l men who must just now have joined her father.

"Wait a little while, there are visitors," she cried to the seamstress
who had followed her, and she put her ear to the door to listen. At first
she could not make out anything that was going on, but the end of the
strange conversation that was being carried on within was so hideously
intelligible that she could never forget it so long as she lived.

Her father had ordered two new dresses for her, beating down the price
with the promise of prompt payment, when Mastor came into the steward's
room and informed Keraunus that his master and Gabinius, the
curiosity-dealer from Nicaea, wished to speak with him.

"Your master," said Keraunus haughtily, "may come in; I think that he
regrets the injury he has done me; but Gabinius shall never cross this
threshold again, for he is a scoundrel."

"It would be as well that you should desire that man to leave you for the
present," said the slave, pointing to the tailor.

"Whoever comes to visit me," said the steward loftily, "must be satisfied
to meet any one whom I permit to enter my house."

"Nay, nay," said the slave urgently, "my master is a greater man than you
think. Beg this man to leave the room."

"I know, I know very well," said Keraunus with a smile. "Your master is
an acquaintance of Caesar's. But we shall see, after the performance that
is about to take place, which of us two Caesar will decide for. This
tailor has business here and will stay at my pleasure. Sit in the corner
there, my friend."

"A tailor!" cried Mastor, horrified. "I tell you he must go."

"He must!" asked Keraunus wrathfully. "A slave dares to give orders in my
house? We will see."

"I am going," interrupted the artisan who understood the case. "No
unpleasantness shall arise here on my account, I will return in a quarter
of an hour."

"You will stay," commanded Keraunus. "This insolent Roman seems to think
that Lochias belongs to him; but I will show him who is master here."

But Mastor paid no heed to these words spoken in a high pitch; he took
the tailor's hand and led him out, whispering to him:

"Come with me if you wish to escape an evil hour."

The two men went off and Keraunus did not detain the artisan, for it
occurred to his mind that his presence did him small credit. He purposed
to show himself in all his dignity to the overbearing architect, but he
also remembered that it was not advisable to provoke unnecessarily the
mysteri