changer had gone for the soldiers Fulvius came forward,
but the Tribune turned away from him and would not speak; silent,
suppressing any utterance of pain, he was carried by the strong Moors
into the town, where they soon obtained a litter and took him to the
Capitol.

In the meanwhile Fulvius had stopped the merchant at the entrance. "Not
over the threshold, most excellent man!" said he, pushing him back. "I
am superstitious; thou hast an evil look. As soon as I caught sight of
thee and the Tribune I hastened to meet you, bringing the money which
lies in that bag ready counted for thee. Here"----and he began to count
out the silver money on the broad coping of the low wall. "Here, count
then! It is reckoned correctly: fifty solidi principal, and at thirty
per cent, interest, fifteen solidi more. And here--for I cannot
transact business with thee without a receipt--on this wax tablet I
have written the acquittance. Take the style, put thy name to it, and
go thy way, never to return."

But with his lean hand Zeno pushed back disdainfully the silver pieces,
so that they fell rattling on the stone slab and rolled round about.

"We do not separate so quickly, hospitable landlord and grateful
debtor."

"Grateful! Thirty per cent, is, I think, thanks enough, and one is not
hospitable to harpies and vampires. Take what belongs to thee and go!"

"When I have taken that which belongs to me," answered the Byzantiner
fiercely, "then, not I, but _thou_, wilt go out of this house--out of
this whole propert