, with a sigh, 'it is no longer lawful to
give them a slave to eat. I am very often tempted to make away with a
very fat carptor (butler) whom I possess, and pop him slily into the
reservoir. He would give the fish a most oleaginous flavor! But slaves
are not slaves nowadays, and have no sympathy with their masters'
interest--or Davus would destroy himself to oblige me!'

'What news from Rome?' said Lepidus, as he languidly joined the group.

'The emperor has been giving a splendid supper to the senators,'
answered Sallust.

'He is a good creature,' quoth Lepidus; 'they say he never sends a man
away without granting his request.'

'Perhaps he would let me kill a slave for my reservoir?' returned
Sallust, eagerly.

'Not unlikely,' said Glaucus; 'for he who grants a favor to one Roman,
must always do it at the expense of another. Be sure, that for every
smile Titus has caused, a hundred eyes have wept.'

'Long live Titus!' cried Pansa, overhearing the emperor's name, as he
swept patronizingly through the crowd; 'he has promised my brother a
quaestorship, because he had run through his fortune.'

'And wishes now to enrich himself among the people, my Pansa,' said
Glaucus.

'Exactly so,' said Pansa.

'That is putting the people to some use,' said Glaucus.

'To be sure, returned Pansa. 'Well, I must go and look after the
aerarium--it is a little out of repair'; and followed by a long train of
clients, distinguished from the rest of the throng by the togas they
wore (for togas, once the sign of freedom in a citizen, were now the
badge of servility to a patron), the aedile fidgeted fussily away.

'Poor Pansa!' said Lepidus: 'he never has time for pleasure. Thank
Heaven I am not an aedile!'

'Ah, Glaucus! how are you? gay as ever?' said Clodius, joining the
group.

'Are you come to sacrifice to Fortune?' said Sallust.

'I sacrifice to her every night,' returned the gamester.

'I do not doubt it. No man has made more victims!'

'By Hercules, a biting speech!' cried Glaucus, laughing.

'The dog's letter is never out of your mouth, Sallust,' said Clodius,
angrily: 'you are always snarling.'

'I may well have the dog's letter in my mouth, since, whenever I play
with you, I have the dog's throw in my hand,' returned Sallust.

'Hist!' said Glaucus, taking a rose from a flower-girl, who stood
beside.

'The rose is the token of silence,' replied Sallust, 'but I love only to
see it at the supper-table.'