ar so pestilent a knave?" said Victor, laughing; "one would
suppose I had disparaged the accursed things! But, as I said before, they
are good spurs, and I will have them; but I will not give thee three
aurei, master Volero; two is enough, in all conscience; or sixty denarii
at the most. Ho! Davus, Davus! bring my purse, hither, Davus," he called
to his slaves without; and, as the purse-bearer entered, he continued
without waiting for an answer, "Give Volero two aurei, and ten denarii,
and take these spurs."

"No! no!" exclaimed Volero, "you shall not--no! by the Gods! they cost me
more than that!"

"Ye Gods! what a lie! cost thee--and to a barbarian! I dare be sworn thou
didst not pay him the ten denarii alone."

"By Hercules! I did, though," said the other, "and thou shouldst not have
them for three _aurei_ either, but that it is drawing near the Calends of
November, and I have moneys to pay then."

"Sixty-five I will give thee--sixty-five denarii!"

"Give me my spurs; what, art thou turning miser in thy youth, Aurelius?"

"There, give him the gold, Davus; he is a regular usurer. Give him three
_aurei_, and then buckle these to my heel. Ha! that is well, my Paullus,
here come your fellows with black Aufidus, and our friend Geta on the
Numidian. They have made haste, yet not sweated Nanthus either. Aristius,
your groom is a good one; I never saw a horse that shewed his keeping or
condition better. Now then, Arvina, doff your toga, you will not surely
ride in that."

"Indeed I will not," replied Paullus, "if master Volero will suffer me to
leave it here till my return."

"Willingly, willingly; but what is this?" exclaimed the cutler, as Arvina
unbuckling his toga and suffering it to drop on the ground, stood clad in
his succinct and snow-white tunic only, girded about him with a zone of
purple leather, in which was stuck the sheathless dirk of Cataline. "What
is this, noble Paullus? that you carry at your belt, with no scabbard? If
you go armed, you should at least go safely. See, if you were to bend your
body somewhat quickly, it might well be that the keen point would rend
your groin. Give it me, I can fit it with a sheath in a moment."

"I do not know but it were as well to do so," answered Paullus,
extricating the dagger from his belt, "if you will not detain us a long
time."

"Not even a short time!" said the cutler, "give it to me, I can fit it
immediately." And he stretched out his hand and took it; bu