returned, and perhaps the
Apostle is with them, for he visits the widow and Crispus every day."

"Conduct me directly to Vinicius."

"Vinicius is in the same room with all, for that is the only large one;
the others are very small chambers, to which we go only to sleep. Come
in; thou wilt rest there."

They entered. It was rather dark in the room; the evening was cloudy
and cold, the flames of a few candles did not dispel the darkness
altogether. Vinicius divined rather than recognized Chilo in the
hooded man. Chilo, seeing the bed in the corner of the room, and on it
Vinicius, moved toward him directly, not looking at the others, as if
with the conviction that it would be safest near him.

"Oh, lord, why didst thou not listen to my counsels?" exclaimed he,
putting his hands together.

"Silence!" said Vinicius, "and listen!"

Here he looked sharply into Chilo's eyes, and spoke slowly with
emphasis, as if wishing the Greek to understand every word of his as a
command, and to keep it forever in memory.

"Croton threw himself on me to kill and rob me, dost understand? I
killed him then, and these people dressed the wounds which I received in
the struggle."

Chilo understood in a moment that if Vinicius spoke in this way it must
be in virtue of some agreement with the Christians, and in that case he
wished people to believe him. He saw this, too, from his face; hence in
one moment, without showing doubt or astonishment, he raised his eyes
and exclaimed,--"That was a faith-breaking ruffian! But I warned thee,
lord, not to trust him; my teachings bounded from his head as do peas
when thrown against a wall. In all Hades there are not torments enough
for him. He who cannot be honest must be a rogue; what is more difficult
than for a rogue to become honest? But to fall on his benefactor, a lord
so magnanimous--O gods!"

Here he remembered that he had represented himself to Ursus on the way
as a Christian, and stopped.

"Were it not for the 'sica,' which I brought, he would have slain me,"
said Vinicius.

"I bless the moment in which I advised thee to take a knife even."

Vinicius turned an inquiring glance on the Greek, and asked,--"What hast
thou done to-day?"

"How? What! have I not told thee, lord, that I made a vow for thy
health?"

"Nothing more?"

"I was just preparing to visit thee, when this good man came and said
that thou hadst sent for me."

"Here is a tablet. Thou wilt go with it to my house; th