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"My lord Domitian," began Saturius with a nervous laugh, "there is a mistake I must explain. This girl is not Pearl-Maiden. Pearl-Maiden fetched so great a price that it was impossible that I should buy her, even for you " He stopped, for suddenly Domitian's face had become terrible.

Now, bring the heavy rods and beat him till he dies." The dreadful order was obeyed, and for a while nothing was heard save the sound of heavy blows and the smothered moans of the miserable Saturius. "Wretches," yelled the Imperial brute, "you are playing, you do not hit hard enough.

They were heavy days for Marcus, since on the morrow of the bishop's visit he had learned that as Saturius had foretold, Vespasian refused to consider his case, saying that it must abide the decision of Titus when he came back to Rome. Meanwhile, he commanded that the accused officer should remain in prison, but that no judgment should issue against him.

"Two thousand sestertia are bid for this lot No. 7, the Jewish captive known as Pearl-Maiden, sold by order of Titus Imperator, together with her collar of pearls and the property to which, as a free woman, she would have been entitled. Any advance on two thousand sestertia?" and he looked at Saturius, who shook his head. "No? Then going going gone!

"I suppose," mused Saturius, "that this is what they call true love, and to speak plainly," he added with a burst of candour, "I find it admirable and worthy of a noble Roman.

"You also, worthy Demetrius that is your name, is it not?" he added, eyeing him keenly "look as though you had not slept well." "No," answered Caleb, "I also met with an accident oh! nothing that you can see a slight internal injury which is, I fear, likely to prove troublesome. Well, noble Saturius, how can I serve you? Anything in the way of Eastern shawls, for instance?"

"Ah!" he said aloud, quoting the vulgar proverb, "'the rod is the mother of reason. Well, can you find her?" "Surely, if I have time. The man who can afford to pay two thousand sestertia for a single slave cannot easily be hidden." "Two thousand sestertia!" exclaimed Domitian astonished. "Tell me that story. Slaves, give Saturius his robe and fall back no, not too far, he may be treacherous."

"No; he died of exhaustion soon after he was rescued; but I have seen the men of the galley, who brought me note of certain goods consigned to me in her hold. They repeated this story to me with their own lips." "So, after all, she whom so many sought was destined to the arms of Neptune, as became a pearl," reflected Saturius.

Presently the curtains were drawn apart and through them came Saturius rubbing his hands and smiling somewhat nervously, followed by a woman wrapped in a long cloak and veiled. He began to offer the customary salutations, but Domitian cut him short. "Rise, man," he said. "That sort of thing is very well in public, but I don't want it here.

No, it might make a stir, as she was one of Titus's captives. Don't kill her, thrust her into the street." The girl was seized by the arms and dragged away. "Oh! my lord," began Saturius. "Silence, man, I am coming to you. Seize him, and strip him. Oh! I know you are a freedman and a citizen of Rome. Well, soon you shall be a citizen of Hades, I promise you.