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The prisoner's lips were seen moving, as his captors hurried him along; but no speech from them could be heard, until the Forum had been nearly traversed. Then, on the hush born of surprise and efforts to escape blows, the words of Magius were audible, at least to those nearest. He was protesting against this violation of the treaty.
"Put up your sword, my Perolla," said the newcomer, speaking in low tones and throwing aside his mantle. "Decius Magius, by all the gods!" cried the young man; "but why are you disguised?" "Because, my friend," said Magius, slowly "Capua is no longer free; because spies of the Carthaginian and of our senate are watching my house, making ready to seize me.
He found himself obliged, for instance, to have one of the leaders of the aristocratic party in Capua, Decius Magius, who even after the entrance of the Phoenicians obstinately contended for the Roman alliance, seized and conveyed to Carthage; thus furnishing a demonstration, very inconvenient for himself, of the small value of the liberty and sovereignty which had just been solemnly assured to the Campanians by the Carthaginian general.
"It is a hard thing," he said, doubtfully, "for a woman well born and modest to belong to a man she hates." "But it is easy to die, my father, as died Lucretia." Decius Magius looked at her. Several times his lips moved as if about to speak, and, once, he turned away sharply for a moment, as if to gaze up into the night. "Tell me, my father," she said earnestly, "do you give me no hope?
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