d they certainly are not Hunnic. I have never seen such
characters. Where were they found?" he asked, turning to Passai.

"In Varhely, when the Wallachians were clearing away the old temple."

"Why did they clear it away?"

"It was an old ruin that they called a Roman temple."

"But it cannot have been a Roman temple, for it is not a Roman coin."

"I agree with you, but the Wallachians are in the habit of calling
every ruin in Transylvania Roman."

"But why did they clear it away?"

"The villagers thought they might burn the statues for lime."

"O godless people!" cried Apafi, "to make lime out of rare works of
art. Did you not try to save at least part from destruction?"

"I bought a cover of a sarcophagus adorned with sculpture, and a well
preserved sphinx; but it was not convenient for the Wallachian who was
moving them to lift them whole, so he broke the statues in five or six
pieces that he might carry them in his cart more easily."

"He deserves to be impaled! I will have a law passed that nobody
hereafter shall dare lay hands on any antique."

"I am afraid your Excellency will be too late, for when the people
learned that I was paying for their stones, the story went abroad that
I was hunting for diamonds and carbuncles in the stones, and they
broke them all up in such small pieces that now they might be used
for writing sand."

"Have you spoken with the Lord of Deva about the mosaic?"

"He will not let it go at any price. He said that none of his
ancestors had ever sold any of their possessions. If he would only
allow it to be moved from the spot where it was found,--but he will
not even consent to that. As it is the corn-stall stands over it and
the oxen lie on the figures of Venus and Cupid."

"I have a great mind to confiscate the property and so get possession
of the priceless treasures," said Apafi, with the zeal of a student,
and again turned to examine the puzzling coin.

At this moment Teleki entered the Prince's apartment with an important
air, took some writing from a silk envelope, opened it and placed it
in Apafi's hand. The Prince appeared to read it with care and knit his
brow as he did so. Suddenly he called out, "They certainly are Dacian
letters!"

"What!" said Teleki, astounded, with wide open eyes. He could not
comprehend how the Prince had found Dacian writing in the letter
handed him.

"Yes, I am positive. I remember reading, perhaps in Dio Cassius, that
the Romans had m