gue recollection of the lost children of his daughter Rhea
immediately flashed across Numitor's mind. It changed all his anger
against Remus to a feeling of wondering interest and curiosity, and
gave to his countenance, as he looked upon his prisoner, an expression
of kind and tender regard. After a short pause Numitor addressed the
young captive--speaking in a gentle and conciliating manner--and asked
him who he was, and who his parents were.

"I will frankly tell you all that I know," said Remus, "since you
treat me in so fair and honorable a manner. The king delivered me up
to be punished, without listening to what I had to say, but you seem
willing to hear before you condemn. My name is Remus, and I have a
twin-brother named Romulus. We have always supposed ourselves to be
the children of Faustulus; but now, since this difficulty has
occurred, we have heard new tidings in respect to our origin. We are
told that we were found in our infancy, on the shore of the river, at
the place where Faustulus lives, and that near by there was a box or
trough, in which we had been floated down to the spot from a place
above. When Faustulus found us, there was a wolf and a woodpecker
taking care of us and bringing us food. Faustulus carried us to his
house, and brought us up as his children. He preserved the trough,
too, and has it now."

Numitor was, of course, greatly excited at hearing this intelligence.
He perceived at once that the finding of these children, both in
respect to time and place, and to all the attendant circumstances,
corresponded so precisely with the exposure of the children of Rhea
Silvia as to leave no reasonable ground for doubt that Romulus and
Remus were his grandsons. He resolved immediately to communicate this
joyful discovery to his daughter, if he could contrive the means of
gaining access to her; for during all this time she had been kept in
close confinement in her prison.

In the mean time, Romulus himself, at the house of Faustulus, in the
forests, had become greatly excited by the circumstances in which he
found himself placed. He had been first very much incensed at the
capture of Remus, and while concerting with Faustulus plans for
rescuing him, Faustulus had explained to him the mystery of his birth.
He had informed him not only how he was found with his brother, on the
bank of the river, but also had made known to him whose sons he and
Remus were. Romulus was, of course, extremely elated at