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The warriors now resumed their burden, and a procession was formed towards the pyre, on which the litter-bearers, mounting by an inclined plane, placed the doomed youth. Judith ascended the huge boulder, which was some eight feet higher than the pyre at its foot. The chief and people grouped themselves round its base.
The ex-'garde-robiere' had helped her put on her gala attire, and Pyramus assured his wife that every one would consider her the handsomest and most elegant lady in the galleries. She knew that he was right, and listened with pleasure, deeply as resentment and disappointment burdened her soul. Then the knocker on the door rapped. The litter-bearers had probably come. But no!
Then came the stablemen, the huntsmen, the litter-bearers, and the running footmen with muscles like iron, two gardeners hirsute as Priapus, six ferocious looking negroes, three Greek slaves one a grammarian, another a poet, and the third a singer.
A roar of vituperation drowned whatever answer the candidate might have made, as, with brandished clubs, cleavers, knives, styli any weapon that could be snatched up from the booths the nearest score of the crowd made a dash at the presumptuous noble. The litter-bearers were sturdy fellows, and their staves were stout, but the contest was far too unequal.
Even so, when he rolled out of the litter and advanced with his courtliest bow to escort Marcia into the house, she recognized his fear and mocked him: "You are bilious? Or has some handsomer Adonis won your Venus from you? Is it jealousy?" He pretended that the litter-bearers needed whipping for having shaken him.
There were wagons and buckboards to be had, but the road was rough, so the three changed off as litter-bearers and brought him to the lake where the swift and smooth canoe was ready, and two hours later they carried him into the hospital at Plattsburg.
There was an assistant surgeon in charge, with two subordinates of inferior rank under him. In all the army none showed more gallantry and received less acknowledgment than the litter-bearers.
Judge of my feelings when, in the mellow light which bathes Rome just after the sun has set from a clear sky and before day has begun to fade, I perceived that my litter-bearers, following Falco's, were turning into the street where I had lived before my ruin! Imagine my sensations when we halted before the palatial dwelling which had been my uncle's abode and mine!
It was noon: the rays of the sun found no way into the narrow shady streets of the city of Thebes, but they blazed with scorching heat on the broad dyke-road which led to the king's castle, and which at this hour was usually almost deserted. To-day it was thronged with foot-passengers and chariots, with riders and litter-bearers.
On a building occupied by a government administrator of the quarter were to be seen a keg into which people were throwing gold rings; a scribe into whose ears some one was whispering; an offender, stretched on the ground, whom two other men were beating. The street was full. Along the walls stood litter-bearers, men with fans, messengers and laborers, ready to offer their services.
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