ws, Stolo and Rufinus. The praetor is prepared to give
them a hearing."

It would have been difficult, perhaps, to have selected from the whole
population of Rome at that day, a more murderous looking pair of
scoundrels.

"Well, sirrahs, what secrets of the state have you that weigh so
ponderously on your wise thoughts?" asked Lentulus, with a contemptuous
sneer.

"Murder, most noble Lentulus--or at least subornation thereof," answered
one of the ruffians.

"Most natural indeed! I should have thought as much. Well, tell us in a
word--for it is clear that nobody has murdered either of you--whom have you
murdered?"

"If we have murdered no one, it was not for the lack of prompting, or of
bribes either."

"Indeed! I should have thought a moderate bribe would have arranged the
matter easily. But come! come! to the point! whom were ye bribed or
instigated to get rid of? speak! I am in haste!"

"The cutler, Caius Volero!"

"Volero! Ha!" cried Lentulus, starting. "Indeed! indeed! that may well be.
By whom, then, were you urged to the deed, and when?"

"Paullus Caecilius Arvina tempted us to the deed, by the offer of ten
thousand sesterces! We met him by appointment upon the Caelian hill, at the
head of the Minervium, a little before sunrise, the day before yesterday."

"Ha!" and for a moment or two Lentulus fixed his eyes upon the ground, and
pondered deeply on what he had just heard. "Have ye seen Volero since?"

"No, Praetor."

"Nor heard anything concerning him?"

"Nothing!" said Stolo. But he spoke with a confused air and in an
undecided tone, which satisfied the judge that he was speaking falsely.
Rufinus interposed, however, saying--

"But I have, noble Lentulus. I heard say that he _was_ murdered in his own
booth, that same night!"

"And having heard this, you told it not to Stolo?"

"I never thought about it any more," answered Rufinus doggedly, seeing
that he had got into a scrape.

"That was unfortunate, and somewhat strange, too, seeing that you came
hither together to speak about the very man. Now mark me. Volero _was_
that night murdered, and it appears to me, that you are bringing this
accusation against a young patrician, in order to conceal your own base
handiwork in the deed. Fellows, I grievously suspect you."

"Wrongfully, then, you do so," answered Stolo, who was the bolder and more
ready witted of the two. "Rufinus ever was a forgetful fool; and I trow I
am not to be brought into bl